Murder At The Charity Ball An Addictive And Completely Unputdownable Historical Cozy Mystery

Kitty Underhay is dancing... with death. Winter 1934. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a night off from wedding planning as she attends a charity ball at the home of Lady Eliza Foxley. She's excited to see her father, roguish Edgar Underhay, who is also a guest in the house. But the evening of cocktails and waltzing turns into a dance macabre when Edgar finds their lively, fun-loving hostess dead, strangled by her own silk stocking. Who has made this uncharitable donation to the evening's entertainments? When suspicion falls on Edgar and he is arrested for murder, Kitty has to act fast if she doesn't want her father walking her down the aisle in shackles. Together with her fiancé Matthew, they vow to clear Edgar's name and discover who used hosiery to commit homicide. Lady Eliza's widowed sister is the main beneficiary of her will, but before Kitty and Matt can question her, she is struck down by a severe case of poisoning. Time is running out for Kitty to solve this case and make it to the church on time. But with a devious killer on the loose, will she end up leaving as a newlywed, or newly dead...? An absolutely addictive and unputdownable Golden Age cosy murder mystery full of twists! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss. Readers love the Miss Underhay mysteries: 'Nobody does tension and crime thriller writing quite like she does. Some books are guilty pleasures, she's guilty of being a superb writer (and an inspiration).' Rob Rinder 'Five stars are not enough.' Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars 'This was excellent and I read it in one sitting, a page-turner I couldn't put down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'What can I say? I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent cosy mystery! The story was gripping... I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I love this series... The murder mystery itself was engrossing... It kept me guessing right until the final scene.' Roberta Reads, 5 stars 'This murder mystery is perfect... This story has it all. An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'My favourite cosy mystery series.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A page-turner that will keep you guessing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Do yourself a favour, cozy up with a blanket, a cup of something warm and dig into this cozy mystery.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Great story with a perfect mixture of mystery, suspense, romance and family to make this a wonderful cozy mystery book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'After the first chapter I wasn't able to stop reading and turning pages as fast as I could. I had some suspects, but the twists and the solution surprised me.' Scrapping and Playing, 5 stars

The scene is set for murder... and Kitty Underhay's partner has been cast as the killer. Late Summer, 1933. After a quarrel with too-plucky-for-her-own-good amateur sleuth Kitty Underhay, dashing ex-army captain Matthew Bryant is nursing his wounds, and a tumbler of brandy, when there's a heavy knock at the door and he finds himself arrested for murder. The body of aspiring actress Pearl Bright has been found, strangled with one of Matt's own bootlaces, and the evidence seems to be stacked against him. The local constabulary might have locked Matt up, but before they can throw away the key, Kitty hears the news and hies to his aid, determined to prove his innocence. And when her investigations lead her to the home of retired theatre impresario Stanley Davenport, and the local amateur dramatics society, Kitty uncovers a web of deceit that stretches far beyond the stage make-up. But Kitty's digging is bringing her to the attention of the killer. Without her partner in crime-fighting, can Kitty expose them and clear Matt's name? Or will it be curtains for them both? A gripping Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss. Readers love the Miss Underhay mysteries: 'This murder mystery is perfect... This story has it all. An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent cosy mystery! The story was gripping... I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Another adventure for Kitty Underhay!... A page-turner that will keep you guessing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A wonderful book, I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent read! I really enjoyed both Kitty and Matt and found that the combination of them working together was wonderful!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Loved this book! Great storyline, an interesting and believable main character and a great location... I can't wait for more adventures of Kitty in the near future!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I felt right at home the moment I started reading. Helena Dixon is one of those writers who writes so well that I immediately feel comfortable and relaxed, and the story just flows... They are complex, believable characters who seem very real... In conclusion, it was a joy.' Goodreads reviewer 'It was an excellent novel, with a strong cast of characters. I enjoyed the storyline very much and would definitely recommend this book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'The characters are relatable, the storyline is exciting, and the author kept me guessing about the ending.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

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. Readers love the Miss Underhay mysteries: 'This was excellent and I read it in one sitting, a page-turner I couldn't put down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Fast, fun and utterly unputdownable... perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.' Robin Loves Reading 'What can I say? I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Oh how I love this series!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent cosy mystery! The story was gripping... I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I love this series... The murder mystery itself was engrossing... It kept me guessing right until the final scene.' Roberta Reads, 5 stars 'I felt right at home the moment I started reading... It was a joy.' Goodreads reviewer 'This murder mystery is perfect... This story has it all. An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'My favourite cosy mystery series.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A page-turner that will keep you guessing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Do yourself a favour, cozy up with a blanket, a cup of something warm and dig into this cozy mystery.