Remodelling Murder is a locked room mystery set in an English country mansion. The novel introduces Detective Inspector Pat Hound, a fifty-something sleuth with a dry wit, and blends classic Golden Age puzzle elements with Japanese superstition and a modern, cosy tone aimed at fans of Richard Osman, Bob Mortimer, Lucy Foley, and Knives Out. When renovation workers from Yukiko Curiosity Design uncover a body in a locked bedroom at Sibson Hall, a recently purchased estate outside Royal Tunbridge Wells, the scene looks like suicide - except for a handful of odd details that refuse to fit. The victim clutches a wooden mallet, there's no key to the locked door, and questions about ghosts and yakuza ties ripple through the household. DI Pat Hound, called away from her favourite coffee spot and less than thrilled at mixing menopause symptoms with crime-scene coveralls, senses there is more to the scene than meets the eye. Remodelling Murder leans into the pleasure of puzzle fiction rather than the grind of police procedural work. With a narrative voice that nods to Magpie Murders and The Thursday Murder Club, Scanlan-Dyas crafts a cast of eccentric characters, sly red herrings, and a closed-circle mystery that honours the locked-room tradition of John Dickson Carr while introducing a fresh cross-cultural angle. Scanlan-Dyas's fifteen years living in Japan and his British upbringing lend authentic texture to the story: the plot threads in local superstition, subtle paranormal hints, and the cultural disquiet that follows a Japanese family with alleged yakuza connections moving into an English manor. Remodelling Murder is the first in a planned series featuring DI Pat Hound, with a follow-up due in 2027. Readers who enjoy a tightly plotted story with intricate clues, a strong central detective, and a mysterious setting will find this a satisfying listen.
