The Letter In The Lock: A Canal Boat Mystery
About
When Margaret and Peter Ellis decide to downsize and begin a new chapter of life aboard a narrowboat named Second Wind, they expect peaceful days exploring England’s historic canals, meeting interesting people, and perhaps mastering the art of brewing tea in a gently moving galley.
What they do not expect is to discover a carefully hidden letter tucked behind a cabin wall — a letter hinting at a missing ledger connected to the Hargreaves family trust and a series of canal-side property transfers that may not have been entirely legitimate.
As Margaret’s natural curiosity awakens and Peter’s practical good sense keeps their investigations grounded, the couple finds themselves drawn into a decades-old puzzle woven through lock cottages, historic tearooms, quiet towpaths, and overlooked archives. With Maple, their observant border terrier, often the first to notice something amiss, each journey along the waterways reveals new clues hidden in plain sight.
With the help of thoughtful historian Oliver Finch, meticulous archive volunteer Lydia Crowe, and the enigmatic Evelyn Harcourt — whose family history may be tied more closely to the mystery than she first reveals — Margaret and Peter begin to uncover a pattern of carefully concealed documents, missing witness signatures, and properties that quietly changed hands long ago.
Yet not everyone is pleased to see old records examined too closely. Property consultant Gregory Mallory appears helpful, but his professional interest in canal-side land raises questions about whether modern developments could benefit from past irregularities remaining undiscovered.
As each book in the series follows a new stretch of canal, Margaret and Peter discover that the waterways hold more than scenic charm. They carry stories, secrets, and sometimes unfinished business.
Blending gentle humor, charming English settings, and cleverly layered puzzles, The Canal Boat Mysteries series celebrates curiosity, kindness, and the quiet satisfaction of finding truth where others have stopped looking.
Because along the canals, history is never entirely still — and some secrets are simply waiting for the right people to notice them.