User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
As soon as I saw the setting I knew I wanted to read this. I spent many happy holidays in Dartmouth as a child, and remember looking out at the beautiful view of the river from a hotel window just as Kitty does in the story. Plus I always enjoy a good cosy set in the 1930's!
So Murder at the Dolphin Hotel ticked several boxes for me before I even started to read it. It also turned out to be an excellent mystery with many twists and turns and an unpredictable ending. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading more about them in future books.
A good story well told and recommended to followers of the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Rating: really liked it
It's always good to start a new series that you know you're going to love. 'Murder at the Dolphin Hotel' introduces Kitty Underhay, a young woman who helps her grandmother run a hotel in Dartmouth in the 1930s. Kitty's mother disappeared when she was six and is presumed dead and she hasn't seen her father who lives in America since she was even younger, but she has a good life with her grandmother and enjoys the hotel, especially organising entertainment for the guests.
While Kitty's grandmother is away, disturbing things happen at the hotel and a dead body is found at the ferry terminal. The hotel's security officer, ex army captain Matthew Bryant and Kitty become concerned that something odd is going on and soon there is a mystery to solve that may involve Kitty's past and put her in danger.
This is a well written cosy mystery with an interesting plot, great characters and an ending that's hard to predict. Now I'm looking forward to more excellent mysteries involving Kitty, and hopefully Matthew, in subsequent episodes in this series.
Rating: really liked it
When Kitty Underhay’s grandmother left to attend to a sick relative, she had hired ex-Army Captain, Matthew Bryant as security for the Dolphin Hotel, and to make sure Kitty herself was safe. Grams knew more than she had let on to Matt; she was worried for Kitty, wishing she hadn’t had to leave. But needs must, and Kitty was an independent young woman, happy to oversee the hotel that had been her home for as long as she could remember. Kitty had acquired the services of a Chicago jazz singer who was in London and had some spare time before heading back to the United States. Kitty’s preparation for the upcoming two weeks, plus keeping the guests happy and accommodated would certainly keep her busy.
But things began going wrong – a murder occurred; some of the guests’ rooms were broken into, including Kitty’s own room. No one could work out what was happening and why. Between Matt, Kitty and Inspector Greville, progress was made, albeit slowly. Kitty’s bafflement at what certain people were after brought sad memories of her mother who had gone missing when Kitty was six. She only had mementos left of the mother she barely remembered and couldn’t comprehend the motive. But it was obvious Kitty was in danger when more murders occurred…
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is the 1st in A Miss Underhay Mystery series, a historical mystery novel set in 1933 England. The pace was fast, my interest nonstop and there was plenty of action – an excellent whodunit that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars
It's been seventeen years since Kitty Underhay's mother vanished without a trace. Kitty, now twenty-three years old, lives and works at her grandmother's hotel in Dartmouth, England. When her grandmother travels to look after her sister, Kitty is left in charge of the hotel. Unbeknownst to her, her grandmother has been receiving mysterious letters and has hired a new security officer to look after the hotel in her absence. Kitty doesn't think too much of the additional security until a body is found, rooms are ransacked and a rumor began to circulate that Kitty's mother may have been in possession of a valuable ruby when she went missing. When two more bodies are discovered, Kitty, with the help of the new security officer, decides to investigate.
I found this book to be a delightful and easy read. The writing style is engaging, the mystery intriguing and the setting picturesque and atmospheric. The author's excellent research instantly transported me back to 1930s England, a country slowly recovering and forever changed by the war. The main character, Kitty is likable, smart, and independent. Matt, her sleuth partner, is a complex character with a haunting past. There's definitely chemistry between them and I look forward to seeing what's in store for their characters. The mystery or should I say mysteries kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author did a great job of building the tension throughout the story and the reveal was action-packed. I will definitely be reading the second book and hope we won't have to wait too long to find out what really happened to Kitty's mother.
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: really liked it
This is the first in the 'Miss Underhay' series and I am certainly looking forward to reading more.
Kitty Underhay is in her early twenties. She assists her grandmother with the running of the Dolphin Hotel, which has been in their family for generations.
Kitty's mother disappeared in mysterious circumstances when Kitty was only six years old, and she has no idea where her father is, apparently having disappeared somewhere in America during WWI. Set in 1933, disaster strikes when a dead body is found near the seaside hotel. It is coming onto their tourist season and the last thing the Hotel needs is bad publicity.
As Kitty's grandmother prepares to leave to assist her invalided sister, a new man arrives at the Hotel, hired by her grandmother as 'security'. What is she so afraid of, and why won't she tell Kitty?
An intriguing mystery, but still some unanswered questions that hopefully will be addressed in future instalments.
Rating: really liked it
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon is an engaging historical cozy. Ms. Dixon is a "new to me" author; but I was glad to find this book as it was an easy read.
