Now, let me check my list: lunch with a good friend? Check. Buy some cider? Check. Find a dead body? Check.

I can't believe that we are on book 17 in this ever-rewarding series, and this time Kitty gets herself embroiled in a messy murder and lots of family business shenanigans. As well as the crime to solve, the joy of this series is the developing relationship between Kitty and Matt, and in this we see Kitty's former maid, Alice, flourishing in her new business but having some boyfriend problems as well.

The period setting is perfect, the characters are fun to be with, and this is another excellent book in the series.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Kitty heads to the local farm shop to buy some cider but finds the farmer dead, crushed in the apple press. A terrible accident or murder...?
Murder in the Countryside is the 17th book in the Miss Kitty Underhay (now Mrs Bryant as she married the lovely Matt a few books ago) series of cosy historical murder mysteries.
Titus Blake certainly had plenty of enemies. But who hated him enough to want him dead? His family seem the obvious choice but who? His estranged brother who married the woman Titus loved and his three sons who all clashed with him are all suspects. But he was universally disliked among the whole village community.
Kitty and Matt have their work cut out for them when they are asked by Titus' sister in law to prove the family's innocence by finding the real killer. They have a solid friendship with one police officer but a tense relationship with another. Halfway through the book there are mentions of sexual violence which adds a darkness which is unusual for this series, however I felt this was handled sensitively.
Kitty and Matt always seem to be in the thick of the action, stumbling upon bodies left, right and centre, and this book is no different! There are lots of twists as the investigation progresses and I had no idea who was the culprit. The writing style is easy to read, the characters are vividly portrayed and the ending is quite dramatic.
Murder in the Countryside is an enjoyable addition to the series.

Murder in the Countryside is the 17th Miss Underhay Mystery and was another wonderful mystery. Kitty is out running errands and stops to get some apple cider when she finds a dead man. The owner of Wassail Farm is dead in his cider shed, his head crushed in the press. Kitty is not sure what to do when the man's son arrives and tells her they have no phone. She drives to the next farm and calls both the police and Matt. Titus Blake was a man with plenty of enemies including all three of his sons, his housekeeper, his brother who owns the farm next door, and many others. With the local detective on the case, who knows if it will be solved. When Titus' sister-in-law hires Matt and Kitty to solve the case, they must try and work around the detective to find the real killer. With another murder occurring, the race is on before someone else ends up dead.

This is one of my favourite historical cozy mystery series. I love that they have to use their wits and brains to solve the crimes as there is no DNA, phones to check etc. Although Titus is unliked by almost everyone, he still didn't deserve to die that way. His oldest son Micah is the obvious suspect, but that doesn't pan out. I followed the clues along with Kitty, but continued to change my mind on who the murderer was. There were a couple of side stories that came out involving abuse that were handled well, and added a few suspects. Kitty once again uses her mind to put the puzzle pieces together to find the killer and it is unusual that I had also figured out who it was. As usual, we also see Kitty and Matt in their personal life, and Bertie, their Scottie is back getting into trouble again. Alice, Kitty's best friend, also returns and has her own storyline dealing with her new business and ex-boyfriend, Robert. I like how Helena Dixon uses descriptions to transport the reader to her place and time, but does not overdo it to take over the story. This was another enjoyable trip back in time to solve a well-written mystery, with great characters and lots of suspects and red herrings. You can read any of these books as standalone stories, but I recommend reading them all, as they are all wonderful.

This is a fabulous series and I have listened to most of them on audible which is my favorite.
So fun to catch up with Kitty and now it is 1930 and she and her husband Matt, are always up to a murder mystery!

When she finds the owner of a cider press dead by said object, she is enlisted to find out the murderer. Of course the local police do not want them to have anything to do with his investigation.

But as you know, Kitty always finds the right person, it is just a wonderful journey until the end!

Rounded up from 4.5

This is the 17th adventure for Kitty and Matt and another great addition to the series.

Kitty is out for a countryside drive and decides to pick up cider for her and Matt, but she comes across the dead body of farmer Titus Blake. The man had more enemies than friends, so there's no shortage of suspects.

I love this series so much and it's always a treat to pick up another book. It's a bit like meeting up with friends you haven't seen in a while.

The mystery really kept me guessing, as usual, with plenty of suspects and misdirection. It took me almost until the end to figure it out this time!

Although this is a long-running series, I'm still excited to pick up a new book. Each mystery feels like we're getting something different and doesn't feel samey or lacklustre.

I cannot honestly recommend this series enough to cozy mystery lovers!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder In the Countryside' by Helena Dixon.

This book was very well written and as always the fact that Helena has done her research is clearly evidenced in the storyline so a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to Helena!!! There is not much worse than an author who has not researched much or at all about his chosen topic which means the book is unnecessarily littered with mistakes which can ruin a storyline!! However, Helena has completely avoided this by doing her research on the era she has set this amazing series in. This is the seventeenth book in Helena's 'A Miss Underhay Mystery' series it can be read as a standalone as can the rest of the books in this series.

