Kitty Underhay has recently discovered she has more family than she thought! Her father's sister lives nearby and she has been invited to stay with her aunt, uncle and cousin at Enderley Hall. After helping to solve a murder and putting herself in considerable danger, Kitty is looking forward to a week of getting to know her new relatives and relaxing in the countryside.

The house is thrown into confusion soon after her arrival however, when it is discovered highly sensitive papers have disappeared potentially putting the country at grave risk. Knowing her friend, Captain Matthew Bryant, would be able to help she invites him to join the houseguests whilst assisting her uncle locate the culprit and the missing plans. When a murder is committed and the police are called Kitty and Matt once again find themselves at the heart of the investigation.

While I enjoyed this book very much there was more than a hint of Agatha Christie here. The plans missing from a country house theme was one of the great lady's Poirot short stories and I was quite quickly reminded of that as I began to read. The difference in this full length novel is the details, scene setting and secondary topics are far more detailed. That said I felt there were some slightly too obvious sign posts pointing towards the culprit's identity and a few plot holes, the largest of which would have negated the final action scenes altogether. It could have been averted by a simple relocation of an important item which, in such a large house, wouldn't have been too difficult.

Once again Kitty and Matt are brilliant protagonists who spark off each other and, by being aware of different things in everyday situations, compliment each other's investigation techniques. The acceptable way of treating those more, or less, fortunate than yourself or the 'weaker sex' in the 1930's is far more obvious in this country house mystery than it was in book one and although it fits well into the story still has the ability to shock.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cosy crime series or country house mystery as the problems mentioned don't detract too much from a very enjoyable read.

Matt and Kitty were back in the summer of 1933 investigating the disappearance of important papers from a safe and a murder mystery. Were both connected, or was it connected to Kitty's parents?

My second book by author Helena Dixon, the entire setting of the Enderley Hall gave an eerie feeling to the prose. Kitty's instincts were right when she felt something nasty was afoot. The author's writing kept the pace rolling on as new details came to light. Another death added to the need to solve the mystery.

Past and present overlapped when the murdered lady called Kitty by her mother's name before her death. Though it was Matt who was the prime investigator, Kitty too ably helped him providing him various insights about the people the house. Her intelligence sparkled at the end as she did solve the mystery, quite clever were the clues weaved into the story. Kitty did take some risks but lived to narrate her tale.

This was a fun whodunit where a few red herrings added to the suspense. I would like to say I knew who was the killer, but I actually didn't as the author had hidden the perp well. Overall, a fun read.

I read the first book in this series where I first met Kitty Underhay, so was really thrilled when I saw the second book was available on netgalley.

In this instalment Kitty goes off to meet her aunt Lady Medford and cousin Lucy, she has only recently found out about them from her father, who she hadn’t seen since she was 4. Taking Alice one of the young girls from the hotel with her, as her ladies maid. Kitty was looking forward to meeting her long lost family but was also nervous. She hoped that she may also find out a little more about her mother’s disappearance. Although she wasn’t sure if they had ever met her. Lady Medford was her fathers sister.

Unfortunately, when she gets to Enderley she senses things aren’t right, she gets on with Lucy really well, they become firm friends. But things start happening, her uncle has important papers stolen from his locked safe. Papers that in the wrong hands could cause the country problems. There are a number of characters that are suspects, Kitty calls Captain Matthew Bryant who had helped her previously at the Dolphin Hotel, he was also now an investigator. He arranges to go and stay at Enderley Hall.

When Nanny Thoms sees Kitty she calls her by her mother’s name Elowed, which throws Kitty a little as she didn’t know that any of them had met her mother. Lady Medford soon dismisses the comment. But Kitty is determined to find out more. But before she gets any chance to speak more with Nanny Thoms, Murder takes place. Things start to get worse, with more murders. Each visitor to Enderley seems to have some sort of secret. Who is safe? Who has the stolen papers? Who is committing the murders?.

This is a good cozy mystery, seeing the characters of Kitty and Matt grow from book one is good, Matt is still trying to get over the Great War and the loss of his wife and child, Kitty knows he lost his wife, but she doesn’t yet know any of the details. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series to see if Kitty and Matt get together as a couple.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Bookouture for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review

Book 2 in this cozy mystery series and I enjoyed it very much.

I read the first book too and I liked that a lot also, but this one even topped it. I already met the two main characters Matt and Kitty and some people of their entourage and I was happy so see them connect again.

We know a bit about their backgrounds, but the author has left us partialy in the dark. To find out the rest, there is nothing left for us to do then to keep coming back to satisfy our curiosity. :)

Kitty is fun. She is brave, but often acts before she thinks in the heat of the moment. Matt, on the other hand, is concerned and thinks maybe a bit too much. They really complement each other, but they still need to figure out the right balance. 

A very nice story that made me gamble on the wrong horse again. 

Normally I prefer more modern settings, but the covers reel me in every time and the storytelling is so good that I don't mind about the date anymore. 5 stars

Thank you, Helena Dixon and Bookouture

This is book 2 in a series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Kitty is off to visit family she didn’t know she had with a borrowed chambermaid Alice.
Things seem off at her aunt and uncles house.
Nanny Thomas is found dead and Kitty’s friend Matt comes to investigate.Also missing are some important papers.
A good cozy mystery.Well written.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

It's the summer of 1933 and Kitty Underhay is still reeling from all of the things that happened at The Dolphin. Where her long-absent and a very criminal father has come and gone in a cloud of suspicion.

But the one good thing to come out of it all is finding out she has family! Hoping it may bring her more information on her mother, who went missing in 1916, Kitty happily accepts her cousin's request to come to Enderley Hall and stay a bit. Get to know the aunt and uncle and maybe have a bit of fun.

Kitty and her maid, Alice, feel something is off the minute they enter the home. Everyone is twitchy and no one seems to know anything about her mother or the visit she paid them just before she disappeared.  Nanny Thoms remembers though and she gives Kitty just a snippet here and there before she is found at the bottom of the kitchen stairs.

Important papers are missing, people are being murdered and thank goodness Matt arrives to help investigate what is going on.

This is the second in the series and I enjoyed it just as much! Matt and Kitty are such strong characters and I can't wait for more of their adventures!

NetGalley/ March 19th, 2020 by Bookoture

This is the second novel from Helena Dixon and the second to also feature the delightful Kitty Underhay, You do not need to have read the first, but it does help fill in a bit of the background of Kitty and the dashing private detective Matt Bryant. 

Kitty having discovered family she did not know she had and that they lived fairly close by she goes on a visit. 

Having borrowed a chambermaid from the hotel she lives in with her grandmother, Kitty sets off on a new adventure to meet these relatives. 

There is an Aunt and Uncle plus a cousin, as well as a few more assmeled house guests that make up such a house party. Her Uncle is obviously involved in some important government work and as tensions are growing in Europe, it is 1933 and things are changing, there is an air of mystery to the whole proceedings especially when some important papers go missing. 

Then old Nanny Thoms is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. 

Kitt's friend Matt Bryant turns up and proves to be useful in getting to what is really going on at Enederly Hall.

Then another body turns up, guest are arrested and mysterious faces at the window and bodies in lakes all start to get a bit too much for Kitty. 

Surely Kitty is not going to lose the family she has only just found?

This is a wonderful second novel and starts to fill in the gaps about Kitty's family. It is a wonderful take on a the country house murder mystery and the growing friendship between Kitty and Matt is delightful. The added dimension of it being a history murder mystery is all the more interesting as you can see how in these interwar years, the First World War is still very much affecting people and the obvious growing threat in Europe is goign to have some sort of effect.

There is much to like about these two novels so far in the series I look forward to seeing what other mischief Kitty gets embroiled in. The series could potentially run for a while.

Another great book in the series!
This book can be read as. a stand alone, but some of the character references will be clearer if you read the first book.
In this second book, Kitty, the amateur sleuth, has been invited at long last to meet and spend a week with her aunt, uncle and cousin from her father's side. After years of not knowing anyone or anything from his family she is eager to go and meet them. But things at Enderley Hall take a turn for the worse when some very valuable papers are stolen from her uncle, papers that could have devastating consequences for our country. While the search for the missing papers begins, a member of the household turns up dead. As the body count starts to pile up, Matt (Kitty's "friend from book one), the police, Kitty's uncle, and the staff are all trying to figure out which member of the family, staff, or guest would commit these crimes and what have they done with the missing papers. When things get totally out of hand, Kitty finds herself in the midst of the nightmare and she is willing to sacrifice herself for her newfound family and the country's safety, much to Matts dismay.
Great story with a perfect mixture of mystery, suspense, romance, and family to make this a wonderful cozy mystery book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free copy of MURDER AT ENDERLEY HALL (A Miss Underhay Mystery, Book 2) by Helena Dixon in exchange for an honest review. Kitty Underhay has been invited to spend a week with her father’s family, so Kitty travels to Enderley Hall to meet her aunt, uncle, and cousin. When an elderly family retainer is found dead at the same time important government documents go missing from the office of Kitty’s uncle, Kitty, with the blessing of her new family, enlists the investigatory assistance of ex-army captain Matthew Bryant. As more bodies appear and the papers remain missing, everyone’s anxiety increases. With lives and national security at risk, Kitty does what she can to find the killer and recover the documents.

I liked this book and the prior, as well. Kitty is unusually independent for the era; this eventually causes conflict between her and her romantic interest. This book also adds more details about the disappearance of Kitty’s mother. I recommend this book to fans of pre-WWII cozy mysteries in a country manor setting.

#MurderatEnderleyHall #NetGalley

I devoured the first Miss Underhay mystery and I was so excited to read the second book in this new series. Ms. Dixon did not disappoint me and I look forward to future books in this wonderful series. The characters are relatable, the storyline is exciting, and the author kept me guessing about the ending.

