Book Review: The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery (2026)

Synopsis: After spending time in prison, Stephen Pike is thrilled to be getting a second chance as a servant at the remote Tithe Hall, even after learning the Viscount, believing Halley's Comet will cause an apocalypse, seals his family and servants in their rooms for their safety. 

The residents survive the night, except for the Viscount, who is found murdered inside his sealed room the next morning. With suspicion quickly turning on Stephen, his only hope to avoid being arrested for a crime he didn't commit is the elderly but still sharp Decima Stockingham helping him figure out both who killed the Viscount and how they did it.

Review: I saw The Murder at World's End in my library's new book section when I went there to pick up a book I had on hold. It looked intriguing, so I decided to check it out as well. After finishing it last night, I can honestly say it was one of the best mysteries I've read in a while.

Having the book set around the 1910 Halley's Comet return and the theories about what it would mean was one of the first things that caught my attention when reading it. The Viscount's extreme measures, ranging from sealing rooms to making sure each person had an oxygen tank was both entertaining and ultimately set up a solid locked room mystery. It wasn't just who killed the Viscount and why. It was how did they manage to do it when the room was sealed from the inside, there were no secret passages, and it took two servants to break down the door?

I thought Decima was an intriguing character. She was elderly and had some obvious health issues, but her foul mouth and quick wit defied that. Decima was also one of those characters who was hard to get a read on. Was she as intelligent as she claimed to be? Was she really trying to help Stephen or was she helping to set him up? Could she just be pretending to be an invalid? I didn't know whether to root for her of if I shouldn't trust her.

At minimum, she provided a fun contrast to the Scotland Yard investigator, Inspector Jarvis. He seemed determined to pin the murder on Stephen and the butler, Mr. Stokes, despite having no evidence but also proved to be more competent than the book first let on.

Another thing I liked about this book was how it planted solid clues that pointed toward how the murder was committed and who did it but did it in a subtle enough way to keep them from being obvious. I am not afraid to admit I missed most of them and was kicking myself when I realized I should have been paying more attention. As a result, this was one of very few books that had me stumped to the point I had no idea who the killer was until they were revealed. That alone makes the book worth reading.

Final Opinion: It's a fun book with a unique plot and a tough mystery. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.

My Grade: A

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Here are some reviews of other murder mysteries:

Book Review: The Single Twin by Sean Patrick Little (2019)

Book Review: The Case of the Dangerous Dowager by Erle Stanley Gardner (1937)

Book Review: Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie (1956)

Book Review: School for Murder by Robert Barnard (1984)