Book Review: Stockingham And Pike #1

The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery

Published: October 2025

Summary from Goodreads:

Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo—an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian—hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world.

Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley’s Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom—every window, chimney, and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within… By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.

All eyes turn to Steven Pike, Tithe Hall’s newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn’t commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, eighty-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she’s been waiting for.

Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges, and rising terror to unmask the killer before it’s too late…

Confession:

This was such a fun and engaging read. I really enjoyed the characters and the locked room mystery was well done with lots of twists and red herrings. There is also quite a bit of humor and the dialogue was witty and charming and made me laugh out loud at times. I am also thrilled that this is going to be a series and I really hope we get the second book soon.

The story is told solely through Steven’s point of view and I just adored him. He is a young man who has a troubled past, but a heart of gold. He is such a sweet and caring young man, but young and naive. He does start to come into his own by the end of the story though, and I think he is capable of standing on his own in the future. I adored the friendship that developed between Decima and Steven.

Decima was the character that I adored the most though. I loved how feisty she was and how much she stood up for herself. I hated how her family treated her, but that was typical of the time period, and especially if you were a woman who spoke her mind.

The full cast of secondary characters added in a lot of fun to this story. Decima’s family were mostly eccentric, self centered and quite horrible to each other. Jarvis, the police detective sent to solve the mystery was a hoot, and I loved how horribly wrong, yet ultimately right he was in many of his deductions. The other servants were an interesting group of people, with a couple of them serving as important plot points.

The setting and the mystery were well done. I love a mystery with lots of red herrings and well done twists. The murder itself was clever and one that I wasn’t able to figure out. But the motive and the truth behind who did it wasn’t all that hard with the clues stacking up. The pacing was quick for the most part, and I appreciated the short chapters. Also the witty banter between the characters was a lot of fun and made me laugh.

If you are a fan of cozy historical mysteries this is one you really don’t want to miss. I am really looking forward to the next book, and I’m hoping it won’t be a long wait.