What was found whilst remodelling Sibson Hall; and was it enough to kill for? Remodelling Murder is a locked room mystery set in an English country mansion and leans into the pleasure of puzzle fiction rather than the grind of police procedural work. With a narrative voice that nods to Magpie Murders and The Thursday Murder Club, the story crafts a cast of eccentric characters, sly red herrings, and a closed-circle mystery that honours the locked-room tradition of John Dickson Carr while introducing a fresh cross-cultural angle. The novel introduces Detective Inspector Pat Hound, a fifty-something sleuth with a dry wit, and blends classic Golden Age puzzle elements with Japanese superstition and a modern, cosy tone aimed at fans of Richard Osman, Bob Mortimer, and Knives Out. When renovation workers from Yukiko Curiosity Design uncover a body in a locked bedroom at Sibson Hall, a recently purchased estate outside Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, the scene looks like suicide—except for a handful of odd details that refuse to fit. The victim clutches a wooden mallet, there's no key to the locked door, and questions about ghosts and yakuza ties ripple through the household. DI Pat Hound, called away from her favourite coffee spot and less than thrilled at mixing menopause symptoms with crime-scene coveralls, senses there's more to the scene than meets the eye. The plot weaves in local superstition, subtle paranormal hints, and the cultural disquiet that follows a Japanese family with alleged yakuza connections moving into an English manor. It's a mystery to be read sitting in your favourite armchair with a pint and a pork pie—cosy, cunning, and just a little bit peculiar. Remodelling Murder is the first in a series featuring DI Pat Hound, with a follow-up due to be released in 2027. Readers who enjoy a tightly plotted story with intricate clues, a strong central detective, and a setting that blends English reticence with Eastern mystique will find this a satisfying and entertaining read.