
A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder
Cozy crime meets historical fiction in this brand-new quirky and gripping paranormal murder mystery
F.H. Petford(Author)
Hodder Paperback (Publisher)
Published on 2. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-3997-4983-1 (ISBN)
Description
'Don't read before bedtime or you'll stay up until the wee hours of the morning to finish' Reader review ?????
'I absolutely adored this book. It was compelling from the start. The historical detail was spot-on and the characters well-drawn' Reader review ?????
Meet Alma Timperley. She can:
- Run a hotel
- Solve a mystery
- Talk to ghosts...?
December, 1914: After the death of her aunt, Alma Timperley is surprised when she suddenly finds herself the heiress to the Timperley Spiritualist Hotel in a pretty coastal town in Cornwall.
But not everything is as it seems... the hotel offers guests a very special service: the chance to communicate with the dead.
When the body of one of the hotel's maids is found, it is considered a tragic wartime accident. But the more Alma and the local police try to fathom what happened, the more they begin to realise this is much more than just a death - there might be a German spy in Falmouth.
With the stakes higher than ever, Alma must grapple with her own extraordinary secret if she is going to have more than a ghost of a chance of solving the mystery.
Being able to talk with the dead is one thing; solving their murder is positively ghoulish...
????If you love murder mysteries with a hint of spookiness, then don't miss this unique and quirky paranormal read!????
Readers LOVE A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder:
'If you like historical fiction with a spooky vibe and a thoughtful mystery, this book is definitely worth a read' Reader review ?????
'A well-plotted murder mystery wrapped up in an enthralling WW1 spy story' Fiona Leitch
''A thoroughly enjoyable ripping yarn' TE Kinsey
'A great story' Reader review ?????
'Cleverly entertaining' Greg Mosse
'I absolutely adored this book. It was compelling from the start. The historical detail was spot-on and the characters well-drawn' Reader review ?????
Meet Alma Timperley. She can:
- Run a hotel
- Solve a mystery
- Talk to ghosts...?
December, 1914: After the death of her aunt, Alma Timperley is surprised when she suddenly finds herself the heiress to the Timperley Spiritualist Hotel in a pretty coastal town in Cornwall.
But not everything is as it seems... the hotel offers guests a very special service: the chance to communicate with the dead.
When the body of one of the hotel's maids is found, it is considered a tragic wartime accident. But the more Alma and the local police try to fathom what happened, the more they begin to realise this is much more than just a death - there might be a German spy in Falmouth.
With the stakes higher than ever, Alma must grapple with her own extraordinary secret if she is going to have more than a ghost of a chance of solving the mystery.
Being able to talk with the dead is one thing; solving their murder is positively ghoulish...
????If you love murder mysteries with a hint of spookiness, then don't miss this unique and quirky paranormal read!????
Readers LOVE A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder:
'If you like historical fiction with a spooky vibe and a thoughtful mystery, this book is definitely worth a read' Reader review ?????
'A well-plotted murder mystery wrapped up in an enthralling WW1 spy story' Fiona Leitch
''A thoroughly enjoyable ripping yarn' TE Kinsey
'A great story' Reader review ?????
'Cleverly entertaining' Greg Mosse
Reviews / Votes
Cleverly entertaining * Greg Mosse * A well-plotted murder mystery * Fiona Leitch *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 129 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
216 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3997-4983-1 (9781399749831)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

F. H. Petford
A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder
Cozy crime meets historical fiction in this brand-new quirky and gripping paranormal murder mystery
E-Book
10/2025
Hodder & Stoughton
€2.99
Available for download
Person
F. H. Petford ran his own creative agency and was involved in writing projects for corporate clients and the London theatre world.
A Ghost Hunter's Guide to solving a Murder, the first of the Alma Timperley mysteries, was written following the success of three crime novels set in the Oxfordshire village of Great Tew at the end of the Great War. The supernatural elements in his work are inspired by his own experiences of the paranormal.
He was signed to Hodder and Stoughton in 2025 and lives a quietly pagan life in Somerset.
A Ghost Hunter's Guide to solving a Murder, the first of the Alma Timperley mysteries, was written following the success of three crime novels set in the Oxfordshire village of Great Tew at the end of the Great War. The supernatural elements in his work are inspired by his own experiences of the paranormal.
He was signed to Hodder and Stoughton in 2025 and lives a quietly pagan life in Somerset.