Queens of Mystery

Murder in the Dark finds the newly promoted DS Matilda Stone dispatched to Hiddledean Hall where all three of her aunts are attending the 15th Wildermarsh Crime Writer's Festival. In a crime as strange as the fiction on display, the prestigious Golden Pick Axe Award has been found buried in the head of a prize nominee, and pages from his latest manuscript have been stolen. Everyone present is a suspect, from the rival nominees – including Matilda's Aunt Beth – to hot headed agents and slimy publishers. Or does the solution to the crime lie in the fictional story that someone has gone to such extreme lengths to hide?

With another killing and Beth a suspect, Mattie races to solve the case and clear her aunt's name. Was it Oscar's publisher, who was skimming off the top? His literary agent, who was at risk of losing Oscar's contract to a rival? Or a fellow author, whom Oscar had accused of plagiarizing?

Death by Vinyl gives an insight into Cat Stone's years in an 80s new wave girl band and her love affair with Nikki Holler, its lead singer. "Volcanic Youth" and their entourage have been invited to record a reunion album t an exclusive retreat not far from Wildermarsh – but it's not long before one of them is found dead in the studio… strangled with a microphone cord. Matilda begins her investigations and soon becomes aware of motives for murder buried in the band's past. Only by teaming up with veteran ex-band member, Aunt Cat, can Matilda piece the fragments of these scattered lives together. But in assisting Matilda to nail the killer, Cat must confront the tragedies of her own past – emotions she'd buried decades ago.

Mattie investigates a new victim: the band's manager, who was stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife. While searching for clues, Mattie finds the recording the lead singer made right before she died, but an incident from the past may be the key to solving the case.

The stage adaptation of Jane's book endures numerous snafus before opening night: electrical problems, feuding cast members, and a notorious arts critic writing a potentially bad review. Meanwhile, Mattie searches for new clues in the case of her missing mother, but an onstage murder brings her to the theatre.

Contending with another murder and a missing lead actress, the theatre company is forced to switch up the cast, but their production is a mess. Despite Mattie's objections, Beth and Cat continue to pursue leads on their own.

Beth and Cat head to a luxury spa run by Dr Angela Isherwood, who unexpectedly announces her retirement, names her successor, and then that night is murdered. Matilda's initial suspects are the disgruntled staff, but the guests also harbour secrets, and Cat is intrigued by rumours that Dr Isherwood won the money for the spa through gambling. Meanwhile, Dr. Lynch has news that upsets Matilda.

Matilda now has two murders to solve, made more complicated by the fact that one of the victims was using a fake identity. Matilda and Dr. Lynch devise a clever strategy to discover the victim's real name, while Beth and Jane find evidence of blackmail in Dr. Isherwood's office. Cat returns with a lead from the casinos, and Matilda eventually uncovers a tragedy waiting to be avenged.

Aunt Cat's art exhibit at Wildemarsh's trendiest new gallery is marred when Fintan Boyle, the ex-husband of the gallery owner, is discovered dead on star artist Keith Kane's installation. Kane is the prime suspect, but plenty of people had motives to kill Boyle. When one of the suspects beats a hasty retreat, it's unclear if he fled or was abducted.

A violent message hidden within an artwork suggests Cox isn't the only one with something to hide. Matilda finds evidence of a destroyed forgery, and Jane puts her computer skills to work uncovering more shady dealings within the world of modern art. Meanwhile, Kane has fallen of the rails, and his assistant worries for his safety. Could he be another victim of the killer?

The original copy of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" is being sold by Wildemarsh's Heritage House, but the manuscript is stolen before the sale, and in its place lies a single raven's feather. When Jane finds a body hidden in the museum, the case becomes a murder. Matilda wonders if the feather is connected to her mother's disappearance, but her aunts know more than they're letting on.

As Matilda gets closer to solving both the murders and the Raven's connection to her mother's disappearance, her aunts try to distract Matilda from the secret she most wants to know. Unfortunately for them, a shady figure is determined to lead Matilda to the truth. Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel Lynch is working up the courage to confess his love just as her relationship with George begins to get serious.