Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Really enjoyed this novel. Highly recommend. The cover is pretty.

Very interesting and informative. I live close by to Whitby and I extremely enjoyed this book. Thank you for giving me the chance to read it.

'A serial killer is loose in Yorkshire, and has claimed three victims in three months. Eleven days before each murder, a large purple V is painted on the front door of the victim's house. The victims, all of whom have some association with the occult, are found drained of blood with two red marks on their neck.

When RUBY BARNETT comes home one evening to find a large purple V on her front door, it becomes clear she is the so-called Vampire Killer's next victim. Private Investigators KITT HARTLEY and GRACE EDWARDS have just eleven days to solve the mystery and save Ruby's life. The clock is ticking . . .'

This is the first book I have read by Helen COX, having been intrigued by the synopsis of this book, and I honestly really enjoyed this one.

First, I love anything set in Yorkshire and Whitby especially, so this was right up my street. It had the perfect amount of Whitby folklore mixed into the story as well, but it wasn't cliche in anyway.

I found the story to be interesting and well paced, and I flew through this really quickly. At first the twists were a little predictable, but by the end, I would never have guessed and I was pleasantly surprised.

This was such a fun little book, and something for all of those spooky thriller lovers out there!

Another great installment in the Kitt Hartley series, I'm a big fan as all the characters are quirky and interesting! This novel focuses on an occult murderer in the Whitby area and features around Ruby more. It's an easy to read series with all the characters developing as well as the storylines being exciting and twisty! Looking forward to the next book already 😊

A killer is on the loose and already claimed the lives of 3 victims, When Kitts friend returns home to find the signature v on her front door she knows that Ruby is destined to be the next victim. Kitt springs into action and along with her boyfriend DI Halloran she is determined to find the killer before he claims the life of her friend

A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. I really enjoyed the book. Will definitely recommend this book.

Kitt Hartley is back in this fifth instalment of the series by Helen Cox. In A Witch Hunt in Whitby, a serial killer is on the rampage and has claimed three lives in Yorkshire. When PI trained Kitt's friend Ruby Barnett returns home to find a large purple V daubed on her front door Kitt realises that Ruby is destined to be the next victim, and goes into action with Grace, her assistant to hunt for the 'Vampire Killer' in her private investigator role, alongside her boyfriend, DI Mal Halloran.

A Witch Hunt in Whitby kept me on my toes throughout as I devoured each chapter. I adored being in the company of Kitt again who is smart and funny. With a handy supply of colourful supporting characters, the mystery itself was sound and there was always something going on to keep my attention focused. The clues, twists and red herrings were cleverly placed and with nothing as it seemed, the story was super exciting. This has left me wanting to read the first two books of the series, as well as eagerly anticipating the next instalment.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another great Kitt Hartley murder mystery. There has been a spate of murders with a connection to the occult but when Kitt’s friend Ruby is marked as the next victim Kitt and Grace are on the case. A really enjoyable, lighthearted murder mystery.

I enjoyed this latest instalment in the Kitt Hartley mysteries series.
The book does exactly what it says on the tin and provides a very entertaining whodunnit mystery.
It was very easy to just pick up the book and escape into the story.
I love Whitby, and it was lovely to read a book set in a different location to the standard ‘big cities’ that so many authors favour.
I was fairly new to the series prior to reading this, but the title caught my eye.
I have been pleasantly surprised by this book and I am eagerly awaiting further books by this author!

This book was fun and entertaining to read. I loved the subject matter and it kept me guessing right till the end. And after reading this I want to read other books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for letting me read this book.

When I requested it I did not realise that it was the fifth book in a murder mystery series. However that did not stop me from reading it and you can definitely read this book as a standalone. I did not feel as if I was missing out on any storylines at all. The things you needed to know as a reader where lay out for you in the beginning of the book by the thoughts our main character.

I enjoyed the writing style, it was easy to read, with a lot of conversations so you go through the story very quick. The suspense was great and especially towards the end it got all very thrilling.
I liked the characters and I would like to read more of this series.
I did feel that you got quiet a lot of information at the beginning of the book. First you got a lot of information about our main character and what had expired previously and after that you got a lot of information about the murders and investigation. This was not told while they discovered the information. As a reader you got the info while our main character with her friends was discussing the murders and events. Personally I prefer the information delivered to you as a reader while the characters discover it, instead of being told what they have find out. It was in the beginning a little boring because of that.
However the story picked up after the first couple of 6 a 7 chapters and it became very interesting and fun to follow.

Overall I really liked it and would like to read more about the characters and from the writer.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

There’s a serial killer stalking North Yorkshire and the next target has been selected. Kitt Hartley, part time librarian and private investigator, knows the victim and has just eleven days to solve the mystery and stop the murder.

