This is the third book in a cosy mystery series set in the 1920s.

Mabel is still working for the Useful Women’s Agency and in this story she is employed as a companion for a businessman’s daughter.

Mabel escorts her young lady to a dance where she unfortunately witnesses a murder. Mabel and her friends try and assist the police in solving the case.

On a personal note, Mabel’s relationship with Park (a brother of a former client and a neighbour) is starting to get more serious. There is a nice level of romance in this story, it’s there but doesn’t take over from the investigation.

This is another enjoyable book in the series, which is getting better with each book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this story to read and review

Kudos to Marty Wingate for writing an engaging cozy mystery whose solution is a clever and unpredictable puzzle. A Body at the Dance Hall is third in a series featuring the perky, adventurous Miss Mabel Canning, who takes assignments with the Useful Women agency in 1922 London – private investigation is her specialty – while quietly investigating murders. When Mabel gets approached about a posh gig as companion to a wealthy young American woman newly arrived in London, she looks forward to livening up her dull January by showing her charge around town. But Roxanne Arkwright, eighteen-year-old daughter of a British industrialist and his Chicago-based first wife, appears to be a high-maintenance handful. Then, on the pair’s evening out at the Hammersmith Palais de Danse, Mabel garbed in slinky knee-length blue chiffon velvet, our sleuth gets locked in the hall’s larder by a fellow detective hired by the Arkwrights to watch Roxanne. An hour later, after Mabel is freed by an old contact at Scotland Yard, she finds the young man lying dead, and Roxanne frantic with worry about her.

The mystery plot gets deliciously complicated as it changes from having no real suspects at all, since the motive for the crime isn’t clear, to nearly everyone being a suspect. Secrets are afoot! Wingate scatters red herrings hither and thither until the perpetrator comes into surprising focus, and the book’s revelations don’t end there. This volume stands alone perfectly, with only light allusions to Mabel’s two previous outings. The fashions and hairstyles are fabulous, the historical atmosphere lively, and the characters a fun mix, including Gladys, the friendly terrier owned by Mabel’s beau, Park Winstone. (Better naming consistency would be great; he’s called Park and Winstone equally frequently.) But let’s see more of Mabel and her fellow Useful Women, please.

(from the Historical Novels Review, May 2024)

A Body at the Dance Hall is book 3 in the London Ladies' Murder Club series, following A Body on the Doorstep and A Body at the Séance. While I have read the previous books, you don't have to in order to enjoy this one. But they are quick reads and a lot of fun. If you enjoy audiobooks, I particularly enjoyed listening to book 1.

Mabel has settled in quite well to living in London and working at the Useful Women Agency. She gets on quite well with Miss Kerr who owns the agency and I wonder if Miss Kerr would have given the assignment to someone else had Mabel not been there when a client requested a companion for his American daughter who is visiting for the first time in 15 years. You see Miss Kerr has a personal history with the client. They are on a first-name basis and while Mabel's interest is piqued she is discreet enough to not inquire about the nature of the relationship. I think should this series progress very far into the future Mabel may wind up as Miss Kerr's partner one day.

Visiting all the sites of London may sound grand but Roxanne, the American daughter, is a bit prickly particularly as she may not have been told the whole truth about her father and mother's relationship and divorce. But soon Mable wins her over and Roxanne turns out to be a lovely girl. But this is a cozy mystery and everything can't stay rosy the whole time. Soon there's a dead body and no one saw the killer! But as we learn lies abound among the characters.

The mystery is enjoyable but I did work out who the killer was before Mabel, Park, and Tolly.

If you like a little romantic relationship mixed into your murder mystery, then there is progress on that front with Mabel and Park. I do like Park - he reminds me a little of Darcy from Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series and Captain Bryant from Helena Dixon's Miss Underhay series. He isn't intimidated by an independent modern woman and gives her plenty of credit for solving the mysteries herself.

Tolly, or Inspector Tollerton, even seems to be respecting her abilities which may bode well for WPC Wardle the only woman (that we see) at Scotland Yard.

While the male characters may have more progressive ideas on the role of women, there are plenty of historical details to put you in the period. I'm a hat person and I love all the descriptions of hats. I'm kind of mystified that someone would order bread and butter and call it lunch. Though it would be what people on a modest budget would eat during that time (I remember stories of people eating bread and butter with a little sugar sprinkled on as a meal and not as the treat I would have thought it to be).

