In the Cotswalds of 1924, Arbuthnot “Arbie” Swift is the celebrity author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting. Which also makes him the ideal man for Miss Amy Phelps and her ancestor ghost problem. After one of his nightly vigils, Miss Amy Phelps is found locked in her bedroom, deceased. His friend and the vicar’s daughter, Val, insists that they must investigate the murder, but Arbie isn’t so sure. Soon it becomes clear that everyone has a motive, and when another tragedy occurs, Arbie realizes he must close both the ghost and murder cases before it’s too late.

I honestly did not like Val, the vicar’s daughter. I found her to be rude to Arbie and a bully. Most of what happens to Arbie is because of Val. However, I also thought Arbie was a bit of a whiner. I appreciated that he was kind of forced into the ghost hunting, and the murder investigation, but Arbie turned out to be one of the more intelligent characters in the novel.

The mystery starts right away as readers follow Arbie in “assisting” Amy Phelps with her ghost problem. Miss Phelps murder doesn’t occur until about 25% of the way in. The waiting for something to happen made the pacing of the book go slower than what might have been intended. I think if the blurb was written differently than readers would have a more anticipatory feeling as opposed to “when does this lady die?” feeling.

I do feel the same as many others. There seemed to be a lot of useless information, especially about Arbie’s Uncle and his hobbies. Maybe if there had been some things that could have been removed and a couple of others given a little more attention than the pacing and connectivity would have been better.

Overall, I rate this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars.

After a lunch that included several drinks the conversation turned to the public’s obsession with spectres, Arbuthnot (Arby) Swift is challenged by his companion to compile a guide for tourists to satisfy their curiosity. It resulted in The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost Hunting, which became a published sensation. Now, to his annoyance, he is approached by Miss Amy Phelps, an elderly prominent member of the village. There are disturbing events taking place at the manor that indicate the presence of a ghost that may be trying to kill her. Even as he is looking for a reason to refuse his help, they are joined by Valentina, the vicar’s daughter, who offers to join Arby in his vigil to detect the ghost. Their vigil turns up no ghosts or disturbances. When they return to the manor they discover that Miss Phelps is dead. They found her body in her locked bedroom with all of the windows also locked. An autopsy reveals that she was poisoned. Miss Phelps had them to dinner the day before along with several guests and family members. No one else had ill effects from the dinner and she had no other food or drink before retiring. After Inspector Gorringe dismisses them Val convinces Arby to investigate the death.

At the time of her death, Miss Phelps’ nephew Murray, her niece Phyllis, her friend Cora and Reggie, a friend of her late brother, were all at the manor. She also had Jane Brockhurst, her long time housekeeper, attending to her. Each person has secrets of their own that make them a suspect. Reggie has a studio on the property where he paints and develops his photos. Everyone has access to the studio, where he keeps his chemicals. Murray runs the family business and believes that he will inherit everything upon his aunt’s death. Both Cora and Phyllis have been seen coming out of Miss Phelps’ unattended bedroom after looking for something. Arby’s publisher is pushing him to write a second book. It is the perfect opportunity to not only gather information on the manor’s ghost, but also to observe the suspects. Val is delighted to join him. Their friendship dates back to their childhood. While she sometimes considers him foolish, there are also times that her admiration peeks out. It is Arby who discovers how the murder was done, but not before there is a second victim. Murder by Candlelight is the perfect mystery for fans of locked room mysteries and Agatha Christie. I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing this book for my review.

The 1920s village ambience and society are immediately noticeable in this story. It sets the scene for a locked room murder and a cast of quirky and vibrant characters, particularly the pair of amateur sleuths, Arbie and Val. All the characters are vividly portrayed and easy to imagine. It took me a little way to get used to them, but once I did, I enjoyed the cleverly thought-out mystery with its false leads and numerous suspects. I liked the English country village setting, the sensory imagery that brings the characters and setting to life, and the twisty mystery to solve.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

It is 1924, Arbie Swift, has found himself the author of a bestseller- The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost Hunting! When wealthy Amy Phelps asks him to investigate goings on at The Old Forge he is not very keen, but vicar's daughter Val talks him into it! When Amy is found dead shortly after, with all windows & doors to her room locked. Arbie finds himself in the midst of a mystery. Their investigations reveal tragedies, star crossed lovers & altered wills.

This was a really fun read. The characters were fantastic- I do hope to meet Arbie & Val again. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A nice cosy crime read

DNF 25%. Very much an issue of taste, not objectively anything wrong with the book.

