Syrie James

I’m excited to share that DANGER AT DARKMOOR PARK, my new Victorian historical murder mystery and Gothic romance, comes out October 28. I hope it will keep you turning pages long into the night! Read on for secrets and details about the book and the inspiration behind it.

Hidden treasure. Murder. Mystery. Romance. All while snowbound at Christmas.

This has been a whirlwind publishing year for me. This is book 3 in the Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire series, about bold sister sleuths who are each swept up in murder-mystery solving and romance set in ancient English country manor houses. Although it took me three years to write these novels, they are being released four months apart, so you don’t have to wait long to find out what happens to the next sister in this exciting series!

The books also can be read as stand alones, and are perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Mimi Matthews, and Claudia Gray who enjoy romantic historical suspense with a Gothic twist.

In DANGER AT DARKMOOR PARK, Selena Taylor is cohosting a Christmas house party when a massive snowstorm hits the Yorkshire area, and no one can leave. When one of the guests dies after giving Selena a cryptic clue to a cache of hidden money, she suspects that he was murdered. Dr. Adrian Scott arrives out of the blizzard and he and Selena, fueled by a burning mutual attraction, become partners in a thrilling—and dangerous—hunt for hidden treasure and the search for a ruthless killer while trapped with holiday guests who all seem to be hiding a secret.

Selena puts her life in deadly peril to uncover the truth. There are threatening notes, attempts on her life, multiple murders, secrets and lies, and a terrifying visit to the catacombs beneath a nearby ruined abbey … while being pursued by a relentless villain and involved with a man whose touch makes her heart race but who may be hiding a dark secret of his own.

The Inspiration Behind the Novel

I have been a fan of Agatha Christie ever since I can remember. I have a huge collection of her books and plays and adore the clever twists and turns in all her stories. I especially love mysteries set at a secluded place, where all the suspects are contained in that single environment.

I also adore Gothic romantic suspense and the page-turning novels of Charlotte Brontë, Mary Stewart, Daphne du Maurier, and Victoria Holt.

DANGER AT DARKMOOR PARK is a loving homage to Gothic suspense and to Agatha Christie’s most famous play, “The Mousetrap,” which has been running on London’s West end since 1952, and is the longest-running play in the world. In that story, a group of people are snowbound at a country house during a blizzard, where a guest is murdered, and secrets abound. I took that premise and ran with it, inspired by one of the backstories but changing it to suit my own purposes and create something entirely new.

Since this novel is not only a snowbound murder mystery but also a romance, to keep the hero mysterious, I had him arrive out of the storm, as Agatha Christie’s detective does in that play. I strove to include intriguing locations and to make the manor house and grounds feel so real, that readers could imagine they were walking its very halls (and catacombs!) in person. I’ve always wanted to write a story set at Christmas, so this book fulfilled a dream for me.

Another inspiration for this novel was a scandalous family story that my husband told me. I can’t reveal it here because it’s a plot spoiler—you’ll have to read the book to learn more!

A Heroine and Hero Sleuthing Team

In books 1 and 2 in the Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire series, THE MYSTERIES OF PENDOWAR HALL and THE SECRETS OF THORNDALE MANOR, my heroines worked tirelessly on their own to solve murder mysteries. In this novel, I wanted Selena and the hero to work together—a sleuthing team like Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence. This gave me the opportunity to have my main characters spend way more time together, to not only showcase their courage and investigative brilliance but also to develop their burgeoning romance.

Gothic Suspense Tropes you’ll love:

• Amateur Sleuth Duo
• Murder Mystery
• Snowbound Romance
• Gothic Suspense
• Dark Secrets
• Strong Heroine
• Secretive Hero
• Woman Sleuth
• Forced Proximity
• Victorian Mystery

Available for Preorder Soon!

DANGER AT DARKMOOR PARK releases on October 28, 2025 from Dragonblade Publishing. It will be available in e-book and trade paperback and will also be on Kindle Unlimited.

I hope you enjoy DANGER AT DARKMOOR PARK as much as I enjoyed writing it. While you’re waiting for its release, if you haven’t read the first two books in the series, THE MYSTERIES OF PENDOWAR HALL and THE SECRETS OF THORNDALE MANOR, I hope you’ll check them out!

The sisters are all featured in letters or in person in every book. If you want to read more about Selena, she’s a major character in THE SECRETS OF THORNDALE MANOR, where she and Athena strive to solve two murder mysteries and uncover a host of dark secrets, in their quest to help redeem the reputation of the ancient manor home that houses their school. Happy reading!

Praise for The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire Series

“A fantastically atmospheric Gothic romance. The Cornwall setting is vividly rendered and the characters vibrantly portrayed. James has created a heroine who is both whip-smart and perceptive. The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall knocked it out of the park!” —Vanessa Kelly, bestselling author of The Emma Knightley Mysteries

“Loved it! Syrie James has a remarkable talent for immersive Gothic mystery! With a compelling story and surprising twist, The Secrets of Thorndale Manor had me glued to the pages well past my bedtime. I couldn’t put it down!” — Dianne Freeman, USA Today bestselling author of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries 

The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire Series

Book 1 – The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall

Book 2 – The Secrets of Thorndale Manor

Book 3 – Danger at Darkmoor Park (Due out 10/28/25)