My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Helena Dixon’s ‘Murder at the Dolphin Hotel’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in a series of cosy mysteries set in the 1930s featuring amateur sleuth Miss Underhay.

June 1933 - Kitty Underhay lives in Dartmouth at the hotel that has been in their family since the 16th Century where she assists her grandmother in its day to day running. After receiving a number of disturbing letters, her grandmother decides to hire former Army Captain Matthew (Matt) Bryant to look after security at the hotel and keep an eye on Kitty.

When her grandmother is called away to care for a family member, a number of incidents occur at the hotel and bodies start mounting up locally. A glamorous American Jazz singer has been booked to headline the hotel’s summer entertainment. Yet she also brings news of Kitty’s father, who had abandon his family and Britain at the start of the Great War.

In addition, rumours of a valuable gemstone left in the possession of Kitty’s mother (also missing since the war) brings various baddies out of the woodwork. The local police are flailing about (very much in the tradition of coppers in Golden Age Detective fiction) leaving Kitty and Matt no choice but to step in to solve the various mysteries.

This was a fun whodunnit with two appealing leads. It had just the right combination of tension and cosiness. I feel that it is a very promising opening to this series and look forward to reading the next outing for Kitty and friends.

In one of my favorite genres, cozy mysteries, Murder at the Dolphin Hotel introduces readers to a new amateur detective as well as a new series.

The very first thing that I enjoyed about this book is the setting. It is 1933 and is in Dartmouth, England. Kitty Underhay is suddenly manager of her grandmother's hotel. Kitty is new at her job, and her grandmother, lovingly called Grams, also hires ex-captain Matthew Bryant to watch over things as she has to deal with an emergency in Scotland and is very concerned with Kitty's safety.

This is in large part to the fact that Grams had received threatening notes. What is more is the fact there might be a missing treasure of sorts in the hotel. So, Kitty and Matthew become aware that several rooms are being searched. Kitty even notices that her room was searched as well. Kitty has more than one near miss with her life, so she and Matthew become extremely vigilant to sort out what is going on.

Sadly, several townspeople are murdered and some are attacked. Everything going on points to the Dolphin Hotel. One more layer of this entertaining story is that Kitty has not seen her father in years, yet it seems that he is indeed around and has been spotted by a couple of the hotel's guests.

All of these factors work very well together to create a nice, enjoyable start to this series. Both Kitty and Matthew are likable characters. Add to this excellent prose and you just might see why I read this book in one sitting. This novel is one that I am glad to have read and I do look forward to continuing in this series.

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

When her grandmother must travel to Scotland to care for an ailing relative, Kitty Underhay is left in charge of running the family's hotel during their greatest entertainment booking. After receiving several mysterious and threatening notes, Kitty's grandmother enlists a a former military man, Captain Matt Bryant to make sure everything is safe and secure in her absence.

Now with a murder so close to the hotel's front doors and rooms within in the hotel being secreted into and searched, it appears that her grandmother's fears may not be unfounded. As the crimes and danger seem to crouch ever closer, Matt and Kitty must work to find the answers they need before it's too late.
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Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is the first book in Helena Dix0n's new cozy myserty series, A Miss Underhay Mystery. I liked the mystery, the premise was great and I was intrigued trying to solve the mytery alongside Matt and Kitty. The book had a strong start that really pulled me in and, as this is one of my favorite genres, I was fully prepared to love this book. This book flowed really well, was a quick read, and I enjoyed the author's writing style.

As a cozy historical mystery, this book is a must-read. But there was too many moving parts and not enough connection to the main characters for me to be fully invested. Honestly there were so many characters and all were connected in some way, but there waas no real weight to them. And even with multiple deaths, the sense of danger driving Matt and Kitty did not seem to be very high and they did not seem to feel terribly affected at all.

