This murder mystery has a lovely sense of place and time. Dartmouth, Devon is a picturesque setting, and particularly atmospheric during the post-war period. The hotel is well described and easy to visualise, as are the cast of characters. The connection with Kitty’s past that this first mystery, in the series has, gives the story added depth and draws the reader into Kitty’s world.

Kitty is a complex, courageous character, who is easy to like. Her intelligence tempered by an innate naivety makes her the perfect heroine for this type of historical cozy mystery. Matt her partner in amateur sleuthing, has a complex and poignant past, which makes him an enigmatic puzzle, Kitty is eager to solve.

The mystery unwinds with many twists, suspects and murders. The relationship between Kitty and Matt strengthens, in part due to proximity and mutual neediness. You want them to overcome their emotional barriers and let their relationship develop.

The suspense develops well as the story progresses reaching a crescendo when Kitty’s natural curiosity leads her into danger. The ending is exciting and in keeping with the historical period. Part of the mystery remains unsolved, presumably to be revealed as the series progresses.

An easy to read a historical murder mystery, written in a cozy mystery style, which immerses you in the 1930s Devon, with authentic, complex characters and an engaging plot.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

YES! I recommend this book.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery don’ doubt it more and read “ Murder at the Dolphin Hotel”, this is the perfect one. The story is well written that gets involved you easily , it makes you feel like another guest of the Dolphin Hotel. You’ll find a lot of unexpected twists that it’ll keep your eyes on the book.

This book is full of mystery. Kitty is left to run her grandmothers hotel while she attends to a sick relative. It is 1933 and the country is still suffering after the war, and there are secrets everywhere. Especially as Kitty finds out within the hotel.

Her grandmother has withheld a secret, can Kitty find out who has been sending her threatening letters and why would her grandmother hire someone to protect Kitty?

This is a lovely mystery read, and the era is described superbly. The story follows well and I really liked the characters. I like that it is the first in a series, I can’t wait to read the second

I thoroughly enjoyed this gentle and genteel crime drama set in the Torbay area with Kitty Underhay and Matt Bryant. Kitty runs the Dolphin Hotel with her grandmother and is joined by Captain Matthew Bryant, recently demobbed from the army who has been employed to keep Kitty safe as her grandmother believe her to be at risk.
Mrs Treadwell or 'Grams' is conveniently elsewhere for most of the story as she is looking after Aunt Livvy in Scotland so the sleuthing pair are left in the hotel, trying to work out if the near accident Kitty experienced in the town (she was knocked off the pavement into the path of a vehicle but saved by Matt) was deliberate, and if so who was behind the act and why.
A friend of Grams, Mrs Craven, is found at her home badly injured and then an employee of the hotel Cora Wakes goes missing. She has been murdered in exactly the same place on the River Dartmouth like a mystery man a few days earlier. There ensues a series of murders along with suspicious behaviour and some red herrings making it difficult for Kitty, along with Matt and Inspector Greville, to get to the bottom of it all and restore peace and harmony to Dartmouth.
All the characters are well written and I fell in love with the gentle mystery, the setting and the period.
I will definitely read more in the Miss Underhay series with pleasure.

Review
Set in Dartmouth, Kitty lives and works at her grandmother’s hotel. Life plods along until the arrival of Matt, brought in by “grams” as security to look after Kitty in her absence.

Grams has received a number of threatening letters saying that they want to take back what is rightfully theirs.

Murders take place and people are fearing for their lives. Matt escorts Kitty everywhere she goes, but this does not stop her from feeling frightened.

After her room has been ransacked, Kitty discovers what is being searched for. She receives contact from her long lost father and between them, the murderer is brought to light and caught.

A nice, gentle read. It dragged for me unfortunately but still a nice book.

I rate this book 3 stars 🌟🌟🌟

Thanks
Thank you to the author Helena Dixon and publishers Bookouture for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

Who doesn't love a good classic mystery story and this is the first in the series, I can't wait for more so much fun!

“Kitty Underhay was on reception duty at her grandmother’s hotel.” Thus begins “Murder at the Dolphin Hotel,” first of a cozy mystery series by Helena Dixon, set in Dartmouth, England in 1933. Well, not quite the beginning, but close enough.

