The Val & Arbie Mysteries - The Last Word Is Death (The Val & Arbie Mysteries, Book 2)

By Faith Martin

PRE-ORDER NOW! The new book in the Val and Arbie mysteries from the multimillion bestselling author Faith Martin.

‘Brilliant characters that leap off the page’ THE SUN on Murder by Candlelight

One of these guests has a date with death…

Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift arrives at Dashwood House, a glamorously modern hotel in the up-and-coming resort of Galton-next-the-Sea, but all plans for a relaxing stay are scuppered when one of the guests is found dead.

The body is found in the writing room, the victim part of a set visiting the seaside town for an engagement party, which happens to include Arbie’s old friend, Val.

Familiar with Val and Arbie’s previous experience in solving puzzling crimes, the bride asks the pair to investigate. They quickly discover that the victim had no shortage of enemies, and many of the guests are up to no good. But who is simply hiding a secret, and who is hiding murder?

Praise for Murder by Candlelight:

We devoured this whoddunit in one sitting!’ BELLA

‘With murder, intrigue, and ghostly happenings, this will satisfy cosy crime fans.’ HEAT

‘Her knowledge of the genre and easy writing style makes this an effortless and fun read.’ MY WEEKLY

‘A clever mystery.’ WOMAN’S OWN

‘This engaging and energetic mystery hosts an abundance of engaging characters and is great fun.’ PLATINUM

‘The perfect village mystery. A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary.’ J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

‘A charming and clever take on a locked room murder.’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of The Doctor Nell Ward Mysteries

Format: Hardback
Release Date: 02 Jan 2025
Pages: 288
ISBN: 978-0-00-859013-0
Faith Martin has been writing for thirty years, under different pen names, and has published over fifty novels. She began writing romantic thrillers as Maxine Barry, but quickly turned to crime! As Joyce Cato she wrote classic-style whodunits, since she’s always admired the golden-age crime novelists. But it was when she created her fictional DI Hillary Greene, and began writing under the name of Faith Martin, that she finally became more widely known. Having penned the Ryder & Loveday series set back in the 1960s in the City of Oxford, Faith Martin has now turned to the golden age itself, with a brand new series set in the Cotswolds of the 1920s. Having lived in Oxfordshire all her life, both the city and the countryside/wildlife often feature in her novels. The fauna of a farming landscape has always played a big part in her life – and often sneak its way onto the pages of her books.

'The perfect 'country house' murder mystery, written in a style reminiscent of the great mysteries of the golden age. The book is terrific fun. A sassy pair of sleuths, quaint seaside setting, puzzling murder, and a guest list of larger-than-life suspects.. delightfully entertaining.' Jane Bettany, author of the Violet Brewster mysteries -