I think the characters were meant to be quirky and wholesome. To me, they felt cartoonish and childlike. The dialogue was meant to be humorous and 'of the time'. To me, it felt goofy and over the top. The vocab used in the general storytelling was meant to invoke old timey propriety. To me, it felt needlessly pretentious and out of place for the type of book.

The setup of the actual plot seemed decent. I actually quite like the idea of a reluctant and skeptical ghost hunter getting drawn into, what I assume, was to become a murder mystery. I just, for lack of a better word, was too irritated by the characters and writing to push through.

I wish this book the best in finding its way to people who like cozy, silly, wholesome little books that don't take themselves too seriously.

I was prepared to not like this book, because I am such a big fan of Faith Martin’s DI Hilary Green series, but this was such an entertaining read! The main characters are Arbie and Val, and they find themselves in detective mode as they try to figure out who killed Amy Phelps in this locked door mystery.

“‘Righty-oh then.’ He sighed. ‘We’ll just have to join the ranks of amateur sleuths, like that Belgian chap with spats.’ ‘Who?’ Val asked, momentarily sidetracked. ‘You know, the one in the books. With his grey cells.’ Val sighed. ‘Arbie, do stop waffling.’”

My thanks to HQ Digital for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder by Candlelight’ by Faith Martin.

What a delight this 1920s mystery was: a clever locked room whodunnit, written with tongue set firmly in cheek.

The Cotswolds, 1924. Arbuthnot Lancelot Swift, known to his more discriminating friends and family simply as ‘that young fool Arbie’, has found himself a sensation with the British reading public after penning ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting’. He grew up in the quiet Oxfordshire village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh.

One of the local residents, the wealthy Miss Amy Phelps, has invited him to stay at the Old Forge as she is convinced that not only is her house haunted but the unquiet spirit means her ill. Arbie is joined on the ghost hunt by his old friend Valentina (Val) Coulton-James, the vicar’s daughter.

However, when Miss Phelps is found dead in her bedroom with the door and all the windows locked it presents a classic mystery. Who killed her and how? Could it have been the ghost? The police, of course, suspect everyone while the two amateur sleuths undertake their own investigation. No further details to avoid spoilers.

This was my first experience of Faith Martin’s writing, though I can see that she has written a fair few titles.

Arbie was a great lead, very much the archetypal young toff about town, breezing his way through life. Val too was terrific, a no nonsense sort who ran rings about the hapless Arbie. No surprise that she was the captain of her school’s hockey team as the term ‘jolly hockey stick’ fitted her perfectly. It’s clear that he is rather intimidated by her. The mystery itself and its solution proved very clever.

As every cosy needs animal characters, I was pleased to meet both the fluffy black cat, Empress Maud, and Arbie’s artist uncle’s mongrel, Basket.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘Murder by Candlelight’ very much, finding it a fun, engaging cosy mystery. I was delighted to read on the author’s website that it is the start of a brand new series featuring the unlikely detective duo of Val and Arbie. I shall be looking out for news of Book 2.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Faith Martin for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder by Candlelight coming out January 4, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I love historical cozy mysteries, so I was really excited to check this out. It was a fairly short book, but I thought it had a lot of plot. I loved the characters. I thought there was a lot of mystery and secrets. I would definitely read other books by this author and I’d love it if there are more books in the series. The time period is one of my favorites. I loved the writing and the dialogue.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy British mysteries!

I am finding that the older I get, the more I love cosy mysteries! And I've just discovered author Faith Martin - who is a master in the genre. Her brand new book is Murder By Candlelight.
All the bits are there. The book is set in 1924 in Maybury-in-the-Marsh, a small village in the Cotswolds. A place where everyone knows everyone's business. Or do they really know their neighbours? I love the dialogue and mores of this time frame - how a verbal barb is parried back, covered in politeness. The solving of the whodunit is found in piecing together bits of conversations, memories, observations, unplanned slips of the tongue, deduction and more, into a family answer. Its a nice change from current day DNA samples etc. Now while the police are are indeed investigating, there is a young pair of villagers who are also having a poke about. They were easy to like and you can't help but like them. I also have my fingers crossed that we will see more of Val and Arbie - they're delightful - and I feel like there's a romantic connection just waiting to be made.

Martin's plotting is wonderful! The crime seems to be of the locked room type, but there are other avenues that might also be in play - 'nuf said. Martin's case has lots of suspects to choose from. I have to admit - I didn't solve the case until the the list was down to one. Bravo to Faith Martin - this whodunit was not obvious.

