Murder at the World’s End by Ross Montgomery
Murder at the World’s End transports readers to Cornwall in 1910, where Tithe Hall has been sealed against what its anxious Viscount believes will be an apocalyptic night brought on by the passing of Halley’s Comet, only for him to be discovered dead in his locked study the following morning, killed by his own ancestral crossbow. Into this tense, atmospheric setting steps Stephen Pike, a recently hired under butler with a troubled past, who finds himself the chief suspect until the sharp witted, foul mouthed and fiercely unconventional Miss Decima Stockingham joins him in unravelling the truth hidden within the manor’s closed rooms, secret grudges and labyrinthine passages. The novel has been widely praised for its lively character dynamics, clever construction and affectionate nods to Golden Age detective fiction, with reviewers highlighting the irresistible odd couple partnership at its core, the richly realised historical setting and the satisfying puzzle that threads through every chapter. A gripping and imaginative mystery that proves some doors are meant to be opened, even when the world feels on the brink of ending.
