The Curfew Bell Murder
(2026)(The first book in the Lantern Kitchen Wartime Mystery series)
A novel by Claire Bessey
The Curfew Bell Murder
The Lantern Kitchen Wartime Mysteries, Book 1
By Claire Bessey
In wartime England, the village of Starling Fen lives by blackout rules, ration books, whispered rumours, and the nightly curfew bell. But when a suspicious death shatters the fragile peace, one observant kitchen owner discovers that murder can hide behind even the most ordinary village routine.
Widowed former hotel housekeeper Nora Ashby has rebuilt her life running the Lantern Kitchen, a welcoming place where villagers gather for rationed meals, strong tea, and conversation. Years spent managing rooms, staff, accounts, and difficult guests have trained Nora to notice details other people overlook.
When murder strikes Starling Fen, Nora finds herself drawn into the investigation alongside retired illusionist Silas Fenner, practical nurse Miriam Quill, watchmaker Owen Pryce, mechanically gifted Winnie Crowe, and the ever-curious terrier Sprocket.
As suspicious records, wartime secrets, hidden motives, and carefully constructed lies begin to surface, Nora must determine which clues matter before the killer has another opportunity to strike.
Detective Inspector Alec Harrow wants evidence, not village speculation. Unfortunately for him, Nora has a talent for finding both.
The Curfew Bell Murder is an atmospheric World War II cozy mystery filled with an English village setting, clever amateur sleuthing, fair-play clues, warm friendships, understated romance, historical wartime detail, and a satisfying murder mystery.
Perfect for readers who enjoy British historical cozy mysteries, WWII murder mysteries, female amateur sleuths, clean village mysteries, cozy mysteries with dogs, 1940s historical fiction, and traditional whodunits.
Welcome to the Lantern Kitchen, where the tea is hot, the blackout curtains are drawn, and somebody in Starling Fen is keeping a deadly secret.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
The Lantern Kitchen Wartime Mysteries, Book 1
By Claire Bessey
In wartime England, the village of Starling Fen lives by blackout rules, ration books, whispered rumours, and the nightly curfew bell. But when a suspicious death shatters the fragile peace, one observant kitchen owner discovers that murder can hide behind even the most ordinary village routine.
Widowed former hotel housekeeper Nora Ashby has rebuilt her life running the Lantern Kitchen, a welcoming place where villagers gather for rationed meals, strong tea, and conversation. Years spent managing rooms, staff, accounts, and difficult guests have trained Nora to notice details other people overlook.
When murder strikes Starling Fen, Nora finds herself drawn into the investigation alongside retired illusionist Silas Fenner, practical nurse Miriam Quill, watchmaker Owen Pryce, mechanically gifted Winnie Crowe, and the ever-curious terrier Sprocket.
As suspicious records, wartime secrets, hidden motives, and carefully constructed lies begin to surface, Nora must determine which clues matter before the killer has another opportunity to strike.
Detective Inspector Alec Harrow wants evidence, not village speculation. Unfortunately for him, Nora has a talent for finding both.
The Curfew Bell Murder is an atmospheric World War II cozy mystery filled with an English village setting, clever amateur sleuthing, fair-play clues, warm friendships, understated romance, historical wartime detail, and a satisfying murder mystery.
Perfect for readers who enjoy British historical cozy mysteries, WWII murder mysteries, female amateur sleuths, clean village mysteries, cozy mysteries with dogs, 1940s historical fiction, and traditional whodunits.
Welcome to the Lantern Kitchen, where the tea is hot, the blackout curtains are drawn, and somebody in Starling Fen is keeping a deadly secret.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Claire Bessey's The Curfew Bell Murder