THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY by HELENA DIXON is an exciting murder mystery that takes place in England in 1941, between London, where Jane Treen works for the war office in Whitehall, and Devon at the home of the code-breaker Arthur Cilento. As one murder follows another, Jane, Arthur and Arthur’s right hand man Benson, follow clues ending up in London during the blitz……
It is an enjoyable read with an interesting array of characters.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The,opinions in this review are completely my own.

I just loved this book! I read this book within a couple of hours in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. It’s an amazing story which keeps you guessing and you just have to find out what happens. It has amazing characters too, I just loved it and I can’t wait until the next book in this series.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a good mystery that keeps you guessing and has amazing characters.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

"While you were resting upstairs like a Victorian gentlewoman, I discovered some very curious facts."

Set against the backdrop of WWII England, Jane Treen is a chain smoking, coffee guzzling agent at the War Office. When she receives an urgent call that a woman's body has been found in a lake, she and her cat head out to Devon to investigate. She finds her working alongside Arthur Cilento, the quiet and asthmatic code breaker and owner of the home where the murdered woman was found. These two polar opposites pair up reluctantly with the help of Arthur's trusty servant Benson to solve the case.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
-Cozy mystery
-Whodunnit
-Historical fiction
-Reluctant colleagues
-Murder! Intrigue!
-WWII England
-Holmes and Watson vibes

I don't often reach for cozy mysteries first, but I really enjoyed this novel. Jane Treen is delightful, a bawdy and highly competent coffee-drinking chain smoker. Set against Arthur, the fastidious and very precise code breaker who dices and arranges his meals before eating them, this novel is underscored by some great observational humor. ("Arthur did his usual business of looking disapproving...")

The backdrop of WWII brought this story to life. It immediately ratchets up the stakes of the investigation and the historically accurate details about rations and shortages, air raids, and the looming threat of fascism added dimension to a novel that otherwise is a fairly straightforward whodunnit mystery.

The dynamics between Treen and Cilento are where the writing really shone, though. That alone lends itself the extra .5 stars to my review. Arthur's ongoing dismay at the way Jane does everything (including reading his newspaper too messily) and Jane's ribbing about how he eats at a glacial pace when they're trying to solve a murder is such a fun and funny dynamic.

I would have loved some more character and backstory, but for a straightforward and plot-driven mystery, this delivered. This would make a perfect read on a gloomy day curled up under a blanket (ideally with a fluffy ginger cat).

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1941, the war is ongoing, and Ms. Jane Treen, who works at Whitehall, is in charge of various overseas operations.

When Operation Exodus goes wrong, the deaths of her operatives quickly mount up including Kate Trevellian whose body has just been discovered at Half Moon Manor, home to Arthur Cilento - a code breaker.

Now Jane and Arthur must work together to uncover the culprit, knowing they are constantly one step behind and the killer isn't done yet.

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There was plenty to like about the book, including the setting in Devon, the wartime mystery, quirky characters, and a decent central plot.

The problem, at least for me, was two-fold. 40% of the way through the book, and still, our intrepid duo were going around in circles, no closer to figuring anything out.

The second issue was that every single time Jane Treen lit up a cigarette or thought about a cigarette, we were told about it. Every. Single. Time. It was labored on to the point of not only becoming distracting but also so irritating that I stopped enjoying the book.

It was such a shame because it didn't serve any purpose other than to make Jane thoroughly inconsiderate and, as a byproduct, quite a bit unlikeable. After all, can you really warm to a character who smokes like a chimney in a room with a man with such severe asthma that he can barely breathe?? Not really.

All in all, I felt the plot had promise, but the slow pace and constant focus on Jane’s smoking pulled me out of the story. If you can overlook those issues, you may still find it an enjoyable wartime mystery with a cast of quirky characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Secret Detective Agency in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first in a new cozy crime series from this author and the start of what seems to be a hugely enjoyable collaboration.

At first meeting the characters of Arthur, the shy but brilliant code breaker and the fiercely independent Jane who works for a secret government department seem completely incompatible, however tasked with finding those who have not just murdered but betrayed their country they begin a mutually beneficial work partnership.

I thought the pace of the book was good and by the end was racing to see who was behind the plot. The descriptions of war time Britain were vivid and the espionage and mystery led to a good story. I did feel that the ill health of Arthur and Jane’s constant smoking were maybe mentioned a little too often, however this may be to highlight their differences in personality and ways of working.

