Agatha Christie would be proud! What a fun read! It's great from beginning to end! Fans of Agatha Christie will like this story. I enjoyed this book so much I couldn't put it down, and read the entire book in one sitting.

MURDER BY CANDLELIGHT by Faith Martin
Published date: 4 January 2024

I requested this book due to curiosity. The writing style and vocabulary was enjoyable.

The book is an old fashioned, whodunit type of a read with an entertaining plot. With character names, such as Mr Arbutnot Lancelot Swift, (known as Arbie, our protagonist) and Miss Val Coulton-James to name a few. Miss Amy Phelps, a wealthy lady, asks Arbie to come to her house and investigate noises she hears at night. Albie, our protagonist and newly acclaimed author of ''The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost Hunting'', thinks he is qualified to offer Amy assistance and agrees to attend her house on a ghost watch.

This was an easy and enjoyable read of murder, mystery and full of humour. I read the book in a day.

I give a 4 star rating and recommend this book.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ARC OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

This is a really good murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie which I really enjoyed. The ending was quite unexpected and there were plenty of twists and turns along the way. The title is brilliant given how the plot ends.
I think this will be a popular read.

Really enjoyed this title - felt just like reading a classic detective story from the Golden Age, similar to Margery Allingham or Edmund Crispin. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the genre and I hope there are more coming from Faith Martin in the future!

I'd read that 'locked room mysteries' were making a comeback and so I was happy to receive this book to review. The main characters are Arbie and Val. Arbie is a bit of a waster, hasn't found his way in life while Val is staunch and sensible, a vicar's daughter. Together they became involved in hunting a ghost at the local manor house. When the ghost hunt ends in murder they set out to solve that.

I found this to be an OK read. The characters are fairly stereotypical though and not particularly well developed. It's an amusing divertissement but I wouldn't want to read too many of this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and. the publisher for the ARC.

A very gentle 'who dunnit' set in the mid 1920's in an idyllic village. Very much in the style of Miss Marple but the two 'sleuths' trying to out wit the police are young, Arbie (an unwitting author of a Ghost hunting book and Val, the local vicar's daughter. Their character's shine through this amusing story. All the clues are there if you want to solve it yourself.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the advance copy of this book.

"Murder by Candlelight" by Faith Martin transports readers to the Cotswolds in 1924, where a seemingly impossible murder case unfolds. This delightful village mystery combines the charm of a golden-age setting with contemporary energy.

The story begins with the discovery of Amy Phelps's lifeless body in the Old Forge, and the circumstances surrounding her death are baffling. All the windows and doors to her room are locked from the inside, leaving the village in shock and confusion. Enter Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Swift, an unexpected detective and a celebrated author of ghost-hunting guides. While staying at the Old Forge to investigate a suspected specter, Arbie is drawn into the investigation of Amy's murder.

Teaming up with his old friend Val, Arbie dives headfirst into a web of altered wills, secret love affairs, tragic losses, and a multitude of potential motives for murder. As the story unfolds, more sinister events come to light, forcing Arbie to crack the puzzle of this perfectly plotted crime.

Faith Martin's writing offers all the ingredients of a classic mystery, with an intriguing plot, well-drawn characters, and plenty of suspenseful moments. The story is a delightful mix of old-world charm and modern storytelling, making it accessible to fans of both historical and contemporary mysteries.

Readers will be enthralled by the cleverly constructed puzzle at the heart of the narrative. The book is brimming with red herrings, plot twists, and turns, keeping readers guessing about the identity of the killer. Martin provides all the necessary clues for armchair detectives to follow along, making it an engaging and interactive reading experience.

The chemistry between Arbie and Val adds depth to the story. Their friendship and complementary skills make for an endearing investigative duo, and readers will likely look forward to future adventures with them.

"Murder by Candlelight" is a highly entertaining and cleverly crafted mystery that pays homage to the classic whodunits of the past while offering a fresh and engaging story. It's a perfect choice for readers who enjoy unraveling intricate puzzles and immersing themselves in the quaint world of village mysteries. Faith Martin's series promises more delightful tales, and fans of cozy mysteries will find this a delightful addition to their collection.

I do enjoy cosy crime and especially locked door mysteries but I usually read ones set more in the modern day so this being set in the 1920s made quite a change for me. Featuring two unlikely sleuths in reluctant author Arbie and Val the formidable vicars daughter whom I really enjoyed haranguing poor Arbie who just wanted a quiet life. There’s a good mix of characters, a great village setting and a good murder. It’s quite slow paced with far more talk than action but a well thought out crime with unexpected perpetrator.

An enjoyable read. Agatha Christie-esque country house where mysteries abound. Lively characters and well-plotted this was a light but engrossing read. Great fun!

An easy to read murder mystery reminiscent of, but not quite as good as an Agatha Christie. Apologies to the author here, who I suspect is a fan of Agatha Christie (this is suggested in the various references she/the characters make to the events being like something from an Agatha Christie novel - and in this regard I did question to what extent people in the social milieu she was describing would have actually known about those books given that the events were said to have taken place in 1924 and Ms Christie had only published 2 books before 1924).
To summarise quickly, Arbie Swift, a bit of a playboy, nice, perhaps a bit lazy teams up with Val, the vicar's daughter to find out who killed Miss Amy Phelps and subsequently her niece. Arbie turns out to be a lot cleverer than anyone imagines and finds the culprit long before the police. Although set in a country village in the 1920s, there's little feeling that the setting is particularly real - but that's probably not the point/necessary for a story like this. If you like a cozy mystery then this is probably for you.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Great murder mystery book and great for fans of Richard Osman. Loved the writing style and the concept of the story

I haven't read any of Faith Martin's books before although I'm familiar with her name as my mum reads her Ryder & Loveday series.  That's not really my thing but this is a locked-room mystery which I do like, so the familiar name and genre were enough to get me to request it.  The first thing that struck me was the writing style seemed to remind me of PG Wodehouse's Jeeves & Wooster series.  I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it was an interesting choice if so.  The book contains lots of mentions of fictional detectives, particularly Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, and Agatha Christie is also mentioned as an author of that genre.  I'm never sure if I like it when that happens in books.  I presume it's meant to be some sort of 'if the characters were real people, they'd be referring to these fictional detectives' but it often just brings me out of the story. 

Overall, the book is an easy read and the main two characters are fairly decent and likeable.  The murder mystery aspect is intriguing and doesn't have an easily explained solution which is good.  There wasn't an awful lot in the way of investigating shown, there seemed to be more taking place off-camera as it were, especially at the end.  It seemed to be more about the relationships between the suspects than anything else.  Still I enjoyed reading it and would be interested to read more books featuring Arbie and Val. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.

This was a book I was excited to read, having read a lot of Agatha Christie novels, including her amateur sleuths, Tommy and Tuppence. I also love Campion by Margery Allingham and hoped that I might find something of these in this new series. Alas, I felt it was more like I was reading Jeeves and Wooster, with Val playing the part of Jeeves and Albie in the role of Bertie Wooster.
I'm afraid Albie got on my nerves. I simply didn't 'get' him. I was on the point of giving up reading the book, I diliked him so much. It was Val who kept me going. A sensible girl, as I imagine a vicar's daughter might be.
The plot itself was well thought out, with plenty of suspects and the murderer hiding in plain sight. but I felt it only came to life when Inspector Gorringe appeared.
I am glad I persevered and read to the end, but I doubt that I will be reading any more in the series. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Really enjoyed Murder by Candelight as love a good murder mystery particulary if they are written in the traditional sense (probably why I love playing Cludeo).

With a carefully woven plot, intriguing characters, and a relentless pursuit of truth, it successfully delivers the suspense and thrill expected of a great murder mystery. I will be checking out other books by Faith Martin for sure!

Very enjoyable murder mystery set in a 1920s Cotswold village. I love quaint English murder mysteries, so knew I would like to is book. The ghost element was appealing and I wish the possibility of a supernatural force was played with as a possibility more, just for fun. The characters were memorable and pacing was good. I hope there are more in this series.

A good well thought out murder mystery set in the past, Not as gruesome as more modern stories,Set in a family whose fortune is controlled by an elderly woman . just who will benefit from her death and also the subsequent death of her niece who gained control of the wealth after her aunt's demise, How were both deaths done so as to not to appear suspicious.

This was a cozy mystery set in the 1920s in the Cotswolds. I wasn't quite sure if I would enjoy it at the beginning but I actually did. Now Mr Swift can start his new book on The Old Forge and who killed the grand lady Amy Phelps. Very good plot, even I didn't have a clue!
Thank you to Netgalley

This book hit the early 1900 setting so good! I really felt like I was transported back in time. This book is about a Man named Arbie who has written a book on encounters with ghost. He has become the talk of this village in England with his ghost stories from believers and non believers. His book then leads him to a lady named Amy who believes a dead ancestor is trying to kill her. Amy ask Arbie to come to her home as well as his side kick Val to investigate. Arbie and Vals time spent there immediately swings into full force when Amy turns up dead. From there they try to figure out how and who killed Amy. It was a-lot of discussion on who done it and was just all too boring and hard to press on through. There wasn’t much ghost factor to it honestly and was complete and entirely on who killed Amy and it just felt like it took too long to expose the killer. There just needed to be more suspense in the middle vs questionable conversation between all the characters.

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin is a cosy mystery set in the style of Agatha Christie in the Summer of 1924 in Cotswolds.
Best selling author, Arbuthnot Swift or Arbie as he is better known wrote ‘The gentleman’s guide to ghost hunting. He thought it would be a laugh to write it. He has not seen a ghost himself. When the elderly owner of the ‘Old Forge’ Amy Phelps, asks him for help. As she thinks that there is a ghost at the Old Forge he agrees. He brings his colleague Val with him to investigate what is going on at the manor.
But the next morning whilst staying at the manor. They find that their host is missing. Further investigation finds that when the room is locked. They break in to find that Amy Phelps is dead. Was it suicide or was it murder? Who wants to harm Amy Phelps and why?
Thank you, HQ, for a copy of Murder by Candlelight. This is the first book that I have read from this author. I really wanted to like this locked room mystery and I thought it started well. But for me I started losing interest in the middle and it really got interesting towards the end. 3 stars from me.

Murder by Candlelight is a cozy mystery novel set in the Cotswolds. The story follows Judith Blakeney, a retired actress who now runs a bed and breakfast in the village of Much Wenlock. When a guest is found murdered at the bed and breakfast, Judith must use her skills as a detective to solve the crime.

The book is well-written and engaging. The characters are well-developed and relatable. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book also explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and redemption.

I thought the author did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the Cotswolds. I could really picture myself walking through the village of Much Wenlock and staying at Judith Blakeney's bed and breakfast.
I also appreciated the way the author handled the sensitive topic of murder. The book was never gratuitous or exploitative, and it always treated the victim with respect.
I thought Murder by Candlelight was a well-written and heartwarming mystery novel that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.