What a great start for a new historical cozy series. I read it as fast as I could because I was engrossed in the plot and wanted to know what was going to happen.
I loved the fleshed out and likeable character, both Kit and Matt are interesting and well thought characters and I'm curious to learn more about them and the mysteries in their life.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and the solution came as a surprise.
I can't wait to read the next instalment because I want to know more about the MCs.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Murder at the Dolphin is the first in a new series set in 1930s Dartmouth, England. Miss Kitty Underhay and her grandmother run a well-known local hotel, the Dophin, that has been in the family for generations. Kitty was raised by her grandmother after the mysterious disappearance of Kitty's mother when she was a young girl; Kitty knows nothing about her father and remembers little about her life before she and her mother went to live at the hotel.

Kitty's grandmother has been called away to help care for her injured sister in Scotland leaving Kitty to run the hotel alone during the beginning of the summer season with a special series of events featuring well known signer Miss Delacourt. What Kitty doesn't know is that her grandmother has been receiving threatening notes demanding the return of something the writer believes belongs to them; she decides to hire Matthew Bryant, a former solider, to help watch over both Kitty and the hotel.

Although skeptical of the need for security at the hotel and not made aware of the threats, Kitty appreciates Matthew's presence when a series of events begin to plague her and the hotel. After being pushed into traffic, and finding her room ransacked, Matt discloses the threats and he and Kitty work together to try and figure out what exactly someone thinks she has that belongs to them.

The mystery is nicely done, but as with many cozy mysteries, the real draw is the characters. Kitty is extremely likeable and smart. Matthew is portrayed as somewhat mysterious as the reader is given hints of his military service and past are haunting him. Kitty and Matthew work well together and there is a hint of future romance to unfold in future books. I found this book to be a nice, relaxing way to spend a few hours and will be looking for the next title in the series.

This is a lovely read! I could visualise the hotel so well, the town, the hustle and bustle of life in the 1930's. And what a great heroine in Miss Underhay. I also developed quite a soft spot for Matt. I thoroughly enjoyed the story-telling, the little clues, the way the mysteries developed. It definitely got the little grey cells working!

Running a hotel is a time consuming profession even when it's in your blood and you are doing so during the heady days of the early 1930's. When you start getting threatening letters along with everything else it definitely adds an extra amount of stress to your day. Kitty Underhay lives with her grandmother at The Dolphin Hotel in Dartmouth which they own and manage between them. Kitty's mother, Elowed, disappeared in June 1916 on her way to London and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Her father returned to the USA before the war and it isn't known if he is even still alive.

Left alone to run the hotel when her grandmother has to travel to Scotland unexpectedly Kitty is both annoyed and relieved that she had hired ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, as the new security manager before she left. As things begin to get increasingly dangerous with murders and robberies shattering the tranquillity of the small town it becomes clear all are somehow connected not only to each other but also to the hotel itself. Matt and Kitty have to work together to try and discover what is happening, hopefully without joining the casualty list themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which merges Miss Marple with Lord Peter Wimsey to make an engaging, sophisticated, and personable heroine who is ably assisted by the enigmatic and serious Captain Bryant. There were red herrings, great atmospheric content and a few weaselly locals to give added colour. The mystery itself was well suited to its historical location and was solved in a satisfyingly fitting manner.

I was amazed to see it was this author's first published work and I am delighted that there are to be more of these books; I shall definitely be on the look out for them. Kitty and Matt work well together and there is the definite possibility of a romantic liason in the future.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a murderously mysterious element or a good cosy crime. This book delivers on all fronts and I can't wait to see what happens next.

The first in what is obviously going to be a series of cosy mystery books, featuring Miss Underhay.

Kitty Underhay has been left in charge of her family's hotel - the aforementioned Dolphin Hotel whilst her grandmother goes to visit a sick relative. 

Her grandmother knows something is wrong as there have been some suspicious letters sent to the hotel and she fears that Kitty may be in danger so she hires a new security officer Matt Bryant whose first job is to protect Miss Kitty. 

Kitty is determined that the summer season at the Dolphin Hotel is to go without a hitch, a glamourous jazz singer is due and a masked ball to end the summer season in Dartmouth must go without a hitch and prove to Kitty's grandmother that she is more than capable of running the hotel. 

Add to this some robbery, arson, a missing jewel and a few murders everything seems to be coming back to Kitty and her past. Can she possibly solve all of this before she puts herself in danger?

This is a lovely cosy mystery very much lighter than an Agatha Christie but certainly has plenty of nods to the Queen of Crime. Red herrings and twists and turns makes it an enjoyable page turner for any murder mystery fan.

