The Last Encore

Don't miss the third book in the breathtaking new series from the number one bestselling author Santa Montefiore - coming soon!
One final show.
A love that defies time...

"I started this, but truly, I have no idea how to end it without breaking my heart."

When Pixie Tate is sent to solve a mystery at the old Aphrodite Theatre in Cornwall, she expects to find another restless spirit waiting behind the velvet curtain.

But when she discovers the theatre is just a few miles down the coastline from where she met the love of her life, Cavill Pengower, she realises that it is no coincidence.

As she slips back one hundred years, Pixie knows she must not only unveil what happened to the woman whose spirit haunts the stage today, but somehow sever this powerful connection with Cavill once and for all.

Yet, as she embarks on this final journey to settle the soul and save the theatre's production of Macbeth, she fears that this time, it might just break her forever...

Readers love Santa Montefiore's Timeslider series...

Hi, I'm Santa Montefiore and I've been writing a novel (sometimes two) a year for twenty-six years now, which is quite astonishing as I didn't really think beyond the first book, which took me five years to write. I didn't think I had another in me, but here I am, celebrating my thirty-third and polishing my thirty-fourth for publication next year! - that's including the four Royal Rabbits of London children's books I have co-written with my husband, my two Flappy comedies, and The Kiss which I wrote for Quick Reads. Most of my novels are set partly in England and partly in a beautiful location, like Argentina, Italy or France, Ireland or America. I write primarily for myself so I figure, as I'm going to be living in my imagination for the best part of six months, I might as well choose somewhere lovely. I adore nature, so I tend to plant my characters in rural settlings - by the sea or in the countryside - and most of them are stand alone, except Last Voyage of the Valentina and The Italian Matchmaker, and my recent trilogy, The Deverill Chronicles, which is set in Ireland from 1910 to the sixties. It started out as three books, but is now five, soon to be six: The Secret Hours is number 4 and The Distant Shores is number 5. I suppose I just love writing about that family so much, I don't want to stop.

I'm excited to have written an exciting new series for adults called The Timeslider Series. The first is called Shadows in the Moonlight, and it follows my time-travelling, psychic medium heroine Pixie Tate as she investigates a mystery in Victorian Cornwall. The second one is based in New York's Gilded Age where she has to travel back to The Aldershoff Hotel in New York, to the early twentieth century when it was a magnificent private home. The third and final book, The Last Encore, will be published in July 2026. Pixie slides back to a theatre in Cornwall in 1923 where she finds herself once again faced with the love of her life - and a heartbreaking choice.

I adore writing. I've always loved stories, both reading them and writing them. I can't imagine life without them. Not only are they entertaining, but they teach us so much about life - and enable us to live vicariously through characters who experience more drama than we do! I'm emotional. I love to be moved. There's nothing better than sinking into a novel and empathising with the characters as they journey through the novel, experiencing both the ups and downs...I love to laugh and cry and I want the book to stay with me after I've turned the last page. I don't need a happy ending, but I need a satisfactory one. I hope I deliver satisfactory endings in my own novels.

I also wrote four children's books with my husband, Simon Sebag-Montefiore.

The Last Encore by Santa Montefiore is the emotional conclusion to the Timeslider trilogy, blending historical fiction, romance, mystery, and gentle supernatural elements. The novel follows Pixie Tate as she embarks on what may be her most difficult journey yet—a journey that forces her to confront unresolved spirits, unfinished love, and the painful truth that some relationships are meant to transform us rather than last forever. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Cornwall and centred around the mysterious Aphrodite Theatre, the story explores memory, sacrifice, destiny, and the healing power of letting go.

Pixie has a rare and extraordinary gift: she can slip back in time and communicate with spirits who remain tied to the places where they once lived. Instead of treating this ability as a magical adventure, Montefiore presents it as both a blessing and a burden. Every journey into the past demands emotional strength, and every encounter leaves Pixie carrying the weight of lives that ended long ago. She has learned that history is never truly gone; it continues to shape the present through forgotten secrets, broken promises, and lingering regrets.