My biggest complaint about this book was the seeming disconnect that I felt between the timelines for our two main characters for the first 3/4 of the book. When taking into account their ages during the war and then their lives since, it seemed as though more time must have passed for one charater than the other, Doing the math, we're talking about 19 years. 19 years have passed for Kitty, but it seems has though maybe only half that has passed for Matt. What is the age difference here? Because it seems from context that it must be much larger than what the math would signify. Maybe I was missing something? But this disconnect was really all I could focus on throughout most my reading and it really brought down my enjoyment of the book.

I would be interested in continuing with this series. Partially because I love a mystery and partially because I'm curious to see if these timelines would be cleared up for me as we learn more about out characters and their backgrounds. I would recommend Murder at the Dolphin Hotel to fans of cozy historical mysteries.
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing an eARC of Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it’s a cozy mystery set in Dartmouth 1933. People still recovering after the First World War. Kitty Underhay is left to run her Grandmothers hotel whilst she has to go and look after great Aunt Livvy. Kitty knows the hotel well, and is no doubt that she is capable of running it for the time her grandmother is away. But what she doesn’t know, is that her grandmother has received some letters that are threatening to take something away. But what? Captain Matthew Bryant is hired as someone to watch over Kitty to make sure she is safe. Then things start happening, murders, kitty’s room is ransacked, fire, but what are they looking for? And who is it? What happened to Kitty’s mother after she disappeared in 1916? Is her father around? Kitty doesn’t know what he looks like as she hasn’t seen him since she was a baby. But someone claims to have seen him in London recently, someone who knew her mother as well.

This is one of those lovely books that you can easily read in a sitting or two, the characters are very well rounded and relatable, there are some you wonder are they involved in what’s happening at the hotel, or are they just Red Herrings of which there are plenty just to keep you guessing. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to #netgalley and #Bookouture for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

#1 In the Miss Underhay mystery series, set in 1933 Dartmouth.

Kitty Underlay’s grandmother own The Dolphin Hotel in Dartmouth. When a relative has a fall, her grandmother leaves to look after her in Scotland, leaving Kitty in charge.

But, she employs a security officer, ex-Captain Matt Bryant, to keep an eye on Kitty and the hotel as she is concerned about recent events locally.

Kitty is looking forward to her Jazz event she has organised, she even has a jazz singer from Chicago taking part.

Then there’s breaking in the hotel, some rooms broken into…..but why? Were they looking for something in particular? The local Inspector begins an investigation and Kitty and Matt help too. There are deaths and things turn more sinister.

This is a beautifully written cosy mystery whodunnit in the vein of Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey. Charming, atmospheric and thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

I have to say I do love a historical novel set in the interwar years, the 1930’s have long held a fascination for me. I always gravitate towards this type of novel, especially when they’re in my favourite mystery/thriller genre!

Murder At The Dolphin Hotel is a cosy historical whodunnit which is a subtle nod to classic crime fiction while still seeming fresh and new.

Our main characters, Kitty and Matthew were likeable and realistic. Matthew is a first world war veteran who is still suffering from the aftermath of the war and the loss of someone close to him. Kitty on the other hand has her own issues, her mother vanished when she was just a child and she’s never known her father. They come together nicely, with a hint of romance there but it’s not over done.

Now usually find with this type of novel, there’s one, maybe two murders but my goodness there was so much murder and mayhem (not graphic though so if that’s not your thing you don’t need to worry) which I found thoroughly enjoyable.

I did feel the ending was a little drawn out, I felt I was kept waiting a little too long for the killer reveal but of course that’s just my opinion.

Murder At The Dolphin Hotel is a little gem of a cosy novel and I can’t wait to read more adventures featuring Kitty and Matthew!

A lovely, historical cozy mystery set in Dartmouth, 1933.