Yet another hugely successful addition in this fantastic series by the very talented Helena!! I have read many, in fact almost all, of the books in this amazing series and have loved each and every one. The fact that Helena manages to come up with a unique storyline for each of her seventeen books in this series really does show what an incredibly talented author she is, I could not even come up with one story plot let alone this many individual and unique ones so well done yet again Helena!! Not only do each of the books in this series have unique storylines but each and every one are just as gripping, addictive and successful as the last!! The storyline was extremely interesting and very fast paced. Helena completely emerges the reader into the storyline and as always her vivid and evocative writing skills brings the atmosphere, sights sounds and characters to life ensuring the reader is completely sucked into the storyline seeing and feeling everything the characters are. I really enjoy the fact that this series is set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice, easy to read and fun cosy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. In this brilliant storyline we travel back to 1936 and land in Torbay with Kitty and Matt Bryant (previously Kitty Underhay before she married Matt and became Kitty Bryant, to clear up any confusion with the series name). Kitty is heading to the apple farm with her adorable dog Bertie to refill two jugs of cider for her husband Matt after lunch with her friend Alice. When Kitty comes across the body of the farmer which has been crushed to death in the apple press. Kitty and Matt now run their own Private Investigator business and are determined to solve the case before the killer strikes again. The victim was not the nicest of people and plenty of people had motive to kill him so the list of suspects is a long one!! With a storyline filled with history, drama, red herrings, tension, suspects, humour and so much more this is a great book in an absolutely fantastic series but don't take my word for it and stop wasting your time reading this, pick up a copy and decide for yourself!! I promise that you will not regret it!!! At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so a huge well done there Helena!!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. Not only is this quite a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and romance to give it a nice mix!!! It is one of those books that once I started it I just could not put it down and devoured it in several hours, flying through each and every chapter!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cosy crime mystery. This is a fantastic series and if you have never read any of Helena's previous books then you are definitely missing out. I, personally, would like to add that I think each storyline has got better and better which is a very rare thing for a series.

Although this is the seventeenth book in Helena's 'A Miss Underhay Mystery' series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without any of the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I have really become invested in all of these amazing characters since the first book I read in this fantastic series and I really enjoy meeting Kitty and her fantastic and quirky personality each and every time!!! In fact all of the characters have their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. They have all become like a family to me and I always hate saying goodbye to them at the end of the book. It has been lovely seeing them all grow, develop and mature since I have started reading this series and in this book especially it is lovely to see how far along Alice has come. Alice used to be Kitty's maid but now runs her own well established seamstress and dressmaking business and is still very close and friendly with Kitty which has been beautiful watching their friendship grow. The main relationship is between Kitty and Matt which has been an honour to see grow from friends to partners and finally husband and wife!! However, my favourite character has just got to be cheeky Bertie, Kitty's fantastic and lovable dog! I am a huge animal lover and even run my own little rescue called Golden Oldies cat Rescue And Hospice which you can find on social media. therefore, any animals in books are a huge bonus for me and Bertie has been a massive character in this fantastic series since I started it. They are all like friends to me and as always I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next 'episode' of Mrs Bryant's adventures which I'm sure will be just as exciting as this one!! The next book in the series is called 'Murder In New York' which is available to preorder on Amazon now ready for its publication on the 25th November!! i am off to preorder my copy as soon as I have finished typing this up! A fantastic group of characters for yet another fantastic addition to an addictive series!!! Here's to meeting them all again in the next book 🥂!!!

Well done Helena on yet another fantastic success and here's to the next addition to an addictive page turning series 🥂!!!

Overall a perfect mix of mystery, crime, romance, laughter and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!!

#MurderInTheCountryside #AMissUnderhayMystery #HelenaDixon #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous

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Kitty and Matt are on a country drive when Kitty on her way to buy cider comes across a body, brutally done in. When the police arrive and when Kitty and Matt start their own investigation, the number of suspects rise everyday. The dead man was a nasty neighbour, a bullying and abusive father and a drunk in the neighbourhood.

Asked by the family to get to the bottom of the murder, Matt and Kitty are held back by the lack of alibis for their list of suspects. It is a rural community, with people working alone. When a second death takes place, it turns the investigation upside down. The second death is the person high on the list of suspects for the first death. First father and now son. The investigation now has to look further afield and new secrets keep coming out.

Set in 1936 England,the cozy is set in a time when history was in the making all over the world and in this quiet part of the world was no exception. Aftermath of two wars didn’t make life easier for many.

A very well written and engaging whodunit.

