Kitty Underhay’s hymnbook is open… at murder.
Winter, 1933. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a restorative break from sleuthing on a visit to her family at Enderley Hall. The only thing marring her peace – aside from the uncomfortable sensation she has of being watched – is the obvious history between her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant and another guest, the beautiful Juliet Vanderstafen. So, when the parish clerk is found dead on her front doorstep, Kitty leaps at the chance of distraction.
The police are happy to conclude that Miss Plenderleith met her unfortunate end on a patch of ice, but Kitty isn’t convinced this was a case of bad weather and worse luck. And when the Reverend Crabtree fails to show for tea the next day, she heads to the church to speak to him. But she arrives to find the clergyman hanging from the bell-rope, dead.
With Matt seemingly wrapped up with his alluring Austrian, Kitty must solve the case on her own. But as she snoops into parish affairs, she makes some less-than-saintly discoveries. Just who has broken the sixth commandment?
Meanwhile, the killer is preparing a churchyard grave for Kitty, and she’ll have to use all her wits to avoid falling in…
An addictive, absorbing, and completely unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
Hattie was insisting I get the piano in the music room retuned and having heard her practising her scales I rather think it may be Hattie who has the tuning problem.
I heard that Miss Merriweather a singing her head off coming up the stairs last night. She in’t no Billie Holiday. Some of them notes could fair fetch the wax out your earholes.
I was not hiding. I was merely ensuring that I wasn’t seen.
Not at all like a vicar, and there’s tales abroad of him not knowing the difference between mine and thine as me dad says.
My Review:
This was a light, pleasantly entertaining, and leisurely paced cozy mystery. There was a large cast of unique characters yet it was easy to keep them straight. They were an odd grouping of international guests turned suspects in the midst of a traditional English manor house Christmas which was interrupted by a few murders, oh my. I enjoyed the author’s wry humor and especially the amusing descriptions of the characters, but my favorites involved the attention-seeking antics of the sticky-fingered, hapless, tactless, and tone-deaf cousin Hattie who couldn’t pass up anything shiny and saw herself as a creative artiste seeking culture.
I sourced one new addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list with facer – a stunning surprise or obstacle. And this tale had a few facers in the mix.
Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo, and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel, and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was the winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and the winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.
Ah well glad you liked it. I stopped with hist cozy this year. What’s next?
Sounds like you had good time with this one.
I just said on Robin’s blog that I need to check this genre out. Your review further convinced me.
Fun review for a fun book!
sounds like a fun read; and sounds like Agatha Christie in a ligther tone..