It's summer and the start of the tourist season in riverside Dartmouth at the Dolphin Hotel. The fashionable place is owned and managed by Mrs. Treadwell and her granddaughter, Miss Kitty Underhay. As the story opens, a dead body has been fetched out of the river -- the man was a Dutch foreigner -- and the police are involved. Murder is not common in Dartmouth and this news has everyone a bit on edge. So, when Mrs. Treadwell has to leave to attend a relative, Kitty learns that Captain Matthew Bryant has been retained to provide security in her grandmother's absence. At the same time, Kitty finds out that Grams has been receiving threatening letters that hint of an item of great value that the sender wants back. Kitty has been in the care of Grams since she was 6 years old when her mother, Elowed, disappeared during the war. Kitty has no memories of her father. It's a mystery that gets more involved after an assault on the former mayoress and a couple more murders. Everything is complicated by a nosy reporter and the scheduled visit by an entertainer from the US. With plenty of intrigue and a surfeit of suspects, can Kitty and Captain Bryant figure out what the treasure is, find it, and make sure it is secured? NO SPOILERS.

As the first in a new series, this installment introduces us to the two main characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Kitty and Matthew and am eager to see what new adventures and mysteries await. I absolutely loved the time period and the setting and couldn't get enough of the period details of a time long gone. The narrative is well-written and the words flew by as I devoured this in a couple of hours. Lots of action and fun trying to guess which were the bad guys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I definitely want to read the next book in this series.

When Kitty Underhay’s grandmother left to attend to a sick relative, she had hired ex-Army Captain, Matthew Bryant as security for the Dolphin Hotel, and to make sure Kitty herself was safe. Grams knew more than she had let on to Matt; she was worried for Kitty, wishing she hadn’t had to leave. But needs must, and Kitty was an independent young woman, happy to oversee the hotel that had been her home for as long as she could remember. Kitty had acquired the services of a Chicago jazz singer who was in London and had some spare time before heading back to the United States. Kitty’s preparation for the upcoming two weeks, plus keeping the guests happy and accommodated would certainly keep her busy.

But things began going wrong – a murder occurred; some of the guests’ rooms were broken into, including Kitty’s own room. No one could work out what was happening and why. Between Matt, Kitty and Inspector Greville, progress was made, albeit slowly. Kitty’s bafflement at what certain people were after brought sad memories of her mother who had gone missing when Kitty was six. She only had mementos left of the mother she barely remembered and couldn’t comprehend the motive. But it was obvious Kitty was in danger when more murders occurred…

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is the 1st in A Miss Underhay Mystery series, a historical mystery novel set in 1933 England. The pace was fast, my interest nonstop and there was plenty of action – an excellent whodunit that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! I love a good mystery but even more so a good period piece mystery. Murder At the Dophin Hotel offers intrigue, mystery in spades and a budding romance, all set to the backdrop of the blustery English coast. From mysterious letters, to multiple murders and a search for a valuable jewel, I loved the descriptive setting of the 1930s. As I turned the pages I was drawn into the glitz and glamour of the Dophin Hotel and finding out whodunnit. I look forward to seeing Kitty and Matt meet again in future adventures and discovering how these characters will continue to develop in the books to come.

A big thank you to the Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #MurderatheDolphinHotel #Goodreads

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series featuring Kitty Underhay, a twenty-something year old woman in the flapper era. She has been raised by her grandmother in the hotel she owns and Kitty is currently co-managing the hotel with her grandmother in preparation for her assuming responsibility of it’s running. Kitty has been left in charge of the hotel while her grandmother travels to take care of an ailing aunt.
Before leaving, Kitty’s grandmother hires Matthew Bryant, a former captain in the army to oversee hotel security with a special emphasis on ensuring Kitty’s safety. Unknown to Kitty, her grandmother has been receiving anonymous threatening letters referencing someone returning for something she has that doesn’t belong to her. Her grandmother has no idea what the anonymous writer is talking about, but she fears it has to do with Kitty’s mother who disappeared when Kitty was a little girl.
There has already been one murder, although no one knows how it relates to Kitty, the hotel or the missing object. As threats increase, along with additional bodies, Kitty learns there is a missing ruby about which she knows nothing, her father is alive and has been spotted in town although she doesn’t know who he is, and the threat to her is growing. She and Matthew work together to solve the mystery of the ruby as well as to unmask the murderer.
The book really seemed like an opportunity to introduce characters who will be featured in future books within the series. I would like to learn more about the character’s personalities. In this book they seem a bit shallow and not developed as fully as I would like to pull me into the book and pique my interest in following the series. It was well written, and future books may show an increase in personalities that create more three dimensional characters in my mind.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Read copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

