Murder in First Class (Miss Underhay #8) by Helena Dixon 

Published February 16th 2022 by Bookouture

About the Book: All aboard a train bound for… murder.

Kitty Underhay is looking forward to a week of long lunches and wedding planning with her husband-to-be, Captain Matthew Bryant. But the plan is derailed when he is called on to collect a former comrade-in-arms, arriving on the 15:50 from Bakerloo. As the train bearing Simon Travers pulls up to the platform, a piercing scream rises over the screech of its brakes. Travers is dead in his seat, a dagger in his heart.

Who gave this defenceless man a one-way ticket to the next life? And why? And could Matt’s close connection put him at risk? Only a few individuals had access to Travers’s compartment, and Kitty must find out which of these seemingly benign passengers is in fact a cross-country killer.

But when Kitty’s prime suspect, the travelling salesman with no merchandise, is found murdered, she is stumped. Until she makes the connection between the two victims and realises that this murderer has an even more deadly destination in mind. Can she stop them before they strike again? Or will Kitty’s own next stop be the graveyard?

A pitch-perfect and totally gripping Golden Age historical cozy mystery! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this 8th Miss Underhay Mystery, Kitty and her fiancé Captain Matthew Bryant are asked by the Brigadier (Matthew’s former boss) to watch over a man who gave testimony in a trial in London. They head to the railway station to pick up him up so he can spend some time with Matt, but before the train unloads, they hear an ear-splitting scream. Mrs Craven, Kitty’s grandmother’s friend and a pain in the butt to Kitty, was at the door to the first-class carriage, yelling that a man had been murdered. Matt has a bad feeling and he is right, it was Simon Travers, the man that was supposed to hide out with Matt. Someone in that carriage had to be the murderer. Inspector Greville not only gives his blessing, but encourages Matt and Kitty to investigate. With Kitty having a week off from the Dolphin Hotel, they have lots of time to ask questions and poke around.

I continue to enjoy this historical cozy mystery series. I really like both Kitty’s and Matt’s characters. They have such a great relationship and I love how they treat one another, work together to solve the mystery, have each other’s back and their great banter. They are both quite intelligent and can fit the clues together to solve the crimes or puzzles. I love how Helena Dixon combines the mystery with Kitty’s life and her family’s history. There are some sub-plots that have been ongoing involving the person who murdered her mother many years in the past and boy, did it ever add some excitement and tension. The murder of Simon Travers only had a small pool of suspects, but trying to figure out which of them were guilty kept Matt and Kitty busy. I will say I was pretty sure who the killer was, but I didn’t know why. I was correct, but the story behind the characters was a shocker. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention mischievous, Bertie. Matt takes Travers’ dog home with him and he keeps them on their toes as well as adding some humor to the story. This was a great addition to this series and I am definitely looking forward to what is next for Kitty Underhay and Captain Matthew Bryant. I recommend this series to those who enjoy an historical fiction mystery or a cozy mystery with a great setting, characters and story. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

Buy Link:  https://geni.us/B09HL2QG4Ksocial

About the Author: Helena Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. Helena was the RNA winner of the Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010.

Author Social Media Links: Website – Facebook – Twitter