Published By: HarperCollins
Pages: 384
Released On: 10/09/2026
All Lara wanted was a quiet life among the flowers of North Dorset. No drama. No danger.
Then Lady Porter’s death changed everything.
Lara suspects her friend was murdered – she just can’t prove it.
That is, until The Hon. Abigail Rossmore arrives. A ghost. A witness to 190 years of suspicious deaths. And possibly Lara’s only chance at justice.
Together, can they uncover what really happened to Lady Porter, and will Lara rediscover herself along the way?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I have read all of Sally’s books and they’re always so great that she’s become one of my favourite authors.
The synopsis told me this was going to be a different kind of book to her others which was intriguing. I was a little worried because what I think makes her books so magical is the normalcy of it, that these characters could be any of us. But at the same time I wasn’t worried because I know how much of a spectacular storyteller she is.
Abigail and Lara are fabulous protagonists, and whilst they may seem complete opposites, they complemented each other really well.
It’s proper escapist reading, a genteel read, not much difficult. You’ve got the fabulous characters which Sally is known for, great friendships, the suggestion of some romance, but with the added ghostly element. So much fun. This is predominately a female-led story. There are a handful of male characters and there’s nothing wrong with them at all, but the women steal the show, and I find that’s generally the case with all her books.
I was a little worried at first that being more of a cosy crime novel rather than the contemporary novels I’m used to from where, whether there would be the same emotional depth to it. But I think it was there. Her previous books focus on the characters and their everyday lives, whereas this one obviously has the crime and ghostly elements which took up more time but I think the balance is there.
Sally has created such a sense of place and this little town they live in sounds so idyllic and everything is so vivid that you want to join the characters.
It’s not a short book at almost 400 pages but I think she’s got the right balance when it comes to pacing. Some bits are drawn out and others quick, so it all balances out and I read it in just two sittings.
It’s cosy crime, very Agatha Christie, and it was old fashioned and nostalgic and just a really comforting cosy and exciting read.
Is it my favourite of her books? No. That accolade still remains with The Book of Beginnings, but it’s still a five-star read and Sally will remain one of my go-to authors.
It’s new, it’s different, it’s fresh – and it’s wonderful.
Books By Your Bedside 