I have not read anything by this author previously, but I definitely will be in the future! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the narration. I wasn’t sure how I felt about each characters’ perspectives at first, but ended up absolutely loving both characters and their dynamic. This was a very well done mystery, and I felt that while this book did a great job portraying the time period and certain characteristics that draw many into reading pieces set during WWII, it didn’t go so far that I felt I had chosen historical fiction over a good mystery. Well done! I can’t wait to read the next in the series!

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series starring Jane Treen and Arthur Cilento which was a pleasure to listen to and an entertaining murder-mystery set during World War 2.

The author has created three great characters in Jane, Arthur and his 'man-servant' Benson; they make a great team although I admit it took me a while to warm to Jane as she is quite a prickly person; she certainly tests Arthur's patience with her love of smoking and no-nonsense manner.

The story does take a little bit to get going but once it does, it is intriguing and compelling with a very satisfying ending. The narration was excellent although I think it would have been even better had there been a male narrator as well but Kristen did a great job nevertheless.

Overall, despite the slow start, I thoroughly enjoyed it and many thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this very enjoyable cozy murder-mystery and a decent start to a new series and one which I look forward to following.

I would definitely say this is a "cozy mystery". In my personal preference, I am not a big fan of these types of mysteries. I would have liked more thrill to hold my attention. The writing style was nice and people who like "cozy Mysteries" will enjoy it.

Not memorable.

The Secret Detective Agency follows Miss Jane Treen, a coffee-drinking cat lover who is also a secret detective. She's been asked to help with a case in Devon involving a woman who was found in a lake. Mr. Arthur Cilent, who specializes in code-breaking, comes along for the ride. Together, they take this once quiet village by storm, uncovering clues that point to a hidden coded diary and a dangerous killer.

I wanted to like this book, unfortunately, it was just so slow and not very attention-grabbing. Maybe I need to give this another go.


Thank you to Helena Dixon, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the audio-digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'd describe this book as a cozy mystery with a kinda humor in it.

This is a typical cozy mystery in a historical setting. Writing was atmospheric but never improved in my opinion. The characters had more potential where the story starts with secret detectives within the military agency. I liked the character combo of a gineuse home-body, his manservant and military agency coordinator who are a mismatched team that comes together to solve a military mystery.

The feeling of a small town and close relationship between the characters was fun to enjoy. The banter between sort the main characters was so fun, yet I think there's so much potential. But since this is the first book, it felt like a setup for a slow-paced build up to a series. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading cozy mysteries in small towns.

If you are looking for a cozy murder mystery set in the World War II, then you've picked up the right book. Miss Jane and her begrudging partner Arthur, are thrown together to solve the case of a woman who's body was found on Arthur's property.

Miss treen enters Arthur's life like a bit of a storm, forceful and in a swirl of cigarette smoke. She also brings her cat and an overnight bag as she plans to stay for a while, whether he likes it or not. In some ways, I find her attitude of moving into his space, and potentially his sanctuary, in an incredibly aggressive manner. I think I am a far more a fan of Arthur, than Miss Treen and her brusque manner which I see as rude and imposing on the people around her.

The mystery itself is certainly one I enjoyed as the unlikely duo must determine who their suspects are and who had the motive, means, and opportunity. Because as the case evolves we learn the woman on the edge of Arthur's property was not the only victim, and she certainly isn't the last either.

I feel as though the author did a good job with weaving a spy narrative with cozy mystery, murder and intrigue. Though finding her footing in this series, I do hope future books in the series will be just as fun and entertaining.

I really enjoyed this first book in The Secret Detective Agency series. This cozy mystery with interesting twists. The book is set in England in 1941 and Jane Treen is tasked with solving murder that could impact the ongoing war. As a fellow cat lover my favorite character was Marmaduke the one eyed ginger cat. Helena Dixon’s story is engaging and full of unique characters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Kristin Atherton did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for letting me read this ARC.

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon is a captivating historical cozy murder mystery that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. Set in a charming English town, the story brilliantly blends intriguing characters, a compelling plot, and rich historical details. Helena Dixon’s writing transports you to a time of suspense and secrets, while Kristin Atherton’s narration brings each character to life with warmth and precision. (I received an advance listener copy and all opinions are my own.) If you love a good mystery with a dash of British charm, this book is an absolute delight!

This is the first in a new series of cozy historical murder mysteries.

The book is set against the backdrop of the Second World War, with Jane Treen working for the government handling agents in the field. Unfortunately she’s managed to lose a couple of agents and is now trying to find them!

Jane is sent to Devon to solve the case of a mysterious woman found dead in a lake. The owner of the lake is Arthur, who Jane teams up with to solve the case. Whether the nervous, asthmatic, code-breaking Arthur likes it or not!