I am looking forward to seeing how the duo, together with faithful butler to Arthur, take in their next case now they have banded together as a secret detective agency.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

*** 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 ***

The was a well written and cleverly plotted murder mystery set in January 1941. The story takes place between London, a village outside Exeter and Cornwall.

The main characters are Miss Jane Treen, a mid level spymaster working in Whitehall and Mr Arthur Cilento a mathematician and codebreaker living in aforementioned village near Exeter.

The premise is that there appears to be a mole in Whitehall. A major spy operation went wrong and several of the operatives have been murdered. Jane and Arthur are tasked with identifying the mole and stopping the leak.

The plot was clever and well written. I enjoyed the mystery very much and the only thing that stopped me from giving this the full 4 stars was the character of Jane. I think she was intended to be seen as forthright and independent however I just found her thoroughly rude and objectionable!

The following points aren’t spoilers so feel free to carry on reading!

She has been tasked to work with Arthur by her superior. Arthur has severe asthma. He has had this condition all his life. He has been unable to join the armed forces due to this condition. He has recently been hospitalised because of this condition. His manservant carries emergency medical equipment with them when they travel due to the seriousness of this condition. However Jane thinks it’s absolutely fine that she descends on HIS house with a cat (he has allergies) and continually smokes cigarettes around him wherever they go! She insists on dragging him around the countryside in spite of his ill health and is impatient with him for inconveniencing her! The worst part of all is that we are told she was acquainted with him before the book begins. She knew about his asthma and his allergies, she just didn’t care!!! This makes sympathising with her difficult in the extreme. I think there are the beginnings of a romance here as well and I just can’t see it! She’d kill him in 6 months through indifference and neglect!!!

A second book in the series has been written so hopefully some of her more challenging behaviour will be tempered there, and in fairness to her character towards the end of the book she did seem to start having a bit of concern for his health I just with it had begun sooner.

As I said at the beginning this is well written and I will certainly read the next in the series with pleasure, I just hope Jane’s character softens a bit as it’s an unnecessary distraction from the plot.

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "The Secret Detective Agency" in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was very excited to see a new series from one of my favourite authors. I have read and loved each and every book in the Miss Underhay series. I was thinking that this would be in along the same vein. While the case was interesting and complex, the characters (with the exception of Miss Treen) were enjoyable - with an ending that was quite the surprise. I however found the constant smoking references (in relation to Miss Treen) to be tedious and it totally spoiled the book for me. After the first 20 references I totally lost interest because of these constant references. I lost count of how many times the word cigarette appeared in each chapter. The story itself deserves 5 stars but the exhausting reference to the cigarettes brought it down to more like 2 or 3 stars.

I adored the Secret Detective Agency. It was just what I needed in a Cosy mystery. I loved every page. The characters were great and had to finish it in one sitting to find out what happened

3.5 stars. A new series by a familiar author can carry a little worry about will it live up to the existing series… initially, this one wasn’t quite grabbing me, although by the end I was mostly on board. I’m not sure it’s quite on a par with the Kitty Underhay series though, but it’s been so long since I read the opening book of that, that maybe I’ve forgotten what the firstborn in a series can be like?

The main thing that spoiled this for me (if that’s the right word) was the frequent mentions of aspects, like Jane smoking and drinking coffee, and Arthur having asthma. Yes, we know. We got it the first fifty times they were mentioned. By the end of the book it was grating. And no matter how much the “opposites attract” thing is done to highlight their differences and create character and tensions I still have trouble warming to a character who knows her host/colleague is severely asthmatic and STILL keeps smoking around him or racing off at a pace that will have him wheezing. Mind you, Arthur is a grown man and the owner of the house, so why he didn’t just ask Jane to stop, and if she persisted then toss her cigarettes on the fire or brain her with an ashtray, I don’t know. Why does an asthmatic have ashtrays in the house anyway?

Unfortunately these things were just mentioned so often that it got in the way of me enjoying the book, really. It was a decent book I think, but let’s hope Jane decides to quit in the next book…!

