Sleep Like the Dead

He would make a lovely corpse… 

When visitors gather deep in the frozen Derbyshire countryside for a sleepover in the opulent Long Gallery of Charleton House, joined by some notable guests from the past, no one expects that by morning Charles Dickens will have been murdered. 

Sleep- and caffeine-starved catering manager Sophie Lockwood makes her way to the staff breakroom the following day, wondering if she's hallucinating when she finds the body of the famous 19th century author slumped over the desk. Seeing him wandering the Charleton grounds later in the day, very much alive, Sophie begins to question her sanity. 

Has Dickens risen from the grave? Or is the murderer's work incomplete? With the dead man's true identity revealed and the police on site, Sophie can't resist launching her own investigation, enlisting the help of her closest friend and verbal sparring partner, tour guide Mark Boxer. 

Are present-day scandals and jealousies behind the murder, or does the truth perhaps lie in a half-forgotten crime from the past? Is there really a spark of romance developing between Sophie and DC Joe Greene? And just how significant will outspoken gift-shop manager Joyce's talents as a Tiller Girl prove to be? 

Mystery fans, wrap up warm, grab a coffee and cookie, and join Sophie as she explores the mists of the past and the deceptions of the present to uncover the truth.

Book 3 in The Charleton House Mysteries series. A light, entertaining mystery with a coffee loving amateur sleuth who works at one of England's finest stately homes, and is ruled by her domineering tabby cat.

Written in British English. Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. No strong language, gore, sex, or violence!