• Author: Helena Dixon
• Series: Miss Underhay Mystery Series
• No. of pages: 267
• Dates read: 08.10.20 – 13.10.20
• Star Rating: 3 stars
• ARC published by Bookouture

Plot: November 1933. Amateur sleuth-cum-dutiful granddaughter Kitty Underhay stifles a sigh of boredom as she attends the annual Hoteliers’ Association Dinner and Dance on behalf of her grandmother, the proprietress of the Dolphin Hotel. She hopes the company of ex-army captain Matthew Bryant will enliven the otherwise dull evening. That is, until bullish and overbearing local councillor Harold Everton drops dead into his bowl of consommé. While the local police are still scrambling for their whistles, Kitty and Matt waste no time leaping into action. Soon they find themselves caught up a dangerous search to uncover who amongst the distinguished guests used cyanide for seasoning?

First of all, thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for approval of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another solid addition to one of my favourite series.

I was a bit nervous at the beginning as I felt the lead up to the murder was quite rushed and thought that that would be the case for the whole mystery but it thankfully wasn’t the case.

I really feel the Dixon has got the hang of this series. This is the third book of hers I have read this year and the quality stays the same. But what I would say is that they are so consistent there isn’t anything new I can really say that hasn’t already been said in other reviews.

I would say this mystery was a little bit weak compared to the others. The death felt incredibly rushed and I felt a bit underwhelmed by it all. I found myself getting confused between the different names but I couldn’t deny the ending and motive was incredibly satisfying.

What made this book great, like I saying every review of this series, is the on-going sideplots. We are slowly getting closer and closer to finding what truly happened to Kitty’s mother which has been probably the most engaging part of the series. I feel the need to pick up the next book just so I can find out what happened.

We are also teetering with Matthew and Kitty’s relationship. It’s a massive will-they won’t-they scenario at the moment and I need answers to what will happen to them!

A lot of big developments happen in this book which I really think will cause a tonal shift for the books going forward which I am really excited for.

The next book I will be reviewing is The Haunting of Beatrix Greene by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons and Vicky Alvear Shecter.