Immediately she’s graphically treated to a description of a murder victim – just as her grandmother’s going off and leaving the hotel in her hands. Soon readers found out there’s a threat against Kitty – at least her grandmother thinks there is, and has taken steps to protect her. Trouble is, she hasn’t bothered to tell Kitty about the new man she’s hired to oversee security. But the new “security agent,” Matt Bryant at least has a plausible reason for being there – he tells Kitty he’s been hired to protect the hotel. She doesn’t like it, but there’s nothing she can do about it. And so, we’re off, to find out along with Matt where the threat is coming from. We’ve already been told what Grandmother thinks. She’s receiving threatening letters.

There’s family secrets involved. A missing mother and father. And Matt has secrets and sorrows of his own. Obviously designed to draw these two together. It isn’t subtle. The author does tease us with who might be behind it all. She throws out some interesting clues.

The famous jazz entertainer at the hotel says she’s seen her father, very recently. So why hasn’t he come by?

And someone attacks a friend of her grandmother. One of the hotel’s long-time staff is killed. Things are coming closer to home.

What’s this treasure that everyone is looking for, then? A gemstone, it turns out. And a great many people think that Kitty has it. There’s a whole lot of people looking for it, that’s for sure.

The final scene is thriller-ish. Will our hero come to the rescue? Of course, he will. And family ties will be revived.

While the book moved along well and was plotted well, this is romance masquerading as mystery – make no mistake, that is what this is. There’s also not much sense of time or place. Where is the Dartmouth, Devon of 1933? Would have wanted to see more of that. This is a historical mystery, after all.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

This isn't the first Cozy Mystery but I have to say that although I enjoyed this story I have to say that there were way to many characters. Which made the story hard to follow. The story flowed well and I did enjoy it for the most part. There were parts that were kind of on the boring side. One other thing about this story is that it was WAY descriptive. But I enjoyed it enough that I would like to check out the next title in the series. This is definitely one of those titles that you either will enjoy it or you won't.


Go Into This One Knowing: Very Descriptive, Multiple Characters

A pleasantly surprising cozy mystery and a light and delightful read.

I was unsure about this book in the early going, but quickly came around to its charming characters and propulsive plot.

This book relies less on atmosphere than most cozy mysteries, which concerned me at first but felt like a nonissue by the end of the book. And while the solve is not exceptional, it’s perfectly fine.

Perhaps most intriguing is how well this book sets up the future installments of the series with several engaging storylines that have me eager for the next volume.

And finally, it’s worth mentioning that this is one of those books where the mere act of reading it feels like a joy unto itself. More of Kitty and the rest of this charming cast of characters, please!

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is a fun, 1930s-set, cosy English murder mystery. It is written in a modern way but still evokes the classic Golden Age style.

Kitty is smart and engaging and I liked her immensely; Matthew is charming and brave, and both are fully rounded characters. The Dartmouth of summer 1933 is also vividly brought to life, as are the realities of people still recovering from the horrors of the war.

The story moves along at a brisk pace and includes a number of whodunit staples – mysterious strangers, family secrets, hidden jewels and multiple murders, with lots of red herrings and plenty of suspects.

I loved Helena Dixon’s clear, easy style of writing and they way the narrative was shared by Kitty and Matthew. I thoroughly enjoyed the well-plotted story and did not at all manage to guess whodunit!

I loved getting to know Kitty and Matthew and am delighted to see there is already a second instalment of this engaging series due out.

Cosy mysteries are right up my alley, I love the setting in Dartmouth (near the sea and near the birth place of Agatha Christie) and I'm very interested in the 1930's so I couldn't miss this book. I could almost imagine Hercule Poirot on vacation in the area!

This is an excellent mystery, it is very well written with unexpected plot twists and a satisfying ending. The main characters are very likeable and have great chemistry. I cannot wait to read the future stories and see how the characters develop.

I'm extremely happy to have discovered a new author and recommend her to anyone interested in cosy mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is a great mystery with interesting characters and storyline. The book is well written and the characters are well developed.

This is an intriguing, cosy, well paced, historical murder mystery that I found delightful to escape into and a lovely page turner.

