The Christmas Tree Murders: ‘Imagine Janice Hallett writing a Victorian murder mystery’ – A gripping, festive read from the HWA shortlisted author

THE DELICIOUSLY DARK VICTORIAN MURDER MYSTERY

It is December 1884, and we have a murder to solve.

Come, my friend – follow me, for we have much to see this festive season.

First, a house: a brand-new country estate, with all the latest technological innovations – electric light-bulbs, running water, dumb-waiters, hydraulic lifts.

Second, a family: celebrated inventor Sir Russell Morgan, his grown-up children, his elegant new wife.

Next, their guests: the great and the good (well, the rich), dressed in all their finery, eager to celebrate Christmas at Clifftop House.

And finally: a body – for what festive mystery would be complete without one? Here lies one of the servants, laid out beneath the Christmas-tree, his hands covered in burns.

The police dismiss his death as an accident, but our heroine, Millie – kitchenmaid and keen reader of sensation novels – is not so sure.

Christmas Day is fast approaching. Can we solve the mystery of Clifftop House before another guest meets an untimely end?

'Clever, intriguing and beautifully atmospheric...an immaculate slice of festive fiction. The characters are vivid and electric, the plot unfolds like a perfect Victorian puzzle-box and the writing is just sumptuous' ALEX HAY

'Superb...a rich puzzle imbued with all the splendour of the Victorian Gothic’ TOM MEAD

'Delightfully festive and irresistibly addictive. An essential addition to your Christmas list' JESSICA BULL

Perfect for fans of: - Female sleuths - The Victorian period - Upstairs/downstairs dynamics - Witty narrators - Cosy crime

© Katie Lumsden 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

© 2026 Penguin (Lydbog): 9781405997348

Udgivelsesdato

Lydbog: 5. november 2026