A house full of suspects. Two dogged detectives. One impossible murder.

When the owner of the Treefall Estate, Alexander Grimbourne, is murdered on the morning of his daughter’s wedding, the local police are stumped by the case. After all, Alexander’s body is found inside his study, the door and windows of which are locked from the inside – yet someone has stabbed the tyrannical man with a dagger through the heart and seemingly vanished into thin air.

An impossible murder case requires a uniquely talented detective, and there is no one better than Inspector Graves of Scotland Yard, who together with his new constable, James Carver, travel to Treefall Manor where they find a host of suspects. From the dead man’s resentful son to his fearful secretary, the local pub landlord to the gossiping housekeeper, the neighbouring landowner to the flighty socialite – even the village vicar is not above suspicion.

But in order to unmask the killer, Inspector Graves must first find the answer to some baffling questions: Who is the mysterious figure seen lurking on the Treefall Estate? How did the killer escape from a locked room? And why is Alexander found clutching The Canterbury Tales in his dead hand?

The Mystery of Treefall Manor is a captivating locked-room thriller that took me back to golden age of detective mysteries. Alexander Grimbourne has been murdered at his estate, Treefall Manor, in his locked study, on the morning of his daughter’s wedding.

There is no possible escape for the murderer. The windows and door are locked from the inside and yet here we have a man stabbed to death, alone.

The perplexing nature of the crime sets the stage for Inspector Graves of Scotland Yard and his assistant, Constable Carver, to embark on a meticulous investigation. They will have to weave through numerous potential suspects as many people hated the infuriating and nasty man that was Alexander Grimbourne to discover the truth.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of the English countryside, The Mystery of Treefall Manor offers a compelling historical whodunnit. I can’t say I felt any sympathy for the deceased as he was a man who constantly belittled people and thought of himself as judge, jury, and executioner in every situation.

The plot (and sub-plots) was intriguing with many twists and turns though it did feel like a bit of a slow burner. The character list was vast and made for some remembering who-was-who and the case was very similar to a few I have read before. However, the book still fascinated me.

I enjoyed the setting and the attention to detail of the period. The detective duo kept me entertained. Overall, a decent debut historical locked-room mystery.

J.S. Savage is a London-based author who specialises in impossible crime. His debut novel, The Mystery of Treefall Manor, nods to the golden age of detective fiction where the tyrannical master of Treefall manor is found stabbed to death inside his locked study.

J.S. Savage has also written a second locked-room mystery novel, Sun, Sea, and Murder, in which a group of British holidaymakers find themselves to be suspects when two murders occur at a luxury Spanish hotel. Sun, Sea, and Murder will be published on 1st April 2024.

Savage has been shortlisted for numerous short story prizes and can usually be found plotting murders with a pint of ale at his elbow.