The Pantomime Murders

Someone is killing fairy godmothers in Cinderella... Can Miss Clara Vale crack the case before the clock strikes twelve? 1929, December: Snow is falling, and Miss Clara Vale is wrapped up against the cold as she braves the icy streets of Newcastle in her latest investigation. When a young actress from the touring pantomime of Cinderella arrives at her door, Clara isn't sure what to make of her request. Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in their production, has mysteriously vanished. Could Clara help track her down? But a few days into Clara's search, Sybil's body is pulled from an icy river, and Clara finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. With scheming stepsisters waiting in the wings, handsome princes who aren't all they seem, and clues as elusive as glass slippers, Clara will need every one of her scientific skills to catch the killer... And when Sybil's replacement meets her own tragic end, Clara is in a race against time before the murderer sends a third cast member to their unhappily ever after... The perfect Golden Age mystery to curl up with by the fire. Fans of Agatha Christie, Helena Dixon and Verity Bright will be gripped by this historical crime novel from the very first page.

'A twisty plot and plenty of red herrings. I was hooked from page one!... 5/5 Stars!' Reader review 5 stars Someone is killing fairy godmothers in Cinderella... Can Miss Clara Vale crack the case before the clock strikes twelve? 1929, December: Snow is falling, and Miss Clara Vale is wrapped up against the cold as she braves the icy streets of Newcastle in her latest investigation. When a young actress from the touring pantomime of Cinderella arrives at her door, Clara isn't sure what to make of her request. Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in their production, has mysteriously vanished. Could Clara help track her down? But a few days into Clara's search, Sybil's body is pulled from an icy river, and Clara finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. With scheming stepsisters waiting in the wings, handsome princes who aren't all they seem, and clues as elusive as glass slippers, Clara will need every one of her scientific skills to catch the killer... And when Sybil's replacement meets her own tragic end, Clara is in a race against time before the murderer sends a third cast member to their unhappily ever after... The perfect Golden Age mystery to curl up with by the fire. Fans of Agatha Christie, Helena Dixon and Verity Bright will be gripped by this historical crime novel from the very first page. Readers love this festive cosy mystery: 'Delightful 1920s cosy mystery... to put you in the mood for the festive season... Sophisticated style and cosy, comforting feel that I hoped for... felt myself escaping into the story' Reader review 5 stars 'Recommended!... I most appreciate about this series is the accuracy of the 1929 world-building... If you like historical mysteries, give this one a try!' Reader review 5 stars

'You know a book is good when you get up, realize you finished it last night and are really disappointed that you can't read it with your breakfast. This book reminds me of the best golden age of mystery writers, especially Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers... Can't wait for the next one!' Reader review 5 stars Murder is no occupation for a lady... or is it? 1929: Miss Clara Vale is a woman ahead of her time. Rather than attending Oxford to bag an eligible Duke (as her mother, Lady Vale, so desperately hoped), she threw herself into a degree in chemistry, with aspirations to become a scientist in her own right. But the world isn't ready for Clara. Unable to land a job in science because she's a woman, she is stuck behind the desk at a dingy London library. Until her estranged Uncle dies suddenly, leaving her his private detective agency, and laboratory, in his will. Clara couldn't become a detective, could she? The decision is made for her when one of her uncle's old clients comes to her for help with a case surrounding the local picture house and invites Clara to see the latest show, before they discuss the details. But during the film, a fire suddenly engulfs the picture house, with tragic consequences. It seems at first an accident, but Clara soon begins to question if it was in fact a carefully orchestrated murder. She's suddenly in the middle of a deadly mystery and will discover her scientific skills make her a sleuth to be reckoned with... Can she catch the killer before they strike again? The first in a brand-new, glittering Golden Age cozy mystery series. Fans of Verity Bright, Helena Dixon and TE Kinsey will be hooked from the very first page to the final breathtaking finale.

Geoffrey and Caroline Robertson are having a dinner party to celebrate ten successful years of Mighty Midget Vacuum Cleaners, the company he jointly owns with Tim McArthur, and to add spice to the evening they decide to make it a murder mystery dinner. They are joined by a variety of employees and their partners. And Geoffrey has a special surprise - he has invited the well-known crime novelist Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty) to join them. She is in the area promoting her latest book and agrees to be guest of honour. But on the evening of the dinner, their remote Victorian house finds itself in the centre of a storm so bad that the river floods and they are cut off. Worse, the power fails and in the darkness one of the guests is murdered. But since everybody else was together when the murder was committed, they are as perplexed as they are worried. And when another murder happens in the same way it is no laughing matter... except this is an Agatha Crusty murder mystery so there are laughs a-plenty. And also a genuine mystery that will keep an audience guessing as well as laughing. Type: comedy Length: full length Cast: 5m 6f

'With fascinating characters and an intriguing plot, this is a real page turner' KATIE FFORDE praise for the series An addictive and unputdownable crime mystery novel perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, LJ Ross, Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders! Lesley Cookman's bestselling series is back with a Short Story Special featuring amateur sleuth Libby Sarjeant! Pantomime is coming to The Alexandria theatre in Nethergate. Among the cast is Clemency, an old acquaintance of Libby Sarjeant and Fran Wolfe. She is making her return to the professional stage, encouraged by her mother Dame Amanda Knight, whom Libby and Fran met on a previous adventure. But when one objectionable member of the cast is found dead, Dame Amanda and heavyweight of the English Stage, Sir Andrew McColl, call in Libby, Fran and their friends to prevent the wrong person being charged with murder and the Nethergate pantomime from turning into a disastrous melodrama. ____________________________________________ Praise for the bestselling series: 'As always Lesley has conjured up another great little read all the usual marvellous characters are in this festive delight, loved it' ***** Amazon review 'A brilliant book up to this author's usual standard and a thoroughly enjoyable read' ***** Amazon review 'Fantastic book from a great writer. Would highly recommend'***** Amazon review 'This book was fantastic, didn't want it to end' ***** Amazon review 'Another entertaining Libby Sarjeant story' ***** Amazon review

'A gloriously readable slice of historical crime fiction featuring a charismatic amateur sleuth.' Liz Robinson, LoveReading The 1920s most stylish sleuth returns in The Crystal Crypt for another thrilling murder mystery! “But accidents can still happen… Perhaps there was something out of her control, something she couldn’t have foreseen…” “Like someone plotting to kill her?” Reporter sleuth Poppy Denby is asked to investigate the mysterious death of an up-and-coming female scientist in an Oxford laboratory known as the Crystal Crypt. The official verdict is that Dr June Leighton died in a tragic accident, but Dr Leighton's lab assistant believes it was murder. However, when Poppy discovers that the colleague has spent time in a mental institution and has an unresolved murder in her own past, Poppy wonders if she is being misled. But then, another female academic is attacked, and Poppy herself becomes a target. 'The latest instalment in the Poppy Denby Investigates series is another cracking piece of historical crime fiction by Fiona Veitch Smith. The author’s enthusiasm for the 1920s really shines through and her in-depth knowledge of the period ensures that the settings and dialogue ring true.' Erin Brittan, Crime Fiction Lover

The present volume is a token of gratitude for our colleague, Janina Aniela Ozga, a senior lecturer at the Institute of English Philology of the Jagiellonian University. The book is a collection of papers on a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from Hamlet to Zoolander, which reflect diverse academic interests of the authors: literary theory, linguistics, translation studies, philosophy of language, history and language teaching. The common thread running through all the papers is the desire of the authors - all of them humanists involved in academic pursuits - to place in a theoretical perspective of their discipline and shed new light on an interesting research problem in literature, art, language use or language teaching that they have identified.

On the night of a blizzard in January 1963, an elderly couple who live in a tiny Worcestershire village are summoned to their daughter’s cottage two and a half miles away at Longdon, on urgent but unspecified business. When eventually they reach their daughter’s cottage, exhausted and worried, they find it warm but empty. Unable to face the journey back home that night, they prepare a simple meal for themselves preparatory to retiring to bed in their daughter’s cottage. The following morning, the concerned neighbours find the couple still sitting at table, poisoned by a bottle of contaminated wine. A student is found to have been killed by the same rare poison in his London bed-sit within days of the Longdon murders. Coincidence? Surely not! Inspector Wickfield is appointed to find out. His inquiry is hampered by the repeated appearance of the deceased couple’s son who is a senior officer in the Canadian force. Weaving his way round red herrings and dead ends, Wickfield requires all his ingenuity, prompted by a random crossword clue, to uncover a devious and intricate plot instigated by a determined criminal. Julius Falconer can be relied on to provide stimulating and thought-provoking entertainment for a cosy night by the fire – but sharpen your wits first. Book reviews online: PublishedBestsellers website.