The Archivist

A quirky, dark-edged mystery full of twists, turns and playful surprises

Max Black, retired stock broker and single parent, is facing a crisis. His daughter has left for university, and despite the companionship of his faithful Cairn terrier Monty, he feels panicked, untethered and not very well. His doctor tells him to get out more, change his lifestyle and find himself a job. Duntisbourne Hall, a nearby rundown stately home, is recruiting tour guides. Could this be the answer to his empty-nest syndrome?

Joining the team of eccentric retired professionals who shuffle the general public around on tour, he meets BS Moreton, the charming and erudite archivist who is working alongside the impressive Sam Westbrook. She has just arrived from the British Museum to create a new exhibition from a unique hoard of erotic artefacts, and she seems to have a great deal in common with Max – her daughter has also recently left home too. But she has bigger worries. Is the collection real, or an elaborate eighteenth-century smutty joke? And where have a number of missing pieces gone?

As Max helps Sam to dig deeper, BS Moreton, held in such esteem by colleagues and visitors alike, sees his world begin to unravel and the secret behind the collection turns out to be more surprising than anyone could have guessed.