Mortmain Hall
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:10th Dec '20
Should be back in stock very soon
A Gothic remaking of the classic country house murder mystery from the author of Gallows Court and The Golden Age of Murder.
‘A true master of British crime writing’ RICHARD OSMAN
'Combines all the things I love most about crime fiction: atmospheric settings, twisty plots, intriguing characters and an unforgettable protagonist' ELLY GRIFFITHS
A superb Golden Age mystery packed with twists, from the winner of the Diamond Dagger 2020
ENGLAND, 1930. Grieving widows are a familiar sight on London's Necropolis Railway. So when an elegant young woman in a black veil boards the funeral train, nobody guesses her true purpose.
When a suspicious death on the railway track occurs, amateur sleuth Rachel Savernake is led to investigate a sequence of baffling mysteries that must be connected: one in a blazing car; one in a seaside bungalow; one in a frozen lake.
Joined by impetuous young journalist Jacob Flint and an eccentric female criminologist with a dangerous fascination with perfect crimes, Savernake must seek the answers to her questions at a house party on the eerie and remote North Yorkshire coast – within the walls of Mortmain Hall.
Mortmain Hall is at once a gripping thriller and a classic whodunit puzzle: a Golden Age Gothic mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.
DISCOVER THE REST OF THIS INCREDIBLE SERIES
#1 GALLOWS COURT
#2 MORTMAIN HALL
#3 BLACKSTONE FELL
#4 SEPULCHRE STREET
#5 HEMLOCK BAY
Praise for Mortmain Hall
'Maintains a cracking pace... Elegant period escapism' Mail on Sunday
'A classic whodunit' Daily Express
'Rachel Savernake is on spectacular form... A Miss Marple for the 21st century' Daily Mail
'Martin Edwards is a guru of the Golden Age... His work pays homage to the intricate puppetry and byzantine plotting popular in the period' The Times
Readers love Mortmain Hall!
'Superbly written and enthralling, I was hooked'
'A really special read... I have always loved Agatha Christie and this is one of the few books that has matched them'
'I was gripped by the splendidly sinister opening and romped through the novel. It is huge fun - lovely period detail - and expertly plotted'
'Best read for ages! More gripping than a Christie! Overloaded my little grey cells'
'I love historical detective books and this is up there with the best'
A classic whodunnit * Daily Express *
A classic whodunnit with a dark gothic twist... An absorbing and intricately plotted golden age murder mystery' * CultureFly *
Any novel opening in 1930's England on the London Necropolis Company's private station has got to be a winner, especially in the hands of Martin Edwards, connoisseur extraordinaire of the Golden Age of crime fiction * ShotsMag *
Martin Edwards is a guru of the interwar Golden Age of crime novels, and his work pays homage to the intricate puppetry and byzantine plotting popular in the period * The Times *
The multi-award-winning Edwards launched a distinctly sparky female detective, Rachel Savernake, daughter of an Old Bailey judge, in his last book and here she reappears in even more spectacular form... This is an old-fashioned mystery with a string of very modern twists, making Ms Savernake a Miss Marple for the 21st century' * Daily Mail *
Edwards maintains a cracking pace and only the smartest readers will anticipate the denouement. As elegant period escapism, it ticks all the boxes * Mail on Sunday *
Edwards has created some marvellous characters in these books which carry a real flavour of the Golden Age of crime fiction. There's even the traditional list of clues at the end so puzzled readers can see how many they missed * Morning Star *
What Martin Edwards doesn't know about Golden Age crime fiction would probably fit on the back of a first-class stamp... With meticulous and detailed research, scratch-them-and-they-bleed characterisation and locations you can smell and touch, Edwards has added his own unique style to a format beloved of Golden Age fans. The result quite different from the contemporary Lake District series his readers may find more familiar, but nevertheless a masterclass' * Mystery People *
From the winner of this year's Diamond Dagger award, Mortmain Hall is a gripping whodunnit set in the '30s * My Weekly *
Winner of this year's Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger, Martin Edwards is the author of many crime novels, an expert in the genre. His latest series, set in the Golden Age, is an ingenious modern 'take' on the classic whodunnit... A whole page would not give me space to explain the intricacy of this story. A tangle of satisfying clues, and a pleasing denouement in the classic Christie manner' * The Tablet *
This wonderful evocation of a bygone age would make Mortmain Hall worth reading on its own but when you combine it with a cracking story and original and engaging characters, you've got a real winner * TripFiction *
Lots here that is impressive, not least the deft writing...Definitely one to read * The Critic *
ISBN: 9781788546157
Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 26mm
Weight: 280g
400 pages