If you are looking for a light read during the hectic run-up to the end of school or an early summer vacation, you should read this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday, May 3 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/05/a-body-at-dance-hall-by-marty-wingate.html

I love this series and I am so glad I found it! I absolutely love Mable and the fact that she is living life on her own terms, taking no shit from anyone! I can't wait to see what she and the Ladies Murder Club get up to in the next installment in this series!

#ABodyattheDanceHall
#NetGalley

A big thank you to Sarah Hardy and the publisher for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part on the blog tour.

A Body at the Dancehall is the third installment in the wonderful historical cosy crime series by Marty Wingate and follows Mabel Canning as she develops her detective business alongside her role at the Useful Women Agency, run by Lilian Kerr (who we learn a bit more about in this book). Her role sees her providing assistance to a variety of London characters from hanging pictures to helping to plan a funeral. She has always helped out with her fair share of murder investigations much to the chagrin of the investigating police officers.

Mabel has become incredibly resourceful in her role which in this book, sees her become the companion to Roxy Arkwright, a young women from America, visiting her father and stepmother. Roxy’s father knows just how wayward his young daughter and tasks Mabel with showing her the sights of London, which result in Roxy determined to visit a Dance Hall! Things however don’t go too smoothly and the evening ends with a shocked Roxy (and Mabel) covered in blood and stood over a dead body. Mabel is obviously in the thick of it straight away and sets about finding out who killed (and why) the gentleman she had spoken to earlier in the evening.

I really enjoy reading this series, Marty Wingate sets the scene perfectly with 1920’s London and it is always a treat to be reacquainted with the characters from her previous books – Flea has a slightly larger role in this story which is remarkable for someone who doesn’t speak and Skeff and Cora help Mabel with her investigation along with Park and Gladys the dog! The romance with Park and Mabel is written wonderfully and developing at the perfect pace for the time and every minute with Gladys is a joy. It can't be easy being a Private Investigator in the 1920's much less a female one but the author sets the tone just right with how Mabel uses her experience to get to the bottom of things.

I have to say, I didn’t guess the suspect at all as the author plots her twists and storyline just to give you a hint of where she wants you to be lead and then pulls the rug out from under you. A wonderful story and series that is going from strength to strength in my opinion!

The third London Ladies’ Murder Club mystery finds Mabel accompanying an American heiress around town. They end up at a dance hall and someone tied to the heiress winds up murdered. She must investigate to keep the heiress safe.

I’m really enjoying this series! Mabel is such a good protagonist and this one was full of fun characters. It did get a little long I think toward the end (as in it felt like the plot could wrap up but it kept going), but overall I really enjoyed it! I can’t wait to see where Mabel’s mysteries take her next.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Body At The Dance Hall by Marty Wingate is the third book in the London ladies murder club Mabel escorts Roxy to a local dance where a man is murdered and Roxy is right there when it happens. As Mabel and her policeman bow tried to put the murder puzzle pieces together Roxy gets kidnapped and makes a big problem even bigger. Can The amateur slueth get to the bottom of the problem and find the murderer and now kidnapper? This book is about a 1920s Mable Who couldn’t be happier living in London she has made friends and even has a potential Suder she works for the ladies do-gooder society there in the meantime solves crimes that seem to keep happening around her lol! I love these books and cannot get enough of them this is the third in the Siri‘s and it seems they just keep getting better. It is well written with great characters that keep getting more flushed out it is a cozy mystery that keeps you laughing and guessing and turning the pages. I can’t recommend it enough! I want to thank boldwood books for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Marty Wingate is a brand new author to me, so I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book. To be honest, it's a historical cosy mystery, so I am at least 95% guaranteed to enjoy it!

The third book in the London Ladies' Murder Club series. I haven't read the previous books, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. I do prefer to read a series from the start just because I think the character development brings me right into their worlds.

Set in 1920s London. Mabel is a young woman who isn't a run of the mill female of the times. She lives in her own London flat and works for the Useful Women's Agency. The type of jobs she could get vary, but they revolve around helping people, in one capacity or another.

She is given the job of escorting Roxanne, the strong minded daughter of an American businessman who is visiting London. Roxanne wishes to go to the dance hall so Mabel takes her. The only problem is the appearance of a dead body on the dance floor. Mabel starts investigating with help from people in her friendship circle.

A very well written cosy mystery that gives a strong sense of place and time. I felt I had armchair travelled back to the roaring 1920s. Mabel is a great, strong main character. I could imagine her bucking all the trends of the time at every point in her life. The ensuing investigation showed just how able this woman was!