June 1933. Kitty Underhay is a modern, independent woman who prides herself on the reputation of her family’s hotel on the blustery English coast in Dartmouth. But then a body is found, rooms are ransacked and rumours begin to circulate that someone is on the hunt for a valuable stolen ruby – a ruby that Kitty’s mother may have possessed when she herself went missing during the Great War.
Kitty's Grandmother has employed ex-army captain Matthew Bryant as her new hotel security officer. Together the pair of them join forces to solve the case.
A new author to me, I thoroughly enjoyed the book which totally captivated me & made a long train journey pass very quickly. It was well written & flowed extremely well. The characters had depth & I loved Kitty & Matt, who I hope go on to solve many cases together as there's also an attraction there too. There were plenty of red herrings thrown into the mix, which kept me guessing as to who the villain was. If you love cozy mysteries then I'd definitely recommend that you give this a try
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another in the fairly crowded market of Golden Age-inspired crime books set in the 1920s and 1930s, this novel from Helena Dixon is a worthy entrant into the genre.

The year is 1933, and Kitty Underhay helps run the Dolphin Hotel in Dartmouth with her grandmother, Mrs Treadwell. When the latter is called away to ‘Scotland’ (never actually specified where, I think!) to care for a sick relative, Kitty is left in charge to run the hotel for the start of the busy summer season. A series of threatening letters has been received, so Mrs Treadwell has employed an ex-military man to oversee security at the hotel. Captain Matthew Bryant is, of course, dashingly handsome, but also harbours some secrets of his own, including claustrophobia and shell shock from his time during the war. Another, darker event from his past also haunts him, and whilst there are hints the truth is never fully revealed. Kitty’s past life, too, is shrouded in mystery as her mother vanished without a trace in 1916, and her father hasn’t been seen since he stayed behind in America before the outbreak of war.

The plot centres around a missing ruby that involves a lot of glamorous characters, some very shady characters, and a series of murders and assaults that centre on the hotel. The author clearly loves this period, and the descriptions are vivid enough to bring the era to life, with bright young things aplenty, a masked ball, a secret tunnel, a thrilling dénouement in a deserted church, and sturdy policemen giving it lots of whistle-blowing and chasing around.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-written crime novel that rattles along at a canter. The two main characters will clearly end up together at some point in what is sure to be a series of books involving the pair, and future storylines are left in place by the end of the book. For fans of this genre this is an excellent addition, and I actively look forward to more in the series. A definitely recommended 4 stars.

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

A nice cosy that I spent some time with on a very rainy evening. At points, I wondered if it was meant to be at first a contemporary mystery and then later was changed to be set in 1930ies, because the 1930ies setting felt at times contrived and there were some odd too modern things in the book. Still, enjoyed the characters, decent plot. Perfect for a bit of an escape.

A murder mystery set in 1933, this was simply the perfect book for me. I grew up reading such books, scavenging them from my relatives' bookshelves... Most were first or second editions. You bet I was not allowed to touch them. Yet... I did.

Dolphin Hotel was the setting and its owner Mrs. Treadwell was receiving few threatening notes in the past few days. She hired Mathew to look into her and protect Kitty her granddaughter. In absentia of gran, Kitty and Matt started investigating, when murder occurred too close to home.

