Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC. Great series, still going strong, the first dozen books had an arc running through them and a new one started two books ago and looks to be just as good. Can't wait for more to come.

A missing maid, an unpaid loan, a matrimonial match made for financial reasons, an engagement party, an attempted jewel theft, and a dead body. This book got off at a good pace with all the elements for an intriguing story.

Kitty and Matt are invited to the engagement party at a country manor house where they enjoy the champagne and hospitality but there are clear signs that finances are strained. They embark on their investigation into the circumstances around the missing maid. The two characters nicely complement each other and the story has good pace. The setting in rural Devon is described in nice detail as is the below stairs life and the challenges that the servants face.

Overall, an enjoyable quick read.

I enjoy this series. I like the characters and the different historical settings. The mystery kept me guessing.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Miss Underhay Mysteries is one of my absolute favourite series, so I was thrilled to be invited to review the 20th book, Murder at the English Manor.

Kitty and Matt are called in by Mrs Craven, who is worried about the disappearance of her maid’s sister.

I loved this book. There’s a fine collection of characters for Kitty and Matt to investigate, and things are not always as they seem. I had a lot of fun following along as they tried to figure out what has been going on.

I liked the setting too. The rather dilapidated house, with its mausoleum and lake, was an excellent place for a murder mystery.

I can’t say too much more without spoilers, but the culprit was not who I expected, which is always a fun outcome.

Overall, this was an excellent mystery, in a great setting, alongside characters who feel like old friends. What could be better?

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Kitty Underhay (now Bryant) and her husband Matt - both Private Investigators - were asked by Millicent Craven to attend a ball the following weekend at the manor house - Markham Hall - belonging to friends of hers. Mainly because a young maid was missing, not heard of by her sister Dora in four weeks. Agnes had been working at the manor and vanished after lunch one day. Matt and Kitty were also requested to be security for the couple of days everyone was there. Bertie, their mischievous dog, was with them, and instrumental in discovering the body of the missing maid. Was she murdered, or was it a terrible accident?

When Inspector Lewis arrived on the scene, he was horrified to discover Matt and Kitty there. They didn't like him, and he didn't like them! But Kitty was determined to solve Agnes' murder, even though Inspector Lewis would take the credit...

Murder at the English Manor is #20 in the Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon and once again I loved it! Fun, entertaining, fast paced with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing, I've loved each and every one in this series. A tip - don't take any notice of the blurb for this one; it's not correct! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.

I love this prolific series. Kitty and her husband Matt are clever and delightful. Bertie,their dog is special, too. This story left a nice cliffhanger, so I’m ready for the next book. I always enjoy the settings, and the mystery. The author is so descriptive that I was often transported to the unfolding scene. Highly recommend the entire series.

I was blessed with an ARC, and the opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

Kitty and Matt has been invited to attend an engagement in Markham Hall where a young maid has disappeared.

Suspicion falls upon the household when Agnes's body turns up in the family crypt.

Another book in this series and one that you can not put done until the murderer is discovered!!

The latest mystery in the Miss Underhay series continues the sleuthing adventures of wife and husband duo Kitty and Matt Bryant. This time, Kitty and Matt are drawn into a murder mystery by Mrs. Craven (one of my least favorite characters in the series, but who does something hilarious toward the end of this book). A young maid to an old aristocratic family loosely connected to Mrs. Craven through her deceased husband has gone missing and the maid’s sister is looking for answers. Enter Kitty and Matt who head down to Markham Hall to look into the matter. Based on the title alone, I don’t think it will come as a shocker to anyone that the poor maid is dead (though that isn’t revealed until about 30% of the way through the book), and soon it’s not a case of tracking down a missing maid, but uncovering her killer.

