Thank you so much to NetGalley and Helena Dixon for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at the English Manor coming out May 23, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love this series! The time period is really fun. It reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie novels. I think Kitty and Matt are a really dynamic duo and I love the way they support each other. I think the setting was perfect. I’m obsessed with English manors. I would definitely read more books in this series!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Have been in a major reading slump and this lifted me out of it! Another enjoyable Kitty & Matt adventure - just simple, clean reading. I love that time period and Bertie makes me smile! Would happily read another of Helena Dixon’s works!

"A glamorous engagement celebration in an English country manor house… and a local maid missing. Somebody call Kitty Underhay!"
This series is cosy to a tee.
Once again Kitty and Matt find a dead body and have to work together and against the local police to find the murderer.
I can never work out who the culprit is in these books, but when I do, it always makes sense which is a vital element in a great mystery.

When Kitty Underhay walked through the lobby of her grandmother’s Dolphin Hotel in Dartmouth, I wonder if she ever thought how her life would change? In the 20th Miss Underhay novel, she’s now happily married and running a detective e agency with her husband, Matt.
When a maid at a Manor House goes missing, Kitty and Matt are roped into investigating, under the guise of providing security for the manor’s family hosting the ball. The family is in financial trouble, and arranging a marriage between the eldest son and an American heiress will put them back on a firmer footing. But the American heiress and her father have their own problems, being subject to a number of failed attempted robberies.
Providing a security service, solving robbery attempts and trying to find out what happened to Agnes, the missing maid, all in the space of a weekend, is a big ask for Matt and Kitty. So it’s a good job they have the assistance of Mrs Craven. Friend to Kitty’s beloved grandmother, former mayoress of Dartmouth and incorrigible snob, Mrs Craven is also a friend of the family, and employer of the missing maid’s sister. She initially brought the case to Kitty and Matt, and as she has her own motives for wanting a resolution, she is determined to get in on the detection action much to Kitty’s dismay.
As always there are plenty of red herrings and secrets to be uncovered, and it’s easy to get drawn in and you find you’ve lost a whole afternoon following the adventures of Kitty.
After 20 books, the series feels like a historical cosy soap opera, but one that remains fresh and addictive. I’m a big fan of Helena Dixon mysteries - the period detail is exquisite but not overbearing, and the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

At home in Devon, Kitty is attending a ball at the very grand Markham Hall. With celebrations in full swing and everyone kitted out in their glad rags, Kitty and Matt enjoy the champagne. But the next morning, the party feels well and truly over when Kitty stumbles across a body while out walking her dog, Bertie. The maid, Agnes, is dead, and everyone at Markham Hall is a suspect…

Murder at the English Manor is book 20 the Miss Underhay cozy mystery series. You don't have to read the previous books to enjoy this one. As Kitty and Matt are visiting a country estate there are few of the regular cast of characters present. That makes it easy to start with this book.

The trip is rather pleasant, if you don't count the dead body Kitty finds.

I enjoyed the new characters and the mystery is interesting. It seems likely that someone at the estate is the murderer but at the same time everyone's motives are kind of flimsy. All of their motives pretty much hinge on the wedding between Ruby and Sebastian. Even Mrs Craven would be financially hurt if the marriage didn't happen.

There are plenty of secrets among the family. So there is more to discover than just who murdered the maid.

If you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery, then this is a great book to read.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/05/murder-at-english-manor-by-helena-dixon.html

This is an awesome historical mystery. I've read them in order and have enjoyed them all. Matt and Kitty make a great team. There is a couple of mysteries going on, enough to keep you hooked. Looking forward to more.

Rounded up from 4.5

I can't believe we're already at the twentieth book in this fantastic cozy mystery series!

In this book Kitty and Matt are invited to an engagement party at Markham hall, after they're asked by Mrs Craven to help find a missing maid, her sister Dora having not heard from her in weeks. As a cover, they are asked to keep a watchful eye over the hall after a few attempted break-ins. When they arrive, they find a family on the brink of ruin and a house that's seen better days, so there's a lot riding on the engagement and wedding going ahead as it would bring much needed money for them. It's tricky for both Kitty and Matt to navigate the tensions in the house and try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Another great addition to this already brilliant series! Even though this is a long series, the author still keeps me gripped and eager for more books.

