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The Lamplight Murder Mysteries #1
Murder at Spindle Manor
Mysteries abound in Spindle Manor.
For Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the countryside inn is the last stop in a deadly hunt. Armed with gaslamp and guns, she tracks an insidious beast that wears the skin of its victims, mimicking them perfectly. Ten guests reside within Spindle Manor tonight, and the creature could be any one of them. Confined by a torrential thunderstorm and running out of time, Isabeau has until morning to discover the liar, or none of them—including her—will make it out alive.
But her inhuman quarry isn't the only threat residing in Spindle Manor.
Gunshots.
A slammed door.
A dead body.
Someone has been killed, and a hunt turns into a murder investigation. Now with two mysteries at her feet and more piling up, Isabeau must navigate a night filled with lies and deception. In a world of seances and specters, mesmers and monsters, the unexpected is hiding around every corner, and every move may be her last.
For Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the countryside inn is the last stop in a deadly hunt. Armed with gaslamp and guns, she tracks an insidious beast that wears the skin of its victims, mimicking them perfectly. Ten guests reside within Spindle Manor tonight, and the creature could be any one of them. Confined by a torrential thunderstorm and running out of time, Isabeau has until morning to discover the liar, or none of them—including her—will make it out alive.
But her inhuman quarry isn't the only threat residing in Spindle Manor.
Gunshots.
A slammed door.
A dead body.
Someone has been killed, and a hunt turns into a murder investigation. Now with two mysteries at her feet and more piling up, Isabeau must navigate a night filled with lies and deception. In a world of seances and specters, mesmers and monsters, the unexpected is hiding around every corner, and every move may be her last.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2022
378 people are currently reading
7525 people want to read
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October 14, 2025
This book won the 9th annual SPFBO contest (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) coming first out of the 300 books entered.
I always read the book that wins the SPFBO, so here I am for the 9th time!
Murder at Spindle Manor is a quick read - in part because the page count is low and the font-size (in paperback) BIG, in part because it's a fast flowing, very more-ish story. It's a fantasy murder mystery, and the promise of an important revelation is always there, prompting you to turn one more page to find out, if not who dun it then maybe who didn't and who may have.
The writing is high quality, creating a very moody setting with a lightning storm over-acting its thundery heart out, while shadows reign supreme in every corner. We have the most gothic of boarding houses where the only splashes of colour are the gory remains of our dwindling number of suspects.
Woven around the traditionally twisty murder mystery, Stang skillfully world-builds, drawing on the experiences of the guests to paint a picture of a place where humanity is guided by a giant almost angelic version of the species on a planet where hauntings, necromancy, and horrific monsters are not uncommon, and the sky hidden behind mists and veils and rainclouds.
There are very definite shades of an Agatha Christie novel here - think Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile. There's a steampunk vibe with mesmers and mediums. And while the characters are fully invested, the authorial voice retains a sense of fun. Chapter 13, for example, is simply a few lines warning how at so tense a juncture in the book, to have a chapter 13 would be tempting fate too much.
I enjoyed this a lot. It's a light read with rather little emotional engagement (though not zero - our detective does reflect on the loneliness of her calling and does do some introspection). But murder mysteries are primarily about the crime and the culprit, not long character studies. The book does what it promises and does a fine job of it. There's plenty of imagination on display and some definite "icky" moments too.
My only nits are minor and few - the manor (which doesn't seem to have been constructed as a manor) seems to have no problem accomodating guests who are 4 yards tall - in most houses the result would be comic. And at one point, a coal fire appears to be lit, used to consume a skeleton, and go to ashes all in a very small space of time.
Give it a go! See why it won the contest against so many other books.
Check out this year's contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
See this year's finalist table here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Read up on the SPFBO in general here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
I always read the book that wins the SPFBO, so here I am for the 9th time!
Murder at Spindle Manor is a quick read - in part because the page count is low and the font-size (in paperback) BIG, in part because it's a fast flowing, very more-ish story. It's a fantasy murder mystery, and the promise of an important revelation is always there, prompting you to turn one more page to find out, if not who dun it then maybe who didn't and who may have.
The writing is high quality, creating a very moody setting with a lightning storm over-acting its thundery heart out, while shadows reign supreme in every corner. We have the most gothic of boarding houses where the only splashes of colour are the gory remains of our dwindling number of suspects.
Woven around the traditionally twisty murder mystery, Stang skillfully world-builds, drawing on the experiences of the guests to paint a picture of a place where humanity is guided by a giant almost angelic version of the species on a planet where hauntings, necromancy, and horrific monsters are not uncommon, and the sky hidden behind mists and veils and rainclouds.
There are very definite shades of an Agatha Christie novel here - think Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile. There's a steampunk vibe with mesmers and mediums. And while the characters are fully invested, the authorial voice retains a sense of fun. Chapter 13, for example, is simply a few lines warning how at so tense a juncture in the book, to have a chapter 13 would be tempting fate too much.
I enjoyed this a lot. It's a light read with rather little emotional engagement (though not zero - our detective does reflect on the loneliness of her calling and does do some introspection). But murder mysteries are primarily about the crime and the culprit, not long character studies. The book does what it promises and does a fine job of it. There's plenty of imagination on display and some definite "icky" moments too.
My only nits are minor and few - the manor (which doesn't seem to have been constructed as a manor) seems to have no problem accomodating guests who are 4 yards tall - in most houses the result would be comic. And at one point, a coal fire appears to be lit, used to consume a skeleton, and go to ashes all in a very small space of time.
Give it a go! See why it won the contest against so many other books.
Check out this year's contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
See this year's finalist table here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Read up on the SPFBO in general here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
July 20, 2024
My complete review of Murder at Spindle Manor is published at Grimdark Magazine.
Murder at Spindle Manor is an ingeniously constructed murder mystery by Morgan Stang and winner of Mark Lawrence’s ninth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO9). Set inside a creepy mansion in a dark gaslamp fantasy world, Murder at Spindle Manor offers plenty to love for dark fantasy fans. Think of it as Agatha Christie meets Neil Gaiman, with a quirky sense of humor that rivals Knives Out.
Isabeau Agarwal, the lead protagonist of Murder at Spindle Manor, combines a sharp intellect with the fighting skills and marksmanship of a professional sniper. Isabeau is a Huntress, tasked with tracking and exterminating a terrible monster known as the Doppelvyrm:
“Allow me to speak of the Doppelvyrm. They fear no light, for their only dream is to become human, and in the pursuit of that dream, they will kill countless men and women…The Doppelvyrm is a parasite. A grisly, ghastly parasite.”
The Doppelvyrm can perfectly mimic its human victims, adopting their physical form and absorbing their memories. Isabeau’s hunt brings her to Spindle Manor, where she suspects that one of the ten guests is actually the Doppelvyrm in disguise:
“Ten little guests, all collected and sat, met and filed away. Ten souls in one room, one of whom was not who they said they were.”
The influence of Agatha Christie is obvious from the quote above and from the general setup of the novel. Morgan Stang gleefully embraces and/or subverts a range of murder mystery tropes, including a mentor-mentee relationship reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s pairing of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Playing the role of Watson in Murder at Spindle Manor is Evie, an apprentice of sorts to Isabeau who gives our protagonist the opportunity to explain her thought process out loud as she considers various hypotheses. Evie herself is an interesting character who becomes more intriguing over the course of the novel.
With its large cast of characters and fast-paced plot, I was pleasantly surprised that I became emotionally invested in several of the characters, especially Isabeau. Morgan Stang did an outstanding job bringing each of these characters vibrantly to life and building sympathy for several of them.
The fantasy world of Murder at Spindle Manor is also a treat, featuring necromancy, a variety of bizarre and frightening creatures, and a healthy dose of steampunk. There is plenty of humor here as well, such as the author including herself on the guest list at Spindle Manor.
Murder at Spindle Manor has it all: mystery, fantasy, horror, comedy, and even a touch of romance. All of this comes together to make a perfectly plotted whodunnit amounting to the craziest game of Clue that I’ve ever played.
Murder at Spindle Manor is an ingeniously constructed murder mystery by Morgan Stang and winner of Mark Lawrence’s ninth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO9). Set inside a creepy mansion in a dark gaslamp fantasy world, Murder at Spindle Manor offers plenty to love for dark fantasy fans. Think of it as Agatha Christie meets Neil Gaiman, with a quirky sense of humor that rivals Knives Out.
Isabeau Agarwal, the lead protagonist of Murder at Spindle Manor, combines a sharp intellect with the fighting skills and marksmanship of a professional sniper. Isabeau is a Huntress, tasked with tracking and exterminating a terrible monster known as the Doppelvyrm:
“Allow me to speak of the Doppelvyrm. They fear no light, for their only dream is to become human, and in the pursuit of that dream, they will kill countless men and women…The Doppelvyrm is a parasite. A grisly, ghastly parasite.”
The Doppelvyrm can perfectly mimic its human victims, adopting their physical form and absorbing their memories. Isabeau’s hunt brings her to Spindle Manor, where she suspects that one of the ten guests is actually the Doppelvyrm in disguise:
“Ten little guests, all collected and sat, met and filed away. Ten souls in one room, one of whom was not who they said they were.”
The influence of Agatha Christie is obvious from the quote above and from the general setup of the novel. Morgan Stang gleefully embraces and/or subverts a range of murder mystery tropes, including a mentor-mentee relationship reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s pairing of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Playing the role of Watson in Murder at Spindle Manor is Evie, an apprentice of sorts to Isabeau who gives our protagonist the opportunity to explain her thought process out loud as she considers various hypotheses. Evie herself is an interesting character who becomes more intriguing over the course of the novel.
With its large cast of characters and fast-paced plot, I was pleasantly surprised that I became emotionally invested in several of the characters, especially Isabeau. Morgan Stang did an outstanding job bringing each of these characters vibrantly to life and building sympathy for several of them.
The fantasy world of Murder at Spindle Manor is also a treat, featuring necromancy, a variety of bizarre and frightening creatures, and a healthy dose of steampunk. There is plenty of humor here as well, such as the author including herself on the guest list at Spindle Manor.
Murder at Spindle Manor has it all: mystery, fantasy, horror, comedy, and even a touch of romance. All of this comes together to make a perfectly plotted whodunnit amounting to the craziest game of Clue that I’ve ever played.
June 8, 2024
Isabeau Agarwal is a hunter. She’s tracking a deadly beast that wears the skin of its victims. And she’s tracked it all the way to Spindle Manor, a big remote inn for travelers. There’s ten guests tonight. And any one of them could be the beast, hiding in plain sight.
There’s a reason why Spindle Manor is part of the title, as the story focuses a lot on this atmospheric remote setting. The setting definitely helps set the mood for the story and even elevates certain scenes by subtly raising the tension.
Now, ten people in a remote setting with people getting taken out one by one might remind you a bit of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. That’s because this story seems partly inspired by Christie’s classic mystery books. While it’s safe to say this fantasy story pays homage to Christie’s mysteries a couple of times, it’s not a retelling as there’s plenty of things that are very different, so it definitely stands out from its source of inspiration. Instead of a Christie mystery, this is more like a steampunk fantasy paranormal horror mystery book. And even though this all sounds a bit much, it never actually feels that way and it’s actually quite a fun, light and entertaining read. Props to the author for juggling so many genres so well in such a short book.
There are a bit too many characters for my personal taste, though a couple of characters are actually very interesting and fun. I also probably would have enjoyed it a bit more without the sex/nude scenes. Even though they are very brief and not at all explicit, they just feel unnecessary. This is probably just personal preference though.
Overall, a quirky but enjoyable read. Just don’t think about it too much and simply enjoy the ride.
There’s a reason why Spindle Manor is part of the title, as the story focuses a lot on this atmospheric remote setting. The setting definitely helps set the mood for the story and even elevates certain scenes by subtly raising the tension.
Now, ten people in a remote setting with people getting taken out one by one might remind you a bit of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. That’s because this story seems partly inspired by Christie’s classic mystery books. While it’s safe to say this fantasy story pays homage to Christie’s mysteries a couple of times, it’s not a retelling as there’s plenty of things that are very different, so it definitely stands out from its source of inspiration. Instead of a Christie mystery, this is more like a steampunk fantasy paranormal horror mystery book. And even though this all sounds a bit much, it never actually feels that way and it’s actually quite a fun, light and entertaining read. Props to the author for juggling so many genres so well in such a short book.
There are a bit too many characters for my personal taste, though a couple of characters are actually very interesting and fun. I also probably would have enjoyed it a bit more without the sex/nude scenes. Even though they are very brief and not at all explicit, they just feel unnecessary. This is probably just personal preference though.
Overall, a quirky but enjoyable read. Just don’t think about it too much and simply enjoy the ride.
June 7, 2024
Picked this up once I heard it won SPFBO this year, and felt even more excited to dive in once I heard the unique premise that places it into the rarely seen 'detective fantasy' subgenre. It took about twenty or so pages to settle into the world and writing style, but after that it flew by. Really brilliant storytelling that expertly adds layers and layers to craft a complex and engaging series of mysteries.
It was absolutely riveting, and I finished this in a day. It has quite a large cast of key characters, about a dozen, so the depth ti them was limited by the page count. But Stang did a great job making each character unique and vivid to the reader within just a few pages of meeting them.
I loved the mysteries, as we search for a monster as well as a murderer, amongst ghosts, Malformed and more. I'll definitely be reading more by Morgan Stang.
I recommend this as a palette cleanser to all fantasy readers!
4.25/5 STARS
It was absolutely riveting, and I finished this in a day. It has quite a large cast of key characters, about a dozen, so the depth ti them was limited by the page count. But Stang did a great job making each character unique and vivid to the reader within just a few pages of meeting them.
I loved the mysteries, as we search for a monster as well as a murderer, amongst ghosts, Malformed and more. I'll definitely be reading more by Morgan Stang.
I recommend this as a palette cleanser to all fantasy readers!
4.25/5 STARS
April 29, 2024
Read for SPFBO9 as part of team Fantasy Book Critic. This is just my personal opinion, group verdict may differ widely.
8.5/10
Agatha Christie-style closed circle murder mystery meets steampunk fantasy meets gothic horror in the delightfully quirky Murder at Spindle Manor. Read at your own risk, this book is dangerously and unacceptably addictive.
Armed with her guns, gaslamp, and incredibly sharp wit, Huntress Isabeau has come to the last stop of her Hunt. She is dead-set on discovering which of the ten guests at Spindle Manor is secretly a shapeshifting monster, before it makes its way to the capital of Lamplight. But the insidious monster is not the only threat there, and before long the bodies start dropping. One night, two mysteries to solve; is she up to the task?
You see, when this story opened with the line: “Isabeau Agarwal stood before Spindle Manor at seven o’clock in the evening with every intention of killing someone.”, I knew I was going to be in for a good time. Right from the very first page, Stang just sets the tone and creates an all-consuming atmosphere that will keep you enchanted from start to finish.
I’ll admit that the first 15-20% of this story can feel a bit overwhelming with the quick introduction of this relatively large cast of named characters, but I think it really helps that they all have such incredibly big personalities. Izzie is a brilliant and refreshingly competent protagonist, and she is surrounded by a cast of wonderfully peculiar characters who all get their time to shine. Some of them are more loveable than others, but they all just have an unfairly endearing quality to them that makes it even more interesting to figure out who is secretly a murderer and/or monster in hiding.
And I know this plot might seem fairly straight-forward, but as the title of chapter 20 indicates: “Everything Goes Completely Mad at Spindle Manor”. This story is extremely cleverly plotted, and there’s a truly infinite number of surprising twists and turns, gobsmacking world building revelations, and hysterical character interactions that will have you cackling like a (slightly) crazy person.
In the end, the true mystery to me is how Stang was able to pack such a punch in so few pages. It’s almost impossible to come to terms with the fact that this entire story takes place over a single night, because there’s simply so much jam-packed into this delight of a little novel. Both the world and the characters remain largely shrouded in mystery and intrigue, yet at the same time they are so fully realised that it feels like I could walk into Spindle Manor right now and meet them all in the flesh.
I think the fact that I read this book in one day should tell you enough about how much I enjoyed it. And just when I thought the resolution was a bit anticlimactic, the author managed to throw in a final twist that pulled on my heartstrings and made the whole story come together in the most satisfying way possible.
With its haunting yet enchanting atmosphere, effortlessly funny characters, thrilling mysteries, and page-turning intrigue, Murder at Spindle Manor is a true genre-blendy gem of a book that perfectly perfectly straddles the line between being cosy and thrilling. I truly can’t recommend it highly enough!
8.5/10
Agatha Christie-style closed circle murder mystery meets steampunk fantasy meets gothic horror in the delightfully quirky Murder at Spindle Manor. Read at your own risk, this book is dangerously and unacceptably addictive.
Armed with her guns, gaslamp, and incredibly sharp wit, Huntress Isabeau has come to the last stop of her Hunt. She is dead-set on discovering which of the ten guests at Spindle Manor is secretly a shapeshifting monster, before it makes its way to the capital of Lamplight. But the insidious monster is not the only threat there, and before long the bodies start dropping. One night, two mysteries to solve; is she up to the task?
You see, when this story opened with the line: “Isabeau Agarwal stood before Spindle Manor at seven o’clock in the evening with every intention of killing someone.”, I knew I was going to be in for a good time. Right from the very first page, Stang just sets the tone and creates an all-consuming atmosphere that will keep you enchanted from start to finish.
I’ll admit that the first 15-20% of this story can feel a bit overwhelming with the quick introduction of this relatively large cast of named characters, but I think it really helps that they all have such incredibly big personalities. Izzie is a brilliant and refreshingly competent protagonist, and she is surrounded by a cast of wonderfully peculiar characters who all get their time to shine. Some of them are more loveable than others, but they all just have an unfairly endearing quality to them that makes it even more interesting to figure out who is secretly a murderer and/or monster in hiding.
And I know this plot might seem fairly straight-forward, but as the title of chapter 20 indicates: “Everything Goes Completely Mad at Spindle Manor”. This story is extremely cleverly plotted, and there’s a truly infinite number of surprising twists and turns, gobsmacking world building revelations, and hysterical character interactions that will have you cackling like a (slightly) crazy person.
In the end, the true mystery to me is how Stang was able to pack such a punch in so few pages. It’s almost impossible to come to terms with the fact that this entire story takes place over a single night, because there’s simply so much jam-packed into this delight of a little novel. Both the world and the characters remain largely shrouded in mystery and intrigue, yet at the same time they are so fully realised that it feels like I could walk into Spindle Manor right now and meet them all in the flesh.
I think the fact that I read this book in one day should tell you enough about how much I enjoyed it. And just when I thought the resolution was a bit anticlimactic, the author managed to throw in a final twist that pulled on my heartstrings and made the whole story come together in the most satisfying way possible.
With its haunting yet enchanting atmosphere, effortlessly funny characters, thrilling mysteries, and page-turning intrigue, Murder at Spindle Manor is a true genre-blendy gem of a book that perfectly perfectly straddles the line between being cosy and thrilling. I truly can’t recommend it highly enough!
May 3, 2023
Ahhhhhh, I loved this!
I'm not a mystery reader and maybe that's why I really enjoyed it, because I had some suspicions but no real idea what was going on or would happen. Really loved the darker/twisted elements in an otherwise light-hearted seeming sort of "victorian-esque" setting, flavoured liberally with dark fantasy. Loved that it really didn't take itself too seriously and clearly was a lot of fun to write!
Isabeau (Izzie) is not a detective or police officer. She's a Huntress. She's a skilled, trained, talented, badass monster hunter, and she's here to kill one of ten guests who is most definitely a monster in hiding.
Complications arise with a murder, and with secrets hidden within Spindle Manor itself that are revealed. There are all sorts of supernatural spookiness happening, a cast of delightful characters, and a plot that thickens with every chapter.
Really, really, awesome stuff. Some very creative world-building (omg Ralph might well give me nightmares), very capable main characters, some very despicable side characters, and brilliantly written.
Highly recommend!
I'm not a mystery reader and maybe that's why I really enjoyed it, because I had some suspicions but no real idea what was going on or would happen. Really loved the darker/twisted elements in an otherwise light-hearted seeming sort of "victorian-esque" setting, flavoured liberally with dark fantasy. Loved that it really didn't take itself too seriously and clearly was a lot of fun to write!
Isabeau (Izzie) is not a detective or police officer. She's a Huntress. She's a skilled, trained, talented, badass monster hunter, and she's here to kill one of ten guests who is most definitely a monster in hiding.
Complications arise with a murder, and with secrets hidden within Spindle Manor itself that are revealed. There are all sorts of supernatural spookiness happening, a cast of delightful characters, and a plot that thickens with every chapter.
Really, really, awesome stuff. Some very creative world-building (omg Ralph might well give me nightmares), very capable main characters, some very despicable side characters, and brilliantly written.
Highly recommend!
Read
May 8, 2024(This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum as part of SPFBO 9.)
Murder at Spindle Manor was crowned the champion of SPFBO 9, with an overall score of 7.85!
Murder at Spindle Manor is a dark fantasy murder mystery with some splendid worldbuilding. Clocking in at 217 pages on my ereader, it’s quite compact—but those 217 pages have clearly been carefully outlined, crafted, and polished, so that there’s very little wasted space. Given that I’ve recently subjected myself to several sprawling fantasy tomes (both traditionally published and indie published) which didn’t seem to know where they were going, this book was honestly a breath of fresh air.
The novel follows Isabeau Agarwal, a mysterious agent who hunts supernatural creatures. Isabeau has tracked her current quarry to Spindle Manor—but since it’s a creature capable of stealing identities, it could be any one of the several guests already present there by the time she arrives. As both Isabeau and the guests are trapped at the manor by a thunderstorm, a far more mundane murder soon occurs, which leaves her in the position of trying to find both a human culprit and a supernatural one.
Murder at Spindle Manor had clean prose, intriguing worldbuilding, and a hint of genuine humour to offset its otherwise dark tone. It’s also quite good at maintaining narrative tension; I don’t think I was ever bored or tempted to put the book down, once I started reading. One of the things the book did best, I think, was working in its worldbuilding in a natural manner. For some reason, many of the fantasy novels I’ve picked up lately have engaged in what I jokingly refer to as “clue-by-four worldbuilding”, where children ask their parents to re-explain the universe to them aloud, or students ask their teachers to talk about basic things they already understand, in order to fill in the reader on the details. Thank goodness, Murder at Spindle Manor does none of that. It smoothly works in suggestions of the world in which it takes place by putting those details naturally in context and making them relevant to the plot at hand.
That said, this is a competition, and I am obliged to nitpick. Please keep in mind as I do that I did thoroughly enjoy the book, and I recommend it heartily.
Obviously, Murder at Spindle Manor has two separate, parallel mysteries in play. One of them, I felt, was better handled than the other; Isabeau’s supernatural quarry is well defined, and her method of hunting it down was something with which the reader could easily engage. Ironically, it was the mundane murder which sometimes felt airy and difficult to follow. Part of this was probably the sheer number of suspects involved—within two chapters, the author introduced the main character, her coachman-slash-partner, the proprietor, her servant, ten suspects, and a ghost. It was… a lot to take in. And while the author did a better than average job of fleshing all of these people out in such a short space, I’m just not certain any reader out there could possibly ingest all of those characters at once, let alone start speculating on which of them might be a killer. One or two fewer characters, with more space dedicated to the remaining ones, might have made the book a bit easier to follow.
The red herrings and developments in the mundane murder, while narratively dramatic, often felt more like unrelated digressions into chaos rather than investigation. There was also an abrupt tonal shift during one revelation in particular, where a character suddenly goes on a tirade of crude, aggressive sexual comments that just… goes on and on. Given that the rest of the book didn’t have that tone, it felt jarring in the same way that suddenly introducing modern language into an epic fantasy can make you blink. Were I in an editing mode, I’d recommend either distributing that tone more evenly throughout the book, as in The Lies of Locke Lamora, or else shortening the sexual aggression to only a line or two so that it shocks appropriately and then moves on.
Overall, Murder at Spindle Manor was a tightly-written, well-executed novel that knew where it was going and got there via exciting means. The setting was interesting, without being didactically explained to the reader, and I’d probably enjoy reading more books set within this world. One of the two mysteries did feel a bit patchwork, and the tonal shift briefly puzzled me—but overall, I quite enjoyed myself, and I found the ending to be particularly satisfying.
Murder at Spindle Manor was crowned the champion of SPFBO 9, with an overall score of 7.85!
Murder at Spindle Manor is a dark fantasy murder mystery with some splendid worldbuilding. Clocking in at 217 pages on my ereader, it’s quite compact—but those 217 pages have clearly been carefully outlined, crafted, and polished, so that there’s very little wasted space. Given that I’ve recently subjected myself to several sprawling fantasy tomes (both traditionally published and indie published) which didn’t seem to know where they were going, this book was honestly a breath of fresh air.
The novel follows Isabeau Agarwal, a mysterious agent who hunts supernatural creatures. Isabeau has tracked her current quarry to Spindle Manor—but since it’s a creature capable of stealing identities, it could be any one of the several guests already present there by the time she arrives. As both Isabeau and the guests are trapped at the manor by a thunderstorm, a far more mundane murder soon occurs, which leaves her in the position of trying to find both a human culprit and a supernatural one.
Murder at Spindle Manor had clean prose, intriguing worldbuilding, and a hint of genuine humour to offset its otherwise dark tone. It’s also quite good at maintaining narrative tension; I don’t think I was ever bored or tempted to put the book down, once I started reading. One of the things the book did best, I think, was working in its worldbuilding in a natural manner. For some reason, many of the fantasy novels I’ve picked up lately have engaged in what I jokingly refer to as “clue-by-four worldbuilding”, where children ask their parents to re-explain the universe to them aloud, or students ask their teachers to talk about basic things they already understand, in order to fill in the reader on the details. Thank goodness, Murder at Spindle Manor does none of that. It smoothly works in suggestions of the world in which it takes place by putting those details naturally in context and making them relevant to the plot at hand.
That said, this is a competition, and I am obliged to nitpick. Please keep in mind as I do that I did thoroughly enjoy the book, and I recommend it heartily.
Obviously, Murder at Spindle Manor has two separate, parallel mysteries in play. One of them, I felt, was better handled than the other; Isabeau’s supernatural quarry is well defined, and her method of hunting it down was something with which the reader could easily engage. Ironically, it was the mundane murder which sometimes felt airy and difficult to follow. Part of this was probably the sheer number of suspects involved—within two chapters, the author introduced the main character, her coachman-slash-partner, the proprietor, her servant, ten suspects, and a ghost. It was… a lot to take in. And while the author did a better than average job of fleshing all of these people out in such a short space, I’m just not certain any reader out there could possibly ingest all of those characters at once, let alone start speculating on which of them might be a killer. One or two fewer characters, with more space dedicated to the remaining ones, might have made the book a bit easier to follow.
The red herrings and developments in the mundane murder, while narratively dramatic, often felt more like unrelated digressions into chaos rather than investigation. There was also an abrupt tonal shift during one revelation in particular, where a character suddenly goes on a tirade of crude, aggressive sexual comments that just… goes on and on. Given that the rest of the book didn’t have that tone, it felt jarring in the same way that suddenly introducing modern language into an epic fantasy can make you blink. Were I in an editing mode, I’d recommend either distributing that tone more evenly throughout the book, as in The Lies of Locke Lamora, or else shortening the sexual aggression to only a line or two so that it shocks appropriately and then moves on.
Overall, Murder at Spindle Manor was a tightly-written, well-executed novel that knew where it was going and got there via exciting means. The setting was interesting, without being didactically explained to the reader, and I’d probably enjoy reading more books set within this world. One of the two mysteries did feel a bit patchwork, and the tonal shift briefly puzzled me—but overall, I quite enjoyed myself, and I found the ending to be particularly satisfying.
July 14, 2024
4.5/5
I never suspected I needed a humorous gaslamp fantasy horror murder mystery in my life, but here we are. Murder at Spindle Manor was a delight. I devoured it in two sittings and started the sequel immediately after finishing it. What made it so immersive? I’ll try to answer this question.
Huntress Isabeau Agarwal lives to slay monsters. She serves Nobles (inhuman giants with dope powers) and in some ways is above the law. Her mission is simple - track down Doppelvyrm, a shape-shifting creature able to pose as a human, before it gets to the city of Lamplight. She ends up in a spooky haunted mansion, where someone is murdered, which makes her life more complicated. More work, two cases to solve.
Outside the mansion, there’s a tumultuous thunderstorm. Inside the mansion, all hell breaks loose. The story weaves together elements of comedy, horror, fantasy, and murder mystery, and it works on every level. Everyone gathered there could have a motive for murder. Being trapped between a murderer and a skin-wearing monster isn’t exactly fun. Especially since Isabeau has until morning to unveil the true identity of the creature, or no one, including herself, will make it out alive. Why? That’s a spoiler.
I loved how well-crafted and well-timed comedic interludes balanced darker moments and broke the tension when needed. The sense of danger and suspense never goes away, and horror elements, while chilling, never cross into poor taste. The story kept me on the edge of my seat, offering both humorous relief and a hopeful tone amid its darker moments.
The narrative may seem pretty straightforward, but both mysteries (who killed? Where’s the monster?) turn surprisingly complex, and I doubt anyone will guess the truth early on. The characters are vibrant and multi-dimensional, each with their own secrets and motives. And if you crave excitement, you’ll get lots of it, complete with seances, specters, mesmers, and monsters.
The review is already long, but I need to say a few words about the characters. Isabeau Agarwal is a great protagonist. She’s focused and excellent with guns and logic. Turns out she’s also good at solving murders and dealing with ghosts. She gives the impression of someone stern and cold, but when you get to know her, you realize she’s beautiful on the inside. Her sidekick, Evie, is incredibly fun. And then, there’s Penny: a young woman who recently passed away and was revived through the fusion of mesmer and medium magic, now existing as a “living doll person.” She cannot speak as her mouth is perpetually sewn shut - if it were ever unsealed, her soul would leave her body, and she’d die for good this time. You’ll come to love her.
Murder at Spindle Manor will keep you guessing until the very last page. I loved the book and highly recommend it to others.
I never suspected I needed a humorous gaslamp fantasy horror murder mystery in my life, but here we are. Murder at Spindle Manor was a delight. I devoured it in two sittings and started the sequel immediately after finishing it. What made it so immersive? I’ll try to answer this question.
Huntress Isabeau Agarwal lives to slay monsters. She serves Nobles (inhuman giants with dope powers) and in some ways is above the law. Her mission is simple - track down Doppelvyrm, a shape-shifting creature able to pose as a human, before it gets to the city of Lamplight. She ends up in a spooky haunted mansion, where someone is murdered, which makes her life more complicated. More work, two cases to solve.
Outside the mansion, there’s a tumultuous thunderstorm. Inside the mansion, all hell breaks loose. The story weaves together elements of comedy, horror, fantasy, and murder mystery, and it works on every level. Everyone gathered there could have a motive for murder. Being trapped between a murderer and a skin-wearing monster isn’t exactly fun. Especially since Isabeau has until morning to unveil the true identity of the creature, or no one, including herself, will make it out alive. Why? That’s a spoiler.
I loved how well-crafted and well-timed comedic interludes balanced darker moments and broke the tension when needed. The sense of danger and suspense never goes away, and horror elements, while chilling, never cross into poor taste. The story kept me on the edge of my seat, offering both humorous relief and a hopeful tone amid its darker moments.
The narrative may seem pretty straightforward, but both mysteries (who killed? Where’s the monster?) turn surprisingly complex, and I doubt anyone will guess the truth early on. The characters are vibrant and multi-dimensional, each with their own secrets and motives. And if you crave excitement, you’ll get lots of it, complete with seances, specters, mesmers, and monsters.
The review is already long, but I need to say a few words about the characters. Isabeau Agarwal is a great protagonist. She’s focused and excellent with guns and logic. Turns out she’s also good at solving murders and dealing with ghosts. She gives the impression of someone stern and cold, but when you get to know her, you realize she’s beautiful on the inside. Her sidekick, Evie, is incredibly fun. And then, there’s Penny: a young woman who recently passed away and was revived through the fusion of mesmer and medium magic, now existing as a “living doll person.” She cannot speak as her mouth is perpetually sewn shut - if it were ever unsealed, her soul would leave her body, and she’d die for good this time. You’ll come to love her.
Murder at Spindle Manor will keep you guessing until the very last page. I loved the book and highly recommend it to others.
October 3, 2025
A short, wondrously entertaining Locked-Door Whodunnit Type Thingie (LDWTT™) complete with ghosts, monsters, deliciously weird creatures, lots of guns, murders, mysterious mysteries, a hint of steampunk, and a slightly scrumptious cast of characters. What more can you ask for in these ridiculously stressful times we live in? Not bloody shrimping much if you ask me.
P.S. This book put an end to the Deadliest Book Slump in the history of Deadliest Book Slumps. This should tell you something, methinks.
P.P.S. I jumped right into the next book in the series. This should also tell you something, methinks.
· Book 2: Murder on the Lamplight Express ★★★★
· Book 3: Murder on Hunter's Eve ★★★★★
P.S. This book put an end to the Deadliest Book Slump in the history of Deadliest Book Slumps. This should tell you something, methinks.
P.P.S. I jumped right into the next book in the series. This should also tell you something, methinks.
· Book 2: Murder on the Lamplight Express ★★★★
· Book 3: Murder on Hunter's Eve ★★★★★
June 19, 2024
I did not know what to expect when I went into this. The earlier winners of SPFBO were mostly epic and grimdark fantasy novels. There has been a shift lately in the winner with a romantasy and a humor fantasy winning last year. Murder at Spindle Manor adds another genre to the winner's list with its murder mystery vibes.
Lately, I've been drawn to thrillers and murder mysteries, but I've never stumbled upon such a unique blend of genres before, and I'm pleased to say it was executed perfectly! Initially skeptical, Stang quickly won me over with his engaging writing style, which effortlessly matched the story's tone.
The narrative follows huntress Isabeau Agarwal in pursuit of a deadly monster capable of wearing its victims' skins. Her chase leads her to Spindle Manor, where ten guests find themselves entangled in a murder mystery. As another murder unfolds, suspicion hangs over everyone, and the tension mounts.
After the initial murder, the story adopts an Agatha Christie-esque approach, with thorough interviews and character development. This method not only propels the plot forward but also allows for a rich introduction to each character—a hallmark Christie excels in, and Stang adeptly mirrors.
Fantasy elements are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, requiring little explanation and enriching the world with various monsters and deities. The pacing is brisk, with the book spanning about 300 pages, ensuring a swift and engaging read. The unfolding events captivated me, and all loose ends were neatly tied by the satisfying conclusion. I'm eagerly looking forward to continuing the series soon. I haven't read other SPFBO finales this year, but I can see why this one won!
Lately, I've been drawn to thrillers and murder mysteries, but I've never stumbled upon such a unique blend of genres before, and I'm pleased to say it was executed perfectly! Initially skeptical, Stang quickly won me over with his engaging writing style, which effortlessly matched the story's tone.
The narrative follows huntress Isabeau Agarwal in pursuit of a deadly monster capable of wearing its victims' skins. Her chase leads her to Spindle Manor, where ten guests find themselves entangled in a murder mystery. As another murder unfolds, suspicion hangs over everyone, and the tension mounts.
After the initial murder, the story adopts an Agatha Christie-esque approach, with thorough interviews and character development. This method not only propels the plot forward but also allows for a rich introduction to each character—a hallmark Christie excels in, and Stang adeptly mirrors.
Fantasy elements are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, requiring little explanation and enriching the world with various monsters and deities. The pacing is brisk, with the book spanning about 300 pages, ensuring a swift and engaging read. The unfolding events captivated me, and all loose ends were neatly tied by the satisfying conclusion. I'm eagerly looking forward to continuing the series soon. I haven't read other SPFBO finales this year, but I can see why this one won!
August 19, 2024
Yeah there was no way this day was going to end with me not finishing this thing after starting it this morning. What a fun read! I haven't read a proper mystery book in ages, and I might be dipping my toe into more of them now after loving this one so much.
I started it out thinking that a tongue-in-cheek fantasy nod to Agatha Christie and the movie Clue was maybe going to be amusing but not something I would really get invested in....but after a few chapters all reservations were out the window and I was as engaged as could be and deeply caring about the outcome of the mysteries at play. Kudos to Stang for planting so many seeds at various levels of subtlety and never making it obvious what was fully going on until the big reveals--it kept me guessing and made the ending quite satisfying.
I watched Clue many times growing up, and I think this book recaptured some of the zany fun that I used to have with that incredible movie. The enclosed spooky mansion setting, the colorful ensemble cast, the running around the house with all sorts of hijinks afoot, the wickedly funny moments strewn throughout. Add in some fantasy wildcards to spice up the proceedings and a plucky main character monster hunter/investigator and this whole package really did the trick for me. Can't wait to continue the series with the sequel!
I started it out thinking that a tongue-in-cheek fantasy nod to Agatha Christie and the movie Clue was maybe going to be amusing but not something I would really get invested in....but after a few chapters all reservations were out the window and I was as engaged as could be and deeply caring about the outcome of the mysteries at play. Kudos to Stang for planting so many seeds at various levels of subtlety and never making it obvious what was fully going on until the big reveals--it kept me guessing and made the ending quite satisfying.
I watched Clue many times growing up, and I think this book recaptured some of the zany fun that I used to have with that incredible movie. The enclosed spooky mansion setting, the colorful ensemble cast, the running around the house with all sorts of hijinks afoot, the wickedly funny moments strewn throughout. Add in some fantasy wildcards to spice up the proceedings and a plucky main character monster hunter/investigator and this whole package really did the trick for me. Can't wait to continue the series with the sequel!
November 24, 2022
Thunder rumbled outside the walls, the dining room protected from the flashes of light by its lack of windows. Only one chair sat empty at the table: the head chair furthest from the entrance, closest to the fire at the end of the room.
Isabeau's eyes carefully watched over the people at the table as they talked and prodded at each other.
Ten little guests, all collected and sat, met and filed away.
Ten souls in one room, one of whom was not who they said they were.
This was a kindle freebie that turned out to be a real gem - a murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, set in a world of perpetual cloud cover, monsters, and steampunk sensibilities. It takes place over one night, in a boarding house housing a group of travellers - and Isabeau Agarwal, Huntress in pursuit of a deadly monster capable of almost perfectly replicating its human prey.
This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the world it was set in - I don't care if it makes sense, give me steampunk and eldritch horrors, and I'm going to have a good time. The characters here were great, too - I really liked Isabeau, loved Evie, and found plenty of humour in the more side characters. There was one section that dragged a bit for me - after initial introductions for each character, we then went through interrogations, again for each character. But it was a small part of a really good whole.
This works as a standalone, but I had a lot of fun and I hope the author continues the story - there's definitely potential there for a follow-up. I may have found this free on a special, but I'd happily pay to see more of this world!
Isabeau's eyes carefully watched over the people at the table as they talked and prodded at each other.
Ten little guests, all collected and sat, met and filed away.
Ten souls in one room, one of whom was not who they said they were.
This was a kindle freebie that turned out to be a real gem - a murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, set in a world of perpetual cloud cover, monsters, and steampunk sensibilities. It takes place over one night, in a boarding house housing a group of travellers - and Isabeau Agarwal, Huntress in pursuit of a deadly monster capable of almost perfectly replicating its human prey.
This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the world it was set in - I don't care if it makes sense, give me steampunk and eldritch horrors, and I'm going to have a good time. The characters here were great, too - I really liked Isabeau, loved Evie, and found plenty of humour in the more side characters. There was one section that dragged a bit for me - after initial introductions for each character, we then went through interrogations, again for each character. But it was a small part of a really good whole.
This works as a standalone, but I had a lot of fun and I hope the author continues the story - there's definitely potential there for a follow-up. I may have found this free on a special, but I'd happily pay to see more of this world!
August 14, 2024
I'm not going to lie. I nearly quit this book. I was asking myself why was there buzz around this story? It seemed like it was just a bunch of elites drinking tea on a stormy night at the titular Spindle Manor way house.
Then the also titular murder happens, the momentum kicked in, and I was holding on for dear life. Secrets, paranormal activities, more tea, eldric powers, and that is just the short list. I totally enjoyed it!
Although this is part of a series, this story stands on its own. I plan to continue to the following books as long as Morgan Stang continues to write them.
This is a gothic tale and the usual trigger warnings for gothic horror should be expected.
Then the also titular murder happens, the momentum kicked in, and I was holding on for dear life. Secrets, paranormal activities, more tea, eldric powers, and that is just the short list. I totally enjoyed it!
Although this is part of a series, this story stands on its own. I plan to continue to the following books as long as Morgan Stang continues to write them.
This is a gothic tale and the usual trigger warnings for gothic horror should be expected.
January 4, 2024
A masterfully crafted, atmospheric murder mystery featuring a cast of peculiar characters with shades of horror and a touch of dark humour added to the mix.
Keeps you guessing till the end.
Keeps you guessing till the end.
January 2, 2025
After sitting with this one, I still think it's about 3 to 3.5 stars. It's generally fun to read, with a vivid cast of weird characters all bothering each other while Isabeau, a Huntress who normally seeks supernatural threats (in this case, a shapeshifting Doppelvyrm), tries to solve a more human murder mystery. The narrative seems like it's emotionally closest to the Clue movie, crammed with scenes of everyone running up and down the stairs and people uncovering each other's secrets as every turn. I love that movie, but I don't think the frenetic back-and-forth style works as well on the page as it does on screen.
The greatest strength here is the weird setting. It's a very gaslamp Victorian type of setting, but in a world where the swirling fog means that no one on this continent has ever seen the sun. The greatest weakness is the mystery itself. A few clues are set up nicely, but other seemingly well-framed moments never go anywhere, and some piece of motive and logic don't quite hang together.
The humor also felt strained at times, and the pacing isn't great. I was particularly impatient for a few chapters in the middle when .
I was also frustrated by the question of stakes. The book would have been fine without that twist, but I dislike the bait-and-switch of introducing a new level of threat and then making it trivial. Adding a little more intensity and bluffing to that resolution also would have helped.
Overall, this was fun, and I think it's going to be an easy five-star read for someone with slightly different taste in popcorn reads: it just wasn't a great fit for me. I'm not continuing this series, but I'd be open to trying the author's future work.
//
First impressions: about 3.5 stars, but I'm not quite sure how I feel here. On one hand, some of the clues are set up well, and it's always fun to see a crew of suspects with secrets to hide. On the other, the story often leans too far into silliness for my taste-- there's a lot of lingering on goofy dialogue or details like one character talking in a strikingly Midwestern way. I think that would make this a perfect relaxing read for many people, but I often found myself getting impatient with it. A comedy-mystery can be great, but this one had just enough dark detail in the end that the pieces didn't quite gel for me, and the middle of the story drags. There's just so much "solve X mystery to learn about the existence of Y that's already been hinted at, all to have a dramatic scene and learn one more little scrap of information." With tighter pacing and a smoother balance of humor and tension, I might have loved this-- as it stands, this was still a fun-enough vacation read with a beautifully atmospheric setting. RTC.
Other recommendations:
- My favorite fantasy-mystery of 2024 was The Tainted Cup, which absolutely kills both the magical setting and the tiny details of the mystery.
- If you're looking for a more direct Sherlock-with-magic comparison, try A Study in Brimstone. It's a good time and extremely goofy at times in a similar way to Murder at Spindle Manor.
The greatest strength here is the weird setting. It's a very gaslamp Victorian type of setting, but in a world where the swirling fog means that no one on this continent has ever seen the sun. The greatest weakness is the mystery itself. A few clues are set up nicely, but other seemingly well-framed moments never go anywhere, and some piece of motive and logic don't quite hang together.
The humor also felt strained at times, and the pacing isn't great. I was particularly impatient for a few chapters in the middle when .
I was also frustrated by the question of stakes. The book would have been fine without that twist, but I dislike the bait-and-switch of introducing a new level of threat and then making it trivial. Adding a little more intensity and bluffing to that resolution also would have helped.
Overall, this was fun, and I think it's going to be an easy five-star read for someone with slightly different taste in popcorn reads: it just wasn't a great fit for me. I'm not continuing this series, but I'd be open to trying the author's future work.
//
First impressions: about 3.5 stars, but I'm not quite sure how I feel here. On one hand, some of the clues are set up well, and it's always fun to see a crew of suspects with secrets to hide. On the other, the story often leans too far into silliness for my taste-- there's a lot of lingering on goofy dialogue or details like one character talking in a strikingly Midwestern way. I think that would make this a perfect relaxing read for many people, but I often found myself getting impatient with it. A comedy-mystery can be great, but this one had just enough dark detail in the end that the pieces didn't quite gel for me, and the middle of the story drags. There's just so much "solve X mystery to learn about the existence of Y that's already been hinted at, all to have a dramatic scene and learn one more little scrap of information." With tighter pacing and a smoother balance of humor and tension, I might have loved this-- as it stands, this was still a fun-enough vacation read with a beautifully atmospheric setting. RTC.
Other recommendations:
- My favorite fantasy-mystery of 2024 was The Tainted Cup, which absolutely kills both the magical setting and the tiny details of the mystery.
- If you're looking for a more direct Sherlock-with-magic comparison, try A Study in Brimstone. It's a good time and extremely goofy at times in a similar way to Murder at Spindle Manor.
July 16, 2023
Blending closed circle Agatha Christie style murder mystery and horror in a quasi-steampunk setting, Murder at Spindle Manor follows huntress Isabeau Agarwal as she tracks a dangerous quarry to the isolated Spindle Manor. Isabeau knows one of the ten guests staying at the manor must be her target but since it can assume the shape and memories of any person it consumes, she'll only have until morning to find out who it's pretending to be. And if she fails, the citizens of the nearby city of Lamplight will pay the price for her failure.
As someone who loves closed circle mysteries (particularly those done in a similar style to Christie) and whose favorite movies include both Clue and The Thing, I was super excited when I saw the synopsis for this one. It sounded so much like my kind of book! Unfortunately, it was mostly a miss for me. There were the bones of a story that could have been really fun but there's just way too many elements in here to focus on any one thing and it took away from the tension and my investment in the mystery.
The first half of the story has Isabeau meeting and interviewing each of the guests and it starts to feel somewhat tense as you learn that some of the guests are actually kind of terrible people. I liked the slow build of the atmosphere and the relationships between the characters. The steampunk setting was also fun to explore.
Unfortunately it really goes off the rails in the second half as the scope of the story broadens to a murder mystery that gets increasingly bizarre and silly. I felt like I could almost hear the music from Clue as they ran from room to room. But where Clue had fun but still felt like a tight narrative and intriguing mystery, this felt like so many red herrings that you never really had time to form any theories before some new thing was thrown in. By the time we got to the end, I had lost all interest in the mystery and just wanted to be done. I think I honestly could have been satisfied with the way that it ended if it had been trimmed down to something more manageable.
Overall, this had the makings of a fun story but it just tries to do too much without enough time devoted to any of the elements and lost me as a result. If you like over the top mysteries and you want a fun time where you don't really care about the logic or the tension though, you might give this a shot. It's definitely a wild ride.
As someone who loves closed circle mysteries (particularly those done in a similar style to Christie) and whose favorite movies include both Clue and The Thing, I was super excited when I saw the synopsis for this one. It sounded so much like my kind of book! Unfortunately, it was mostly a miss for me. There were the bones of a story that could have been really fun but there's just way too many elements in here to focus on any one thing and it took away from the tension and my investment in the mystery.
The first half of the story has Isabeau meeting and interviewing each of the guests and it starts to feel somewhat tense as you learn that some of the guests are actually kind of terrible people. I liked the slow build of the atmosphere and the relationships between the characters. The steampunk setting was also fun to explore.
Unfortunately it really goes off the rails in the second half as the scope of the story broadens to a murder mystery that gets increasingly bizarre and silly. I felt like I could almost hear the music from Clue as they ran from room to room. But where Clue had fun but still felt like a tight narrative and intriguing mystery, this felt like so many red herrings that you never really had time to form any theories before some new thing was thrown in. By the time we got to the end, I had lost all interest in the mystery and just wanted to be done. I think I honestly could have been satisfied with the way that it ended if it had been trimmed down to something more manageable.
Overall, this had the makings of a fun story but it just tries to do too much without enough time devoted to any of the elements and lost me as a result. If you like over the top mysteries and you want a fun time where you don't really care about the logic or the tension though, you might give this a shot. It's definitely a wild ride.
December 15, 2025
4,5
Kurcze, ale świetnie się bawiłam ❤️
Kurcze, ale świetnie się bawiłam ❤️
October 12, 2023
Call it 4.5 stars, rounded up because I stayed up *much* too late reading this book.
So, this is essentially a Steampunk Murder Mystery. Basic setup is straight out of Christie-unexpected murder in a closed circle, with clues and investigations and interrogations to follow. Added onto the Christie-style mystery is a heaping layer of Steampunk-esque worldbuilding, all told with a flair that wanders from high gothic to black comedy.
The Good
World-building is genuinely very well done. It's a fairly high-fantasy-ish world, with ghosts and eldritch abominations and Nobles and half-golems, but the elements are handled in a way that feels both thematic and consistent--that is to say, everything we see does fit in a general steampunk-ish vibe, and while the world-building doesn't go enormously deep, the elements do hang together in a fashion that suggests that there's some serious thinking going on behind the scenes.
Pacing is generally very brisk. It stumbles a bit right out the gate because the author is trying to force-introduce us to about a dozen characters, but once we get to the interview section things smooth out. Good mixture of character-building scenes, world-building scenes, mystery, and action.
I also very much appreciate that unlike a lot of Fantastic Mystery-esque series (looking at you, Dresden), the book never forgets that it's a mystery novel. The setup is very High Steampunk, yet the mystery does play fair, with clues in plain sight for a very observant reader, yet with sufficient twists and turns that it's highly unlikely for anyone to figure it out ahead of time.
The... Eh
The beginning is a bit rough. It's not bad, but Stang is trying to do a lot of work in a very brief period of time to get readers up to speed on both world and characters, and the first 15% or so of the book can feel uneven or awkward as a result. Once you get a grip on the characters (which the interview scenes help a lot with), things smooth out massively.
Characterization is fine but only fine--it's honestly fairly like a Christie mystery, where we get a lot of memorable characters but they generally aren't terribly deep, nor do we see much in the way of serious character growth or narrative arcs. It's not a problem for the genre, but if you're looking for a deep-dive character study this probably isn't it.
Conclusion
So I stayed up till 1 AM reading this even though I had work the following day (mistakes were made) and I've just bought the next book in the series. Stang has most definitely captured my attention as an author.
So, this is essentially a Steampunk Murder Mystery. Basic setup is straight out of Christie-unexpected murder in a closed circle, with clues and investigations and interrogations to follow. Added onto the Christie-style mystery is a heaping layer of Steampunk-esque worldbuilding, all told with a flair that wanders from high gothic to black comedy.
The Good
World-building is genuinely very well done. It's a fairly high-fantasy-ish world, with ghosts and eldritch abominations and Nobles and half-golems, but the elements are handled in a way that feels both thematic and consistent--that is to say, everything we see does fit in a general steampunk-ish vibe, and while the world-building doesn't go enormously deep, the elements do hang together in a fashion that suggests that there's some serious thinking going on behind the scenes.
Pacing is generally very brisk. It stumbles a bit right out the gate because the author is trying to force-introduce us to about a dozen characters, but once we get to the interview section things smooth out. Good mixture of character-building scenes, world-building scenes, mystery, and action.
I also very much appreciate that unlike a lot of Fantastic Mystery-esque series (looking at you, Dresden), the book never forgets that it's a mystery novel. The setup is very High Steampunk, yet the mystery does play fair, with clues in plain sight for a very observant reader, yet with sufficient twists and turns that it's highly unlikely for anyone to figure it out ahead of time.
The... Eh
The beginning is a bit rough. It's not bad, but Stang is trying to do a lot of work in a very brief period of time to get readers up to speed on both world and characters, and the first 15% or so of the book can feel uneven or awkward as a result. Once you get a grip on the characters (which the interview scenes help a lot with), things smooth out massively.
Characterization is fine but only fine--it's honestly fairly like a Christie mystery, where we get a lot of memorable characters but they generally aren't terribly deep, nor do we see much in the way of serious character growth or narrative arcs. It's not a problem for the genre, but if you're looking for a deep-dive character study this probably isn't it.
Conclusion
So I stayed up till 1 AM reading this even though I had work the following day (mistakes were made) and I've just bought the next book in the series. Stang has most definitely captured my attention as an author.
May 3, 2024
This was a twisty turny whodunnit, and so much fun. I'll be reading them next book here soon.
The subtle horror elements were great, and the little bits of world building were weaved in perfectly.
If you like Sherlock Holmes, you'll likely enjoy this!
The subtle horror elements were great, and the little bits of world building were weaved in perfectly.
If you like Sherlock Holmes, you'll likely enjoy this!
January 21, 2026
Bardzo ciekawa pozycja. Tak jakby do kryminału Agathy Christie dorzucić garść grozy i niesamowitości. Chętnie zobaczyłabym tę serię w polskim wydaniu.
May 2, 2024
Fantastic fantasy murder mystery
Loved it. Great play on classic murder mysteries with added magic and mayhem. Felt largely fair play, too, which is always fun.
Loved it. Great play on classic murder mysteries with added magic and mayhem. Felt largely fair play, too, which is always fun.
January 27, 2024
Isabeau Agarwal is on a mission to hunt down a monster that takes on the identity of its human victim. She had tracked it down to a countryside inn and any one of its guests might not be who they say they are. But an unexpected human murder occurs and Isabeau now finds herself with 2 mysteries on her hand and only until morning the next day find all the answers.
+
Murder at Spindle Manor is steampunk meets the intricate mysteries ala Agatha Christie meets DND-esque (this might be just me as I've been playing hours and hours of Baldur's Gate 3 recently and I'm pretty sure Kar'niss is here) creatures, sprinkled with a little bit of sapphic. Basically everything that is of interest to me so it wasn't at all surprising that I couldn't put this book down once I started it. It's a fun, light read that doesn't take itself at all too seriously. A definite great read for when real life continues to be stressful.
+
Murder at Spindle Manor is steampunk meets the intricate mysteries ala Agatha Christie meets DND-esque (this might be just me as I've been playing hours and hours of Baldur's Gate 3 recently and I'm pretty sure Kar'niss is here) creatures, sprinkled with a little bit of sapphic. Basically everything that is of interest to me so it wasn't at all surprising that I couldn't put this book down once I started it. It's a fun, light read that doesn't take itself at all too seriously. A definite great read for when real life continues to be stressful.
November 11, 2025
I don't think you understand just how great of a play this would make. Give me a budget and some actors, I can do it
September 22, 2024
Świetna historia!
Tajemnica, ciekawy świat i dyskretny humor. zdecydowanie polecam
Tajemnica, ciekawy świat i dyskretny humor. zdecydowanie polecam
July 14, 2023
Murder at Spindle Manor is a fun steampunk/gaslamp murder mystery (with a dollop of gothic horror) in the style of Agatha Christie, set in a haunted old manor against a fantasy backdrop complete with a monster that wears the skin of its victims.
The mystery is expertly crafted, with clues strategically placed throughout the narrative. It kept me guessing until the very end. Each character is intriguing, with their own unique personality, backstory, and, of course, secrets that they will do anything to protect.
The gothic horror elements add an eerie atmosphere to the story, while the steampunk/gaslamp setting is immersive and unlike anything I've seen in a mystery novel.
Fans of Agatha Christie and gothic horror will definitely enjoy this book, at least if you they don't mind the aforementioned beast that wears the skin of its victims.
The mystery is expertly crafted, with clues strategically placed throughout the narrative. It kept me guessing until the very end. Each character is intriguing, with their own unique personality, backstory, and, of course, secrets that they will do anything to protect.
The gothic horror elements add an eerie atmosphere to the story, while the steampunk/gaslamp setting is immersive and unlike anything I've seen in a mystery novel.
Fans of Agatha Christie and gothic horror will definitely enjoy this book, at least if you they don't mind the aforementioned beast that wears the skin of its victims.
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November 22, 2023This is why I SPFBO.
Loved, loved this book. A mashup of Agatha Christie, Clue, and John Carpenter's "The Thing" in a single-location murder mystery that starts weird and ends up bananas. Strong, humorous dialogue, a compelling plot that grabs you from one of the best first lines I've read in quite some time, along with an engaging cast of suspects and victims made this an absolute joy to read.
This book packs an impressive amount of fun into such a short novel. I had to slow my reading sessions down so I could savor it for longer.
The less you know about, the better. Go in blind, and enjoy the ride.
Loved, loved this book. A mashup of Agatha Christie, Clue, and John Carpenter's "The Thing" in a single-location murder mystery that starts weird and ends up bananas. Strong, humorous dialogue, a compelling plot that grabs you from one of the best first lines I've read in quite some time, along with an engaging cast of suspects and victims made this an absolute joy to read.
This book packs an impressive amount of fun into such a short novel. I had to slow my reading sessions down so I could savor it for longer.
The less you know about, the better. Go in blind, and enjoy the ride.
January 2, 2024
Murder at Spindle Manor is a lighthearted fantasy locked-room whodunit, which is a genre I never knew I needed. Just like our MC, Isabeau, is an expert gun slingin’ huntress, the book wields tropes with such comical, self-aware mastery that makes it easy to devour in just a couple of sittings. It is solidly written but does not take itself too seriously, constantly challenging the line between whimsical and grave (I mean… there is a grisly murder and all). It might not work for everyone, but I had a good time.
As with all locked-room mysteries, the beginning is a little overwhelming as we get to know the characters and, later on, potential suspects. Still, I thought the book handled the intros better than past whodunits I’ve read or played through. (Disclaimer: my favorite video game is Danganronpa, which goes really heavy on the character intros at the beginning but still has a place in my cold, black heart.)
That said, Murder at Spindle Manor could have easily been info dump after info dump, but I felt the characters were introduced smoothly, and while I mixed up a few names here and there, they pretty much settled in by the first or second dinner. The personalities are hugely exaggerated, like you have the numskull whose personality is drunk and the wealthy lady who is irredeemably arrogant, but in the long run, it helped me figure out who was who.
It does tend to ramble a bit, which is great if you vibe with the humor (and less so if you don’t), but I enjoyed Murder at Spindle Manor a lot. Underneath all that good fun—and I’m talking spider people, skin shedders, and hugely exaggerated archetypes of (intentionally) unlikeable people—I was left with a profound, unexpected sense of loss when the book ended. Like a bittersweet goodbye from an old friend.
Would highly recommend!
As with all locked-room mysteries, the beginning is a little overwhelming as we get to know the characters and, later on, potential suspects. Still, I thought the book handled the intros better than past whodunits I’ve read or played through. (Disclaimer: my favorite video game is Danganronpa, which goes really heavy on the character intros at the beginning but still has a place in my cold, black heart.)
That said, Murder at Spindle Manor could have easily been info dump after info dump, but I felt the characters were introduced smoothly, and while I mixed up a few names here and there, they pretty much settled in by the first or second dinner. The personalities are hugely exaggerated, like you have the numskull whose personality is drunk and the wealthy lady who is irredeemably arrogant, but in the long run, it helped me figure out who was who.
It does tend to ramble a bit, which is great if you vibe with the humor (and less so if you don’t), but I enjoyed Murder at Spindle Manor a lot. Underneath all that good fun—and I’m talking spider people, skin shedders, and hugely exaggerated archetypes of (intentionally) unlikeable people—I was left with a profound, unexpected sense of loss when the book ended. Like a bittersweet goodbye from an old friend.
Would highly recommend!
September 27, 2024
Murder Mystery in a Fantasy setting is one of my favorite things to read, plus it is a Gaslamp, another bonus!
This self published book was a delight.
Entertaining, fast paced, creepy in places and full of unexpected monsters.
I loved Izzie and Evie combo so much! The grumpy detective figure and the assistant she never asked for, but which was such a bright addition.
This book was more plot focused and did had a few glimpses of characterization, but if you are a reader who wants a more character focused narrative, you might not feel fully satisfied.
A book that makes me laugh and want to keep on reading was exactly what I needed.
Great fun, even if at one point it had a touch too many things happening at once.
This book also had a bisexual character, but I hope her characterization was a reflection of her as a person, not of her sexual preferences. Hoping for better representation in the future.
I plan to continue reading some more of "The Lamplight Murder Mysteries".
You can now support my passion for books with a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
This self published book was a delight.
Entertaining, fast paced, creepy in places and full of unexpected monsters.
I loved Izzie and Evie combo so much! The grumpy detective figure and the assistant she never asked for, but which was such a bright addition.
This book was more plot focused and did had a few glimpses of characterization, but if you are a reader who wants a more character focused narrative, you might not feel fully satisfied.
A book that makes me laugh and want to keep on reading was exactly what I needed.
Great fun, even if at one point it had a touch too many things happening at once.
This book also had a bisexual character, but I hope her characterization was a reflection of her as a person, not of her sexual preferences. Hoping for better representation in the future.
I plan to continue reading some more of "The Lamplight Murder Mysteries".
You can now support my passion for books with a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
September 28, 2023
Rating:- 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
March 20, 2024
This is a super fun gaslamp murder mystery, but make it monsters! I think Stang did a great job setting the isolated setting in this one. It felt very old school murder mystery and kept that at it's roots, but I really liked the addition of fantasy to keep things spicy. This was almost a 4 star from me, but there was just something missing I think from the characters that kept me from being all in. I would definitely try more from this author in the future! Check out my full video review on my channel when I read this for SPFBO9! https://youtu.be/jmnJPrBtASE
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