Kitty Underhay’s mother disappeared without trace when she was a child. Kitty was brought up by her grandmother, the owner of the Dolphin Hotel, where they both live. It is in 1933 that Kitty’s grandmother travels to look after her sister. Kitty is left in charge of the hotel, unaware of the mysterious notes her Gran has received. She is surprised to meet Matthew Bryant, who her Gran has employed as additional security during her absence without mentioning anything to Kitty. An accident, hotel rooms being broken into and searched, more mentions of Kitty’s missing Mum, all add to the suspense as the story unfolds and show just how necessary Matthew’s role is. Just what are burglars searching for? How does Kitty’s Mum have a role in all this? Can Kitty and Matthew work together to uncover just what is happening – and why?

This is a delightful read that takes you right to the heart of the story from the very start. The author’s writing style is engaging, the plot intriguing and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the dramatic finale. I’ll definitely be looking out for more in this series in future and have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys cosy historical mysteries!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and enjoying doing so.

I absolutely love discovering new authors and I especially like discovering new authors in the crime and mystery genre. Helena Dixon is definitely a new author for me. The synopsis for 'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' certainly sounded like the sort of read I would enjoy and I must be psychic because that's exactly what happened. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' but more about that in a bit.
Kitty Underhay is an extremely likeable young lady and it took me no time at all to warm to her. She hasn't had it easy in life. Her mother vanished from her life a good few years before the main part of the story takes place and nothing has been heard from her since her disappearance. Kitty lives with her grandmother in the family hotel, which is called 'The Dolphin Hotel'. Her grandmother has been training up her granddaughter to eventually take over when she passes away or retires. That said, Kitty's grandmother doesn't seem to have much faith in her abilities because she doesn't think that her granddaughter will be able to cope with running a busy hotel when she (grandmother) goes to visit her sister. Her grandmother is also worried about the fact that she feels Kitty is going to be in danger during her absence, as she has received some concerning letters. Kitty is more capable than her grandmother thinks. She is lovely, witty, fun to be around,, friendly, kind hearted, compassionate, helpful, inquisitive, determined, occasionally stubborn and definitely tenacious. Is Kitty's grandmother right to be so concerned? Will Kitty manage to solve the case? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out.
To say that 'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' is addictive reading is a huge understatement. I was hooked on this book right from the start and I found it extremely hard to put the book down for any length of time. I became so wrapped up in the story that I was able to shut out all other distractions, which is unusual for me. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. The pages turned at a furious rate as I galloped my way through the book. I think that as I had taken to Kitty so well that I needed to know if she solved the case and if she survived. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had wanted to. I was wanting to ration how much of the book I read at any one time so I could prolong my enjoyment of the story but I was enjoying the book so much that any attempts at rationing were thrown out of the window.
'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' is really well written. The author certainly knows how to start the story with a bang or in this case in the form of a newspaper report about the disappearance of Kitty's mother. I loved the fact that the author has set this book in the 1930s, which is a period that fascinates me. Through Helena's very vivid and realistic descriptions, I really did feel as though I had been picked up and transported back to the Thirties with all the relevant sights and sounds. I also felt as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' and I will definitely be recommending it to other readers. I look forward to reading many more books in the series featuring Kitty Underhay. Fortunately I don't have too long to wait because the second book in the series called 'Murder At Enderley Hall' is due for release on 19th March 2020. The score on the board for 'Murder At The Dolphin Hotel' just has to be 5* out of 5*.

As soon as I saw the setting I knew I wanted to read this. I spent many happy holidays in Dartmouth as a child, and remember looking out at the beautiful view of the river from a hotel window just as Kitty does in the story. Plus I always enjoy a good cosy set in the 1930's!

So Murder at the Dolphin Hotel ticked several boxes for me before I even started to read it. It also turned out to be an excellent mystery with many twists and turns and an unpredictable ending. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading more about them in future books.

A good story well told and recommended to followers of the genre.