The plot is smoothly paced with quite a few twists, several suspects and a diverse cast of characters set in 1933. I found Kitty and Matthew to be very likable and enjoyed getting to know them both as their characters developed throughout the story. The finale was intense and caught me by surprise as to "who done it". I look forward to more books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
This new series is set in Dartmouth, England in 1933 with the main characters of Mrs. Treadwell (Grams), the owner of the Dolphin Hotel and her granddaughter Kitty Underhay. Mrs. Treadwell hires ex-army Captain Matthew Bryant to watch over the hotel and especially Kitty as she has been receiving threatening notes in recent weeks. Someone seems to think that they know of the whereabouts of a "treasure". Kitty's mother Mrs. Elowed Underhay disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1916 and has not been seen or heard from since. Kitty's father Edgar Underhay has not been around since Kitty was a small child.
As several people from the town are murdered and/or attacked, rooms in the hotel are broken into and searched it becomes clear to Matt that there is something more involved and there are more people out there looking for the treasure. American jazz singer Miss Vivien Delaware has been contracted to open the summer season at the Dolphin Hotel. Her stay at the hotel being capped by a grand masked ball. Vivien and her husband Bobby arrive and claim that they have seen her father many times in the US and in England.
The story is gripping from the very first page. It was quite difficult to put the book down as I wanted to know more about the story and the characters. The details in all the descriptions of the town and the characters that support the story are very well laid out. Very deserving of 5 stars and more. I'm very much looking forward to more books in the series and soon.
Rating: really liked it
I got myself introduced to this series a bit late. So far I have only read books 1, 5 and 6 and have enjoyed all of them. I will definitely be catching up with this series.
Rating: really liked it
In one of my favorite genres, cozy mysteries,
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel introduces readers to a new amateur detective as well as a new series.
The very first thing that I enjoyed about this book is the setting. It is 1933 and is in Dartmouth, England. Kitty Underhay is suddenly manager of her grandmother's hotel. Kitty is new at her job, and her grandmother, lovingly called Grams, also hires ex-captain Matthew Bryant to watch over things as she has to deal with an emergency in Scotland and is very concerned with Kitty's safety.
This is in large part to the fact that Grams had received threatening notes. What is more is the fact there might be a missing treasure of sorts in the hotel. So, Kitty and Matthew become aware that several rooms are being searched. Kitty even notices that her room was searched as well. Kitty has more than one near miss with her life, so she and Matthew become extremely vigilant to sort out what is going on.
Sadly, several townspeople are murdered and some are attacked. Everything going on points to the Dolphin Hotel. One more layer of this entertaining story is that Kitty has not seen her father in years, yet it seems that he is indeed around and has been spotted by a couple of the hotel's guests.
All of these factors work very well together to create a nice, enjoyable start to this series. Both Kitty and Matthew are likable characters. Add to this excellent prose and you just might see why I read this book in one sitting. This novel is one that I am glad to have read and I do look forward to continuing in this series.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Rating: really liked it
This was a well-paced tale that reads easily and fast set in Dartmouth in the 1930's. There are two featured characters that grow in trust of one another throughout the series of mishaps and murders, all whilst managing a resort hotel and being faced with bitter truths of family history. Once invested in their fate, one wants to read on in the series.
Kindle Unlimited
Rating: really liked it
This was the first book in a really good series for people who enjoy Agatha Christie and any other of the writers that place the bookset in a different time usually in England or another country and people are falling into finding crimes through different circumstances they’re put in.
I love these series old England cozy mystery series books and have read a number of them from a number of different authors and I was very excited to read this book murder at the dolphin hotel and it was an excellent book!!
Great plot, setting and mystery with quick page turning way ahead of my audible!
I’m very much looking forward to reading book two tonight now and give you the review on that tomorrow now that I’m writing reviews or at least trying to.
Rating: really liked it
This cozy mystery sounded like it would be right up my alley. Kitty is a young woman in the 1920s who has been put in charge of running the family hotel while her grandmother goes out of town for a bit. Her grandmother doesn’t want to leave and hires a former soldier to be in charge of security while she is gone, due to threatening letters she has been receiving. The problem for me was that Kitty is rather useless and makes only poor choices. I wanted more about the hotel and the workings of the people in the town. Instead I just got stupidity and a mystery that I didn’t care about. This is probably more of a 1.5 then a solid 2 but it was a bit better than a 1 Star.
Rating: really liked it
As much as I love a heart-racing, hang onto your seat thriller, there’s something about slowing down and being completely engrossed in a cozy mystery during the holiday season that I absolutely love.
The Murder at the Dolphin Hotel takes place in the summer of 1933 in Dartmouth, England. Mrs. Treadwell (Grams) owns the beautiful Dolphin hotel, which is always bustling during the summer. However, Grams must reluctantly leave since her sister took quite the tumble resulting in some broken bones. While Grams trusts her granddaughter Kitty Underhay to run the hotel in her absence, she decides to hire ex-army Captain Matthew Bryant as head of security to keep an eye on things. The timing couldn’t be more perfect since Grams been receiving some ominous and threatening letters regarding some sort of treasure.
