The Murder at World’s End
Paperback Published on: 04/06/2026
Price: £9.99
Bookseller Reviews
View all
A Marvelous and Majestic Mystery at World's End!
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WORLD'S END WOULD BE SO WONDERFUL!!!
This beautifully imagined locked room mystery feels reminiscent of the very best of the golden... READ MORE
You can't fight a river..
This is a brilliant step from Ross Montgomery from children to adult fiction. A classic manor house whodunnit with a crack pot Lord who is convinced the wo... READ MORE
Highly entertaining
This debut book for adults is an absolute world of fun. With Ross Montgomery’s trademark excellent storytelling, wonderful caricatures, and hilarious dialo... READ MORE
A locked-room mystery with mad scientists & very blue language at times, great fun!
Possibly the funnest and most intriguing whodunnit I've read in a long time (and that's a genre that I read a LOT!). The proof copy we got at our store was... READ MORE
Your new favourite historical crime!
From the very first page I was hooked. I loved the different ways this story was told from first person POV to extracts of real newspaper articles. I loved... READ MORE
Splendid!
I was hooked from the first page.
Miss Decima is the foul mouthed Miss Marple I’ve been waiting for all my life.
A locked room mystery that will hav... READ MORE
An absolutely brilliant start to a new favourite series.
Stephen Pike starts working at a grand house called World’s End. When there he is given the worst job of looking after an obstreperous old lady with the vo... READ MORE
An entertaining murder mystery
It's 1910 and Stephen Pike has been given the chance to work at an isolated manor house off the coast of Cornwall as a footman. Halley's comet is passing ... READ MORE
Rollicking good fun!
I loved this book and raced through it in a couple of days. It has all the elements of a very clever, classic whodunnit - a crafty, eccentric matriarch, t... READ MORE
An entertaining romp of a read with a philosophical subtext
An entertaining romp of a read.
Ex- con Stephen is taken on for a big house party at World's End- a Cornish house separated from the mainland by a cause... READ MORE
An absolute delight!
I absolutely loved this book! The mystery is cleverly plotted and the characters had me laughing out loud at times. This is Ross Montgomery's first book ... READ MORE
Absolutely brilliant writing!
I love a Ross Montgomery children’s book so to read an adult crime mystery book by this wonderful author was a treat. This gripping and addictive novel is ... READ MORE
Locked room cosy crime wonderfulness!
I loved loved loved The Murder at World End! a locked room mystery in a St Michael's Mount-esque setting in Cornwall 1910. Our unlikely detective duo are a... READ MORE
Outrageous Great Aunt And New Butler Are Unlikely Allies As The End Of The World Reveals A Murder
A ex convict is given a second chance when summoned to help at an old manor. His arrival coincides with the historical event of Halley's Comet. The newspap... READ MORE
Criminally Good
Thoroughly enjoyed this. A classic whodunnit but with added vitality, wit and a plethora of rich characters (in both senses of the word). This is going to ... READ MORE
Pardon my French!
Having enjoyed the author's brilliant children's books I was interested to try this out and definitely wasn't disappointed. Not only is the plot intriguing... READ MORE
A trop(e)ical island
A locked room, wrapped in an Edwardian country house, inside an island cut off by the tide. With an oddball duo investigating the murder while the real co... READ MORE
Synopsis
Downton Abbey meets Knives Out in the gripping new crime series from the bestselling author where an unlikely sleuthing duo - an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogerian - 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 Stephen 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, 80-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...
Read this if you loved...
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9781405979283
- Number of pages: 352
- Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 24 mm
- Weight: 286g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA whirlwind , wildly imaginative murder mystery…
It’s Cornwall 1910 on a remote island cut off from the world where at Tithe Hall they are preparing for the end of the world because of the return of Haley... READ MORE
Laugh yourself silly!
The odd house known as World's End has things like butler's mirrors and stairs that can get one lost is located on an island on the Cornish coast that is i... READ MORE
Absolutely brilliant!
Whether they are readers or not, I think most adults enjoy a good old-fashioned detective story. Certainly, there are plenty to choose from on TV but for t... READ MORE
Murder, mayhem and larks aplenty!
I devoured this brilliant book in one sitting. Ross's adult debut contains all of my favourite things. A cracking whodunnit, incorrigible characters who ma... READ MORE
A locked-room mystery that doesn’t disappoint
Believing that Halley's Comet will bring about the end of the world, the Viscount of Tithe Hall gives orders for it to be sealed from top to bottom. When t... READ MORE
Entertaining
A really fun and entertaining murder mystery. I loved the relationship that developed between Stephen and Miss Decima - the wealthy older lady, and the you... READ MORE
Fun, frolics and murder!
I really enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek start to a new detective series, with lots of red herrings and amusingly awful characters.
The creation of Miss D... READ MORE
Loved it!
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
Very pleased to report that I LOVED IT! So Can I please join the queue for book 2 now?
Excellent ... READ MORE
Very entertaining.
The year is 1910, and Stephen Pike has been lucky enough to obtain the position of second footman at Tithe Hall on an island off the Cornish coast. The isl... READ MORE
What a dream team!
A fantastic historical murder mystery with some brilliant characters.
I absolutely loved the relationship between Stephen and Miss Decima.
There were... READ MORE
Fabulous murder mystery
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, a fabulous murder mystery in a great house involving all the occupants from upstairs to downstairs and I rather think I wo... READ MORE
Such a fun locked room mystery
This is such a fun locked room mystery. I love the characters and I especially like Miss Decima and her full mouth - bravo!
I felt compelled to keep rea... READ MORE
Entertaining locked room murder
The year is 1910. Steven Pike starts a job as a footman in a house in Cornwall on the evening before the Halley comet is due to pass by Earth. The head of ... READ MORE
Hilarious murder mystery full of memorable characters
2025 has been a really good year for books and I’ve read some crackers but this is definitely one of my favourites. It’s a combination of the Agatha Christ... READ MORE
The most enjoyable murder mystery I've read in years.
I had the absolute pleasure of being sent an advanced reading copy of The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery.
I can honestly say that this is one ... READ MORE
Highly Recommended
What a joy to read. This is such a fun mystery. The plot is tightly controlled and laden with clues that all come together in the end. It is a fast pace... READ MORE
Superb Historical Crime Novel
A thoroughly absorbing and humorous whodunnit that keeps you guessing all the way through it.
The story takes place in Cornwall, 1910 and Halley’s Comet i... READ MORE
Marvellous
A marvellous mystery. Five stars. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
fun detective pairing!
This was a fun Upstairs Downstairs drama with added murders and an unusual detective pairing. Set in the early twentieth century its full of historical det... READ MORE
Great book
What a fabulous, unexpected brilliant read. Set in 1910, Miss Decima, an elderly aunt banished to the nursery of Tithe House enlists the help of the new un... READ MORE
Four stars!
Witty, inventive, and brimming with old-fashioned mystery charm, The Murder at World’s End introduces a sleuthing duo you will not forget in a hurry.
In... READ MORE
Twisty locked room with a touch of humour
Stephen Pike a recently released convict has gotten a servant job at a manor just in time for the passing of Haleys comet,
Sadly for him. His employer ... READ MORE
If you like a locked-door murder mystery, you should pick this one up.
This was so much fun! I have had a nightmare few weeks, I am massively behind on my reading plans, and I didn't think anything was going to get me out of t... READ MORE
A hidden gem
I haven't read any of Ross's books before, but I'm glad I picked this one up. It is a classic 'everyone's locked in a house' murder mystery, but the writi... READ MORE
Five stars!
An absolute belter of a book. The story of a locked room mystery which takes place in a remote and isolated stately home, sealed off to the world during th... READ MORE
One for a winters's night.
A thoroughly enjoyable locked-room murder. A classic tale of a house cut off rom the rest of the country due to tide and weather. Add to the mix a comet ... READ MORE
Brilliant!
I was sent an advance proof copy of The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery to read and review by NetGalley. I absolutely LOVED this book! In fact i... READ MORE
Murder at World’s End
Very enjoyable, old fashioned type of murder mystery, plenty of action, great descriptions of the house and period and entertaining characters.
Verified Purchase
Cleverly written with both wit and intrigue to keep you guessing right to the end.
The Murder at World’s End
By Ross Montgomery
Published by Penguin Books Ltd
This debut adult murder mystery from Ross Montgomery combines period drama... READ MORE
A fab new mystery-solving duo
A promising new enjoyable mystery series featuring a geriatric potty-mouthed lady of the gentry and her newly employed ex-con servant. Thrown together to s... READ MORE
A series to look out for
A sparkling debut into the world of the adult novel from Montgomery. We have fans of his children's books in the family so the name was already well known ... READ MORE
Great pair of super sleuths in this full of twists murder
What a story. I loved it.
It was pacy, intriguing and full of interesting characters. None more so than Worlds End‘s feisty, foul mouthed matriarch. She i... READ MORE
Agatha Christie would be a fan
You’re new cosy crime favourite! I’m going to presume this is the first of a series, as anything else would be a travesty, and is definitely my favourite c... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
A fun historical crime caper
Murder at World’s End is the first book in a new series to feature Stephen Pike and Miss Decima Stockingham. Stephen goes to Tithe Hall on a tidal island i... READ MORE
Gloriously eccentric!
Pure entertainment. Stephen, naïve ex-con, loved his gran, carries a picture of her, epitomises gratitude and good intent. Miss Decima, octogenarian potty-... READ MORE
A great read
Stephen Pike thought that he had very little to look forward when he was released from Borstal in 1910. However he got a job as second footman at Tithe Hal... READ MORE
A captivating read
Stephen Pike thought that he had very little to look forward when he was released from Borstal in 1910. However he got a job as second footman at Tithe Hal... READ MORE
Brilliant Storytelling
I have not read any of Ross Montgomery’s children's books, but I was excited to read his adult novel debut which promised an intriguing ‘who-dunnit’.
Un... READ MORE
Excellent mystery
This was a delight! Surprising, hilarious, touching, and with a solid mystery plot at its core. About a third of the way through I thought I could foresee ... READ MORE
Murder at World's End
I found out after reading this book that it is the start of a series featuring Steven and Decima. Well, that saves me begging and pleading the author for m... READ MORE
Five stars from me!
Wow, what a treat! I went into The Murder at World's End with zero expectations but I was hooked from the outset. I already can't wait for the next Stockin... READ MORE
Locked room murder
Stephen leaves London for World’s End, a house at the end of a causeway in Cornwall, here he starts as an under footman just as the house is preparing for ... READ MORE
Fast paced murder mystery
This is such a fun fast-paced murder mystery if I ever have to be boarded up in a house I want to be with Miss Decima Stockingham she is an absolute howl. ... READ MORE
Misdirection and red herrings in this fun locked door mystery
My favourite thing about murder mysteries is trying to work out not only “who dunnit” but how they dunnit, along the way. In The Murder at World’s End we a... READ MORE
Unique, atmospheric, funny, locked door whodunnit!
The Murder at World’s End is a classic locked room whodunnit set in a mansion in Cornwall during the Comet Panic of 1910 (where it was believed the world w... READ MORE
Thoroughly enjoyable
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not my usual genre but it was a delight (despite the several murders). A great story and a mystery to me until towards the ... READ MORE
Great start to new series.
A new author for me and one, I an delighted to say, I will follow for future reads.
Stephen Pike has been released from Borstal for being, basically, an... READ MORE
Fabulous!
What a glorious romp of a story! It is like The Thursday Murder Club set a century ago. I can see this as a movie much like Benoit Blanc. Great pantomime c... READ MORE
Fingers crossed it'a the first in a long series
Absolutely loved this story... the blurb suggested this would be right up my street and it was.
Wonderful new sleuthing partnership, traditional setting a... READ MORE
Locked room mystery
Wow. This is a gem of a book. Stephen goes to work as a second footman at Tithe Hall at Worlds End. There he gets mixed up in murder and mayhem. This is a ... READ MORE
Highly recommended
Oh, this one was delightful to read. I do love a locked room mystery and this was just that. Set in Cornwall in 1910 when it was thought that Halley’s Come... READ MORE
Cute humorous murder mystery
First Ross Montgomery book I have read. A cute humorous murder mystery with well formed characters to entertain the reader
Funny fast-paced murder mystery
In this funny, fast-paced murder mystery I loved the indomitable Decima, (brilliant scientist) whose hideous family has relegated her, with her squeaky bat... READ MORE
One of the Best Cozy Mysteries of the Year
When was the last time you picked up a book and simply couldn’t put it down? For me, it was The Murder at World’s End, which is so absorbing that I read it... READ MORE
Witty, enthralling and fun
This was an absolute delight to read, this is written so fantastically that it just hooks you in and keeps you guessing. It was incredibly witty and intell... READ MORE
Loved it
I loved this book. Absolutely loved it.
The House at World’s end starts off giving vibes of Then There Were None, which excited me, then we launched int... READ MORE
Brilliantly written whodunnit
Set in 1920 on the remote Cornish island known as World’s End and Tithe Hall with its eclectic mix of characters. The owner of Tithe Hall, Lord Stockingham... READ MORE
Brilliant isolated murder mystery
This is a fabulous read, set in Cornwall in 1910. The setting is an island accessible via a causeway at low tide.
Stephen Pike arrives as a new employe... READ MORE
A compelling locked-room murder
I really enjoyed the frenetic energy of the novel’s opening as Halley’s Comet approached the Earth in May 1910 and the staff of Tithe Hall prepared themsel... READ MORE
Like the Traitors, only better
In many ways, this is over the top in whodunnit clichés - a remote island, cut off by the tide, a country house peopled with eccentric aristocrats and rese... READ MORE
KNIVES OUT meets DOWNTON ABBEY!
Stephen and Miss Decima are the crime-fighting duo you didn't realise you needed in your life. A servant and foul-mouthed aged female scientist, together t... READ MORE
Cosy crime and great period setting
1910 and Halley's Comet is approaching Earth. For the residents of Tithe Hall on a tidal island in Cornwall there is a belief that disaster will ensue and... READ MORE
Tantalosong and a lot of red herrings.
1910, the King is dead and Halley's Comet about to arrive. The Viscount of Tithe Hall sincerely believes that this heralds the end of the world so has all ... READ MORE
Sheer brilliance
I really enjoyed this quirky whodunnit. Set on a tidal island in Cornwall in 1910, it had a great cast of characters- Décima was my favourite. A strong wil... READ MORE
A fun story, whether read or heard
Stockingham & Pike #1
The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery
Narrated by Derek Jacobi, Joe Jameson
Cornwall, 1910 About the only thing going ri... READ MORE
Imaginative Locked Room
I was handed a proof copy of this imaginative take on the locked room, placing it in the early 20th century and at a time when the approach of Halley's com... READ MORE
Solid, satisfying murder mystery
I had a lot of fun trying to piece this together. There’s a large but confined suspect list, but the characters are all so distinct that I never got mixed ... READ MORE
Witty and humorous
The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery is a delightful mix of historical, cosy crime, and mystery — what a combination!
An exceptionally good read
Following the murder of the Viscount Conrad, Stephen, the protagonist, and the Viscount’s aunt, Miss Decima, decide that they must try and solve the crime ... READ MORE
Nicely Surprised
I was pleasantly surprised, this is a really good book, I would say it's got a funny element to it as well as being a who done it murder solving book. The ... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Brilliant fun
Unputdownable, fun hilarious with excellent characters. And also an amazing story. Really really enjoyed this absolutely recommended
Mad, completely bonkers at times ingenious and so funny. Brilliant
Completely bonkers, mad and uproariously funny. I absolutely loved this and am so happy its only book one. Please hurry up and publish the next one I can't... READ MORE
It even has a Silhouette in it!
Decima carries a silhouette of her lost sister Isabella in a locket close to her heart. This kind of detail means the world to me, as it opens a new side t... READ MORE
A Great Start to a New Series
I’d seen posters for Murder at World’s End everywhere, and the tagline “Downton Abbey meets Knives Out” instantly caught my attention—it made me laugh and ... READ MORE
Wonderful, just loved it!
Stephen Pike has been invited to take a position as second footman at Tithe Hall, a remote stately home on a Cornish island. He has just been released from... READ MORE
Must read for mystery lovers!
It was an impossible murder. Or was it?
This story is full of twists and turns as together we follow Stephen Pike and Miss Decima Stockingham on a journ... READ MORE
Excelllent cozy crime
It is 1910 and Comet Halley, harbinger of doom, is approaching the Planet Earth. The king is dead, people are panicking, and young Stephen Pike, released f... READ MORE
Clever mystery
This murder mystery takes place on an island in Cornwall, isolated when the tides are high or during storms. We have a stately home where someone is killed... READ MORE
Brilliant!
I can’t recommend this book enough! The Murder at World’s End is such a fun and intriguing story, I read it one sitting, completely entertained by the char... READ MORE
Miss Decima is an absolute hoot!
It's 1910 & Steven Pike has recently been released from Borstal for a crime he didn't commit & is in need of a job. Fortune smiles for once as he receives ... READ MORE
Reminded Me of Philip Pullman
Absolutely loved this book. Recommended by local bookseller and actually listened to it on Audible (great narrator) but have bought the hardback as an ext... READ MORE
Just perfect!
As a long time fan of Ross Montgomery's children's books, I was very excited to get my hands on his first book for adults.
The Murder at World's End is a... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Couldn’t put it done
Congratulations to Ross Montgomery. An excellent book. Good storyline which kept you guessing and at the next moment had you in stitches of laughter with t... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Halley's Comet and murder!
This was a wonderful entertaining book to read! It is full of quirky characters with clever minds which are definitely needed with this locked room mystery... READ MORE
A Brilliant Read
Set in 1910 on a remote tidal island in Cornwall ,the story revolves arround the grand estate of Tythe Hall where the eccentric Viscount is convinced the e... READ MORE
You may also like...
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Price: £10.99
The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Light Novel)
Price: £17.99
A Case of Mice and Murder
Price: £9.99
The Christmas Clue
Price: £10.00
The Frozen River
Price: £9.99
The Samurai Detectives: Volume 1
Price: £10.99
The Murder at World’s End
Price: £16.99
Murder on the Great Northern Railway
Price: £10.99
The New Forest Murders
Price: £9.99
Greater Sins
Price: £9.99
Strangers in Time
Price: £9.99
Traitor’s Legacy
Price: £9.99
The Girl with the Suitcase
Price: £9.99
Murder at Gulls Nest
Price: £9.99
The Murder at World’s End
Price: £9.99
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Price: £22.00