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A Dangerous Train of Thought

By Faith Martin
Series: The Val & Arbie Mysteries
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Brief Description
A brand new Golden Age cosy crime mystery from the multi-million-copy bestseller Faith Martin. 'A masterfully constructed page-turner of a murder mystery. Clever, compelling, and intriguing. An excellent read' TA Williams 'Hugely entertaining with an ingenious solution! I loved it!' Clare Chase 'Suspicious notes, a lethal... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
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A brand new Golden Age cosy crime mystery from the multi-million-copy bestseller Faith Martin.

'A masterfully constructed pageturner of a murder mystery. Clever, compelling, and intriguing. An excellent read' TA Williams

A brand-new gripping cozy crime golden age murder mystery from multimillion bestseller Faith Martin to read in 2026

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A brand new Golden Age cosy crime mystery from the multi-million-copy bestseller Faith Martin.

'A masterfully constructed page-turner of a murder mystery. Clever, compelling, and intriguing. An excellent read' TA Williams

'Hugely entertaining with an ingenious solution! I loved it!' Clare Chase

'Suspicious notes, a lethal hat pin and a body in the library … As far as I'm concerned Faith Martin is the Grand Dame of Country House Crime!' J. M. Hall

Yorkshire, 1926. Gentleman ghost-hunter Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Swift and his old friend Val arrive at Cleeves Lea Manor, looking forward to the promise of a lavish weekend party.

The lady of the house, an avid reader of Arbie’s books, is eager to show him off to her distinguished guests. Amidst the festivities, Arbie is also tasked with investigating rumours of a ‘ghost train spitting fire’ for the third instalment of the increasingly popular (to Arbie’s great surprise) Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-hunting.

But when the guests start dying, Arbie instead finds himself thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. With time running out, will he and Val be able to uncover the truth?

Praise for the Val and Arbie Mysteries:

‘Brilliant characters that leap off the page’ The Sun on Murder by Candlelight

‘Amuses and intrigues in equal measure’ Daily Mail

‘A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary’ J.M. Hall

‘A charming and clever take on a locked room murder’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

‘A wonderful Wodehousian world of intrigue and suspicion and a tricky puzzle to solve.’ Helena Dixon

‘All the ingredients of a classic mystery – engaging characters and an impossible crime. The story races along like a runaway locomotive… enormous fun.’ Orlando Murrin

‘A beautifully written 1920’s murder mystery series full of fun, wit and red herrings’ Anita Davison

'The perfect "country house" murder mystery. The book is terrific fun.' Jane Bettany

'We devoured this whodunnit in one sitting!' Bella

'With murder, intrigue, and ghostly happenings, this will satisfy cosy crime fans.' Heat

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008738426

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 January 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: HQ Digital

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 288

Collections

Classic Crime & Mystery Fiction Classic Fiction Cosy Crime Crime & Thriller Faith Martin Fiction General Fiction Historical Crime & Mystery Historical Fiction Humour Series: The Val & Arbie Mysteries

About the Author

Faith Martin has been writing for over 25 years, in four genres and under four different pen names. She was born in Oxford and sets most of her crime novels within sight of the city of dreaming spires. A real nature lover and aficionado of the countryside, descriptions of wildlife and native flora often find their way into her manuscripts.

Also by Faith Martin

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  • A Fatal End
    Don’t miss Faith Martin’s fiendishly clever new novel, Murder by Candlelight, set in the 1920s and described as ‘the perfect village mystery’ by J.M. Hall. ‘There is so much to love about A Fatal End… Another nail-biting mystery awaits.’ The Lancashire Post Oxford, 1963. In a backstreet club, people dance the night away to their favourite band. But behind the...
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  • Murder by Candlelight
    One suspicious death. Two amateur sleuths. And an utterly impossible crime… The NUMBER ONE ebook bestseller! 'Amuses and intrigues in equal measure… a splendid start to what promises to be a long-running series’ Daily Mail The Cotswolds, 1924. At the Old Forge in the quiet village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh, a cry of anguish rings out: the lady of the house, Amy...
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  • The Last Word Is Death
    A cosy romp of cream teas, double-barrelled names and murder. THE SUN The new book in the Val and Arbie mysteries from the multi-million-copy selling author Faith Martin. One of these guests has a date with death… Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift arrives at Dashwood House, a glamorously modern hotel in the up-and-coming resort of Galton-next-the-Sea, but all plans for a relaxing...
    By Faith Martin
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