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

I found this to be a brilliant story of war time murder and espionage. Jane Treen is efficient and good at her job for the war office in Whitehall but when one of her agents is found murdered at Half Moon Manor, she begins to unravel a huge plot and must work with the new owner of the manor, Arthur. Their paths have crossed before and they could not be more different to each other. Arthur also does vital war work and due to his asthma, was unable to enlist. He is a critical thinker and clever with codes.
Jane moves in with Arthur and his manservant, Benson. Benson is integral to several parts of this story.
As more agents are discovered murdered, Jane must face that facts that a leak has infiltrated her work but it is much larger and more dangerous than they can imagine.
From Half Moon Manor, to Cornwall and on to London our trio are on the chase for answers and to a catch a killer. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists, the clues provided but my trust was still not fully given to certain characters and this allowed me to enjoy the book all the more. “Trust no one” was a slogan used in WWII and you must use your judgement and gut feeling as you meet various characters in the story.
I would happily follow Jane, Arthur and Benson on their next mystery!

The year is 1941, and Jane Treen is extremely proud of the work she does in a top secret government department in Whitehall. She has, however, been rocked by the deaths of a number of her agents and finds herself on the way to Devon to investigate the latest tragedy. Arthur Cilento is a code breaker; unable to serve in the armed forces, he is, if he's honest, quite glad his contribution to the war effort has to be more solitary and cerebral!

Although known to each other, neither are thrilled to be working together, especially as Arthur's home was where he unfortunately found the latest victim. It soon becomes clear there is far more at stake than either of them could have imagined, and as they gather any useful information, they are painfully aware of being one step behind their unknown killer.

When one of your favourite authors begins a new series, it is an exciting prospect coupled with a hint of concern. What happens if you don't enjoy it or the main protagonists are too similar to previous characters? There are no such concerns here, thank goodness! The Secret Detective Agency was a great read, the storyline didn't disappoint and the effects of the second world war on a small Devon village was a great contrast to the devastation being suffered in London and the surrounding area. There is no real comparison between Jane Treen, Arthur Cilento, and Kitty and Matt Bryant other than they are likeable, driven, and easy to read about.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. If you want a great new cosy series to read right from the beginning, this won't disappoint in any way.

It's a good thing I took the dog out for her walk before I started reading or I'd have had a very cranky dog. While it wasn't my plan, I found myself reading it straight through with only periodic breaks (I mean, my dog insists on her treats and cannot be ignored) and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it, even if main character Jane Treen is very obviously a cat person. While I was a bit taken aback by Jane's chain smoking and seeming lack of consideration for others, such as worsening Arthur's asthma by smoking, I found myself liking her focused, albeit often prickly personality. Being on the introverted side myself, I probably related more to Arthur Cilento's wish for peace and quiet and routine, especially routine. And, of course, we can't ignore butler Benson, who seems to be terribly efficient and almost know what is needed before Jane or Arthur do. Oh, and Marmaduke, Jane's one-eyed cat rescued from the rubble of a bombing raid prior to the opening of the story. I liked them all, even while hoping Jane cuts back on the smoking, not to mention learns not to distract him when he's concentrating on code breaking. ings

Set in 1941 England at a time when deadly German bombings were common and frequent in London, being at Arthur's safer country home should have been a nice break. Nope. Not when the body count keeps going up. Even worse, they're covert agents under Jane's watch, two of them being killed almost under her nose. Has the intelligence community of Whitehall been compromised? Are there Germans or double-agents amongst them? How to find out? Urgency is obviously of the utmost importance but it seems like for every clue Arthur, Jane, and Benson find, there's another incident or death. Like what? Not telling, you're just going to have to read the book. Our three sleuths/spies show initially unseen sides of themselves as the story progresses, including skills that prove helpful. I found it interesting which of them remained the cool, calm head, too, not to mention Benson's foresight in toting along Arthur's medical kit to treat his breathing problems. I really want to know more about Benson, I must admit.

Bottom line, this series quickly hooked me. I liked the characters and the setting. The author also does an excellent job reminding us what being caught in a bombing raid was like with it's sudden randomness and death. I also have to admit to smiling when it noted they had lunch near Paddington Station, ie a connection to Paddington Bear. Totally unrelated but fun. I did seem to have a bit of trouble sorting out the side characters initially but realized without thinking about it that I'd done so, hence not a real issue. And, oh, boy, wait for that final action scene. That was unexpected, not to mention discovering who Jane's mother was. Oh, boy, thanks #Bookouture for this early intro to the Secret Detectives. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them and am looking forward to their next case together.

Are you a mystery fan? Check out The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon. It’s one you should enjoy.

This was a DNF for me. I made it about 26% through before I had to put it down. The characters felt very one-dimensional, and their animosity toward each other didn’t seem to have any real foundation—it just existed for the sake of conflict. The plot had potential, but the execution was too straightforward, making it feel robotic rather than engaging. Overall, while the premise was interesting, the story just fell flat for me.