
The Spies of Hartlake Hall
by R. L. Graham
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Pub Date 21 Aug 2025 | Archive Date 21 Aug 2025
Pan Macmillan | Macmillan
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Description
She knelt beside the body and touched the man’s neck just in case there might still be a pulse. As she expected, there was none; the waxy face and blank eyes had already told their own story . . .
From the author of Death on the Lusitania, The Spies of Hartlake Hall by R. L. Graham is a gripping and evocative historical crime novel set in the closing stages of the First World War.
London, 1917. When a man’s body is found deep inside Room 40, a highly secretive organization within the Admiralty, intelligence agent Patrick Gallagher is brought in to investigate. The man has no identification and was discovered in a room locked from the inside with no other apparent exit. Moreover, found in his pocket is a highly confidential telegram which would be political dynamite if it were to fall into the wrong hands.
Few know about the death and, to avoid raising further suspicion, Gallagher invites those involved to his family’s home at Hartlake Hall for questioning. But they are not the only guests at the stately hall; members of a shooting party are also staying for the weekend. Over the course of three days, further bodies pile up as a ruthless killer continues to pull the strings from the shadows. As WWI rages on in Europe, many of the guests have secrets to hide, and Gallagher must move quickly in order to expose a deadly spy among them . . .
Praise for Death on the Lusitania:
‘An instant classic’ – Daily Mail
‘Immersive, gripping’ – Historical Novel Society
‘Perfect for lovers of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers’ – Philip Gray, author of Two Storm Wood
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781035021956 |
PRICE | £18.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 400 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

A spy thriller that begins with a locked room murder and moves to Kent for a shooting party weekend with all of the suspects in one place. The writers create a chilly, claustrophobic atmosphere: the brilliant descriptions of repellent food at every meal time that is on the surface luxurious but in reality lumpy, cold and turgid echo the tightly controlled etiquette and grand house that has seen better days that now crumbles and leaks. The empire is crumbling, the servants are away fighting. There are leaks in intelligence. And always, in the background is the train, bringing the wounded, in their hundreds, day and night. This oppressive atmosphere, where Lady Maud reminds her guests that it is bad form to discuss war or death, makes each twist and turn of the story more compelling.
I had no idea how close to defeat Britain was in 1917 nor that without America’s help, how close to starvation. There are parallels with the present day with the battle for ownership of oil fields and a good explanation of shifting power, colonialism and class. This is an interesting, intelligent book that I enjoyed immensely.
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General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers