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Stockingham & Pike #1
by Ross Montgomery
Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo—an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian—hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ross Montgomery.
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, eighty-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...
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (2/5/2026)
The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery is set during the 1910 passing of Halley's Comet. The plot is a lockdown mystery with humorous twists and quirky characters. For the February read of...
-Lynne_G
"[An] entertaining locked-room whodunit...With an unorthodox detective duo, lively prose, and a plot full of invigorating twists, this strong series opener will leave readers eager for more." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A paragon of the locked-room historical mystery." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A wonderfully clever take on the classic locked-room mystery, set against the fascinating backdrop of the panic around the passing of Halley's comet. I was immediately charmed by the unexpected crime-solving duo at its core, and I'll happily follow foul-mouthed Miss Decima and steadfast Stephen Pike through many more mysteries, their dynamic is utterly delightful." —Kristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of How to Solve Your Own Murder
"Get ready to add this to your Book of the Year list. This is impeccable writing, with a plot as sharp as cut glass and characters that jump right out of the pages. A joy from start to finish." —Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal
This information about The Murder at World's End was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ross Montgomery is the author of award-winning books for children. His novels have been twice shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book of the Year and twice selected for the Waterstones' Children's Book of the Month, as well as chosen for the Sunday Times "Top 100 Modern Children's Classics." His latest, I Am Rebel, was a B&N "Our Monthly Pick" and was an immediate bestseller, chosen by Waterstones as their Children's Book of the Year 2024. He lives in London with his wife, a baby, and a cat named Fun Bobby. The Murder at World's End is his first adult novel.
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