The Midnight Hour

THE THRILLING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour' The Times

An old man lies dead and it looks like poison, but his wife isn't the only one who had reason to kill him.

Brighton, 1965

When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found dead in his retirement home, no one suspects foul play. But when the postmortem reveals that he was poisoned, suspicion falls on his wife, eccentric ex-Music Hall star Verity Malone.

Frustrated by the police response to Bert's death and determined to prove her innocence, Verity calls in private detective duo Emma Holmes and Sam Collins. This is their first real case, but as luck would have it they have a friend on the inside: Max Mephisto is filming a remake of Dracula, starring Seth Billington, Bert's son. But when they question Max, they feel he isn't telling them the whole story.

Emma and Sam must vie with the police to untangle the case and bring the killer to justice. They're sure the answers must lie in Bert's dark past and in the glamorous, occasionally deadly, days of Music Hall. But the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in...

***

PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

'An intricately plotted whodunnit' Daily Mail

'Griffiths writes with verve and wit' Irish Times

'An entertaining period murder mystery' Irish Independent

'Layered with a gripping plot' Belfast Telegraph

A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 24/04/2022

“Beneath the smooth, swan-like progression of Elly Griffith's sentences there is a lot going on. She is utterly in control of her material , and the machinations of the plot are never allowed to swamp character development, sense of place or the creation of atmosphere. She is a witty writer : the sturdy legs of a toddler on a swing, for example, are said to be "kicking the sky." If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour. - The TimesElly Griffiths' series set in post-war Brighton are entertaining diversions full of period detail, smart plotting and likeable characters - Mail on Sunday Wry , emotionally intelligent and quietly satisfying - Sunday Times on Now You See ThemMixes cosiness and sharpness in a way that recalls the best of Agatha Christie - Sunday Express on Smoke and MirrorsA piquant mixture of humour and period detail ... and truly beguiling characterisation - Financial Times on The Vanishing Box”

Beneath the smooth, swan-like progression of Elly Griffith's sentences there is a lot going on. She is utterly in control of her material, and the machinations of the plot are never allowed to swamp character development, sense of place or the creation of atmosphere. She is a witty writer: the sturdy legs of a toddler on a swing, for example, are said to be "kicking the sky." If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour.

The Times

Griffiths writes with verve and wit, and has an unflaggingly keen eye . . . deliriously entertaining

Irish Times

An entertaining period murder mystery full of delightfully eccentric - and one decidedly deadly - luvvies

Irish Independent
Layered with a gripping plot ... very, very enjoyable' Belfast Telegraph
An intricately plotted whodunnit Daily Mail

Elly Griffiths is the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries and the Brighton Mysteries. She has won the CWA Dagger in the Library, has been shortlisted five times for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for The Lantern Men. Her new series featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur began with The Stranger Diaries, which was a Richard and Judy book club pick and won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in the USA. It was followed by The Postscript Murders, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and Bleeding Heart Yard. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband.

THE THRILLING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour ' The Times An old man lies dead and it looks like poison, but his wife isn't the only one who had reason to kill him. Brighton, 1965 When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found dead in his retirement home, no one suspects foul play. But when the postmortem reveals that he was poisoned, suspicion falls on his wife, eccentric ex-Music Hall star Verity Malone. Frustrated by the police response to Bert's death and determined to prove her innocence, Verity calls in private detective duo Emma Holmes and Sam Collins. This is their first real case, but as luck would have it they have a friend on the inside: Max Mephisto is filming a remake of Dracula, starring Seth Billington, Bert's son. But when they question Max, they feel he isn't telling them the whole story.Emma and Sam must vie with the police to untangle the case and bring the killer to justice. They're sure the answers must lie in Bert's dark past and in the glamorous, occasionally deadly, days of Music Hall. But the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in...***PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT HOUR 'An intricately plotted whodunnit' Daily Mail 'Griffiths writes with verve and wit' Irish Times 'An entertaining period murder mystery' Irish Independent 'Layered with a gripping plot' Belfast Telegraph A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 24/04/2022

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