Murder in the Belltower by Helena Dixon ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Couple sleuths are my favorite type of cozy mysteries. And Kitty Underhay and Matt Bryant are a great couple. Add to it that the book is set during one of my favorite time periods - the 1930s, and I can't wait for the next book. Helena Dixon's Murder in the Belltower is a fun Christmas time mystery that is full of characters with secrets.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2021; Bookouture
audio, ebook (265 pages); cozy mystery

I'm kind of surprised that this book wasn't published in December since the story is set during Christmas. It picks up right after book 4 ended. While Murder in the Belltower is book 5, I've only read book 4, Murder on the Dance Floor (read my review). A reader won't have any problem jumping right into the series with this book. The mystery surrounding Kitty's mother is an ongoing mystery that I presume started in book 1, but enough details are shared in this book that you won't be lost. Also, this book has its own stand-alone mystery and it is front and center, while Kitty's mother storyline is more of a minor plot thread.

Kitty and Matt are visiting Kitty's aunt and uncle at their country estate for Christmas. A motley crew of guests has been invited to celebrate the season. But it is just random that all these guests have been invited. There's a spy in their midst, and Matt has been enlisted by his former employer at the foreign office to determine who is leaking state secrets. As all of the guests have secrets it could be any one of them, and Matt isn't allowed to let Kitty know so she can't help him. The death of a local woman though gives the couple plenty of opportunities to play detective.

I really enjoyed the mystery and the unraveling of the many secrets. Some of the secrets I figured out before they were revealed and others I discovered right along with the characters. 

While I liked the characters immediately in Murder on the Dance Floor. I enjoyed them even more in Murder in the Belltower. Really only Kitty, Matt, Alice (the chambermaid that serves as Kitty's lady's maid when she travels), and the Inspector are the characters from the previous book, though if you have been reading this series from the beginning you will be familiar with Kitty's aunt and uncle Lord and Lady Medford and cousin Lucy. 

This installment reminded me of Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series. Though Matt is much more present in the story than Darcy is in Bowen's series. But if love Her Royal Spyness series, I highly recommend giving Dixon's Miss Underhay Mystery series a try.

If you are looking at the Goodreads or Amazon summary for the book, note that it isn't very accurate.

Buy Murder in the Belltower at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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