Stockingham & Pike: Book 1
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! 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, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ross Montgomery.
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 Stephen 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…
An impossible murder leads to an unusual alliance in The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery.
Stephen Pike is ready for a fresh start after a short prison stint. Tithe Hall is in a flurry, and Stephen is quickly accepted onto the staff to help with the preparations at the Hall. Halley’s Comet is coming, and the Viscount of Tithe Hall is convinced the apocalypse is upon them. Stephen is assigned to see to Miss Decima Stockingham, the Viscount’s aunt and the family’s pain. When the Viscount is found murdered the next morning in a locked room, Stephen and Decima must work together to find out what killed the Viscount before suspicion turns to Stephen.
Locked room mysteries are always a treat to me. They require complex thought to figure out what occurred, and this one was no exception. I loved each character. I especially appreciated how they were able to make Decima sharp and, at times, grumpy, but not unlikable. She was funny and had a great connection with Stephen that kept the story moving quickly.
At times, the story could turn a little cozy, but it had enough edge to make it an enjoyable mystery. Montgomery made a story that was quick to engage in and kept you hooked throughout.
The Murder at World’s End is an intriguing locked door mystery with an unusual duo that will keep you guessing until the end.
Ross Montgomery is the author of award-winning books for children. His novels have been twice shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book of the Year and twice selected for the Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Month, as well as chosen for the Sunday Times “Top 100 Modern Children’s Classics.” His latest, I Am Rebel, was a B&N “Our Monthly Pick” and was an immediate bestseller, chosen by Waterstones as their Children’s Book of the Year 2024. He lives in London with his wife, a baby, and a cat named Fun Bobby. The Murder at World’s End is his first adult novel.