I enjoyed the addition of Mrs Craven and her meddling ways in this book, becoming more of hindrance as she always does when she tries to 'help' with their investigations.

I loved the fact that this story really kept me guessing. I wasn't sure who the murderer was until right near the end.

I will always recommend these books to anyone who wants a fresh take on a classic style murder mystery.

When Millicent Craven, a close friend of her grandmother,
Cajoles Kitty and Matt to attend the ball of another,
They know there is bound to be trouble in store
Especially when Millicent wants to help investigate once more!

They're off to Markham Hall, home to Lord and Lady Faversham,
To join the engagement party of their oldest son.
Millicent is concerned on behalf of her maid
As her sister worked there but seems to have been mislaid!

Agnes has been missing for a month or more
But no one seems intrigued or creating a furore
What has happened to their maid they're not concerned
More interested in the engagement for which they've yearned.

There are so many suspects, secrets and clues to discover
As Kitty and Matt seeking the truth to uncover.
With Bertie's assistance a body is found
But can the killer be brought to ground?

A fascinating case with hints at another
The clues are mounting up as readers soon discover.
A fantastic page-turner read, I highly recommend
A delight in which my time to spend.

For my copy of this brilliant book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

1937. Mrs Craven volunteers the services of Kitty and Matt to the Favershams of Marksham Hall, to discreetly investigate the disappearance of maid Agnes, younger sister to Mrs Craven's maid. They will attend a engagement ball of the eldest son to a wealthy American heiress who hopefully will resolve all their financial problems.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the English Manor by Helena Dixon is a Miss Underhay mystery where in we join Kitty and Matt at a house party, invited by Mrs. Craven. Worse yet, she plans to help them investigate the disappearance of the sister of her maid, whom she had recommended to her friends, the Favershams. It is an odd household for this time between wars. The Dowager, who was Mrs. Craven’s friend; her son and his wife; their two sons, and several servants in a house that called for many servants. Also were the elder son’s (Sebastian) fiancee and her father. There is to be a ball to announce the engagement. It was obvious by the appearance of the manor that the Favershams needed money. Hence, the engagement to the daughter of a wealthy American. These people had hardly noticed the disappearance of Agnes, the maid. They assumed she ran off with her boyfriend and moved on. Kitty and Matt found so much more.

What had been a common practice earlier, marrying an American heiress for an influx of money had rather gone out of style. Matt and Kitty are an excellent investigative team. They complement each other, in that opposite types of people respond to them, opening doors previously shut. Mrs. Craven proved not to be a misery, which surprised them both. The detective was still cold and uncooperative, believing private investigators, especially women, had no place in the world of policing. Excellent main characters who have done nothing but grow throughout the series. The mystery was a good one which ended sadly, but life was to move forward and more happily than one might expect.

I was invited to read Murder at the English Manor by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #HelenaDixon #MurderAtTheEnglishManor

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder At The English Manor' by Helena Dixon.

THIS IS HELENA'S TWENTIETH BOOK AND YET IT IS JUST AS AMAZING AS EVERY ONE I HAVE READ BEFORE IT!!! WELL DONE, HELENA DIXON, 20 BOOKS AND STILL GOING STRONG!! ABSOLUTELY BLOOMING AMAZING!!

This book was very well written and as always the fact that Helena has done her research is clearly evidenced in the storyline so a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to Helena!!! There is not much worse than an author who has not researched much or at all about his chosen topic which means the book is unnecessarily littered with mistakes which can ruin a storyline!! However, Helena has completely avoided this by doing her research on the era she has set this amazing series in. This is the twentieth book in Helena's 'A Miss Underhay Mystery' series it can be read as a standalone as can the rest of the books in this series.

