Publication Date: June 26, 2024
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None meets The Gilded Age in this delicious, suspenseful murder mystery.
When Lady Emma Grace Hastings receives a much-coveted invitation to the most auspicious Christmas party of the season—one that comes with a 10,000 pound prize for the winner of a mysterious game—she cannot believe her good fortune.
But as the guests are assembled at Mistlethwaite Manor, the chilling intent of the game is revealed. Each guest has cause for alarm, because all of them have secrets, and to win the prize money, those secrets must be exposed.
Things take a sinister turn when Emma Grace finds herself caught between her old love and her soon-to-be betrothed. Suspicions abound, and old wounds are opened. The dead body in the study does not help. Nor does the raging winter storm that prevents escape from the manor. Emma Grace must battle her heart, use her wits, and put her sleuthing skills to the test to survive the weekend alive.
Because there is a murderer among them.
And no one with secrets is safe.
Move over Agatha Christie—AJ Skelly has penned another fabulous whodunnit in Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor. Christmas holiday weekend guests, recipients of an envied and highly sought-after invitation by the ton, are invited to Mistlethwaite Manor by an unknown and mysterious host who promises a merry holiday weekend. The anonymous host also promises that the guest who can successfully solve a puzzle he created will be the winner of a 10,000-pound prize.
Emma Grace Hastings (Lady Hastings) is thrilled to receive an invitation to the holiday soiree that is the talk of the ton. What better opportunity to impress Percy Crofton, from whom she expects a marriage proposal any day? Marrying Percy would assure her a safe, stable place in society. Upon her arrival, Emma Grace is shocked to discover that not only is Percy in attendance but so is Andrew Harrigan, the man to whom she gave her heart over a year ago. They had plans to marry until Andrew’s family suddenly lost their fortune and status in society. Andrew quickly broke off their engagement, leaving a heartbroken Emma Grace in his wake.
As the remainder of the guests become known and the poem’s riddle to be solved is read, the cast of outlandish and often irritating fellow guests find themselves dwindling as one after the other is found dead under mysterious and shadowy circumstances. All the while, Percy and Andrew vie for Emma Grace’s attention and opportunities to keep her safe from harm. The battle of wills escalates until their focus is seemingly more on each other than on discovering the potential murderer until . . . the murderer’s dastardly hand is shockingly revealed.
With outstanding writing by AJ Skelly and incredible and dramatically effective world-building, the extraordinary and powerfully wrought characters evolve with a fantastic plot that slowly and purposefully unfolds, as seen through the alert and terrified Emma Grace, who is torn between what’s safe in Percy Crofton and what her heart truly desires in Andrew Harrigan. Will the murderer succeed in tearing her from either, or both, of them at Mistlethwaite Manor, or will the unforeseen revelation of the murderer’s identity be a shock she simply can’t overcome?
Gothic murder mysteries just don’t get any better—this is a breathtaking read of the highest order. The pages just simply can’t be turned and read fast enough. If you read one murder mystery all year, it should be Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor.
AJ Skelly is an author, reader, and lover of all things fantasy, mystery, and fairy-tale-romance. And werewolves. She has a serious soft spot for them. As an avid life-long reader and a former high school English teacher, she’s always been fascinated with the written word. She lives with her husband, children, and many imaginary friends who often find their way into her stories. They all drink copious amounts of tea together and stay up reading far later than they should.
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Thank you so much for reading my little murder mystery! I’m so delighted you enjoyed it! <3 😀 -AJ