Skip to main content
book cover for The Sticklepath Phantom

The Sticklepath Phantom

The Markham Twins Investigate

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.

Buy on Amazon Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on Waterstones
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Book 3 of The Markham Twins Investigate

Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app


1

To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

2

Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.

Pub Date 28 Jun 2026 | Archive Date 31 Jul 2026


Talking about this book? Use #TheSticklepathPhantom #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Autumn 1931

A geological fault line that runs across Dartmoor to Torquay is said to be the cause of all manner of ghostly sightings, which is positive news for the popularity of Lady Evelyn Underhaye’s Dark Heart Ghost Tours.

However, when a series of bizarre and gruesome murders is discovered in the town, each bearing a striking resemblance to a different spectral visitation, it feels as if the spirit world is coming a little too close for comfort.

And when Evelyn starts to receive cryptic messages linking her to the crimes, she turns to her new friends – Kitty and Nora Markham – for help. Believing less in the spiritual world and more in the evil of flesh and blood, Kitty and Nora investigate the murders to try and identify the truth before the Sticklepath Phantom strikes again.

Autumn 1931

A geological fault line that runs across Dartmoor to Torquay is said to be the cause of all manner of ghostly sightings, which is positive news for the popularity of Lady Evelyn...


A Note From the Publisher

Devon resident Ali Simpson spent five years editing a glossy life-style charity magazine as well as publishing non-fiction articles, focusing on people, places, history and the natural world, having previously researched and written speeches for top civil servants. She is a published writer of romantic fiction who has a passion for Scandi noir and historical crime and punishment.

Devon resident Ali Simpson spent five years editing a glossy life-style charity magazine as well as publishing non-fiction articles, focusing on people, places, history and the natural world, having...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781806347384
PRICE £3.99 (GBP)
PAGES 272

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 11 members


Featured Reviews

5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! I loved this story as I was gripped right from the start and I couldn’t put this book down until I finished reading it. I loved all the twists and turns and also how everyone at the dinner party all could have at least committed one of the murders, when really the murderer was hiding in plain sight as they aren’t normally the type of person thought of being a murderer. I will admit to being surprised by who it was, but when everything was broke down by Kitty and Nora then it all worked out. I loved that we had some new characters but I’m also glad that we had some of the original characters as well. As I really do like them all especially the original characters. I throughly enjoyed this book as I have previously enjoyed the other books in this series and I really look forward to reading their next adventure to come.

I would highly recommend reading this book and the previous books in this series as they are just amazing stories that will keep you gripped from start to finish but also have amazing characters as well.

I would like to thank Troubador Publishing and NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy.

5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

The Sticklepath Phantom is another charming entry in Ali Simpson’s historical crime series — full of character, folklore, and clever sleuthing.

Set in autumn 1931, the novel makes brilliant use of Dartmoor’s brooding landscape and its rich vein of ghostly legends. The idea of a geological fault line spawning spectral sightings is irresistible, especially when Lady Evelyn Underhaye’s ghost tours collide with a series of gruesome murders that seem to echo those very apparitions. It’s a deliciously spooky setup, but Simpson keeps the tone balanced — eerie enough to intrigue, never tipping into the overwrought.

Kitty and Nora Markham continue to be the heart of the series. Their grounded, practical approach contrasts beautifully with Evelyn’s flair for the supernatural, and their friendship adds warmth to the darker threads of the plot. I loved how the sisters sift through superstition to uncover human motives, giving the mystery a satisfying, rational core beneath all the spectral whispers.

The pacing is brisk, the clues neatly planted, and the final reveal lands with clever precision. Simpson’s attention to period detail — from small‑town gossip to fog‑shrouded lanes — enriches the story without slowing it down, making the setting feel both vivid and inviting.

Overall, The Sticklepath Phantom is a cosy yet atmospheric historical mystery with just the right dash of the uncanny. Fans of gentle whodunnits with strong female leads will find plenty to enjoy, and I’m already looking forward to Kitty and Nora’s next adventure.

With thanks to Ali Simpson, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for access to the this ARC.
I wasn’t familiar with this series but what a delightful treat this book turned out to be. With a period setting in 1931-32 England, it is lush tale that is smart and exciting. The characters were (mostly) likable but there was enough drinking, gambling and carousing to make it interesting and create controversy. The mystery was complex enough to keep me guessing and it was rather clever to put each of the suspects in the position to have committed at least one of the murders. The motive for the murders was a complete surprise. I will be reading more of the books from this series.

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars

The Sticklepath Phantom is set in England in 1931 and follows the Markham sisters as they investigate a very strange series of murders that seem to be modeled after legends of local ghosts: a decapitated monk, a strangled Spanish woman, and a poisoned organist.

I thought this was an enjoyable mystery and the cast of characters was fun and quirky. Of course Kitty and Nora Markham are the most fleshed out and funny as our leads, but Jimmy the detective was also interesting, as was Evelyn, the Markham sisters' friend, who runs the ghost tours that the murders are modeled after. This was also very atmospheric and had some great detail that made the time period and setting feel very grounded.

I know this was an ARC, so I expected a few minor errors. However, the number of spelling and grammatical mistakes was enough to pull me out of the story at times, which is why this unfortunately got put down to a 3 instead of being a 4 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for the opportunity to read this ARC!

3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
Was this review helpful?
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars

I loved every minute of this book. The story was full of unexpected turns, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, it surprised me again. A fantastic read!

5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

The Markham twins have unravelled it all again and with much more confidence and poise. This story gave us more of peek into who the young women are and where their futures lie. The character progression was well done, as they come into their own as established detectives.

The crime this time felt a bit more complicated with more people involved, but it wrapped up quite nicely. Once it’s solved you realize all the little things that have added up.

The start was a bit slow to get going but once it picked up it was much more enjoyable. This was a solid cozy mystery and I’m looking forward to reading about their next adventures.

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

Set in England during the autumn of 1931, twins Kitty and Nora Markham have another mystery on their hands. Their new friend, Lady Evelyn Underhaye, is linked to a series of murders that mimic different ghost stories from her ghost tour. The twins rush to figure out who is behind it, and why, before they strike again.

This was a fun, quick read. Kitty, Nora, and the rest of their household are all fun characters. I enjoyed seeing two women who were feminine and capable. They didn’t sit around and wait for the men to figure things out. They were alongside the police, helping solve the case every step of the way. When they had to sit something out, it was because they weren’t police officers, not because they were women. While I’m not sure how historically accurate the portrayal was, it was fun nevertheless.
There were some twists I didn’t see coming, but they never felt like they came out of nowhere, which I always appreciate. I did raise an eyebrow at the motivation of the killer. Other than that, it was a fast, fun mystery that I’d happily recommend to mystery fans.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for providing me with this ARC.

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

The Markham Twins and company--minus one--are at it again when a new friend, Lady Evelyn Underhaye ask them to investigate nasty letters she received that may tie into deaths that eeriely reflect the ghost stories she tells on her haunted tours. They will have to use all their investigating skills to solve this one before someone else dies.

I enjoy the Markham Twins and company. They are developed characters that you can relate to. You definitely get the small town charm that make cozies so much fun to read with a good mystery. And in this case a spooky atmosphere that would make for a great Halloween read with all the ghost stories, spooky fog and creepy manner of death.

I look forward to more stories in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars

Great mystery full of folklore and would recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: