The Man on the Train is a prequel to the Angela Marchmont mysteries and can be read without fear of spoilers! October 1925: On finding herself stuck in a small town in Illinois following floods on the railway line, Angela Marchmont falls in with a vaudeville company and helps a young man accused of theft prove his innocence. This is a short story of fourteen thousand words—just right for an afternoon curled up on the sofa!

This omnibus edition contains the first three books in the Angela Marchmont Mystery series Meet enigmatic "lady detective" Angela Marchmont in this series of light-hearted and charming 1920s mysteries! Includes: THE MURDER AT SISSINGHAM HALL (Book 1) On his return from South Africa, Charles Knox is invited to spend the weekend at the country home of Sir Neville Strickland, whose beautiful wife Rosamund was once Knox's fiancée. But in the dead of night Sir Neville is murdered. Who did it? As suspicion falls on each of the house guests in turn, Knox finds himself faced with deception and betrayal on all sides, and only the enigmatic Angela Marchmont seems to offer a solution to the mystery. This 1920s whodunit will delight all fans of traditional country house murder stories. THE MYSTERY AT UNDERWOOD HOUSE (Book 2) Old Philip Haynes was never happier than when his family were at each other's throats. Even after his death the terms of his will ensured they would keep on feuding. But now three people are dead and the accusations are flying. Can there really be a murderer in the family? Torn between friendship and duty, Angela Marchmont must find out the truth before the killer can strike again. THE TREASURE AT POLDARROW POINT (Book 3) When Angela Marchmont goes to Cornwall on doctor's orders she is looking forward to a nice rest and nothing more exciting than a little sea-bathing. But her plans for a quiet holiday are dashed when she is caught up in the hunt for a diamond necklace which, according to legend, has been hidden in the old smugglers' house at Poldarrow Point for over a century. Aided by the house's elderly owner, an irrepressible twelve-year-old, and a handsome Scotland Yard detective, Angela soon finds herself embroiled in the most perplexing of mysteries. Who is the author of the anonymous letters? Why is someone breaking into the house at night? And is it really true that a notorious jewel-thief is after the treasure too? Angela must use all her powers of deduction to solve the case and find the necklace—before someone else does.

While holidaying in Italy, Angela Marchmont is persuaded to postpone her trip to Venice and go to Stresa instead, to investigate a pair of spiritualists who are suspected of defrauding some of the town’s English residents out of their money. But what starts out as a minor matter swiftly becomes more serious when one of the residents in question is found dead in the beautiful gardens of his home, having apparently committed suicide. Seduced by the heady sights and scents of the Italian Lakes, and distracted by an unexpected encounter with an old adversary who seems bent on provoking her, Angela sets out to find out the truth of the affair and resume her journey to Venice before she forgets herself and loses her head—and her heart.

‘I knew in the first couple of pages that this story was going to make me cry and I was right... So emotional... I was left speechless. I absolutely loved every minute... One of the best historical fictions I’ve read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Italy, 1944: Stella stared at the envelope addressed to her, dated from the day of his death. With a trembling hand she opened it, tears rolling down her cheeks. She read the letter that should have made it to her years ago – the letter that had been ruthlessly stolen from her. It held his last words, and it changed everything. 1938: When Stella arrives in Italy, it’s love at first sight. She is wowed by the rolling hills dotted with olive trees, the buttermilk villas with shuttered windows and terracotta roofs that glow gloriously in the sunlight. Even the breeze holds the scent of freedom ­– freedom from England, where the shadow of her past haunted her. Then there is Ted, an American journalist who is wild and mischievous, with an arrogance bordering on rude. Stella is infuriated by him – yet she cannot deny the lure of the danger and excitement he promises. But there is something dark under the bright surface of this beautiful country, with unspeakable tragedies just around the corner. When the Nazis take control of Italy, Stella and Ted – and whatever dreams the future held for them – are ripped apart. Ted is torn away, to report from the perilous frontline. Meanwhile, Stella is paralysed with fear as screeching bombs descend, destroying everything in their wake. There is nothing left to do but sit in darkness, praying to see tomorrow. And it seems that even in Italy, Stella’s past has found her. Somewhere in the winding streets of Florence there is a letter that will change the course of her fate. Unknown to her, it holds a secret with the power to rewrite her past, and everything she has been running away from. But will it come too late? And with the odds stacked against her, will she ever see Ted again? This totally gripping and heartbreaking tale is about the impossible tragedies of war and the miraculous possibilities of love. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Rhys Bowen’s The Tuscan Child, and The Letter by Kathryn Hughes will be utterly captivated by this spectacular historical page-turner. Readers absolutely love The Stolen Letter: ‘Oh my word I honestly cannot express how much I loved this book. A historical fiction book that was just simply brilliant. The story and the characters were fantastic and I read this book in one day it was that good. I will be recommending this book to everyone who loves reading, it is a must-read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Breathtaking and heartbreakingly beautiful… Be prepared to go on a very emotional journey where your heart will be ripped out and patched up over and over again. The characters are captivating and relatable. The twists and turns throughout the story are truly unforgettable. Clara Benson is an author that I would love to read over and over again.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh my, what a gem of a story… I cannot recommend this book highly enough nor write a review that can justify why you should read it. Historical fiction at its best. This book has it all… Such a good book. High 5 stars!!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book… It was so good I didn't want to stop reading, I read way too late into the early morning… Heartbreaking.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This novel is truly amazing… Stole my heart from the very beginning with this beautiful story… I could not put it down… Not one to miss.’ Breakfast w Rachel, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘So gripping – started reading and couldn't put it down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book… You won't be able to put this book down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartbreaking… Hooked me from the very first page… Captivating and brilliantly written.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant… Out of this world… Loved it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh, something is bound to go wrong, but one might as well start out from a position of optimism, don’t you think?’ said Angela. It's fair to say that Freddy Pilkington-Soames is not having a good day. His grandmother is threatening to marry a lounge lizard, his old friend has lost her lover, a racehorse has been kidnapped, a priceless diamond has gone missing, and everybody seems to think he should sort it all out. (Oh, and there's a dead body on the terrace.) Now Freddy's on the sunny French Riviera, caught in the crossfire of a feud between an audacious thief he's locked horns with before and a murderous gang who will stop at nothing to get what they want. He'd keep his head down if he could, but there are questions that need answering. Who took the diamond? Who is double-crossing whom? And is his grandmother's intended quite all he seems? (And where did that dead body go?) A political scandal at the highest level is looming and the future of an international conference hangs in the balance, and once again it's up to Freddy to save the day—in more ways than one.

The honeymoon was an accident—but the dead body isn’t. Angela Marchmont is back for a new adventure! Not-quite-newlywed Angela Marchmont is having a belated honeymoon on the idyllic Greek island of Rhodes, but has barely even unpacked her bathing-suit before an unwelcome encounter with the dead body of a young archaeologist draws her into a tangled web of murder and blackmail. Everyone thinks Roy Cavell drowned accidentally, but after receiving a cryptic note under her door Angela isn’t so sure. Cavell had fallen in love with his employer’s beautiful wife Sophia Delisi, leaving a heartbroken fiancée behind him and creating tensions up at the local archaeological dig. Mrs. Delisi is thought to bring bad luck: superstition has it that any man who gets close to her dies. Was Cavell the latest victim of the curse? But then why has someone been searching his luggage? Who is signalling from up at the acropolis? And why is somebody trying to put Angela out of the way? When a second body turns up Angela becomes even more determined to find out the truth—despite the additional complications of a rival detective she can’t shake off, a would-be blackmailer who knows the secrets of her past life, and a husband she’d trust more if only he didn’t keep disappearing in the middle of the night. Investigating a murder wasn’t in Angela's plans, but if she wants to survive her honeymoon she has no choice.

