Thank you Libro.fm / William Morrow for the ALC and William Morrow, #partner, for the finished copy of The Murder at World’s End in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: William Morrow / William Morrow
Published: January 6, 2026
Summary:
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.
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…
My thoughts:
This is the first book in the Stockingham and Pike series and I am totally here for it! It’s clever and the locked-room mystery has a Knives Out/Downtown Abbey feel to it that I just loved!! Historical mysteries really seem to be my sweet spot lately and this one, had such a unique spin to it, with the passing of Halley’s Comet and everyone preparing for the end of days!
The characters were so charming here and our amateur sleuths really make the book – they are such an unlikely pair and I loved the way they worked together to get to the bottom of the Viscount’s death. There were so many red herrings that kept me guessing and I also loved the humor infused throughout.
Audio thoughts:
This is the type of book I love on audio and Derek Jacobi and Joe Jameson do an amazing job bringing the story to life.
Books in the series:
- The Murder at World’s End
- The Shadow of Kensington Gore – due out January 2027
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