For a cosy mystery, Marty Wingate has not just taken me back to the 20s, She also brought the suspense, and this made for a great mystery read, too. I'm almost upset that I missed the other books in this series! I am planning to rectify my error as soon as I can. It's a great read for historical cosy mystery fans out there.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Mabel’s adventures continue with a flighty American girl, a murder, a dog and a plethora of hats. This 1920s murder mystery series is entertaining and fun, and the characters claim the top spot in my estimation. Mabel is a strong female character, Park an intriguing lover, and the side characters are fully fleshed out and interesting. If you’re looking for a fun romp through London and a satisfying modern romance, this could be for you!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy. These opinions are my own.

A Body at the Dance Hall by Marty Wingate is a different take on a cozy mystery. It takes place in 1920’s London and features Mabel, a thirty-ish independent woman who works for an agency known as Useful Women. Useful Women can be called upon to do most anything: hang paintings, clean kitchens, select wallpaper, or solve murders, one of their newer offerings. Miss Lillian Kerr runs the agency and has exacting standards. Mabel’s newest assignment is to act as companion to a young American woman recently arrived in London. When she arrives, she discovers there is plenty going on within the family and wonders where this will lead. Miss Roxanne Arkwright appears to be a little wild, as are many eighteen-year-olds, especially those in a strange city and visiting a father she has never known and has only heard bad things about. She managed to ditch her chaperone as they were getting on the ship and so, made the journey alone. Thankfully, her father had the foresight to hire a private investigator to observe her on her travels and be there should she need him. Mabel met him when he locked her in a pantry at the dance hall to which she had accompanied Roxanne, only to be released as part of a murder investigation. Thankfully, it wasn’t Roxanne, but rather the investigator. Then Mabel’s real job kicked in.

This is the third in this very fun series which comprises so much more than Mabel simply being a Useful Woman. She lives at River House and is loosely supervised by the doorman, who is an old friend of her father’s. Also in the building live Skeff and Cora, both wonderful friends with useful skills: Cora builds hats and believes a hat can change one’s appearance. Skeff works for a newspaper and is easily able to research anything, and Park Winstone, who used to be a policeman and is Mabel’s sweetheart. All rally to help Mabel solve crimes and are invaluable. This is such a character-driven story and Wingate has created a cadre of unforgettable characters. The mystery is a good one, based on false information and maybe some mental illness. It comes close to ending another life, but backs away just in time. People, in their grief, can do horrible things. Thanks, Marty Wingate! I love this series!

I was invited to read A Body at the Dance Hall by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #MartyWingate #ABodyAtTheDanceHall

Modern woman Mabel Canning returns in 1922, tasked with accompanying a feisty young socialite, Roxy, around the London party scene.

As the title suggests, a body is discovered, and Roxy is found in distress and with blood on her dress. Mabel receives a warning that Roxy is in danger and then discovers that the victim was in the employ of Roxy's father, just as Mabel is.

I love the writing style, the descriptions of this time period, the social interactions and especially, the characters in these great books. Mabel enlists the help of her friends and neighbours, Cora and Skeff, her love interest, Park and of course, the wonderful Gladys, Park's loyal and clever dog. I was delighted to read that Mabel's love hate relationship with local policeman "Tolly" continues to develop and it seems he might be warming to her, just a little bit!

The pace is steady, there are plenty of twists and a very unexpected ending, a great read!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Marty Wingate and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved the character of Mabel. and her colleagues in the London Ladies Murder Club, I can almost picture them. There are delightful descriptions of the 1920s fashions and the new way of life for independent women following the First World War. The idea of the Really Useful Women is a clever concept, similar to the modern Girl Friday and exemplifies what women needed to do following the war to keep their heads above water. All the characters are beautifully and sympathetically written including the villain of the piece and together with fabulous twist at the end makes this a great cosy mystery

Mabel Canning is a very unusual young woman for England in the 1920s, living independently in a London flat and earning her living through the Useful Women's Agency, accepting a variety of assignments as a trusted gentlewoman to help out people in need of help. Sometimes clients might require assistance in restringing a necklace, collecting garments from the tailor, or companionship. This time, Mabel is placed as a companion to escort the client's young and headstrong American daughter visiting her father and stepmother in London. Roxanne is especially keen to go dancing, hence they are present when a murder takes place on the dance floor. Fortunately, Mabel has already proven herself an able private investigator, so she is well placed to solve the ensuing mystery of who the victim is, who committed the murder and why, helped by her friends and neighbours who can assist her in her enquiries.
This is a charming story with a strong sense of period, engaging characters and a good, suspenseful plot that ranges through different parts of central London, and it is companion to a series of stories featuring Mabel and her London Murder Club. I enjoyed reading it very much.

There is no way not to love this series!! It has it all.. humor, mystery, amazing fun characters and a setting that takes you back to 1920's London!!

Mabel is on the job, escorting a young heiress to about town, he own agenda of having fun herself is stalled when a murder occurs and her charge is covered in blood!

With her pals in the Murder Club, the fun journey begins!! Hope this comes out on audible and I will of course listen and be delighted again!

Marty Wingate's new book - A Body at the Dance Hall - has just released. This is the third book in The London Ladies' Murder Club series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

The book is set in 1922 London England. Wingate does a wonderful job of bringing the setting to life with her detailed descriptions of shops, clothing, food, societal mores and so much more. I have a fondness for this time frame and place and the 'keep calm and soldier on' attitude.

What else? Oh, the characters for sure! I loved Mable, the lead character. Her job is with the Useful Women Agency. (Don't you love the name?) Assignments can be just about any thing. In this tale, Mable is to be a companion for a young woman from the US. They go out one evening - and that's where the body comes in. And where the private investigating also comes in. Mable is smart, tenacious and determined. She's backed up with a wonderful cast of supporting characters. They're just as likable as Mable. And what does a cosy need? Yes, you got it - a dog. You'll love Gladys.

The plotting of the whodunit was good as well. The final reveal was not who and what I expected. A Body at the Dance Hall was a fun read. I'll definitely pick up another book from Marty Wingate!

This charming 1920s historical mystery series is witty and a lot of fun. Mabel works for the Useful Women's Agency from which women are hired to help people do everything from plan seating arrangements for a dinner to mending the dinner linens. I love how this book shows some of the details involved in the behind the scenes of the fancy lives of the 1920s. It isn't the whole book but enough to really make the details sing for the time period.

Of course, the main course is the murder. In this case, Mabel's latest assignment is chaperoning and showing around a young woman from America the things that London has to offer. Unfortunately, at a dance hall, a man who has been watching Roxanne is murdered and Roxanne is covered in blood. Now Mabel has to find the murderer before Roxanne is taken away....

I enjoyed the characters. Mabel and Roxanne became friends even though they had a rocky start. I also really enjoyed Mabel's friends who help her out in her murder investigation (this is the third book of the series but you don't need to read the others to understand this one).

The mystery was solid and there was plenty of action at the end. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This is the third in the series, one more to be published this year. Looking forward to it. This has rapidly become a favorite cozy series of mine. In each book, new characters are introduced that become friends and cohorts of Mabel’s. So far, there’s always been a murder Mabel gets involved in solving. Light romance, though as a caution, there was unmarried love making. Not graphic. The character of Gladys, the sweet dog is so lovable. Historical fiction set during the 1920’s, I believe. As always several red herrings and rabbit holes to traverse. These books are always leaving a smile on my face. I was blessed with a free. ARC, and I’m voluntarily leaving my review. Highly recommend if you need something light hearted and entertaining.

1922 Mabel Channing can no longer be called an amateur sleuth. Helping Inspector Tollerton on the sidelines, unofficially of course (very few women on the force), Mabel’s newest assignment is to be a chaperone of sorts to an American teenager who is initially totally against the idea.

When on their initial foray to a dance hall ends with a murder, and someone who by all accounts was employed by her father, the story gets a bit complicated. If Roxanne is in danger, why isn’t the reason for it being put out. As the enquiry continues, there seems to be many suspects especially when Roxanne is abducted. Her father is a prime suspect, followed by her mother but no one can get to the bottom of the story as to why.

Many characters include the present Mrs Arkwright, the first Mrs Arkwright, a hidden second marriage, a hidden son, very nice helpful neighbours and a beau on the sidelines.

Charmingly told, despite the mayhem a classic vintage mystery murder.

I’ve enjoyed other books in the series so was looking forward to A Body at the Dance Hall. This is a cosy mystery which is something I don’t often read but it’s a genre I like to dip in and out of now and again. Like the other books, this one starts with a bang when someone is murdered. I continue to be impressed by the world building in these books and the excellent characterisation. I found the characters and events utterly believable. Mabel is a great character and I enjoyed spending more time with her. This is a gripping read. I’d recommend it.

This is the third book in the series and I have read them all. It can be read as a stand alone as far as the mystery goes but to get the full benefit of the character growth the are best read in order. It is a well written good paced story. There are plenty of twists, turns & red herrings as well as more than a dash of humour. An entertaining series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.