DESCRIPTION:Kitty Underhay’s hymn book is open… at murder.
Winter, 1933. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a restorative break from sleuthing on a visit to her family at Enderley Hall. The only thing marring her peace – aside from the uncomfortable sensation she has of being watched – is the obvious history between her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant and another guest, the beautiful Juliet Vanderstafen. So, when the parish clerk is found dead on her front doorstep, Kitty leaps at the chance of distraction.
The police are happy to conclude that Miss Plenderleith met her unfortunate end on a patch of ice, but Kitty isn’t convinced this was a case of bad weather and worse luck. And when the Reverend Crabtree fails to show for tea the next day, she heads to the church to speak to him. But she arrives to find the clergyman hanging from the bell rope, dead.
With Matt seemingly wrapped up with his alluring Austrian, Kitty must solve the case on her own. But as she snoops into parish affairs, she makes some less-than-saintly discoveries. Just who has broken the sixth commandment? Meanwhile the killer is preparing a churchyard grave for Kitty, and she’ll have to use all her wits to avoid falling in…
An addictive, absorbing and completely unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
BUY LINK:
https://geni.us/B08LKT7HSRCover
Author: Helena Dixon
Series: Miss Underhay Mysteries #5
Publisher: Bookouture
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 244
Date of Publication: February 1, 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
Kitty Underhay has solved more than a few murders, but it is time for a break. What is more is that she is getting closer to discovering what happened to her mother years ago. Also, she has recently become acquainted with her father's family and is eager to spend the holidays with her aunt, uncle and cousin.
As she spends an extended trip visiting family, things begin to go awry. For one thing, Kitty starts to feel she is being watched. What is more is that she thinks someone has been rifling through her belongings. One of the other guests, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, begins to have the same sensations. This time should be relaxing for Kitty, especially as she and Matthew are now officially a couple and hope to use this time to draw closer.
However, a parish clerk is soon found dead, and Kitty cannot but help to jump in and start her own investigation. Matthew is there, as well as the local police, but Kitty still soldiers on. All the while, there are other guests causing Kitty concern. One of them is Juliet Vanderstafen. Kitty can sense a connection between Juliet and Matthew and that proves to be quite concerning. The suspect pool might be quite small, but this certainly does not make it easy to find the killer, especially with the hopes of preventing any other loss of life.
Not only did I love this book, I have enjoyed the previous four books in this series. Cozy mysteries are a favorite of mine. The fact that this book is set in the 1930s definitely adds to its charm. I love Kitty and Matthew and enjoy watching their relationship flourish, all while they handle less than pleasant things like murder. The side story of the situation involving Kitty's mother is an excellent addition to an already well-written story. I am excited that I have already been able to sign up for the blog tour for the sixth book in the series, Murder at Elm House, set for release in June.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930's set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.
Author Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.nelldixon.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nell.dixon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NellDixon
This sounds like such an enjoyable series! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one too, but I missed out as I just started reading with the #4
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to check out historical cozies. Great review.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bet money that this is a delightful series all around!
ReplyDeleteseeing this on both yours and DJs blogs makes me want to pick up this series from the start...
ReplyDelete