This was a cozy mystery, set in the 1930's. Kitty has lived with her grandmother at their Dolphin Hotel since her mother disappeared when Kitty was 6. When her Grandmother is called away she leaves Kitty in charge, but hires Matt to be her security. Kitty's grandmother, unbeknownst to her, had been receiving threatening letters. There have also been two murders near the hotel, several break ins, a fire, and a missing valuable ruby. Can Matt and Kitty uncover who is behind all the crime before anyone else loses their life?
This was a light, easy to read mystery. I would have liked more clarity in to the motives and connections of some of the other characters that played a part in the plot. Overall a great read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I could not get into this book. Decided to give up on it. I tried, but the subject matter, characters and overall writing style was not appealing.

"Murder at the Dolphin Hotel" is the first book in the "Miss Underhay Mystery" series and a great one at that. The book is set in Darmouth in the 1930s, where Kitty Underhay helps her grandmother to run the Dolphin Hotel. Soon she has to investigate a series of break-ins at the hotel, followed up by several attacks and murders with the help of Matthew Bryant, hired as the Dolphin's new security officer. Besides, all these may be related to the disappearance of Kitty's mum 16 years before.

Kitty's past serves as a great starting point for this series and I guess we'll know more about it in next books. Kitty is a very likable character and I specially liked how she evolved throughout the story. Matthew's character also has some backstory during the war that I'm looking forward to know. Plus, both characters together are so cute!

The plot is smoothly paced, with several twists and turns, that with the setting and the cast of characters make for a compelling read. The ending was pretty satisfying but I would have like for some of the secondary characters' motivations to be a bit more explained.

I will definetely come back for book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel written by Helena Dixon is the first in a new mystery series about Miss Kitty Underhay. Kitty runs her grandmother's hotel but soon takes on the role of amateur sleuth when her grandmother begins receiving mysterious letters and local residents begin turning up murdered. Helena Dixon does a superb job of hooking the reader from the very beginning and I will anxiously await the next book in the Miss Underhay mystery series.

Kitty is left in charge of the dolphin hotel amidst danger from unsavoury types, mystery about her mother and father and a potential love interest. Well-written, well-paced enjoyable story. I'm really hoping there'll be a sequel to this story!!

Elowed Underhay was just twenty seven when she disappeared from Dartmouth in June 1916, leaving her daughter, Kitty, in the care of her grandmother. A great deal of money had been spent to find out what happened to her and the conclusion was that she was dead, mainly because there was no evidence to suggest otherwise. Kitty has come to terms with this and in 1933 she was running the Dolphin Hotel in Dartmouth with her grandmother, when her grandmother had to leave to look after her sister who was ill. She was reluctant to leave Kitty in charge - and Kitty could not understand why. She's always coped with the mix of holidaymakers, boating people and the naval college on the edge of town before - and she's done every job in the hotel. And she particularly cannot understand why her grandmother's friends have been roped in to keep an eye on things and why Captain Matthew Bryant has been hired to take charge of security at the hotel.

There is, of course, a good reason. Letters have been sent to the hotel which show that there's a credible threat - and then strange things begin happening. Kitty was only saved from being pushed under a coal truck by the timely presence of Matthew Bryant and whilst her bedroom might not look as though it's been searched, Kitty knows that things are not as she left them. And the anonymous letters are becoming more threatening.

It's cozy crime, but of a superior type. Characterisation is good. I liked Kitty: she's feisty but not silly with it and there's a definite chemistry between her and the handsome Capt. Bryant, who has a history about which he's not being terribly forthcoming. There are some colourful characters too - Vivien Delaware is there to provide entertainment, but you suspect that there's rather more to her visit to the coast than a need for some sea air. And let's not mention the reporter who thinks that Kitty is going to fall in love with him.

There's a real feel for the location and particularly for what life in a classy hotel was like in the thirties. I had the feeling of some diligent research having been done, but without the need to insert every bit of acquired knowledge. The plot is good too. I worked out one or two of the twists, but I had the wrong person pencilled in as the baddy. As cozy crime goes, this is first class. I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to the Bookbag.

Enjoyable cosy period crime thriller, set in 1933. A very easy read, the author has a nice writing style.

A series of strange notes leaves Grams worried about Kitty’s safety, so she calls on Matthew Bryant to keep an eye on her granddaughter before being called away to deal with a family emergency. When Kitty’s bedroom is ransacked and people start getting murdered, it seems Kitty is in serious danger.

This is the first in the series about Kitty Underhay, a young woman who helps her grandmother run a seaside hotel. I look forward to reading more about Matt and Kitty.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the arc of this book and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new series, set in 1933 Dartmouth, England. Kitty Underhay is the granddaughter of Mrs. Treadwell, owner of the Dolphin Hotel. Kitty’s mother disappeared in 1916, under mysterious circumstances, and her father’s whereabouts are also unknown so Kitty and her grandmother are very close. Mrs. Treadwell has to go out of town and leaves Kitty in charge. What Kitty doesn’t know is that Mrs. T. also hired former Army Captain Matthew Bryant to watch over the hotel and Kitty because of threatening letters. While Mrs. T. is gone, the hotel is broken into and Kitty’s room searched. Suddenly, attacks and murder are on the rise in Dartmouth and at the hotel. Kitty becomes even more concerned when an American jazz singer and her husband, performing at the hotel’s opening ball, tell her that they’ve seen her father many times. The story is well-told and the characters are well-written, allowing the reader to keep track of everyone. Kitty is quite modern for the times (between the two wars when society is changing quickly) and her interactions with Matthew are well done. It will be interesting to see where the author takes the story arc in the next books.