Yet another hugely successful addition in this fantastic series by the very talented Helena!! I have read many, in fact almost all, of the books in this amazing series and have loved each and every one. The fact that Helena manages to come up with a unique storyline for each of her TWENTY books in this series really does show what an incredibly talented author she is, I could not even come up with one story plot let alone this many individual and unique ones so well done yet again Helena!! I am not usually a fan of reading books out of order but if you have never read any of Helena's books before there is nothing to fear!! You can start with this one and the silver lining of reading books out of order is that after you have finished this book (and got addicted which I can guarantee you will!) you can go back to read the previous books in the series while you are impatiently waiting for the next book to be released!!! Speaking of which, the next book in this series is called 'Murder In Paris' and you can preorder it now ready for its release date on the 26th August which cannot come soon enough! I cannot wait to go on a trip to Paris with Kitty and Matt to the City Of Love to see what they get up to next!! Not only do each of the books in this fabulous series have unique storylines but each and every one are just as gripping, addictive and successful as the last!! The storyline was extremely interesting and very fast paced. Helena completely emerges the reader into the storyline and as always her vivid and evocative writing skills brings the atmosphere, sights sounds and characters to life ensuring the reader is completely sucked into the storyline seeing and feeling everything the characters are. I really enjoy the fact that this series is set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice, easy to read and fun cosy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. I wont say anything about the storyline itself as the synopsis does a perfect job of that so if you want to know more you will just have to grab your copy of this absolutely brilliant page turner to find out for yourselves and I promise that you will not regret it!! With a storyline ram packed with crime, history, love, murder, family, romance, Devon, twists and everything you can ask for and more in a cosy crime what on Earth are you waiting for? This book truly is an absolutely fantastic addition to this amazing series with yet another brilliant location that Helena transports the reader too!! I have loved going traveling with Kitty and Matt from their hometown in Dartmouth to Yorkshire, The Highlands to France, Cornwall and now Devon!! Even the murder settings are varied and the storylines have included investigating murders in a country house to a boat, on a train to at a wedding, at a beauty pageant to a fair, in a castle to an Island!! Helena comes up with somewhere different each and every time and I cannot wait to travel to Paris with her in Kitty and Matt's next adventure!!! At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so a huge well done there Helena!!! That cliff hanger at the end I would have never seen coming and my jaw literally dropped to the floor!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. Not only is this quite a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and romance to give it a nice mix!!! It is one of those books that once I started it I just could not put it down and devoured it in several hours, flying through each and every chapter!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cosy crime mystery. Helena's brilliant evocative and emotive descriptions and writing skills really do bring the characters, atmosphere and locations to life and I felt as if I was walking around seeing and feeling the Devon surroundings myself. I haven't been to Devon for several years and missed it before I read this book but OMG Helena has made me want to jump in the car and go straight back now!!! Helena's stunning evocative writing skills ensures the readers are absolutely sucked into the stunning storyline with the atmosphere and characters coming to life all around them. I was so absorbed in the storyline that on the rare occasion that I actually did look up it took me a few moments to realise where and when I actually was!! I was devastated to come to the end and leave Devon for Wales, although to be fair at least we have had good weather so far for a change when it comes to Summer!! As always with Helena's books there never is any point telling myself I will read a few chapters and then get some work done as I never manage to and this book is no exception!! I ended up devouring it in one sitting of several hours and was absolutely hooked throughout! This is a fantastic series and if you have never read any of Helena's previous books then you are definitely missing out. I, personally, would like to add that I think each storyline has got better and better which is a very rare thing for a series.

Although this is the twentieth book in Helena's 'A Miss Underhay Mystery' series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without any of the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I have really become invested in all of these amazing characters since the first book I read in this fantastic series and I really enjoy meeting Kitty and her fantastic and quirky personality each and every time!!! In fact all of the characters have their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. They have all become like a family to me and I always hate saying goodbye to them at the end of the book. It has been lovely seeing them all grow, develop and mature since I have started reading this series. The relationship is between Kitty and Matt which has been an honour to see grow from friends to partners and finally husband and wife!! They are all like friends to me and as always I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next 'episode' of Mrs Bryant's adventures which I'm sure will be just as exciting as this one!! The next book in the series is called 'Murder In Paris' and you can preorder it now ready for its release date on the 26th August!! I am off to preorder my copy as soon as I have finished typing this up! A fantastic group of characters for yet another fantastic addition to an addictive series!!! Here's to meeting them all again in the next book 🥂!!!

Well done Helena on yet another fantastic success and here's to the next addition to an addictive page turning series 🥂!!!

Overall a perfect mix of mystery, crime, romance, laughter and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!!

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Kitty Underhay and her husband Matt are asked by their friend Mrs. Craven to attend a lavish ball with the intent of discovering what happened to one of the maids. They will definitely be using their skills as private investigators.

The ball was to be a busy event, and Kitty and Matt had planned on watching over the entire event, as that was their original purpose for attending. What started off as a favor to their friend, Mrs. Craven, ends up becoming much more.

Sadly, Agnes just didn't go missing. She was found dead, and it definitely was a case of murder. With the staff at the residence and all of the guests, Kitty and Matt don’t have a shortage of suspects, as just about anyone could have been responsible for Agnes’ murder.

Mrs. Craven made a fine companion to Kitty and Matt on this case, and was actually quite entertaining. Their experience working together solving Agnes’ murder will no doubt be of benefit to them. Will the trio discover what happened? Also, will Matt’s attention on yet another case prevent him from working to find answers with Kitty and Mrs. Craven?

Murder at the English Manor celebrates its twentieth book in the Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon. As always, she has written an entertaining story and has pleasantly managed to keep this series fresh and enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in this series.

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

4.5* rounded up

"Murder at the English Manor" is the twentieth instalment in Helena Dixon's Miss Underhay Mystery series and once again delivers a thoroughly enjoyable cosy mystery that as always gives us a wonderful blend of mystery, intrigue and period detail that I always enjoy from this series.

This time, Kitty and Matt are engaged by Mrs Craven to attend a engagement celebration at the home of Lord and Lady Faversham to look into the disappearance of a housemaid, Agnes, but the festivities soon take a dark turn ensuring that it's a race against the clock to solve the mystery before it's time to head home. As always there are plenty of motives and secrets amongst the guests which gives us plenty of red herrings and twists along the way.

Kitty's character continues to shine and develop in this book and her relationship with Matt adds depth and warmth to the story. The mystery is overall highly engaging but unfolds at a leisurely pace, allowing us to get to know the characters and enjoy an immersive journey into the historical period in which it is set.

"Murder at the English Manor" is one of my favourite recent additions to the Miss Underhay series, and the storytelling, settings, characters and attention to detail makes this series a must-read for fans of period cosy mysteries. It's a story that entertains and intrigues, and as always, has left me eager for Kitty's next adventure.

Happy 20th Book!
Due to family issue a review will follow in the next days Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Book 20 and Kitty and Matt are attending a celebration at Markham Hall which goes well until Bertie discovers the dead body of a maid the next morning. Kitty and Matt's P.I. talents are needed to investigate before anyone else dies.

As usual it was enormous fun watching all my favourite characters in action again. Mrs. Craven demonstrated some previously unknown and remarkable talents which was delightful. Bertie managed to eat a good number of sausages and Matt made progress with his other special case. All good and I am already looking forward to the next book.