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Great story with a perfect mixture of mystery, suspense, romance and family to make this a wonderful cozy mystery book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A wonderful book, I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Till death do us part may come sooner than they thought... 1934. Kitty Underhay steps out of the battered Rolls Royce and onto the gravelled driveway of Thurscomb Castle in deepest Yorkshire. She's honoured to be a bridesmaid at her cousin Lucy's wedding to the reluctant Lord Rupert Woodcomb, but as family and friends gather for welcome drinks, Kitty dodges intrusive questions about her own marital status by taking a stroll about the castle grounds. As she passes through the manicured gardens, a fatal shot rings out... The valet, Evans, is dead. And Kitty can't help but notice how rattled the man standing next to him seems. Could Rupert's best man, The Right Honourable Alexander 'Sandy' Galsworthy, believe the speeding bullet was meant for him? When she discovers that Sandy has been receiving blackmail notes, Kitty suspects that one of the assembled guests has plans to make good on their threats. The local constabulary won't act on Kitty's hunch, so, busy with her bridesmaid's duties, she asks her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, to help. The ceremony passes without a hitch. But when an anxious Sandy slips away during the dancing, Matt follows, only to make a hideous discovery: Sandy is dead, flattened on the terrace by some falling masonry. Now the duo are sure that there is a murderer within the castle walls. But can they untangle Sandy's final hours and catch this killer before they strike again, or will the wedding bells be replaced by a death knell for Kitty herself...? A completely charming and unputdownable cozy historical Golden Age murder mystery! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss. Readers love the Miss Underhay mysteries: 'This was excellent and I read it in one sitting, a page-turner I couldn't put down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Fast, fun and utterly unputdownable... perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.' Robin Loves Reading 'Excellent cosy mystery! The story was gripping... I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I love this series... The murder mystery itself was engrossing... It kept me guessing right until the final scene.' Roberta Reads, 5 stars 'I felt right at home the moment I started reading... It was a joy.' Goodreads reviewer 'This murder mystery is perfect... This story has it all. An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'One of my favourite cosy mystery series.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Great story with a perfect mixture of mystery, suspense, romance and family to make this a wonderful cozy mystery book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent read! I really enjoyed both Kitty and Matt and found that the combination of them working together was wonderful!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Kitty Underhay feels the touch... of death. 1934. Accidental amateur sleuth Kitty Underhay is being escorted by ex-army captain Matthew Bryant on an errand of mercy, as she takes a basket of grapes to her nemesis Mrs Craven, who is recuperating from a recent operation. But their arrival at Elm House Nursing Home coincides with the mysterious death of Lady Wellings, a long-term resident. The woman was known to be ill, so when the police turn a disinterested ear to Mrs Craven's suspicion that Lady Wellings was poisoned, Kitty decides to look into the case herself. And when another invalid, the gentle Mrs Pearson, collapses fatally in the breakfast room, it seems her suspicions are well-founded. For an institution promising health and rejuvenation, there seems to be a very low survival rate amongst the guests! When the nurse Eloise Hibbert hints at sinister goings on among the staff, Kitty arranges to meet her away from the home to uncover how deep the treachery lies. However, before she can make the rendezvous, Eloise meets an unfortunate end falling from the top of the building. Was she pushed by the hand of fate, or a cold-blooded killer? Meanwhile, Matt has been following an entirely different trail of evidence, and what he finds out chills him to the bone. When Kitty fails to return from her unsuccessful meeting, it is clear she has stumbled onto a plot far more devious than they could have imagined, and into a trap laid by an unscrupulous killer... An utterly sensational and addictive Golden Age murder mystery. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss. Readers love the Miss Underhay mysteries: 'This was excellent and I read it in one sitting, a page-turner I couldn't put down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Fast, fun and utterly unputdownable... perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.' Robin Loves Reading 'What can I say? I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Oh how I love this series!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Excellent cosy mystery! The story was gripping... I loved the character development with the little hint of romance and cannot wait for the next book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I love this series... The murder mystery itself was engrossing... It kept me guessing right until the final scene, which is unusual for me.' Roberta Reads, 5 stars 'I felt right at home the moment I started reading... It was a joy.' Goodreads reviewer 'This murder mystery is perfect... This story has it all. An absolute page-turner with characters to care about.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'One of my favourite cosy mystery series.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A page-turner that will keep you guessing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Do yourself a favour, cozy up with a blanket, a cup of something warm and dig into this cozy mystery.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Ezra James used to be a big deal: Harvard graduate, FBI agent, beautiful wife. After being accused of fabricating evidence in a serial killer trial, he finds himself suspended, on the verge of a divorce, and working security at a posh Catholic school in Chicago. Then something out-of-the-ordinary happens: a young student-teacher is attacked during a Christmas pageant and left for dead in the snow with a noose around her neck and an electrical burn. Plus, she's pregnant. Ezra, along with up-and-coming police detective, Lucia Vargas, and school chaplain, Fr. Remy Mbombo, must work fast before the culprit returns to finish the job.

