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Miss Underhay #25
Murder at the Mistletoe Ball
Not yet published
Expected 16 Nov 26A fire crackling in the grate, snow falling outside, a party in full swing… and a body in the library? Can Kitty Underhay make sense of this not-very-merry mystery…?
London, 1938. Kitty Underhay is feeling festive in an elegant crimson gown as she makes her way through the well-dressed crowds at the annual Mistletoe Ball. But as the evening draws to a close and she retires for a final sherry, the mood is swiftly punctuated by a grim discovery… blood pooling on the rug and a fellow guest still in her ballgown… dead.
It soon becomes clear that the victim, Anya Miranova, was a double-agent and spy, known to other guests at the Mistletoe Ball. Kitty and Matt, as ever, are quick to list motives. But who could be behind the death? Their hosts, Lord and Lady Skelmsby, appear to be hiding something. The Skelmbys’ son, Teddy, certainly knows more about Anya than he’s letting on, and his sister Octavia is suspiciously quiet. And then there’s the housekeeper, Marigold Potsworth, pointing fingers at everyone but herself…
But they realise that’s just the tip of the iceberg when another houseguest dies, this time poisoned with their own tonic. With a cold-blooded killer in their midst, Kitty and Matt are walking on thin ice. Can they unmask the killer before things snowball…?
Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Carlene O’Connor will adore this totally charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!
London, 1938. Kitty Underhay is feeling festive in an elegant crimson gown as she makes her way through the well-dressed crowds at the annual Mistletoe Ball. But as the evening draws to a close and she retires for a final sherry, the mood is swiftly punctuated by a grim discovery… blood pooling on the rug and a fellow guest still in her ballgown… dead.
It soon becomes clear that the victim, Anya Miranova, was a double-agent and spy, known to other guests at the Mistletoe Ball. Kitty and Matt, as ever, are quick to list motives. But who could be behind the death? Their hosts, Lord and Lady Skelmsby, appear to be hiding something. The Skelmbys’ son, Teddy, certainly knows more about Anya than he’s letting on, and his sister Octavia is suspiciously quiet. And then there’s the housekeeper, Marigold Potsworth, pointing fingers at everyone but herself…
But they realise that’s just the tip of the iceberg when another houseguest dies, this time poisoned with their own tonic. With a cold-blooded killer in their midst, Kitty and Matt are walking on thin ice. Can they unmask the killer before things snowball…?
Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Carlene O’Connor will adore this totally charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!
- GenresCozy Mystery
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 16, 2026
About the author
Helena Dixon
48 books348 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
For other authors of this name, see also:
see: Helena Dixon - Erotica
This author also writes as:
Nell Dixon - Contemporary Womens Fiction
Nell is an multi-award winning author who splits her time between Devon and the Black Country. She lives with her husband, daughters, a tank of tropical fish, and a crazy Cockerpoo called Teddy. She writes contemporary romance as Nell Dixon and historical cozy crime set in 1930's Dartmouth as Helena Dixon. She is represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
For other authors of this name, see also:
see: Helena Dixon - Erotica
This author also writes as:
Nell Dixon - Contemporary Womens Fiction
Nell is an multi-award winning author who splits her time between Devon and the Black Country. She lives with her husband, daughters, a tank of tropical fish, and a crazy Cockerpoo called Teddy. She writes contemporary romance as Nell Dixon and historical cozy crime set in 1930's Dartmouth as Helena Dixon. She is represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder at the Mistletoe Ball by Helena Dixon is a Miss Underhay novel which finds Kitty and Matt at a charity ball in London at the behest of Kitty’s uncle. He and the host, Lord Skelmsky were both very involved with the government and her uncle, Lord Medford, had developed a formula which would be very popular if on the open market.
Kitty and Matt had been invited to help guard the formula, which actually was a fake. They were hoping to catch the potential thief. They had several in mind. Kitty and Matt enjoyed the ball while keeping their eyes peeled. It was after the ball that they discovered a body in a trunk in one of the private rooms. It was one of their suspects who had been stabbed in the back before being shoved in the trunk. This was only the beginning. This turned into a tragic investigation, hurting Lady Skelmsky, Lady Medford’s friend. Kitty and Matt are a good couple and a better partnership. Kitty has a way of cutting through the noise to land on the culprit. It was a surprise when we got to the end. The tone of the story was basically positive, although, wary. The characters are decent although many of them will never be seen again. The plot was extreme and the motive the worst of reasons. It is a good read, as always. Kitty and Matt are perfect protagonists. And there is more to come.