Anthology containing: The Riddle at Gipsy's Mile The Incident at Fives Castle The Imbroglio at the Villa Pozzi

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly captivating.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was completely hooked.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of the best books I have read.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… My heart was in my mouth.’ Shaz’s Book Blog Paris, 1941: Going against her mother’s orders, spirited Maggie devotes herself to the Resistance. Her life is a whirlwind of forged passports and secret midnight runs, helping Jews escape Paris, which grows more dangerous by the day. Under the cloak of darkness, she bids farewell to Emil, who flees the city with the Nazis hot on his heels. Emil is bound for Maggie’s sister, Cecilia, hundreds of miles away in the South of France. Innocent and shy Cecilia is shocked to the core when Emil turns up, seeking refuge. Up until now, she has lived a sheltered existence: wild and dangerous Emil turns her world upside down. Her life is on the line as she risks everything to protect him and soon she is drawn into the secret work of the underground Resistance. As each day passes and the war rages on, Cecilia cannot help being drawn to Emil… But as the Nazis close in on them, she faces a terrible choice. Exactly how far she is willing to go for love? Her decision will haunt her for the rest of her life… An evocative, riveting and stirring tale about the tragic realities of war, the fine line between loyalty and lies, and the power of love, even in the darkest of times. Fans of The Nightingale, The Letter and All The Light We Cannot See will be spellbound by this magnificent historical novel. Readers absolutely love In Darkness, Look for Stars: ‘Amazing… One of my favourite stories… A brilliant story that is full of twists and turns… I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading… A must-read.’ Chells and Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh my word, this was definitely an emotive and additive read, and then some… I felt myself well up… I fully immersed myself in the story and I knew that nothing much would be done for the rest of the day as I would be too busy reading!... I was too hooked… Superbly written… I became so emotionally involved with certain characters that every time they felt pain, I felt pain… The author uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself.’ Ginger Book Geek, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Amazing… I truly loved this book… Clara Benson does a masterful job of bringing her characters to life… Fans of All the Light We Cannot See will thoroughly enjoy this book.’ Historically Yours, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Stirring, captivating and electrifying… So poignant it could sever readers’ heartstrings… A wonderfully written historical novel, In Darkness, Look for Stars was the first Clara Benson novel I read, but it shall certainly not be my last.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A beautifully devastating book. Highly emotional and utterly captivating from the first page to the last.’ Loopyloulaura, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… The author captures the relationships beautifully over the split time spans and intertwines them seamlessly. A real page-turner filled with suspenseful twists and turns.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Beautifully written.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘First of all, what a lovely title and so apt during these dark times!... Heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. An insightful look into what war can bring but what we can get out of life when everything is crumbling around us. There’s plenty of war stories out there, but this one stands out.’ The Book Trail, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I have read lots of books in the war fiction genre and found this book to be one of the best I have read!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It is Hogmanay, and Angela Marchmont is at Fives Castle, the Scottish seat of the Earl of Strathmerrick, to see in the start of 1928. But when she finds out that the Foreign Secretary, the American Ambassador and the Head of British Intelligence are also among the guests, Angela begins to suspect that something momentous is afoot. Before long, they are all snowed in and a body is discovered, and Angela soon finds suspicion directed against herself...

When Douglas Westray, the son of an eminent aircraft manufacturer, is found shot dead in a locked room at a society ball, it seems obvious that it’s suicide—after all, he had two failed engagements behind him, and had lost the family firm a prestigious prize through his own neglect. But not everybody is convinced—including Freddy Pilkington-Soames, who soon discovers that there are still questions to be answered. Why was Douglas wearing the wrong shoes when he was found? What is the connection with a near-disaster at an air show? And was Freddy’s narrow escape from death under the wheels of a car an accident or something more sinister? Assisted by his old friend, the wayward and irrepressible Lady Gertie McAloon, and pestered at every turn by rival reporter Corky Beckwith, Freddy finds himself drawn into a world of sabotage, blackmail and shady deals which threaten to scupper the success of a new fighter plane before it even gets off the ground. But there’s more at stake than just money, and now it’s up to Freddy to untangle the clues and unravel the dark secret of a murderer who has already killed at least once and will think nothing of killing again.