Paris, 1940: Walking through Montmartre that morning was like the eerie calm right before a storm. The roads were deserted. We carried on, arm in arm, and then finally, we saw them. Columns and columns of soldiers, spreading through the streets like a toxic grey vapour. 'You must write about this, ' he whispered to me. 'You must write about the day freedom left Paris.' As Nazi troops occupy the City of Lights, American journalist Florence is determined to do everything she can to save her adopted home and the man she loves. Florence had arrived in Paris in 1937 and on a beautiful summer's day, met and fell in love with Otto, a Jewish artist from Austria, who had fled persecution in his homeland. But as swastikas are draped along the city's wide boulevards, everything Otto was running from seems to have caught up with him. Both Florence and Otto begin lending their talents to the Resistance, working to sabotage the Germans right under their noses. Florence's society columns that, before the war were filled with tales of glamorous Parisian parties, now document life under occupation and hide coded messages for those fighting outside France for freedom. While Otto risks arrest in order to pin up the anti-Nazi posters he designs by candlelight in their tiny apartment. But with every passing day, things become more dangerous for Otto to remain in Paris. If Florence risks everything by accepting a secret mission, can she ensure his survival so that they can be reunited once the war is over? A sweeping wartime story that will capture your heart and never let it go. Fans of The Alice Network, The Lost Girls of Paris and My Name is Eva will be absolutely gripped from the very first page. Readers LOVE An American in Paris 'An enthralling story that puts readers in the middle of the chaos surrounding World War Two... Grabs readers from the beginning and won't let them go until they finish the last page... I loved absolutely everything about this novel and won't hesitate to claim it as my favourite historical fiction read of 2020.' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An English Christmas has mince pies, cheerful carols, a twinkling tree... and a murder? Thank goodness Lady Swift is on the scene! Winter, 1920. Amateur sleuth Lady Eleanor Swift is feeling festive. She is playing host to the entire village at Henley Hall for gifts, games and gingerbread. She's also purchased perfect presents for each of her household - not forgetting the biggest bone in the butcher's shop for her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog - and is looking forward to celebrating her first English country Christmas. As snowflakes fall, Eleanor is cheering on contestants in the traditional Christmas fun run in the grounds of the Hall. But tragedy strikes when one of the runners drops dead at the finish line. Dashing Detective Seldon is convinced it's just a heart attack, but Eleanor isn't so sure. When she finds a rather distinctive key where the man fell, Eleanor knows she'll never rest until she finds out the truth about what happened in her own home. Next the vicar is taken ill with what looks like poison and Eleanor starts to wonder if the two cases are linked. When someone tries to frame her by planting poisoned berries in her own kitchen, she knows speed is of the essence. But the entire village was at Henley Hall for the festivities and Eleanor has enough suspects to stuff a town full of turkeys. Can she nail the true killer and clear her name in time for Christmas? Christmas won't be complete without it! A festive treat for fans of Agatha Christie, TE Kinsey and Lee Strauss. Readers absolutely adore Verity Bright! 'Oooh I loved this book... I wanted a book which would be absolutely soothing to read with a murder in it and this was it. The book was everything I wanted in these troubling times. I loved it.' Book Reviews by Shalini 'Worth the wait!! It was an excellent visit once again with people that felt like old friends. I can't wait until the next book in the series is ready to read. Verity Bright has created endearing characters that you want to spend time with again and again.' NetGalley Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️