Hello! Welcome to JuliaPalooza for my stop on the Books-On-Tour for Murder at the English Manor by Helena Dixon, which was published by Bookouture on 23 May 2025. It is the 20th book in the Miss Underhay series, which is a marvellous achievement!
About the book
A glamorous engagement celebration in an English country manor house… and a local maid dead. Somebody call Kitty Underhay!
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…
Kitty and Matt set about piecing together the puzzle as the streamers are swept away and empty glasses gathered up. But who could the murderer be? The other maids seem shifty; Lord and Lady Faversham, the hosts, are not without motive, and even Kitty’s grandmother is keeping her cards close to her chest this time…
But then a safe filled with precious jewels has its lock broken, and another body is found tangled up in the weeds of the lake in the grounds. Kitty wonders if the poor guest knew their dancing days were almost over when they were merrily sipping punch the night before? And what secrets are the other guests hiding…
Can Kitty save the next victim at the eleventh hour? Or will this really be a weekend to die for?
Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Verity Bright will adore this totally charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!
Shelve on Goodreads | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Waterstones
Huge congratulations to Helena Dixon and Bookouture on the publication of Murder at the English Manor, the 20th book in the Miss Kitty Underhay series! That is an amazing milestone and they should be very proud of that feat. This instalment is the perfect subject for a Golden Age-style murder mystery set as it is in a large English manor house, albeit a rather threadbare one.
Kitty and Matt have been engaged by their not-very-favourite person, Mrs Craven, to investigate the disappearance of her maid’s sister, Agnes, who is a maid at Markham Hall, and also to provide some security for the manor’s American visitors during an engagement ball. Although Markham Hall is on its uppers, the household manages to put on a glamorous ball as well as keeping its guests stuffed with mouthwatering breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Sadly the day after the ball, Kitty discovers Agnes’s body in the family mausoleum and the weekend becomes a crime scene.
I really enjoyed reacquainting with Kitty and Matt – and Bertie the dog – and Murder at the English Manor is another excellent Golden Age-style whodunit from Helena Dixon with a good number of suspects and plenty of detecting for our intrepid investigators. I did not guess the solution to the mystery and the book has a very dramatic ending. The story seems set at the end for further adventures adventures for Kitty and Matt and I look forward to reading them. With huge thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book and my place on the Books on Tour.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book:
Shelve on Goodreads | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Waterstones
About the author
Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010
as Nell Dixon. https://www.nelldixon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nelldixonauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/helenadixonuk/
https://twitter.com/NellDixon
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Helena Dixon here: https://www.bookouture.com/helena-dixon
About the Blog Tour
Please check out the rest of the great posts on the tour for Murder on the Cornish Coast:
juliapalooza.com 