I received a free copy of MURDER AT THE DOLPHIN HOTEL (Book 1 of the Miss Underhay Mysteries) by Helena Dixon in exchange for an honest review. In June 1933, Kitty Underhay’s grandmother rushes away to deal with a family emergency and leaves Kitty in charge of the hotel and in kicking off the upcoming busy summer season. Kitty’s grandmother hired a security expert, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, but neglected to inform Kitty why the hotel now requires his services. After Kitty is knocked into traffic and her room tossed, Matthew reveals that her grandmother had been receiving threatening notes and that Kitty, herself, is probably in danger. As murders, beatings, and other crimes begin to occur, Kitty and Matthew join forces to investigate. Information soon reveals this may be connected to the disappearance of Kitty’s mother, Kitty’s absent father, the Chicago mob, and a missing ruby. Can they figure out who’s behind the crime spree before Kitty becomes the next victim?

This was a good start to a new cozy mystery series. Kitty, herself, is a figure surrounded by mystery. I recommend this series to fans of cozy mysteries set in seaside village hotels in between the world wars. As a capable and respected businesswoman, Miss Underhay would have been an unusual female for the time.

#MurderAtTheDolphinHotel #NetGalley

Delightful historical mystery set in 1930's England. Plot was engaging, characters interesting and realistic. I will look forward to another book about Matt and Kitty.

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon is an engaging historical cozy. Ms. Dixon is a "new to me" author; but I was glad to find this book as it was an easy read.

The plot is smoothly paced with quite a few twists, several suspects and a diverse cast of characters set in 1933. I found Kitty and Matthew to be very likable and enjoyed getting to know them both as their characters developed throughout the story. The finale was intense and caught me by surprise as to "who done it". I look forward to more books in this series.

This is the first in a new cozy historical mystery series (set in Dartmouth, England 1933) coming out in December. I actually failed to notice (on the cover 🙄) that it is a cozy. I tend to avoid cozies as I need a little more oomph to my characters/plots than I’ve found in the few I’ve read. No offense intended to those who love them. 😊

Kitty (who lost her mom and dad mysteriously at age 6) helps her grandmother run the Dolphin Hotel.

Matt, a former soldier with traumatic issues of his own, is hired to provide additional security as mysterious threatening letters and unexplained violence/death begin to become commonplace in the quest for a lost treasure.

The writing is fine. I just prefer a little more in-depth character development to keep me engaged.

Thanks to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

Found this an enjoyable easily read cosy crime mystery. The setting and time period made the story extra enjoyable. Would read more books from this series in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This new series is set in Dartmouth, England in 1933 with the main characters of Mrs. Treadwell (Grams), the owner of the Dolphin Hotel and her granddaughter Kitty Underhay. Mrs. Treadwell hires ex-army Captain Matthew Bryant to watch over the hotel and especially Kitty as she has been receiving threatening notes in recent weeks. Someone seems to think that they know of the whereabouts of a "treasure". Kitty's mother Mrs. Elowed Underhay disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1916 and has not been seen or heard from since. Kitty's father Edgar Underhay has not been around since Kitty was a small child.

As several people from the town are murdered and/or attacked, rooms in the hotel are broken into and searched it becomes clear to Matt that there is something more involved and there are more people out there looking for the treasure. American jazz singer Miss Vivien Delaware has been contracted to open the summer season at the Dolphin Hotel. Her stay at the hotel being capped by a grand masked ball. Vivien and her husband Bobby arrive and claim that they have seen her father many times in the US and in England.

The story is gripping from the very first page. It was quite difficult to put the book down as I wanted to know more about the story and the characters. The details in all the descriptions of the town and the characters that support the story are very well laid out. Very deserving of 5 stars and more. I'm very much looking forward to more books in the series and soon.

I enjoyed this cozy crime from Helena Dixon, which is set in the 1930s. It is well written and easy to read. The mystery itself is not hugely intricate, though it does keep you guessing for quite a lot of the book.

I enjoyed the character development of Kitty, at the beginning of the book, she seems quite feeble and is frightened by all the untoward events (as anyone would be), but by the end of the story, she comes into her own a little. I look forward to seeing further developments in future books.

I liked Matt’s character too. He obviously suffered greatly during the war, when he was still very young, and this has affected him. Again, I’m expecting to see character development in future books.

Overall, this is a strong start to what I hope will be a fun series to follow.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.