Charleton House Mysteries

The annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder…Nestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire's rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder. But when a young man is killed recent thefts from local stately homes are put in the shade, and caffeine-loving café manager Sophie Lockwood finds her interest piqued by a pair of unusual cases.Who would want to murder a gentle giant of a man? And why would a thief, with an endless treasure trove to choose from, make off with an antique from Charleton House that only has sentimental value?Enlisting the help of her charismatic and eccentric colleagues, including quick-witted tour guide Mark, Sophie sets off to extract inside information from Detective Constable Joe Greene in return for a generous supply of chocolate croissants. But just as Sophie finds her suspicions falling on a likely suspect, a trail of coffee beans leads to a shocking revelation that turns her caffeine-fuelled investigation on its head.Buy Death By Dark Roast today, you won't be able to put it down.Book 1 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!What readers are saying about Death by Dark Roast:'I absolutely adored this book.''A delightful escape, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series.''You just can't put this book down.''This book has everything I love about cozy mysteries - likable interesting characters, an intriguing cozy mystery, and friendship.''The mystery plot(s) is fascinating and the writing is as elegant as Charleton House itself. A brilliant beginning to a series I will read every word of.''Kate P. Adams develops her characters in such a way that you feel you are right there with them solving mysteries, drinking amazing coffee, wandering beautiful gardens, and working in a grand English home.''This book is the perfect read for fans who enjoy their cozy mysteries served with a patina of history, a bounty of culinary delights, and a bottomless cup of perfectly brewed coffee.'

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!

The cycle of life and deathThe joyful Cyclemania event, hosted in the breathtaking grounds of Charleton House to celebrate the Tour of Derbyshire cycle race, is drawing to a close. But the summer sun is also setting on the life of one of the visitors.When outspoken cycling activist Olivia Sharp is found lying atop the carefully arranged flowerbeds, coffee-addict catering manager Sophie Lockwood immediately notices that she has been strangled with a bicycle tyre's inner tube. But with DC Joe Greene, her friend in the local police force, away on holiday, the part-time sleuth is determined not to get drawn into the murder investigations this time. However, the people around her have different ideas, looking to Sophie to piece together Olivia's background and hunt down the murderer.With her closest friend, tour guide Mark, out of action, Charleton's very own Sherlock Holmes enlists flamboyant gift-shop manager Joyce to be her high-heeled, mini-skirted Watson, and together they set off on the trail of a trio of possible killers. Meanwhile, deskbound Mark helps in the only way he can, his online research leading him in an entirely different direction, way back to the battlefields of the Boer War. Has Sophie got it wrong this time and led herself and Joyce into danger?Fans of cosy mysteries everywhere are invited to dust off their bicycles and take a ride into the heart of the rolling Derbyshire countryside to join Sophie and her friends for coffee, cake and chaos in this delightful and often hilarious novella.Book 4 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!

The winter bears a berry,As red as any blood...As December casts its chilly eye over Derbyshire towns bedecked in festive cheer, the skeletal remains of a forgotten man lie hidden in the cellar of the historic Black Swan pub.The glow of a million fairy lights and the hauntingly familiar melodies of Christmas carols fill the vast halls of Charleton House, but when a group of volunteers fall ill after drinking mulled wine laced with poisonous berries, Catering Manager and part-time sleuth Sophie Lockwood wonders who's failing to embrace the goodwill of the season. Despite DS Harnby warning her to leave the mystery of the mulled wine to the police, Sophie can't resist making a few enquiries alongside her quest to piece together the tragic sequence of events that led to the century-old skeleton being abandoned in the pub cellar.Then an anonymous gift of poisoned cookies is left on her desk, and her delve into the past threatens to uncover a secret that will shock her well-respected employers, the Duke and Duchess of Ravensbury, to the core. Has Sophie's sleuthing finally gone too far?Raise a glass of Christmas cheer as Sophie faces an unwelcome blast from the past, while her best friend Mark's historical knowledge proves invaluable, and self-appointed sidekick Joyce makes her own unique and hilarious contribution. With these three around, this festive adventure can only come to a delightfully heart-warming close.Buy Mulled Wine and Murder today, you won't be able to put it down.Book 5 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!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive…For the first time since her engagement came to an unhappy end, catering manager and amateur sleuth Sophie Lockwood returns to London from Derbyshire to run the café for an art exhibition hosted by her employers, the Duke and Duchess of Ravensbury, in their splendid city home. On her first evening in the capital, while Sophie is listening to renowned botanist Dr Ambrose Pitkin praising the artwork of the Duke's ancestor, a lethally sharp souvenir letter opener falls into the possession of someone with murder, not mail, on their mind.When Dr Pitkin is found the next morning stabbed to death in Green Park, Sophie is determined to see justice prevail, but it seems as though everyone who visited the Duke and Duchess the previous night had reason to want him out of the way. With so many questions to answer and a hostile detective inspector to deal with, Sophie wonders if this will be the first case to defeat her. And in the midst of her confusion, the last thing she needs is ex-fiancé Adam back on the scene.A moment of enlightenment over coffee with one of Dr Pitkin's colleagues at the Natural History Museum leads Sophie to the truth. And it's a truth that will have devastating consequences not only for her personally, but also for her noble employers.Mystery fans, grab your snacks and board the train. We're heading to the capital…Book 7 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

Mystery with a side order of historyNestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire's rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder.While public visitors to the house enjoy historical re-enactments, breathtaking architecture, and beautiful gardens, caffeine-loving café manager Sophie Lockwood finds herself investigating present-day scandals and half-forgotten crimes from the past. Join Sophie and her colourful, quick-witted friends as they hunt murderers, helped by endless coffee and copious amounts of cake, in these thrilling, entertaining and often hilarious adventures in the heart of the English countryside.This set contains the first three books in the Charleton House Mysteries.Death by Dark RoastThe annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder…A Killer WeddingAs a passionate couple take their marriage vows in an ancient chapel, death is already waiting in the shadows for one of the persons there present.Sleep Like the DeadWhen 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.Addictive, entertaining and often hilarious mysteries 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 standalones but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. No strong language, gore, sex, or violence!What are readers saying?'Kate's characters are charming, amusing, witty and captivating.''When I read this series I always make sure to have my day free because I have never put the books down.''Absolutely love these murder mysteries, which take you "backstage" in a historical house and gardens open to the public.''Sophie is my favourite amateur sleuth and I would love to visit Charleton House and have tea with her.''Such an addictive series, well researched and engagingly written. Witty, historical, informative and vastly entertaining.'