‘The Curse of Arundel Hall’ by J New

The Curse of Arundel Hall: A Yellow Cottage Vintage Mystery Book 2

Amateur sleuth Ella discovers a secret room in her house, along with a corpse and a ghost. But who was the dead woman, and how did she die? Ella’s investigations develop an unexpected twist when an invitation to Arundel Hall turns into a murder mystery. With a centuries-old curse haunting the Hall and several suspects who all have motive and opportunity, Ella must use her powers of deduction to solve the murder.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series (An Accidental Murder), but that didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment or understanding of this one. The author has managed to create a set of characters who fit right in with that lovely 1930s style of crime writing in the tradition of Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham. The writing is so authentic I’d easily have taken the novel for a perfect example of that era, with its attention to detail, use of language and dialogue. The main character – Ella Bridges – is well rounded, clever and independent, with an interesting history that I’m sure we’ll discover more about in future books.

The Curse of Arundel Hall is a cracking good read and I for one will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.