The Wolf Interval

A country-house celebration. A murder in the cider barn. And a musical clue that strikes a dangerously false note.

Old Twelfth Night at Combe Avery House is a celebration of ancient English traditions. Apple trees are blessed with cider-soaked toast, shotguns ring out across the orchard, and guests gather for a candlelit supper filled with music.

For blind piano tuner Octavia Bird, its supposed to be a straightforward assignment.

Lady Annabel Fenwick wants her grand piano restored to its former glory and her precious Flemish virginal tuned in an unusual historical temperament—one where certain notes sound heavenly, while one discordant interval howls like a wolf.

But Octavia soon discovers that the Fenwick household is considerably less harmonious than its musical instruments.

Lady Annabels son, Hugo, wants to sell the family orchards to a developer. His marriage is falling apart, a tenant cider-maker faces eviction, and the households devoted secretary seems to know everyones secrets.

Then, during the traditional wassail celebrations, Hugo Fenwick is found dead in the cider barn.

And someone has made very sure that every witness remembers the same sequence of events.

When heavy snow cuts off the country house from the outside world, Octavia and her faithful guide dog Crotchet find themselves stranded among grieving relatives, simmering resentments, and a detective sergeant determined to establish what happened.

But Octavia has noticed something that doesnt fit.

As a professional piano tuner, she knows that the smallest difference in pitch can change everything. And somewhere among the evenings music, gunshots, and carefully rehearsed explanations lies a detail that refuses to sound right.

Someone at Combe Avery House is playing a dangerous game. And Octavia may be the only person who can hear the false note.

The Wolf Interval is an atmospheric, cleverly plotted British country-house cozy mystery featuring a resourceful blind amateur sleuth, her loyal guide dog, eccentric aristocrats, ancient orchard traditions, and an ingenious musical puzzle.

Perfect for readers who enjoy traditional English murder mysteries, country-house whodunits, intelligent amateur detectives, locked-room-style puzzles, and mysteries filled with intriguing clues and unexpected twists.

A clean, standalone cozy mystery with no graphic violence or profanity, a satisfying, fairly clued solution, and plenty of English countryside charm, winter atmosphere, classical music, and old-fashioned intrigue.

In a house full of secrets, everyone has a story. But Octavia Bird knows when something doesnt ring true.