I just found my favorite new series! If you like cozy mysteries, this book is for you. Trouble seems to always find Kitty Underhay. This time she’s in an apple orchard when she finds a body. I really enjoyed this one. I did not see it playing out like it did. A nice surprise.
This book is perfect to get you in the Autumn spirit. I definitely need to go back and reread the rest of these books. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

It is a normal day for Kitty Underway. Well, it was anyway. After heading to a nearby village, Kitty is out for a walk with her dog Bertie, an adorable spaniel, and she decides to purchase some of the local ale for her husband Matt. While finding the ale fairly easily, Kitty finds something she wasn’t prepared for, happening upon a dead body. This definitely wasn’t on the agenda. More than that, the body was that of Titus Blake, seemingly cursed by his own cider press.

As Kitty and Matt have been become more and more proficient when it comes to amateur sleuthing, they easily decide to try and discover who it was that was responsible for killing Titus Blake. There is definitely more than one person who could have been the killer, and both Kitty and Matt are determined to discover just who that is. Meanwhile, the local inspector would just rather Kitty and Matt would head on home and leave the investigating to him. Considering that we readers are blessed with the seventeenth book in this series, it comes to no surprise that the couple have no intention on listening to the inspector.

What a delightful read and a great addition to a thoroughly enjoyable series. I love Kitty and Matt, and of course their dog Bertie steals the scene more than once. Bring on book 18. I am more than ready and eager.

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

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I always enjoy revisiting Kitty and Matt. This time around, Kitty stops by a local farm to pick up some cider and discovers the farmer dead. Unfortunately, he was a miserable man who nobody liked, even his family. I think this is probably my favorite book in the series and the mystery is the best crafted. It kept me guessing until the end. I'm looking forward to the next title that will see Kitty visiting NYC.

Murder in the Countryside by Helena Dixon is another Miss Underhay mystery, although with her recent marriage to Captain Matt Bryant, she was now Mrs. Bryant and working with her husband in their investigations business. It is after World War I and before the nightmare of the next war has raised its ugly head and all was going well in her world. She was stopping by a farm to trade her empty cider jugs for some full ones when she came upon a grisly sight. Someone had killed the old farmer by putting his head in the old stone press used for the apples. She was sick. What should she do. As she left the barn, a man, who turned out to the deceased’s son, drove up. She called the police and then called Matt. Matt got there first. It was so sad but as it turns out there was no shortage of suspects as the man treated all and sundry with disdain and anger.

Lots of interesting twists in this story as well as a few red herrings, but as always, it all worked out. Secrets have a way of making themselves known in these sorts of situations and this was certainly one of these times, as many of the characters turned out to have surprising secrets. Kitty and Matt worked it out, well, really, there was a blackmailer. Catching the blackmailer worked it all out. It was an interesting mystery, based in the English countryside in the 1920s. Very entertaining. Good characters. Well written. Interesting. Thanks Helen Dixon for writing Miss Underhay!

I was invited to read Murder in the Countryside by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #HelenaDixon #MurderInTheCountryside

September 1936. While out replacing cider jars at Wassail Farm, in the nearby village of Stoke Gabriel, Kitty Bryant discovers the owner dead. Due to his character there is a long list of suspects. His sister-in-law Norma Blake employes the investigative services of the Bryants. But soon there is another murder.
A well-written and entertaining historical mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in the Countryside is the 17th book in the Kitty Underhay mystery series by Helena Dixon. While it is a delightful series, you can read the book as a stand alone.

I read a lot of cozy mysteries and it seems like a trend has been to not have the murder happen until nearly halfway through the book. But that trend didn't continue with this book. The murder victim is discovered in the first or second chapter and the book the complete focus of the story. I liked that the story stayed focused on the murder.

And it's a good thing as there are a lot of unanswered questions in the investigation. The victim Titus was not well liked and while there were a lot of possible suspects but did they have enough motive to kill him?

For fans of Bertie and Rascul, there is are plenty of scenes with them. I had wondered how Alice would play a part in the books now that Kitty was no longer living at the hotel as Alice is one of my favorite secondary characters. She makes an appearance as she visits Kitty regularly.

If you are looking for a light read with great characters, then you can't go wrong with this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/09/murder-in-countryside-by-helena-dixon.html

This is another intriguing Miss Underhay Mystery
Set in 1936 and that period of history.
Kitty is calling for cider at a farm
Not anticipating the farmer has come to harm.

Discovering him dead in his cider press
Puts poor Kitty under stress.
She goes to a nearby farm to call for aid
And connections with the farmers family start to be made.

Calling the police to investigate the case
She hopes the Inspector won't be his usual disgrace.
But then the sister-in-law of the dead man calls for aid
From Kitty and Matt to find the killer, plans are made.

There's family drama and secrets, too,
With lots to discover and things to do.
There are surprises, revelations and more besides
Before they can discover just where the killer resides.

With more than one death and danger, too,
This is a fascinating read, all the way through.
I really enjoyed reading this brilliant book
And hope you'll give it more than a look!

For my copy of this book I say a big thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Murder in the Countryside is the latest adventure in the Miss Underhay series. For any lover of MidSummer Murders, this series could easily be a worthy successor and I for one, would love to see this as a tv series. Kitty and Matt find that when shopping for some cider, brings more than they expected. Chock full of red herrings and with Alice, now set up in business for herself, playing a wonderful part in the story, this has been my favourite so far in these books. Helena writes such wonderful characters that whenever I see there's a new story on the way, I immediately enter it in my calendar. Here's to many more!
My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the reading copy.

4.5 Stars
Autumn 1936 & Kitty and her mischievous spaniel Bertie take a drive to a nearby village to buy a couple of bottles of local cider for her & Matt. She didn’t expect to discover Titus Blake dead, crushed by his own cider press. Kitty and Matt are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery & are in fact hired by Titus’ sister in law Norma to find the killer. Now in a race to find the killer, the inquisitive pair are stopped in their tracks when their chief suspect is also found dead on the farm
The seventeenth outing for Matt & Kitty & it’s still as fresh as the first. Another well written cosy murder mystery. There are a number of suspects as Titus was universally disliked but he’s always been the same so why murder him now? As the couple delve into the lives of the Blake family secrets & skeletons are brought out of the cupboard. Then another family member is killed. There are twists and turns as well as red herrings. The characters have depth whether you love them or dislike them. The climax of the story is thrilling.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

The seventeenth book in the Miss Underhay Mystery series. So many books and yet this one is just as fresh and interesting as the first one was.

It is 1936 and Kitty and Matt are now married and operating a P.I. business together. Kitty is just out purchasing cider from a local apple farm when she discovers the farmer crushed to death in the apple press. Subsequent events lead to her and Matt being engaged to investigate the murder. It is a tricky case because the farmer was a very unlikable man and possible suspects are many.

I love all the characters in this series, in particular the way they have grown and developed. Particularly notable for this is Alice who was once Kitty's maid and is now running a flourishing business. I enjoyed the way Bertie the dog popped up again, still running true to his nature of damaging the furnishings if ignored for too long.

Best of all for me is that every time Kitty uses the ferry to cross from Kingswear to Dartmouth I get lost in my own memories of catching that same ferry many times years ago when my family used to holiday near Dartmouth Castle. Good times!

It was 1936 in rural England when Kitty Bryant (nee Underhay), along with Bertie, was heading for the apple farm, after lunch with her good friend Alice, to refill two jugs of cider for Matt, her husband and partner in the private investigator business they ran. Shock rippled through her when she saw the body - soon Matt and Chief Inspector Greville had arrived at Wassail Farm where it was confirmed Titus Blake was indeed dead. The farm next door, Blossomdown Farm, housed Titus' brother Hedley and his wife Norma, plus Saul, Titus' second son. Micah worked Wassail with his father, while the youngest son Adam, with no interest in farming, worked in a solicitors office.

Kitty and Matt were investigating, at the request of Norma, as well as the police. But there were so many people who had reason to kill Titus - a very disliked man - that it was hard to pinpoint a main suspect. Until that person who had been top of the list was also discovered dead. Kitty and Matt knew the race was on, and were worried that others in the Blake family could be targeted. Would Kitty manage to identify the killer before anyone else died?

Murder in the Countryside is the 17th in the Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon and once again I loved it! The author's plots are always fresh and new, even after this many books, and I'm keen to see which direction she heads in next. The characters are well written; Bertie is a card, but a bad boy in this episode (soon forgiven!); and it's good to see Alice well established in her new business. An addictive series, this episode adds to it well. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.

Another cute cozy in one of my favorite historical mystery series.

In #17, Kitty Bryant (formerly Underhay) comes upon a dead body with its head crushed in a cider press while she's out in the countryside looking for cider refills for her husband, Matt. Yes, it's local farmer Titus Blake, miserly misanthrope, widower, and drunkard who has indeed been murdered. The wife of Titus's estranged brother engages Kitty and Matt to find out who killed him. Then, their main suspect is also found dead out in the woods nearby. Is this about a murky inheritance or something much deeper.

I enjoy reuniting with all the characters in this series and this installment features more of Alice and Robert. I do, however, miss those stories set at the Dolphin Hotel where Kitty's grandmother resides. Since Kitty and Matt have married and live on their own, there is a lot less about the hotel in Dartmouth and the goings on there. This plot features bad blood between family members and some secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I've enjoyed the entire set which is best read, in order, from the beginning.

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC. This series is still going strong even after 17 books. I love the character development, Alice loving on from maid to her own business. Looking forward to the next installment, especially as we head closer to war