Lovely episode in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.

In the spring of 1936, Kitty and her best friend, Alice, are off to Bird Island to assess a new hotel. The owner, Sir Norman, wants to join the local hoteliers association and Kitty is meant to give her blessing. When they arrive, they find that the future bride to Sir Norman has invited a few guests as well. Shortly after the parties arrive, Sir Norman is found dead in his office. Nothing to be done except to call the police — Matt and the local inspectors arrive on the next boat.

This was fast and fun and though I had figured out the murder, there were some surprises along the way. I enjoy the interplay between Kitty, Alice, and Matt, who have become like old friends. I love the detail and descriptions of that time period and everything from the decor to the food service. I hope to see more about the personal lives of Matt and Kitty in future installments. The focus is typically on other characters and the crime being solved, and they seem like an old married couple rather than basically almost newlyweds. I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I recommend the entire series and definitely it’s one that should be started at the beginning and read in order.

This is a classic whodunit in the Agatha Christie style. It seems to be the newest installment of a series, but this is the first one I have read.
The author sets up a murder on an island where someone there is the murderer. Things get murky before a second murder happens, complicating the situation further, until Mrs. Kitty Bryant, amateur sleuth, can determine who the killer is.

I can imagine many murder mystery fans will enjoy this, but it didn't really do it for me. I felt like the story needed more background, more of a plot beyond the actual murder, to draw in the reader before the murder takes place. It was like "Oh, we're on an island, and boom, someone is dead. Let's figure out who did it." I didn't feel like we got to know the characters well enough, and I didn't find the murderer all that surprising,

3.75 stars

The latest in a reliably entertaining series. Main character, Kitty who runs a hotel with her grandmother, and her friend/coworker Alice are enroute to check out a new hotel to see if it qualifies for membership in a hotelier group. The hotel is on an isolated but beautiful island, and naturally, the weather turns bad immediately after they arrive, trapping everyone on the island.

On the island is the owner of the hotel, Norman, his fiance Marie, and a troupe of actors rehearsing for a play Marie has written. This outing is supposed to be a sort of dress rehearsal for the hard opening of the inn.

But Norman is discovered dead in suspicious circumstances. It appears that he was murdered but the killer tried to make it look like suicide. The bad weather continues and for a couple days only Kitty and Alice are investigating. When the weather clears, Kitty's husband and investigating partner Matt and the police arrive. As facts are uncovered, it's obvious that Norman was on shaky financial ground and there are plenty of suspects.

These mysteries have a strong and blessedly angst free cast in the between the wars English setting and they are always a worthwhile read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It good, I liked almost everything about it honestly. Just had something missing j can’t name off the top of my head. Thank you for giving me this book

Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for this ARC. The series is back on track, the last one was a bit predictable but this one had me guessing until the end.

Great read! Started off a little slow but then I couldn’t put it down! I wasn’t aware it was part of a series however it does great as a stand alone. I’ll definitely be reading the rest! The main characters work well together as partners and as a couple. The mystery was great, I didn’t see the ending coming at all and was so surprised!

Kitty Underhay's agreement to assist in inspections of new members of the Torbay Hoteliers' Association was tainted by a sudden death. Kitty and her friend Alice arrive at a beautiful island and are excited to see the grand hotel that has recently been refurbished.

The invitation that Kitty received was sent by Sir Norman Whittier, the Bird Hotel's proprietor. Quite familiiar about how all things run in hotels, as Kitty's grandmother runs the Dolphin Hotel, a place where Kitty worked for years, she agrees to attend the grand opening. Although Alice is a chambermaid at the Dolphin, she is also Kitty's dear friend.

Kitty is equally impressed with the Bird Hotel and with with Sir Norman. However, when he dies by an apparent suicide, Kitty is highly doubtful that this is the case. Many times over Kitty has proved more than effective as a private investigator, and so she is determined to find the real cause of Sir Norman's death, as well as the person responsible.

Always careful not to show her hand, Kitty knows exactly what questions to ask or works well when it comes to eliminating suspects. Danger grows close more than once for Kitty, especially as more deaths might be on the horizon. Her husband Matt arrives on the island to see about Kitty, as well as to participate in the investigation at hand.

Kitty remains intrepid, and there is a small peek into her married life with Matt. I am very much looking forward to book 16 in this engaging series and I would love to see what their next case brings, as well as how they are growing in their marriage. Also, Alice's future is interesting to follow and I hope Kitty's dog Bertie continues to make appearances. 15 books in and Kitty is as delightful as ever. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous books in this charming series, and love feeling as if I am a part of Kitty's various adventures.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Murder at the Island Hotel is another great installment in the Miss Underhay series.
Kitty is my favorite hotelier/ private investigator and I love that she gets to head check out a new up-and-coming hotel with her bestie Alice. And of course, things already seem odd with the guests as soon as they arrive. Then they find the body and off investigating they go! Kitty and Alice have great instincts when solving a murder, and once Matt finds out what's going on he and the police head out to help figure out what's happened on the island.
This case was full of twists and turns and had some surprising moments I didn't see coming. This story kept me sucked in from the first page, and I couldn't wait to see how it was all going to end!

Put on the kettle and get ready for a cozy, historical beach mystery set in the 1930’s in another gripping, edge of your seat Underhay mystery novel by Helena Dixon. A who-dun-it that will keep you up all night until you finished reading it as the kettle purrs softly in the background and the shortbread cookies beckon. As Kitty and Alice are asked to review the hotel on Bird Island before its official opening, bad weather, murder, and a series of suspicious actors join in the fun and apprehension. As the Chief Inspector Greville, Kitty’s captain-husband Matt, and the irascible Inspector Lewis attempt to interrogate the few visitors on the island about the crimes, Kitty, the independent private detective and her sidekick best friend Alice, piece together the mystery, much to the consternation of the guests and the eye-rolling Inspector Lewis. With some interesting characters, plenty of twists and turns, and a few tragedies, Helena Dixon manages to entertain her readers with another good cozy mystery in a seaside setting – the perfect book for a rainy weekend and a pot or several of Earl Gray. I simply couldn’t put it down. The book had me analyzing and guessing from start to finish. If you like a good, clean who-dun-it you can read in one sitting, Dixon’s latest in the series doesn’t disappoint. With relatable characters and a mansion mystery feel, this standalone in the Underhay series has it all. Five stars all-around. I received a copy from Net Galley.

It is the Spring of 1936 and Kitty Bryant and her friend Alice have gone over to the newly established Bird Hotel on the remote Bird Island, to do an assessment of the Hotel for admission to the Torbay Hoteliers Association.
They are looking forward to an evening of simple enjoyment, good food, with pleasing company in beautiful surroundings, until Sir Norman is found dead, apparently taking his own life, which makes little sense as he was very excited to be able to finally open his Hotel to the wider public. As the hour’s tick away and the brewing storm increases in strength it becomes obvious something is far from right.
Stormy weather sees the phone line down, help from the Torbay Police unable to be given, leaving everyone at the Hotel wondering what will happen next. Kitty steps in in her usual calm manner to ensure the scene of the ‘murder’ is left untouched.
When help finally does arrive, it is far too late for one of the other guests who appears to have fallen to his death on a crumbling cliff walk. Kitty and Alice find themselves, once again the midst of murder, both trying in as discrete manner as possible, to gather as much information from the others as possible.
Who is telling mistruths and who is not is the real question and once the real state of Sir Norman Whittier’s financial affairs is known, it seems several of the guests, including his fiancé Marie Monbiere, could well have had good reason to murder the man.
Murder at the Island Hotel has a well thought out plot, populated with very interesting cast of characters, all of whom are thespians or connected to the world of theatre, which adds a further intriguing layer to this delightfully old- fashioned cozy murder mystery.

This was the first book in the series that I have read. I don't think that I missed anything from not reading the earlier books.

It's like a 1930's version of an Agatha Christie book. I was will say that I was not the hugest fan. I can see why it's popular and why other people like it so much. However, I found the mystery predictable and kind of boring.

I love this series, with each book it gets better and better. This latest book was a nice twist, as the mystery revolved around Kitty and Alice for the first half of the book. I love all the characters, the little side glimpses into their personal lives, and the twists and turns the murder mysteries always seem to take. This one had me a little stumped, and I did not figure the ending out correctly!! Cannot recommend enough to all cozy mystery lovers.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Murder at the Island Hotel (Miss Underhay, #15) by Helena Dixon

My Thoughts /

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Bookouture publishing and author, Helena Dixon for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for March 04, 2024.

The opening of the fifteenth book in the Miss Underhay series, Murder at the Island Hotel, author, Helena Dixon has Kitty Bryant and her close friend, Alice Miller travelling to inspect a newly opened hotel for possible inclusion into the Torbay Hoteliers Association. The hotel, aptly named the Bird Hotel, takes pride of place on a remote island just off the Devon Coast - Bird Island. Kitty and her beloved grandmother were the proprietors of the Dolphin Hotel, and both are very experienced in hotel management. When head of the Hoteliers Association comes down with shingles, she leaves the screening of the application for the Bird Hotel to join the Association down to Kitty and Alice.

The Island is remote and only way to access the Hotel is by boat. The Hotel's owner, Sir Norman Whittier has invited a small group over to the Island, to test out the Hotel's accommodations and two staff members prior to the grand opening. The group comprised Norman's fiancé, theatrical actress and opera singer, Miss Marie Monbiere, and a small selection of close friends, with Kitty and Alice making up the end numbers.

Upon arrival at the Hotel, both Kitty and Alice are pleasantly surprised. The building and furnishings are opulent, and the surrounding grounds have been exquisitely planted and are neatly manicured. It's obvious that no expense has been spared with the renovations and guests can looking forward to a richly relaxing experience. It's the perfect place for a perfect holiday. On the surface, everything is just right. But, look a little deeper, and…..

Sir Norman was found unresponsive sitting behind the desk in his office, he was sprawled forwards, face down, with a gun in his hand, and an ominous dark red pool of blood oozing from his head.

In case you missed it….Sir Norman Whittier had been shot.

Was it murder, or was it a suicide? Since everyone in their little group are the only ones on the Island, everyone is a suspect. An evening storm lashes the Island, and the phone lines are down, which puts paid to any attempts at contacting the local police. It seems it's up to Kitty and Alice to secure the scene and try to work out what happened to Sir Norman.

When a second body is found at the bottom of the cliffs, floating lifeless in the sea, everyone points the finger at someone else. It's a case of everyone is lying and everyone has something to hide. Facts are being omitted and untruths are being told. The only thing Kitty and Alice know for sure, is that someone on the Island is a murderer.

Set in the 1930s, there is an old-fashioned charm to the language used in the story. Although I must admit to a little annoyance at the way Alice spoke, it kind of got on my nerves.

To put it in context, her use of the word 'as' did my head in -

"I said as this sea looked rough. I'm glad as I didn't wear my best hat, this spray would have soon put paid to it."

"I hope as it's all cleared away for when we have to go back on the boat."

"Good thing as we packed a few extra things."

'Alice' was mentioned 425 times in the book, so you get the gist. I'm having a bit of a laugh about this, now that I'm writing this in the review, but at the time, all I wanted to do was cringe.

The mystery itself was fairly simplistic, but as always in a good cosy, it's the characters that keep us coming back (even when they annoy the heck out of us!).

Entertaining and well plotted, I'm now heading back to book #1 to see where it all began.

I’ve been a fan of the Miss Underhay series since the very first book. And Murder at the Island Hotel is no exception.

It’s such a joy to be back with this group of favourite characters again. This time, Kitty, Matt, and Alice end up stuck in a hotel on an island with murders happening.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was so much fun trying to figure out who had committed the murders, and there was a twist I definitely wasn’t expecting!

Overall, this was another fun and intriguing murder mystery in a favourite series. I can’t wait to read the next one.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Murder at the Island Hotel takes place in 1936 and the setting is a beautiful island off the English coast. This is the first book I've read in this series and although its the 14th in this series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.
Kitty and her best friend Alice are excited to attend the soft opening of a luxurious hotel on Bird Island. The only way to the island is by boat. Shortly after arrival, the proprietor is found dead in his office. Kitty quickly takes charge when she suspects his death was murder and staged as a suicide. A storm hits, the phone goes dead, and she can't reach the mainland until the following day. They are trapped on the island with a murderer. When the police and kitty's husband Matt arrive, they agree with Kitty's assessment and the questioning begins. This was a fast paced mystery that kept me guessing til the end. This was a fun read and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Kitty and Alice are expecting a weekend getaway in luxury and pampering, but what they get instead is murder. Arriving at a newly renovated hotel secreted away on an island, their goal is to assess whether the standards of the place align with membership to an exclusive club in the hotel industry. But the owner ends up dead in his study, and weather keeps everyone sequestered on the island, meaning that Kitty and Alice are trapped there with a killer. This read kept me turning the pages. There's lots of interviews once police arrive, but that paired with Kitty's inquisitive mind is the recipe to solving this mystery.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reading copy.

Kitty and Alice go to Bird Island to consider the application by the hotel there for admission to the Torbay Hotellier Association. Far from being relaxing, a storm blows in and their host Sir Norman is found dead…

This was another engaging read in the series - this is the 14th book, but they go from strength to strength.
This introduces the question of a family for Matt and Kitty, and dangles a bit more about Alice and Robert for us, which I look forward to reading more about. Overall, a great read and as always, I eagerly await the next book.

One request though - for the love of puppies and Christmas, can Matt break the habit of saying “sir” in virtually every sentence he says to the police? I get being polite and respectful. But it’s verging on “yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir”, because it’s all. The. Fricking. Time. I found a tiny part of my brain wincing in pain every time I read it. I gave it 4.75 stars on Storygraph because of this really annoying habit, but couldn’t bump it down to 4 stars on NetGalley where they don’t do fractions.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Sir Norman Whittier, proprietor of the new Bird Hotel on Bird Island, is found dead of a gunshot wound by his fiancée opera singer, Miss Marie Monbiere. Kitty Bryant, proprietor of the Dolphin Hotel, and her best friend, Alice, are Sir Norman’s invited guests at the Bird Hotel. Since Kitty works with her husband as a private investigator, she is the perfect person to determine the true cause of Sir Norman’s death.

I like the old-fashioned charm of this book that is set in the 1930s. It is perfect for the reader in search of a nostalgic get-away. I like Kitty and Matt together and find myself wanting more to happen with them. The plot progresses in a sensible manner and has a satisfying conclusion. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review the ARC of MURDER AT THE ISLAND HOTEL.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture I was able to read an advanced copy of this book.
This is the 15th book in the Miss Underhay series, but it can be read as a standalone. This is my first time reading a book in this series, but I will definitely read the others in the series cause I highly enjoyed this one

This story takes place in 1936 and our FMC Kitty has been asked to go to the Bird Hotel on Bird island before it opens to tourists. Kitty has been asked to go to Bird Hotel because the owner Sir Norman has applied to be a member of the Torbay Hoteliers Association. Kitty has gone to Bird Island to see if Sir Normans hotel matches the requirements to join the association which will attract more tourists.
Sir Norman has invited a small group to the island to test the hotel before it opens, but there is an unexpected murder and it is now up to Kitty to solve this murder.

I loved the language in this book and the descriptions of the surroundings and the hotel made me feel like I was right there with Kitty.
I highly recommend this book if you like cozy mysteries🤩

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "Murder At The Island Hotel" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 15th book in the wonderful Miss Underhay series. I have enjoyed all the books in the series and this book is equally well craft. It has the feel of a locked room mystery, set on an island, in a storm.

The story begins as always with the Torbay Herald - this time it's February 1936 and we learn that the Bird Hotel will be opening on Bird Island come Easter. Sir Norman Whitter is the proprietor. Kitty Bryant has been asked by her grandmother - who since retiring from the Dolphin Hotel has become the head of the Torbay Hoteliers Association - to screen the application of Sir Norman to join the association. When Vera Appleton-Finch from the Somerton Hotel comes down with shingles and can't accompany Kitty, she asks Alice her dearest friend to accompany her. If there is something that Alice doesn't know about the hotel trade, it's not worth knowing. Kitty says it will be a nice little holiday, they'll stay in a posh hotel - what could possibly go wrong?

Sir Norman has invited a small group over to the island to test the hotel out before they open to the public. Most are theatre friends of his finance Miss Marie Monbiere who is an opera singer. Paul Browing is a fellow actor, Lambert Pike is their theatrical agent, Selena Headingly is an actress, Alec Standish an actor and Colin Frobisher a financier. There are only 2 staff at the hotel - husband and wife - Ethel and Albert. On the surface everything seems delightful but there is something strange, a tension in the air.

There is of course, a murder at the hotel behind a locked door. Kitty promises that she doesn't go looking for these things, they just happen when she is around. Was it murder, or was it a suicide? Everyone on the island has a motive. The phone lines are down but after several attempts Kitty is able to get through to the police station. But there is a fierce storm making a boat crossing from Chief Inspector Greville and Inspector Lewis impossible and they have to wait for the waters to calm. Matt and Doctor Carter arrive with the police.

Then another body is found, was it another murder or suicide? Everyone is being less than truthful in questioning, providing very confusing information. Facts are omitted, deliberate lies are told. Money is found, but where did it come from and why? There are shocking twists regarding insurance, wills and family matters. Kitty and Alice naturally will put the pieces of the puzzle together and solve the crimes. Bringing about the end of a most exciting mystery. The ending has an official looking envelope arriving for Matt - what will their next adventure hold?