It may sound strange, but the best thing about these books, in my opinion, is their low stakes nature. Sure, Kitty and Matt are investigating a disappearance/murder, but there is plenty of time for fancy meals, long walks with their dog, and tea. Typically, there is no sense of urgency until the final 4 or so chapters, which makes this the perfect book to read before bed. As someone who has a lot of trouble falling asleep, these are the perfect books to read right before you turn out the lights. Just interesting enough characters and mystery to keep you reading, but not so much that you can’t turn off your brain. That may sound strange, but I mean it as a real compliment. These are the definition of a cozy, murder mystery read.

In Murder at the English Manner, we’re treated to an interesting mystery, a small look at the woes of the impoverished aristocracy (cue a tiny violin), and a small update on the overarching multi-book ongoing mystery of the man who faked his death during the war. The characters embroiled in this mystery are fairly one note, but it doesn’t really detract from the events or the story and, as I mentioned above, Mrs. Craven finally has a scene where I don’t entirely dislike her.

I highly recommend starting this series at the beginning when Kitty was actually Miss Underhay and enjoy 20 fun cozy murder mysteries with, hopefully, more to come.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

murder mystery and mayhem in a country village.

Kitty and Matt are back on the case, and with Mrs. C along to help

Another good cozy mystery with the gang we all love. This time, Mrs. C needs Kitty and Matt's assistance with old family friends and distant relations. Find a missing maid and follow the clues in a rundown estate.

I can't believe this is Book 20!! The series is awesome, and this latest installment was a great addition.
I love the main characters, Kitty and Matt, and all the situations they get themselves involved in. As always, the plot captures my attention, and keeps me reading to see "Who did it"! All the books in the series can be read as stand alone.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "Murder at the English Manor" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 20th book in the fantastic Miss Underhay series. As always the story starts with articles from the Torbay Herald. This time dated May 1937. An ad for a 'Situation Vacant' - looking for a live-in general maid. The next ad is a 'Forthcoming Marriage' ad from the same address in Bovey Tracey.

When Mrs. Craven the best friend of Kitty's grandmother invites her for tea, Kitty has a feeling that she will once again be roped into something. Mrs. C's maid Dora is beside herself with worry when she can't locate her sister Agnes who writes every week and they meet up for tea every fortnight. She disappeared a month ago and hasn't sent for her trunk or belongings.

Mrs. C wants Kitty and Matt to investigate. She's been invited to an engagement party and wants them to come along, and she will help them investigate - what could go wrong? Dowager Lady Faversham's late husband Lord Norman was the cousin of Mrs. C's late husband Peregrine.

Of course, where Kitty goes there is sure to be a murder, this time spotted by Bertie everyone's favourite roan cocker spaniel who they have taken along with them because he tends not to be on his best behaviour at all times.

The family is in dire straights, they need the marriage to happen because that will bring money into the family. The estate is quite rundown and the bride and groom appear to be a strange match. The bride's father wants a title and the family want his money.

The family is rather cold and uncaring that something has happened to Agnes. No one seems to be worried about her. They just insist that she ran off with some young man. They're more concerned with keeping Mr. Conway happy so that his daughter will marry into the family and bring her money. Sadly Inspector Lewis makes an appearance. He couldn't solve a crime to save his own life and is probably jealous that Matt and Kitty are so bright and solve everything with the greatest of ease.

Matt is also working on his investigation that started when they returned from New York and saw someone that he thought was long dead, very much alive on the dock. It's a complex mystery that Matt is determined to solve.

Once again Ms. Dixon has brought together an interesting cast of characters and an ingenious plot. As always worth more than 5 starts and very much looking forward to the next adventure!

Kitty heads to a party in the English countryside. Naturally a murder happens and she steps in to help solve it. This is book 20, and I have read some of the others I was not lost. Fun cozy mystery set in the 1920s England. Highly recommend.