My first book by Helena Dixon, I loved the old world feeling I experienced while reading this book. I became a child hiding from the world, trying to solve the mystery. Body count increased, and both Kitty and Matthew rushed to get to the identity of the killer. Pages too turned fast trying to keep up with them.

I loved Helen's writing, she took me straight from my home to 1933 where the world moved at a slower pace and investigations were conducted using old fashioned methods. The book started with a strong beginning and ended with the right shocker. There was attraction between the main characters, but in a murder mystery, my focus was only on the who and why of the murder.

A brilliant whodunit where nostalgia and suspense gripped me.

It is 1933. Kitty Underhay is left in charge of the Dolphin hotel when her grandmother travels to Scotland to take care of her aunt. Although she is starting to feel trapped, Kitty has arranged an American jazz singer to start the tourist season and there is a lot at stake.
What Kitty does not know is that her grandmother has secretly hired a former army office to take care of the hotel security in the wake of threatening letters. Matt Bryant is struggling with his own loss and the effects of his war service but is shocked to discover that the threat to both the hotel and Kitty is very real indeed.
Who is the mysterious Mr Smith?
Why is someone breaking into the hotel and not taking anything?
Did Mrs Craven simply fall and hit her head or was she pushed?
How can Matt prevent Kitty from being the next victim in a deadly plot.
Who were Kitty's parents and where are they now?

The tension builds in this traditional but fast paced period mystery and I look forward to the next adventures of Kitty and Matt.

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon is the first book in A Miss Underhay Mystery series.

The first book really shows promise.
Well rounded, relatable and realistic protagonists are the focal point of this book.
Attractive setting, such as a hotel provides ample opportunity for fascinating characters and many possible happenings.
I am looking forward to seeing how it will progress further as the main protagonist decides to continue her sleuthing career.

Miss Kitty Underhay is running the Dolphin hotel with her grandmother, who is the only family she has left after her mother's disappearance a long time ago and a father she doesn't even remember. They are getting ready for summer season when a series of very peculiar events are set in motion. Ransacked rooms, rumors of possible jewel theft, set of dead bodies become a part of hotel's every day life, so much so that her grandmother even hires a security person to look after Kitty.

Absorbing tale, full of twists and turns will keep readers engaged and glued to the pages of this 1920's time fiction story.
Beautiful fashion, long lost values and charming characters add the needed dynamism to the story.

Highly recommended.

(Also posted on my GR account!)

This wasn't the first cozy mystery I've read, but probably the most boring one. Maybe I'm just not suited to cozy mystery.

Pros: good writing (I swear the words flew like water and I didn't realize that I arrived at 50% mark just by reading it at work), easy to follow plot (much like other cozies), and cute setting.

Cons: too many characters, I didn't really like Kitty (and I guess this play a huge role on me not being able to enjoy the book 100%).

Overall, it was OK to me and lots love the book, so cozy lovers, go get your book.

Such a great mystery! I really enjoyed the characters and setting. This was such a quick read and had me guessing until the end.

Historical fiction is usually not my cup of tea but I love cozy mysteries and my love for the genre and the gorgeous cover convinced me.

I read the book in one go. I guess it's quite clear that the story is captivating. The writing style is very fluent and I really liked Miss Underhay. She is not only independent, but clever too. Although she does what a lot of girls in thrillers do and should not have done and has everybody yelling NOOO, she at least takes precautions. 

Often, at the start of a new series, the main character's background remains rather vague and in each book some details are revealed. In this case, we get to know Kitty pretty well, but I am sure a lot is still hidden and waiting for the readers to find out.

It was a rather complicated case with a lot of people who could have done it and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. 

I am looking forward to part 2. 4 stars.

Thank you, Helena Dixon and Bookouture.

A great start to a fun series! I loved the location, the main character, and the mystery! I'm also intrigued by what happened to the MC mother. Hopefully, the series will explore more into how/why her mother is missing.