I found the book started off in a way that drew me in and made me want to learn about the characters and what was going on. However the first half overall felt a bit slow to get going. There was a lot of repetitive lines about Jane smoking and Arthur’s displeasure for it, which I felt it didn’t really need. This was also coupled with repeating about Arthur’s asthma. It made it feel a bit like filler.

I did find that the plot them quickly progressed into the second half and left me desperate to know what was going to happen next. The relationship between Jane and Arthur has a lot of scope about where it could go. I also found that Benson, Arthur’s companion, had some fun interactions that I’d like to see more of.

Overall I enjoyed the book and found it a good, character driven cozy mystery. I would definitely read the next instalment. I listened to the audio version of this book and loved the narrator Kristin Atherton. I would give this book a strong 3.5 ⭐️

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced audio copy of this book.

Reviews posted on Goodreads and threads.

In 1941 London, Miss Jane Treen, a coffee-drinking cat lover and secret super sleuth, is called to Devon to investigate the suspicious death of a woman found in a lake. Alongside shy code-breaker Arthur Cilento, Jane delves into a web of secrets in a quiet village, uncovering clues that point to a hidden coded diary and a dangerous killer. As they work together to solve the mystery, the two must confront the secrets of the villagers and stay one step ahead of the killer determined to silence them.

The first 1/3 of this book was pretty slow and & had to force myself to keep going but I’m glad that I did finish it. The plot does thicken and I did become invested in the outcome. Overall a decent read but if you can’t get past cheesy code names and a subpar “male voice” by a female narrator, then this book may be a pass for you.

⭐️⭐️💫

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon is a fun, charming cozy mystery set in England during II World World. When a woman is found dead in a lake just by codebreaker Arthur Cilento estate he must join forces with a confident and determined Jane Treen who's working a top secret government job.

I have to say the story sounded intriguing from the start. And although it took awhile for me to get used to the style of the author and the stylized langue once I warmed up to it I really enjoyed my adventure with Arthur and Jane.
The plot is not as obvious as it may seem, and it's a major plus for me. I thought it's going to be two rather amateur sleuths working together to solve a mystery and I really didn't expect the secret agents, double identities and government secrets being part of the story. There are plenty of clues but nothing is too obvious so I was still surprised by the ending.

The only other thing that bothered me besides the slow start were the peculiar surnames and code names. They did pull me out of the story a few times.

I have partially read and listened to the audiobook of this book and I have to say that the narration was exquisite. Kristin Atherton really gives a great performance with the abundance of accents and voices. She really brought the characters to life and made listening to The Secret Detective Agency even more enjoyable than it already was.

I had a lot of fun listening to this and really got to like the characters. I wish there would be a bit more banter between Arthur and Jane as I did feel there's some potential for a future romance, especially with them having such opposite characters. Hopefully the romance is coming in book number 2 which I'd be really happy to pick up. Especially if the audiobook is read by the same person!

The Secret Detective Agency was a fun listen. Kristin Atherton did a fantastic job giving each character a distinctive voice.

I need a Benson novella. I bet there is an intriguing back story there.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookoutre Audio.

a simple cozy crime novel set during the blitz. not really for me. I would have preferred a little more history. the villan was very easy to work out.

It was beautifully narrated though. Her character voices were very easy to distinguish between and her tone kept my interest

Enjoyed this very much. I like the plot twist and they way you had to guessing. Loved the audio book of this one! The characters were very interesting and I loved the setting of the book. I would recommend if you like twist and little historical fiction this is the book for you.

This was a fun novel set in an English village during World War II. Jane's agents keep going missing. Worse is the knowledge that some of them are dead. When she receives a phone call letting her know that another of her agents has been found in the grounds of a house in Devon, she boards the train, determined to uncover what is going on.

Arthur has returned home to find the body of a woman in the grounds of his home. She had been renting the house, and now she is dead. Arthur and Jane are forced together to solve a string of murders and report their findings to the government.

There was plenty I enjoyed about the book. It's easy to draw me in with anything set during world war II, especially if there's a mystery. I liked the idea of Arthur being a code breaker and using clues to solve the mystery. And in many ways, the book delivered.

However I think I expected a little more from it. Given that Arthur and Jane were supposed to be brilliant, I expected them to be less trusting of the people around them. I didn't really feel like they put many clues together. For the most part, people told them things, and they followed up on the information. I also found the final resolution a bit disappointing as I think it could have been far more interesting.

Even with these complaints, I did enjoy the story and it was a nice way to pass my time especially because I've read quite a few intense books this year. I also enjoyed the disability representation in the book. Arthur has asthma and this has a significant impact on his life. There is another character who is autistic or possibly has a learning disability. They weren't a main character so their disability wasn't named. Some of the language around disability was a bit modern. I doubt people in the 40s would have referred to someone as non-verbal, for example. But I think these changes were made to be more polite given the audience today.

The audio narration was excellent. Kristin Atherton always does such a good job, and this book was no different. So if you are looking for an audio book with a very gentle mystery, this may be the one for you!

In 1941 London, Miss Jane Treen, a sharp government agent, is called to Devon after one of her agents is found dead. Arthur Cilento, a reserved code-breaker suffering from asthma, is alarmed when his quiet life is disrupted by Miss Treen. Together, they form an unlikely partnership as they work to catch a killer before more people pay the price.

This was a fun, cozy mystery to listen to. Jane Treen was an interesting, no-nonsense kind of woman who works for Whitehall. She is determined to discover why her agents are being killed. She’s addicted to cigarettes and coffee, and never travels without her cat. Arthur Cilentro wants to recover from a recent bout of illness in peace. His asthma is aggravated by Jane’s cigarettes and cat. Somehow, they manage to work together.

I enjoyed how flawed they both were, and how they managed to work well together despite their irritations. The title of the book left me confused until the end, and even then, I didn’t feel like it fit. The narrator did a phenomenal job of bringing the characters to life.

Overall, this was a fun read and I look forward to the next book of the series. If you’re looking for a cozy World War 2 mystery, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

3.5

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War this is the first novel what I assume will be a series of the Secret Detective Agency.

Jane Treen works for the government handling agents in the field. But she's managed to lose a couple of them in quick succession. She is then sent on a mission to Devon where she joins forces with code-breaker Arthur Cilento to try to find out where these agents are and who is behind the increasingly sinister disappearances.

This is most definitely a cosy mystery that's very much character driven. So I suppose you really have to like the characters. I'm therefore giving Jane the benefit of the doubt because she's obviously got an interesting back story that is only touched on in this book. On the other hand she is really irritating and unwilling to acknowledge frailties in others but I'm hoping she'll mellow.

Arthur is also quite closed off but again, we know litter of hos history and I'm hoping the next book will give us more detail.

The actual story is only really complicated because there are lots of players and it is otherwise easy to follow and interesting, using codes and psychology to crack the case.

I will definitely read the next one. It would be a good match for fans of Richard Osman or SJ Bennett.

I listened to the audio version which was read well by Kristin Atherton. No histrionics or putting on voices, although I do wish female narrators would find a different tone for male characters since they all sound a little nasal to me.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the audio advance review copy.

This was great fun, and I'm already looking forward to listening to more. of these adventures. I love the dynamics of the relationships and the contrast of the group against the stereotypes of the time. Highly entertaining.

Great Characters, Immersive Setting, but a Bit Hard to Follow

I love a good historical mystery, and The Secret Detective Agency has a lot going for it—WWII London, espionage, secret agents with nursery rhyme code names, and an unlikely detective duo in Jane Treen and Arthur Cilento. The setting is immersive, and Helena Dixon does a fantastic job pulling you into the chaos of bombings and wartime tension.

What really worked for me were the characters. Treen and Cilento don’t particularly like each other, but they make a great team out of necessity. There’s a level of mutual respect without camaraderie, which actually made their dynamic refreshing. And I have to say, Treen’s coffee and cigarette addiction reminded me of my younger days working in radio—caffeine and nicotine were practically their own food groups back then.

That said, the mystery itself was a bit hard to follow. The slow start may have caused me to miss key details, and by the time things picked up, I felt like I was playing catch-up. Operation Exodus, the murdered agents, and the espionage plot were all intriguing, but I struggled to keep track of who was who and what their motivations were. The bombings and war setting added to the confusion—not necessarily in a bad way, because it made the story feel authentic, but it also made it harder to focus on the unraveling mystery.

The narration by Kristin Atherton was excellent. She gave each character distinct voices and really brought the book to life, making the audiobook experience even better.

If you love historical mysteries with a strong setting, enjoy wartime espionage, reluctant detective partnerships, and a layered investigation, this could be for you. Just be prepared to pay close attention, as it’s easy to miss small but important details.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for the ALC via NetGalley!

This is a fun cosy mystery, set in England in WW2. After setting the scene for what I assume is to be a series of mysteries, the author has devised a twisty plot in a credible wartime England with a number of diverse, quirky characters who I look forward to meeting again in other books in the series.

It was a real pleasure to listen to this audiobook; Kristin Atherton’s narration is clear, expressive, and a very good speed.