THE MURDER AT WORLD'S END

Sir Derek Jacobi and Joe Jameson's stellar performances add sparkle and verisimilitude to this delightful locked-room mystery. The first adult book by Montgomery, an award-winning children's book author, is set in a Cornish manor house during the 1910 passing of Halley's Comet. Jacobi sets the semiserious tone with resonant action updates and intense performances of yesteryear news reports. Jameson remarkably personifies everyone. He broadens his vowels to inhabit our jailbird hero; pinches his voice into an octogenarian lady; puffs into an officious butler; and lightens into a young maid. The plot, involving death by crossbow, is crazy fun. The upstairs/downstairs subplot is moving. The writing is clever and witty. Jameson and Jacobi deliver a captivating performance that celebrates the tale's mix of drama and farce. [Published: JANUARY 2026]