I fell in love with Helena Dixon’s historical Miss Underhay mystery series, but quickly became addicted to her cosy espionage series following the adventures of the Secret Detective Agency. Set in World War II Britain, we follow Miss Jane Treen, who works out of the war office in London, and is now part of a secret sub-unit, investigating infiltrators trying to subvert the Allies efforts in the war. As part of this work, she begrudgingly teams up with asthmatic code breaker Arthur Cilento and his valet, Benson.
This latest adventure sees Arthur ensconced in a mansion in Devon, working with a group to crack codes, but with strange goings on around the building and a few near-misses, it seems someone wants to throw a spanner in the works. And they won’t stop at simple sabotage. When the local tea shop owner is found murdered, Jane Treen is on the case – is the death linked to the goings on at the house?
As always, the period detail is immaculate and immersive, and Jane Treen is such a formidable character. She keeps her cards close to her chest, but we see flashes of her personality through the book.
Helena Dixon knows how to write a gripping tale, and this one is no exception. As always, there are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing – are outside forces at work or is the culprit closer to home? I’ve really enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Miss Treen and Arthur – from begrudging colleagues, to what now appears to be a growing fondness, and I can’t wait to see where this goes in the future.
Thank you to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this novel in advance in exchange for an honest review.
BLURB
London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.
When Jane arrives, it quickly becomes clear that the murder is a half-baked attempt to curdle Arthur’s current codebreaking mission – but how? There seem to be suspects at every turn. Is Arthur’s boss be going to extremes to cover up his incompetence? Can the teashop customers be trusted? And what about the secretary, who seems to have secret links to the village teashop…
Spurred on by scones and clotted cream, Jane and Arthur start to whip up a theory as to who the killer could be. But just they begin to make progress, someone else is murdered – and it looks like Arthur could be next. It’s clear they need to solve this case quickly, before teatime is over and Arthur meets a sticky end…
If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s utterly gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright!
About the Author
Helena Dixon is the author of the internationally bestselling Miss Underhay cozy mystery series. She is a Black Country girl living in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo.
She was the winner of the RNA Romance Prize in 2007 and the RNA Love Story of the Year 2010.
Leave a Reply