Her latest assignment takes her to the old Aphrodite Theatre, a once-glorious venue now overshadowed by mystery and tragedy. Strange occurrences have unsettled those connected with the theatre, and rumours speak of a restless spirit haunting the stage. Pixie arrives expecting another supernatural puzzle, but she quickly realises that this case is deeply personal. The theatre stands only a short distance from the place where she once met Cavill Pengower, the great love of her life. Their connection transcended time itself, yet circumstances made it impossible for them to remain together. Returning to this part of Cornwall awakens memories that she has tried hard to bury.

As Pixie travels back a century, she finds herself immersed in the vibrant world of the theatre during its golden age. Behind the glamour of elaborate costumes, dazzling performances, and enthusiastic audiences lies a world filled with ambition, jealousy, heartbreak, and hidden desires. Every performer carries dreams of success, yet many also hide painful secrets. The theatre becomes more than a building; it represents the fragile line between illusion and reality, where people wear masks on stage while concealing even greater truths in their private lives.

At the centre of the mystery is the woman whose spirit still lingers in the theatre. Her story gradually unfolds through Pixie's investigations, revealing how love, betrayal, and misunderstood choices prevented her from finding peace after death. Rather than portraying the ghost as frightening, Montefiore gives her emotional depth and humanity. The haunting becomes a symbol of unresolved grief, showing how powerful emotions can outlive a person's physical existence.

While uncovering the spirit's past, Pixie must also confront her own emotional wounds. Memories of Cavill become impossible to ignore. Their love was genuine and profound, but it belonged to different eras and different lives. The more she revisits the past, the more she understands that continuing to cling to impossible hopes may prevent both of them from finding peace. This emotional conflict forms the heart of the novel. The mystery surrounding the theatre is important, but Pixie's inner journey proves even more compelling.

The production of Shakespeare's Macbeth running through the theatre adds another meaningful layer to the story. The famous tragedy, with its themes of ambition, guilt, fate, and supernatural influence, mirrors many of the emotions experienced by the characters. The performances on stage often reflect the hidden dramas unfolding behind the curtains, reinforcing the novel's message that every public performance conceals deeply personal struggles.

Throughout the investigation, Pixie encounters people whose lives have also been shaped by love, loss, and difficult choices. Some seek redemption, while others struggle to forgive themselves or those who hurt them. These supporting characters enrich the story by demonstrating that every individual carries unseen emotional burdens. Montefiore treats each character with compassion, reminding readers that human beings are rarely entirely good or entirely flawed.

As the truth about the haunting slowly emerges, Pixie realises that solving the mystery requires more than discovering historical facts. She must understand the emotional motivations behind past decisions and help the restless soul accept what can no longer be changed. In doing so, she also learns that healing does not come from rewriting history but from embracing it with honesty and forgiveness.

The novel builds steadily toward an emotionally powerful conclusion in which the boundaries between past and present become increasingly blurred. Pixie faces heartbreaking decisions that test her courage and force her to choose between holding on to the past and embracing the future. The resolution brings together the mysteries surrounding the theatre, the ghostly presence, and Pixie's relationship with Cavill in a way that feels both poignant and satisfying. Rather than relying on dramatic twists alone, the ending derives its emotional impact from the characters' personal growth and acceptance.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its atmosphere. Montefiore vividly recreates Cornwall's rugged coastline, ancient buildings, and theatrical elegance, creating a setting that feels timeless and almost magical. The supernatural elements remain gentle and emotional rather than frightening, allowing the story to focus on hope, healing, and enduring love instead of horror. Her lyrical prose captures both the beauty of historical settings and the complexity of human emotions.

Ultimately, The Last Encore is a story about the courage required to say goodbye. It suggests that love is never truly lost simply because two people cannot remain together. Instead, genuine love continues to shape who we become, teaching compassion, resilience, and acceptance. Through its blend of historical mystery, romance, and spiritual reflection, the novel reminds readers that every ending is also the beginning of a new chapter. It is a moving finale to the Timeslider series, celebrating the enduring connections between past and present while affirming that true peace comes not from changing history, but from learning to live with it.