While Kitty may have brushed off Grams concerns at first, strange things start happening. After Kitty discovers that someone has rummaged through her belongings and people are being attacked/murdered, she realizes that she may actually be in serious danger. Matt and Kitty realize that they have to work together in order to figure out what is happening before Kitty loses the hotel or her life.
From the very first chapter, I was sucked into this storyline. I loved that Kitty is an independent and headstrong woman that is capable of not only running a hotel in the 1930s, but that she can also help solve mysteries without completely losing her sanity. She was such a fantastic character to get behind. Matt and Kitty were a lot of fun to watch together and complement each other throughout the story. They make a fantastic team, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for them in the future. I loved all the twists and turns that this whodunnit presented, which left me guessing up until the very end.
Overall, if you’re looking for a great cozy murder mystery then definitely give this one a read!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
A lovely, historical cozy mystery set in Dartmouth, 1933.
It's summer and the start of the tourist season in riverside Dartmouth at the Dolphin Hotel. The fashionable place is owned and managed by Mrs. Treadwell and her granddaughter, Miss Kitty Underhay. As the story opens, a dead body has been fetched out of the river -- the man was a Dutch foreigner -- and the police are involved. Murder is not common in Dartmouth and this news has everyone a bit on edge. So, when Mrs. Treadwell has to leave to attend a relative, Kitty learns that Captain Matthew Bryant has been retained to provide security in her grandmother's absence. At the same time, Kitty finds out that Grams has been receiving threatening letters that hint of an item of great value that the sender wants back. Kitty has been in the care of Grams since she was 6 years old when her mother, Elowed, disappeared during the war. Kitty has no memories of her father. It's a mystery that gets more involved after an assault on the former mayoress and a couple more murders. Everything is complicated by a nosy reporter and the scheduled visit by an entertainer from the US. With plenty of intrigue and a surfeit of suspects, can Kitty and Captain Bryant figure out what the treasure is, find it, and make sure it is secured? NO SPOILERS.
As the first in a new series, this installment introduces us to the two main characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Kitty and Matthew and am eager to see what new adventures and mysteries await. I absolutely loved the time period and the setting and couldn't get enough of the period details of a time long gone. The narrative is well-written and the words flew by as I devoured this in a couple of hours. Lots of action and fun trying to guess which were the bad guys.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I definitely want to read the next book in this series.
Rating: really liked it
When her grandmother must travel to Scotland to care for an ailing relative, Kitty Underhay is left in charge of running the family's hotel during their greatest entertainment booking. After receiving several mysterious and threatening notes, Kitty's grandmother enlists a a former military man, Captain Matt Bryant to make sure everything is safe and secure in her absence.
Now with a murder so close to the hotel's front doors and rooms within in the hotel being secreted into and searched, it appears that her grandmother's fears may not be unfounded. As the crimes and danger seem to crouch ever closer, Matt and Kitty must work to find the answers they need before it's too late.
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I liked the mystery, the premise was great and I was intrigued trying to solve the mytery alongside Matt and Kitty. The book had a strong start that really pulled me in and, as this is one of my favorite genres, I was fully prepared to love this book. This book flowed really well, was a quick read, and I enjoyed the author's writing style.
As a cozy historical mystery, this book is a must-read. But there was too many moving parts and not enough connection to the main characters for me to be fully invested. Honestly there were so many characters and all were connected in some way, but there waas no real weight to them. And even with multiple deaths, the sense of danger driving Matt and Kitty did not seem to be very high and they did not seem to feel terribly affected at all.
My biggest complaint about this book was the seeming disconnect that I felt between the timelines for our two main characters for the first 3/4 of the book. (view spoiler)
[Kitty's mother went missing when she was a very young girl, just six years, during the First World War. It's during this same war that Matt is supposed to have fought in and suffered such hardship. But by his own account, he was only 14 when the fighting began. Which granted he could have been old enough to fight for a very short while before the fighting ceased, but this is also a very near thing and stretches the imagination a little. Maybe he lied about his age? But in the interveening 19 years, she has grown up and taken on the responsibility of running the hotel with his grandmother. Whereas his timeline seems to only account for losing Edith and Betty and spending several years in a government position which he has recently given up. Maybe I'm nit-picking here, but I would not equate several years with the better part of two decades. (hide spoiler)] What is the age difference here? Because it seems from context that it must be much larger than what the math would signify. Maybe I was missing something? But this disconnect was really all I could focus on throughout most my reading and it really brought down my enjoyment of the book.
I would be interested in continuing with this series. Partially because I love a mystery and partially because I'm curious to see if these timelines would be cleared up for me as we learn more about out characters and their backgrounds. I would recommend
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel to fans of cozy historical mysteries.
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing an eARC of
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.
