• Author: Ross Montgomery
• Series: A Stockingham and Pike Mystery
• Genre: Historical Crime
• Star Rating: 5 stars
• Gifted by Publisher: Yes

Plot: Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley’s Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom – every window, chimney and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within… By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow. All eyes turn to Steven Pike, Tithe Hall’s newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn’t commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, 80-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she’s been waiting for. Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges and rising terror to unmask the killer before it’s too late…

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I have always been a massive fan of historical crime books. They are probably my favourite sub-genre of crime books so I felt pretty confident going into this book. I have not ready any of Ross Montgomery’s previous children’s work so I was excited to finally jump into one of his books.

From the very first page I was hooked. I loved the different ways this story was told from first person POV to extracts of real newspaper articles, Montgomery did an amazing job of painting a massive picture of a small event in history. I loved the amount of research that went into this book, I liked being pulled into reality with all the newspaper extracts reminding me that while it’s a fictional story the events surrounding this book are based on fact!

The setting was eerie and was reminiscent of Christie’s And Then There Were None. The island lent itself so well to the locked room mystery and I found it to be the perfect setting for this novel. Montgomery did a great job of placing you firmly in Tithe Hall from the rickety servants stairs to the dubious and disgusting rooms of some of the nobles. I felt like I was there with our characters running through mazes, looking round corners and over my shoulders and witnessing the various storms.

These characters have made me realise I have a new found favourite character dynamic. This being eccentric and bossy older female detective and her promising but naive young male assistant – bonus points if she swears like a sailor and pisses everyone off. Great Aunt Decima and Stephen were a hilarious and heart-warming duo that I didn’t know I needed. Great Aunt Decima is my favourite kind of female character. Knows her worth, takes no fools and gives credit where credit is due. She was a perfect balance of pure intelligence and comedic relief and paired perfectly with the steadfast and kind Stephen. All the other characters while not as intensely developed or layered as our main characters were still varied, fun and highly entertaining.

The mystery itself at first seemed simple. I felt like I was going to figure it out pretty quickly but by the end I was staring out the window of my bus journey trying to silently process all the twists and turns I had just read. By the end of the book I was desperately praying for the second book to come out immediately as I need more of this dynamic. STAT.