I just loved this book! I just couldn’t put it down. It’s another amazing Miss Kitty Underhay book. It’s a fabulous mystery with amazing characters.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a good mystery with amazing characters and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

If you love cozy mystery series with historical settings, give this series a try. While it can function as a stand alone mystery, I’d definitely recommend starting at book one. I was a bit confused at times because this is the only book I’ve read in the Miss Underhay series. I’m sure that following the series from the beginning would have help me feel more invested in the characters. I was intrigued to read this story because of the premise: a large house and dead maid. It felt a bit shallow in terms of empathy and evoking a connection from the reader. Why should the reader care about the maid, for example? Eventually, the details did came around, but it was slow-going. I prefer to be roped in right from the beginning, and that requires feeling connected to the characters or being shocked somehow.
Overall, I think it’s a fun and light-hearted series to follow, but don’t expect it to be fast-paced.

20th in this long-running series, Mrs. Craven is the one who wants Kitty to get involved in solving a mystery! Matt and Kitty travel with her to try to locate the missing sister of one of her staff in the guise of being extra security for an engagement gathering. I couldn’t quite figure out the villain in this mystery, changing my mind several times. The story felt a bit drawn out and slow paced, but enjoyable. Matt’s side mystery played a very small part in the story, while I wanted to know more and wished we had gotten more information. I hope it becomes more central to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

3.5 stars

I always enjoy this long-running series featuring husband and wife investigators Matt and Kitty in an English between the wars setting.

They are helping a friend of Kitty's grandmother's and so are in attendance for a grand manor weekend and engagement party. Part of their investigation involves the disappearance of a maid. It isn't long before they discover the body and have to figure out who and why.

Matt and Kitty are a good team, logical, non-dramatic and willing to be nosy. The waning of the old aristocratic houses and the post war changes in British society add to the setting. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

💖Review: Murder at the English Manor

🥞Rate: 5 Stars!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💌Praise: Kitty and Matt are my favorite mystery solving couple! First off! I love the cover! I love all of Helena's book covers but this one with its twilight background and kitty holding a smart martini glass in her hands made me realize right off the bat this is going to be the ultimate page turner! (Well all of Helena's books are page turners!)

🥃 Kitty and Matt have been invited by Mrs. Craven to a english manor where there have been some suspicious activity going on! Including a murder! She asked our couple to help investigate and make sure everything is tip top shape before a big wedding! Gasp!! (Mrs. Craven truly is one of my favorites!)

⛱️ I stayed up late into the night wondering which character were carrying what secrets now! The new cast of characters are a quirky bunch! Some are artistic! Some are very traditional! And the ones that are in between definitely had me second-guessing their motives and their ideals! Are they innocent? Or are they hiding something?

🧁Characters: Mrs craven's old friend Lady Sarah is definitely someone I thought of Dame Maggie Smith playing! She's quick to the point and her dry humor was extremely entertaining! Lady Amelia has my heart because she is such a sweet artist! But once again Kitty and Matt are my favorite! From every eavesdrop on whispered conversations to the details of a beautiful engagement ball this book has it all! Matt having to solve a second case involving a missing friend of his from back then becomes more interesting as this story progresses!

🌃Extra; Helena is pen to parchment magic! I will be re reading this book and looking forward to other books of hers! I'm very thankful to have been selected to read this treasure early!

Part of a series featuring Kitty and Matt,a sleuthing couple . Characters are very interesting and the story kept me going.

Kitty and Matt are asked to visit Markham Hall, to inquire what has happened to a maid who has gone missing. During their stay they find out a there is a lot more going on then they realized. Then Kitty finds a body!

This was a fun quick read and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

In MURDER AT THE ENGLISH MANOR, written by Helena Dixon, Kitty and her grandmother visit Mrs. Millicent Craven for tea at her home in Dartmouth in May of 1937. Agnes, the sister of Mrs. Cravens’s maid, has disappeared, and Kitty is asked to attend a pre-wedding ball at Markham Hall to discreetly enquire about Agnes’s disappearance.

I find this book a bit long-winded, but I still enjoy reading it. The characters are interesting and well-formed. I appreciate the 1930s setting. In addition to the mystery, I enjoy catching up with Kitty and Matt. There are quite a few books in this series (twenty, so far), and I still look forward to reading more. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy.