Marked for Death

Clever, quirky and irresistibly fun - the most entertaining murder mystery of 2026
A dead body and a missing Shakespeare play lead to a faculty of suspects in this modern murder mystery

Reader love R. O. Thorp's murder mysteries:
'Think Christie but funnier, with more heart.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Fast-paced, funny and full of intrigue. Loved every minute of it and can't wait for the next one!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Scientist Finn Blanchard is trying not to think about murder. The university administrator Nina Hussar may have fallen to her death down stairs she'd used for years, but the only mystery Finn wants to investigate is whether there's a shark in the local lake.

But when a professor's sudden death unearths cryptic clues to a missing Shakespeare play, Finn is forced to admit his research isn't the fishiest part of university life. After all, as his detective ex-boyfriend says, there's nothing more suspicious than a fall down some stairs.

And if Finn can't figure out who the killer is soon, the next blood in the water might be his own .

Praise for the Blanchard twins series:
'Brilliant.' Ian Moore
'Fun ahoy!' Orlando Murrin
'Clever, quirky and irresistibly fun.' Jessica Bull