I am really hoping that this is just the first book in a series. I would very happily pick up the next book!

Murder by Candlelight is set in a small English village in the 1920s. A well respected lady, Amy Phelps, is discovered dead inside her locked bedroom. A local ghost hunter and the vicar's daughter find themselves thrown into the investigation and acting as detectives.

I'm not sure if the author is English, but the first few chapters of this book were painful to read. They seemed to contain every single 'traditional British' phrase ever written. We begin by being introduced to the characters, but nothing really happens atall in the first third of the book. Beyond that, there is the mystery to solve, but I just found that I really wasn't that interested. I think the first part of the book put me off so much, it felt like more of a chore than an enjoyment to read.

The second half of the book was certainly easier to read and slightly more enjoyable, but overall, not for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this book, but am never sure if the phrase cosy murder mystery is an insult or deep appreciation of the work that has gone into this novel. The plot is well imagined, and the characters are well fleshed out , the names are exactly what you would expect from the period of the 1920’s. The murder is not too gory and seems almost apologetic and too polite! A typical locked room mystery, with numerous suspects, countless twists and turns and enough red herrings to upset fishing quotas.
Arbie is a young man, who has just written a best selling book about ghost hunting. Miss Phelps, the wealthiest woman in the village asks for his help in investigating a ghost in her house , that she believes is trying to kill her. His interest is piqued, especially when his publishers have asked for another book. He and Val, the vicars daughter join forces, Val believes Miss Phelps is genuinely scared and needs their help, this is a cue for overnight vigils in a house full of ticking clocks and creaking stairs, full of guests who all have the necessary motive to murder.
Arbie is a great character, honest and dashing, full of confidence and an easy way of talking. Val is very down to earth, practical and full of helpful insights. She has a tendency to be headstrong, but these two people compliment each other brilliantly. Some events are reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers, but that is due to the 1920’s setting, where the world seemed to be full of bright young things, who could and did do everything.
I love to try and guess the murderer myself, but despite all the clues, failed miserably, but that is what a good mystery should be, it shouldn’t be too easy.
This is the first book of a new series, I am looking forward to the next instalment. A five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HQ Digital for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for y honest review. I will leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Entering into the language of the time this novel is set in, I have to say it's 'spiffing'!

Set in the Cotswolds in 1924, Amy Phelps is found dead in her home The Old Forge; not a natural death, however, but with the door and windows firmly locked from inside - how did the murder occur? Thrown into the role of unwilling sleuth is local author Arbie Swift; following his successful novel 'The Gentlemen's Guide to Ghost-Hunting' he had been present in the The Old Forge to try and track a suspected spectre but now finding out what happened to Amy has taken precedence.. Egged on by his old friend Val, he finds evidence of loves and losses, altered wills but when things hot up he really needs to get to the heart of the matter a lot more quickly!

Like most mystery readers, I'm a great lover of Agatha Christie's works and this is every bit as excellent as any of hers. Faith Martin has crafted a terrific mystery and I imagine she has really spent some time coming up with such a unique method of murder. I was hooked from the very beginning until the very last. Arbie and Val are wonderful characters, so well created and I look forward to hearing much more about them. This is a series I shall be looking out for - such a lot going on and so very enjoyable. Highly recommended and earning all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

While I can see the likability of this book, it just wasn't for me. It's a cosy story but to the point where the plot is predictable, there's not thinking involved its very clear cut and dry. The pacing is really off, slow to begin with and just sped past all the possible juicier parts. The characters were really dull and one dimensional, it didn't seem like the main narrator, Arbie Swift, wanted to be involved with the ghost investigation (even though he literally wrote a book about it - yes he explained it was for a joke but then why even mention this plot point just to leave it hanging there) or the murder investigation as if it was a hindrance to him just to keep up appearances. I liked Val's excitement and drive for adventure but it felt unbalanced with Artie, not even a dynamic duo vibe, plus I'm not sure what Val's role was other than to be Artie's yes woman at his side. It would have been nice to see her be as diligent and clever as Artie, but I guess the setting being in the 1920's makes her a victim of that age. There's not much more to say as the book wasn't a big interest for me, again this book could just not be for me and would appeal to more comfort readers but for what this book promised I was expecting more, ''Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club...'' - absolutely not, don't disrespect Elizabeth like that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of "Murder by Candelight" by Faith Martin. I read this around the holidays and it was a great cozy mystery where i could pick up and read it and walk away without feeling heavy or overly invested. There were so many motives, a real anyone-could-have done it book. I felt the book could have used a better, more capitvating middle act.

I can't imagine a book with a more perfect setting for cozy mystery fans. "Murder by Candlelight" takes place during the interwar period in the Cotswolds, and is simply oozing with charm and intrigue. There's a ghost hunting guide, a locked room mystery, and plenty of twists and turns. This book made me think of both Agatha Christie and her golden age mysteries, as well as the more modern Agatha Raisin and her humorous Cotswolds crime solving. This is a 4.5 star read rounded up to a 5.

I'm gonna start this off by being completely honest and say I'm not a regular mistery&thriller reader. So you can take my opinion with a grain of a salt if you please considering I'm not an expert on the subject. However, I'm never wrong about anything (you can ask my friends, they'll vouch for me).

This was a cozy and rather interesting and captivating read. I was hooked from the get go trying to figure out the culprit and how it was done.

Let me paint you the scene. This all happens in 1924, in the old England, in a little town called Maybury-in-the-Marsh. The Phelps', the richest family in town (and not only) are down to 3 close relatives - Amy Phelps, the aunt, that owns all the estate and the actual wealth of the family; Murray, the nephew and only man, who runs the businesses; and Phyllis, the niece, that doesn't run or own anything. Now, during the summers (when this all takes place), Amy usually gets in her house (the Old Forge) two good friends - Cora, an old friend for very long years; and Reggie, someone who was her brother' very good friend and then her own as well.
During this faithful summer, strange things start to happen and Amy starts believing she's being haunted by a ghost. With this she turns to Arbie - the town's now famous author and 'ghost hunter' - so he can catch her ghost and help her out.
Arbie isn't very interested at first but then her good childhood friend, Val (the vicar's daughter), buts in and, not only does she convince him to help out, she also wants to do it all with him.
After a few days of turns and circles and some observations and obstacles and revelations, Amy Phelps shows up dead in her own room. Who did it, why, and how? Well, that's just what they all want to find out.

At every sentence, every page, every chapter, I was more and more intrigued. I kept trying to guess who did it and then something would be said that would make me turn my head in another direction. And this kept happening consecutively. At the end of it all I was shocked! I could've never fully guessed the answer to all those questions. I had some idea about it, yes, but no certainty.

This book will give you a very good mistery while also keeping you fully entertained with Val's and Arbie's antics, with Arbie's inventor uncle and everything in between. I laughed and I gasped and I honestly had such an incredible time reading it there's really nothing left for me to say except - go read it. What are you waiting for?

And now I just wanna give a huge thanks to netgalley and HQ Digital for giving the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Needing something cozy for this horrible stormy weather, then look no further.

This story was an easy read with no in depth information to stump the reader, cozy crime in all its finest. I enjoyed all the characters and found everyone had a good distinguishable personality, making for a brilliant group.

I thank NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy of “Murder by Candlelight.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Experienced historical mystery writer Faith Martin has begun another series featuring Mr. Arbuthnot Lancelot Swift, lifelong resident of Maybury-in-the-Marsh, and a jack-of-no-trades, who finds himself, to his very great surprise, the best-selling author of a “ghost-hunting” book. So, when a member of the local gentry tells him that a ghost in her house is determined to kill her, and she needs him to keep that from happening, try as he might (for author Martin’s Mr. Swift does not live up to his name, not in thought or in action), he can’t get out of the “assignment.” Thus begins “Murder by Candlelight,” an enjoyable addition to Ms. Martin’s booklist, with entertaining characters and a thought-provoking plot that will keep you reading along to the final page.

Every amateur Sherlock needs his Dr. Watson, and “Arbie” has a good one in childhood friend Valentina Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James (“Val”). Right off the bat readers will know the plot will have a bit of a romance angle, and it’s going to be a gentle buildup.

This is a murder mystery, of course, and death occurs. Our dynamic duo handles the finding out and the uncovering of the culprit with quips and witty dialog galore. Best of all, there’s growth in this book for Arbie, with the reluctant amateur detective realizing that he might just be on to something; catching bad’uns isn’t a bad career path, actually. He gets to explain how everything was done -- an ingenious method. But Val isn’t happy with him AT ALL. Well, he’ll just have to make it up to her in a second book, won’t he? He’s certainly realizing that there’s more to life than doing nothing. “Murder by Candlelight” offers up a quirky character in Arbie Swift who I found I wanted to continue reading about, and I look forward to further adventures.

This was a cute cozy mystery If those are your jam. I’m not a big fan of them usually but this was fun and a little spooky in some parts