This is the second Kitt Hartley book I’ve read. I read the first in the series, mainly because it was a mystery set in York - somewhere I lived and worked for a couple of years. The first Kitt Hartley novel was enjoyable enough (although the repetitive way the main character was referred as ‘librarian’ grated on me), but this book is a much more confidently written tale. The serial killer story is nicely plotted, with some red herrings thrown in. Kitt and the supporting characters (Halloran, Grace, Ruby, Evie and Banks) are a well rounded bunch, even though at 37 Kitt isn’t old despite stating she is! It’s a cosy and enjoyable mystery story and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the next one!

3 people have been murdered in Yorkshire, the killer apparently striking with ease. They mark their victims’ homes with a V and 11 days later return to murder them. The killer leaves them with two marks on their necks and a jar of their own blood next to them. This and the V earns the killer the name “The Vampire Killer”.
Private investigators Kitt Hartley and Grace Edwards become involved when their friend Ruby Barnett finds the mark on her front door and realises she is next.
The police are clearly struggling so Ruby asks Kitt & Grace to help before she becomes the killer's next victim.
The trail leads them to Whitby, home to all manner of ghost and vampire stories but will they find the killer before Ruby becomes the next victim.
Loved the setting, having been to Whitby many times I could envisage the setting exactly and it really brought it to life.
The characters were quirky and really interesting.
This is the first Helen Cox book I have read and I loved it. I am going to order the previous Kitt Hartley books so I can catch up on what I have missed.

Bram Stoker brought Dracula to Whitby aboard the Demeter in 1897. Over the years it has become the spiritual home of Vampires, with a fog-shrouded Whitby Abbey replacing the snow-capped Carpathian mountains. More recently it has become a magnet for crime writers.
Helen Cox combines the gothic tropes of a search for a Vampire Killer, and keeping a friendly witch safe, with a good traditional yarn within the crime genre. It works.

Another fantastic book in this series, I enjoyed reading about kitty and grace and it is set in my favourite place whitby, so I can imagine the setting whilst reading it.

Hints of the occult and the paranormal in this story with three murders in three different locations all within Yorkshire. The victims are first warned with a V painted on their front door, and eleven days later they are murdered. When the V is painted on Ruby's door a ninety year old harmless Tarot reader, private Investigators Kitt and Grace spring into action to protect Ruby and get to the bottom of this mystery which has baffled the police.

The local constabulory does not like private investigators getting involved in their investigations but because of Kitt's relationship with Mal a local Detective, they both keep each other in the loop with whatever each has turned up hoping to find who is responsible for the three deaths so far.

The story moves on far beyond the surface and now goes back decades to uncover a history of hidden resentments, and revenge being sought for damages and humiliation suffered so many years ago. The link between the three murders first thought to be only the occult now shows up further links to the women killed. Being Whitby there is a lot of goth action, vampire cults and references to Dracula.

It was not easy to work out who the killer was because there were so many suspects who were very plausible for playing the role of murderer. I did not get it myself till the end.

4.5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Kitt Hartley mystery series by Helen Cox.

I have read three books in this series now and discovered that I somehow missed where Kitt became a P.I. That is a new and interesting twist I wasn’t expecting. I totally enjoyed the first book in the series where I got to meet D.I. Mal Halloran. Definitely a favorite character for me. I wish he had the same spark and passion as in book one. I loved how he was depicted in that one. It is almost like he has decided to just let Kitt do what she wants even though it might get him in trouble with his superiors for having such a nosey girlfriend. I think maybe the conflict in this area was what made the paring of Kitt and Mal so good in the beginning.

For me this was less about the mystery and more about the characters. I find them to be the major focus and love learning about all of their lives. The mystery was thrilling and captivating, don’t get me wrong. There are just some books you just want to walk into and see how your friends are doing before even touching the mystery of the thing.

Overall it is a great read. And a wonderful series!

Loved so much about it. If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.

This is the fifth book in the series but the first one I have read. I am pleased to say you don’t need to have read the others to enjoy it. There are brief mentions of older cases but on the whole it’s a stand alone story. I like the plot, it was thought out and flowed well. I enjoyed the writing style and reading about the characters and will be going back and reading the other books in the series. I recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of a cozy mystery. Thank you #net galley.

4.5 Stars
A serial killer is loose in Yorkshire, and has claimed three victims in three months. Eleven days before each murder, a large purple V is painted on the front door of the victim's house. The victims, all of whom have some association with the occult, are found drained of blood with two red marks on their neck. When Ruby Barnett comes home one evening to find a large purple V on her front door, it becomes clear she is the so-called Vampire Killer's next victim. Private Investigators Kitt Hartley and Grace Edwards have just eleven days to solve the mystery and save Ruby's life. The clock is ticking .
This is the fifth book in the series & my favourite so far. Of course if it’s vampires in Yorkshire it has to take place in Whitby! Another well written page turner, which I read in two sittings. There were twists & turns & on the plus side I didn’t work out who the murderer was. Quirky characters all add to the enjoyment, I love Kitt & of course Grace. I hope there are many more books to come
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read