I had just finished the first book when I started this. A lovely cosy mystery. Nothing too heavy, set in the 1930s, it has spies - with a radio - a country house complete with Laboratory, Inventor, Secretary, a couple of safes, family and servants. All adding up to several murders, suspects and sleuths rushing round.

A wonderful book, I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

After being introduced to Kitty and Matt in the first book last year, it was good to read about them again.

This is set in the 1930s and the era is very well depicted.

If you enjoy cosy period mysteries then you will enjoy this!

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

This was the second in the series but it was fine to read as a standalone. I actually dont think I need to read the first book because this book did go into detail about what happened previously.

It was a quick, cosy read but I found certain parts a little repetitive.

There are also some edits that need to be reviewed which I found a little off putting but appreciate it was an arc.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc.

Kitty Underhay is invited to Enderley Hall to visit with her estranged father’s family. Discovering by chance that her mother had once called in at Enderley Hall, Kitty asks her new-found relatives about the visit, but no one wants to talk about it. She sets out to discover why, and if there is any connection to her mother’s disappearance so long ago.

What Kitty does not expect is to find herself embroiled in yet another murder-mystery. When top secret documents are stolen from the family safe, and people start showing up murdered, Kitty calls upon for help from her good friend and super-sleuth Matt.

Together, Kitty and Matt embark on a whirlwind, dangerous quest to find the stolen documents and the killer.

Engaging cozy-mystery set in the 1930’s. Relevant historical details, societal class conventions, and suspenseful, clever storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of Helena Dixon’s, Murder at Enderley Hall (A Miss Underhay Mystery Book 2).

Opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

Excellent cosy mystery! I already enjoyed the first book very much (the setting, the main characters, the story) and was very happy to follow Kitty and Matt in another mystery.

The story was gripping, it escalated from stolen documents to murder with the disparition of Kitty's mother still in the background. I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.

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

historical-fiction, historical-research, england, 1930s, murder, treason, family-dynamics, cozy-mystery

Kitty only knew that her mother disappeared in 1916 and that her father is rather disreputable, so it's surprising to find out that she has other relatives living nearby. They are very welcoming, but her aunt simply doesn't discuss Kitty's mother. When some valuable scientific papers go missing Kitty calls on the man who has helped before and he arrives about the same time as the first body turns up. Let the sleuthing begin! Danger, suspicions, and other murders ensue. Great characters and a smooth plot full of misdirection and red herrings.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

This book is perfectly fine as a stand alone but I liked it so much that I went ahead and bought the earlier book!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. But the ending gave me pause; I get that it was a different generation, but I do so hate when the men think they know best and want women to “be safe”. And I hate women just impetuously jumping into dangerous situations and then getting huffy when people who care about them worry about their safety.

Dartmouth, England 1933.
Kitty Underhay is living with her grandmother and visiting great aunt at the Dolphin Hotel. She has been invited to visit Enderley Hall by her father’s estranger sister, Lady Medford and her cousin Lucy Medford.
Kitty is worried that she will be totally out of her depth in such aristocratic company, but she never expected to be thrown into a world of forgery, industrial espionage, murder and deception.
This murder mystery is perfect evocation of life in the 1930s in a society where social class, economic status, money and reputation determined your entire prospects in life.
From the fortune-telling cook to the ditsy heiress, the ritual dressing for dinner through to the impact of the first world war in a country without a benefits system, right through to the life of the uneducated servants who make this world possible, this story has it all.
An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.

Really enjoyed this country house mystery.
Set in the 1930s, thisbis the second in the Miss Underhay mystery series.
Kitty Underhay is an endearing protagonist who has her own parental mystery to solve which runs as a subplot to her investigation.
Kitty's relationship with Captain Matthew Bryant adds a touch of romance and it will be interesting to see how the characters develop in future books.
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next installment of Kitty's adventures.
Thanks @Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

What an enjoyable cozy murder mystery!

It was great that it started with an act of thievery, that then escalated into murder. Were these two related?

I didn't read the first in the series but it is evident that the main characters, Kitty and Matt, work well together and have built a strong friendship. I love how the author doesn't give us a full picture of either, the reader is still left with questions about both, although the author does reveal a little more. While the crimes take place in her aunt's home, just after Kitty's arrival. That's not why she's there though...rather she is looking to get to know more about her family. And her mother! This dimension is a lovely touch, adding depth without detracting from the main story.

The story is set in 1933, the context of the "Great War" provides depths to the characters, who they are, the choices they make and the way they respond to the changing circumstances.

I had expected Kitty to be more directly involved throughout the story, her keen insights were essential to the resolution of the case and many of her actions fly in the face of accepted behaviour for the times. (Always an element that makes a book more enjoyable for me!)

My thanks to #Netgalley, the publisher #Bookouture and the author for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I am very grateful.