Kitty is invited to tea with her Grams, also present is Mrs Craven who has a favour to ask of Kitty & Matt. Dora, Mrs Craven’s maid is worried about her sister Agnes who she hasn’t heard from in a month & she would like The Bryant’s to investigate. So Matt & Kitty find themselves attending a ball at the very grand but run down Markham Hall. But the next morning, the party feels well and truly over when Kitty stumbles across a body while out walking her dog, Bertie. The maid, Agnes, is dead. Kitty and Matt set about piecing together the puzzle, although Inspector Lewis would rather they went home.
The twentieth book in the series & another well written engrossing cosy mystery. I love Matt & Kitty who work so well together ably aided & abetted by Bertie their spaniel. There are a limited number of suspects but the author throws quite a few red herrings as well as twists & turns. I must admit I didn’t like the family especially the dowager who was clinging onto nineteenth century values. There is also the ongoing mystery of one of Matt’s army colleague’s who faked his death, the ending opens this up & I can’t wait to see what happens. I was also lucky enough to receive an audiobook as well & the narrator was amazing really brought the book to life
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Murder at the English Manor is the latest in the long running series. Kitty and Matt find themselves drawn into a mystery when Mrs. Craven convinces Kitty to look into the disappearance of the sister of one of Mrs Craven's servants. Kitty and Matt travel to Markham Hall for a home party where an engagement between the heir and an American
heiress is to be announced. They are ostensibly there to provide security as someone attempted to break into a safe in London. The mystery is well done as always as Kitty and Matt work overtime to determine if the missing maid was the subject of foul play or moved on on her own. There is some additional developments related to the new overarching mystery surrounding the fake death of a former solider who recovered in the same hospital as Matt during the war that regular readers will appreciate.

In this 20th incarnation of the Miss Kitty Underhay Mysteries, Kitty and Matt are coerced by Kitty’s least favourite aged pensioner to pursue the problem of a missing maid.
The maid is missing from Markham and nobody seems to care, until the body turns up that is. The ever disapproving Inspector Lewis joins the fray as we hunt for the now murder.
As always, Dixon weaves an intriguing plot around the well-loved familiar characters and the introduction of new ones that I really enjoyed the dynamics with. There is growing tension as suspects are identified and rejected, liars are exposed and new secrets exposed. Kitty and Matt are up against a close-mouthed family and a truculent inspector, as they work to find the responsible person.
Whilst Dixon leaves clues to help the reader solve the problem, the reader needs to be paying close attention to identify them.
In the end, the murderer is found and Kitty and Matt are able to return to their quiet family life in Toukay, but is it really so quiet? On their arrival a letter asking their assistance on a new case awaits them and the next adventure is already calling.
Overall, Murder at the English Country House is up to Dixon’s usual standards. I’d say it’s fairly middle of the pack in terms of the series but at 20 and counting it gets harder to have anything entirely new with the same set of characters following the familiar plot structure. However, when it’s an enjoyable series, the middle isn’t a bad place to be still sitting at a 4 star review. If this is your thing and you love a period murder mystery, it’s highly enjoyable and well worth a read.

One of my favorite cozy historical mystery series!

I’m off to Markham Hall with Matt and Kitty! At the behest of her grandmother’s best friend, Mrs. Craven, they are looking into the disappearance of a maid. Agnes Jones worked for Lord and Lady Faversham near Dartmoor at Markham Hall but her sister, Dora who is Mrs. Craven’s maid and sister to Agnes, is concerned because she hasn’t heard from Agnes for almost a month. Where had the girl gone and why hadn’t she taken her things? It’s almost inevitable that she’s come to no good end. Matt and Kitty need to find out the truth before one of the Faversham sons weds a wealthy American heiress to save the estate and Markham Hall.

I really enjoy this series and love the main characters. Although I miss the original setting of the Dolphin Hotel now that Matt and Kitty have married and moved to manage their detective agency, they don’t spend a lot of time at home and so each book takes us to a new location and a new crime to solve, most often a murder or two. I love the period details and descriptions of 1930s South Devon. Looking forward to the next installment and the continuation of an unsolved mystery from Matt’s past.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Karen Cass, did an excellent job of voicing all the characters and lending wonderful tone and appropriate dramatic flair to the novel. The production really enhanced my enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend this entire series!

Kitty (the former Miss Underhay) and husband Matt Bryant work together as private investigators. This time they are invited to an engagement party at a family's country house. They learn a lot about the families involved including the genteel poverty of the groom's titled family and the wealth of the bride's American family. The cast of characters alone is highly entertaining even before the local grumpy detective arrives to investigate a body and a missing maid. The story moves along quickly with twists and surprises galore. I think that it probably stands alone as well as being very welcome to those of us who are addicted to this series.
This is hardly an unbiased review as I really love the Missy Underhay series.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Bookouture via NetGalley.
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