Exciting Cozy British Mystery
This is the first of a new series that should be fantastic. This story brings to mind 'The Maltese Falcon'. There are plenty of twists and turns, subterfuge and misdirection. In short, a mystery lover's mystery. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Kitty Underhay's mother disappeared when she was five; her father was gone even before then. She grew up with her grandmother at the Dolphin Hotel. During the summer of 1933, Kitty's great-aunt is ill so her grandmother travels to be with her leaving Kitty and the regular staff to run the hotel. Also present will be the new security officer, Matthew Bryant. He was a captain in the military and trained to help protect.
Why a new security officer? Kitty doesn't know this but her grandmother has been receiving threatening letters. They imply that there is something valuable at the hotel and the sender wants it back. And there's a mysterious death. Then another. It's up to Kitty to figure out what's going on.
I liked the character development and forgave a little bit of shallowness for this being a first book but I also felt like the story was well built out. There were people thrown in at the end that weren't even well-disguised red herrings. Connections between characters magically appeared. And while the book started off strong, there was some time in the middle that I had to force myself to pick up the book to keep going. I hope that some of these things (story, character building, pacing) will be worked out in the next book in the series.

Three stars
This book came out December 11th
ARC kindly provided by Bookouture and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

As much as I love a heart-racing, hang onto your seat thriller, there’s something about slowing down and being completely engrossed in a cozy mystery during the holiday season that I absolutely love.

The Murder at the Dolphin Hotel takes place in the summer of 1933 in Dartmouth, England. Mrs. Treadwell (Grams) owns the beautiful Dolphin hotel, which is always bustling during the summer. However, Grams must reluctantly leave since her sister took quite the tumble resulting in some broken bones. While Grams trusts her granddaughter Kitty Underhay to run the hotel in her absence, she decides to hire ex-army Captain Matthew Bryant as head of security to keep an eye on things. The timing couldn’t be more perfect since Grams been receiving some ominous and threatening letters regarding some sort of treasure.

While Kitty may have brushed off Grams concerns at first, strange things start happening. After Kitty discovers that someone has rummaged through her belongings and people are being attacked/murdered, she realizes that she may actually be in serious danger. Matt and Kitty realize that they have to work together in order to figure out what is happening before Kitty loses the hotel or her life.

From the very first chapter, I was sucked into this storyline. I loved that Kitty is an independent and headstrong woman that is capable of not only running a hotel in the 1930s, but that she can also help solve mysteries without completely losing her sanity. She was such a fantastic character to get behind. Matt and Kitty were a lot of fun to watch together and complement each other throughout the story. They make a fantastic team, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for them in the future. I loved all the twists and turns that this whodunnit presented, which left me guessing up until the very end.

Overall, if you’re looking for a great cozy murder mystery then definitely give this one a read!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

"They fetched a body out the river this morning"

With a dead body virtually on her doorstep, Kitty really wasn't thinking anything amiss.  But when she feels herself purposefully pushed into the path of an oncoming coal lorry, she starts to wonder.   On discovering that her room had been methodically searched, she's sure there's something going on.

And so starts her adventure.  Kitty is determined to solve this, even if the local constabulary seems to not give it too much importance. 

This is my first encounter with Dixon's writing,  but what an introduction!   Endearing, engaging characters; and a fast moving plot line filled with unexpected twists and turns.   This is a whodunit that you will not want to put down till it's done!

I really enjoyed Dolphin Hotel, cannot wait to read more by this wonderful writer!

[I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley, and am leaving an honest review of the book.   The opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.]

It’s 1933 and Kitty Underhay is helping her grandmother, Mrs Treadwell run the Dolphin Hotel. Kitty has lived with her grandmother since she her mother went missing years before. Despite several attempts to locate her mother, she has never been found.
Mrs Treadwell leaves Kitty in charge of the hotel when she has to go away to look after a relative, but not before she employs Captain Matthew Bryant, a war hero who is still troubled by his past, to come and keep an eye on Kitty and look after the security of the hotel. What Mrs Treadwell hasn’t shared with her granddaughter is that someone has been sending anonymous threatening letters to her. When matters take a more sinister turn, Kitty and Matthew make it their business to find out exactly who is behind it all and what it is they are looking for.
I loved this cosy mystery. There were many twists and turns and I couldn’t wait to find out the identity of the perpetrator behind the crimes. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.