I was invited to read Murder at the Mistletoe Ball by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #HelenaDixon #MurderAtTheMistletoeBall
Kitty and Matt had been invited to help guard the formula, which actually was a fake. They were hoping to catch the potential thief. They had several in mind. Kitty and Matt enjoyed the ball while keeping their eyes peeled. It was after the ball that they discovered a body in a trunk in one of the private rooms. It was one of their suspects who had been stabbed in the back before being shoved in the trunk. This was only the beginning. This turned into a tragic investigation, hurting Lady Skelmsky, Lady Medford’s friend. Kitty and Matt are a good couple and a better partnership. Kitty has a way of cutting through the noise to land on the culprit. It was a surprise when we got to the end. The tone of the story was basically positive, although, wary. The characters are decent although many of them will never be seen again. The plot was extreme and the motive the worst of reasons. It is a good read, as always. Kitty and Matt are perfect protagonists. And there is more to come.
I was invited to read Murder at the Mistletoe Ball by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #HelenaDixon #MurderAtTheMistletoeBall
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was able to read an advanced copy of Murder at the Mistletoe Ball by Helena Dixon thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own.
As Christmas 1938 grows nearer Kitty Bryant, husband Matt and her Aunt and Uncle, Lord and Lady Medford, are staying with Lord and Lady Skelmsby for, amongst other things, the annual Mistletoe Ball. With a set of top secret plans going missing from Lord Skelmsby's safe, Matt, Kitty and her Uncle are investigating the theft on behalf of the British government although only their host actually knows this. When a body is found after the ball it becomes clear that someone in the household is hiding information but after second death it seems no one is safe from a killer who is, quite possibly, hiding in plain sight.
Book 25 in this brilliant series was an absolute winner from the start. I loved the privileged London setting and the investigation was reminiscent of other cosy pre-war crime/spy classics and I was nowhere near close to guessing whodunit. Kitty and Matt were on top form and I also enjoyed how much of a gentleman he was with the other ladies in the household. There was a discovery at the end which may lead nicely into book 26 which I will absolutely be on the lookout for in mid March. Highly recommended.
As Christmas 1938 grows nearer Kitty Bryant, husband Matt and her Aunt and Uncle, Lord and Lady Medford, are staying with Lord and Lady Skelmsby for, amongst other things, the annual Mistletoe Ball. With a set of top secret plans going missing from Lord Skelmsby's safe, Matt, Kitty and her Uncle are investigating the theft on behalf of the British government although only their host actually knows this. When a body is found after the ball it becomes clear that someone in the household is hiding information but after second death it seems no one is safe from a killer who is, quite possibly, hiding in plain sight.
Book 25 in this brilliant series was an absolute winner from the start. I loved the privileged London setting and the investigation was reminiscent of other cosy pre-war crime/spy classics and I was nowhere near close to guessing whodunit. Kitty and Matt were on top form and I also enjoyed how much of a gentleman he was with the other ladies in the household. There was a discovery at the end which may lead nicely into book 26 which I will absolutely be on the lookout for in mid March. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kitty and Matt are undercover at a house party given by friends of her Aunt/Uncle. There is a secret plan to uncover foreign agents working to steal a secret formula, and Kitty & family are watching the suspects at the party when a body is found. Oddly, it is a suspect they never saw enter the house and who seemed to have a close friendship with the host's children. The dynamics of that friend group vary from engagement to unrequited love and maybe some unknown foreign agents mixed in. Kitty & Matt try to solve the mystery while investigating the friends and family members of their hosts, and everyone appears suspicious and hides secrets. Another death causes more confusion as to motives and how everyone's secrets align. I was honestly surprised at the ending, thinking someone else was the murderer.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for selecting me to read an advance copy.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for selecting me to read an advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the next book in the Miss Underhay series, MURDER AT THE MISTLETOE BALL by Helena Dixon, Kitty Underhay Bryant and her husband, Matt, attend the Mistletoe Ball at Hellebore House. I want to know what happens.
Reading about Kitty and Matt and their attendance at the Mistletoe Ball gets me in the Christmas spirit. I like the settings in this series. I also enjoy reading the details included in the character descriptions. I am interested in the relationship of Kitty and Matt and look forward to reading future books in the Miss Underhay series. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MURDER AT THE MISTLETOE BALL.
Reading about Kitty and Matt and their attendance at the Mistletoe Ball gets me in the Christmas spirit. I like the settings in this series. I also enjoy reading the details included in the character descriptions. I am interested in the relationship of Kitty and Matt and look forward to reading future books in the Miss Underhay series. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MURDER AT THE MISTLETOE BALL.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
London, 1938. The Underhays have been invited to the annual Mistletoe Ball held at the home of Lord and Lady Skelmsby, at the request of a government official as treason is suspected of one of the guests. But then a body of one of the suspects is discovered. Was she a double agent. Can the Underhays discover the killer before they kill again.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and interesting characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and interesting characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a cosy mystery packed with nostalgia and festivity. As I read it, I kept on imagining the scenes in the book as a movie scene. With espionage thrown into an upper class setting, the story sizzles with glamour and excitement.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews