SYNOPSIS
Spring, 1935. Newlywed Kitty Underhay has been enlisted by her old nemesis Mrs Craven to help organise the Miss Dartmouth Jubilee pageant at the Dolphin Hotel. Being bossed around by her arch enemy is not quite what Kitty had in mind for the start of her married life, but she’s excited to launch the glamorous show. Sparkling smiles are quickly replaced by audible gasps however, when one of the girls goes missing during the interval…
When pretty Peggy Blaine is discovered dead, Kitty can’t help but notice that none of the other contestants seem particularly shocked. Can jealousy over a sash and a diamante tiara be a motive for murder?
But when she discovers the threatening notes the young women have received, Kitty enlists her husband Matt to figure out who’s scaring the competitors. However, before Matt can speak to them, another entrant turns up dead after an apparently accidental overdose. Taking part in a beauty pageant seems to have turned into a fatal occupation!
The daring duo are sure that someone close to the girls is responsible. But can they sort the harmless face powders from the fatal poisons before it’s too late? Or will Kitty and Matt find they are next to be crowned… with death?
Title: Murder at the beauty pageant
Author: Helena Dixon
Series: Miss Underhay Mysteries #12
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication date: May 2, 2023
Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and
lives 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 is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and
housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010
as Nell Dixon.
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REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Murder At The Beauty Pageant is the first book in the series after Kitty and Matt’s wedding. It was inevitable the whole dynamics of the series would change after it, so this was a game changer, and I’m glad to say that the new situation works as well as the previous one. Same old faces. New beginnings.
The Dolphin Hotel is hosting the Miss Dartmouth Jubilee beauty pageant. A series of anonymous letters threatening everyone involved in the pageant have everyone on guard so, when one of the contestants is found dead the night of the event, everything points to the mysterious letter writer. But soon it will be discovered that the victim wasn’t as innocent as she looked. Could someone else be behind her death?
Kitty and Matt are still learning to navigate their new life as a married couple. Their love affair with the police force seems to be coming to an end after DI Greville’s promotion and the arrival of an old acquaintance that doesn’t appreciate their sleuthing skills too much. All these changes could have affected in part the charm of the series, but it is still intact.
We may not get to witness as much hotel life as in the previous books, but we get to finally see how Kitty and Matt get on while living under the same roof, and with a nice addition to their family! What is better than a book with a dog in it? A book with a dog AND a cat acting as best pals. Bernie and Rascal were so cute together!
It was also nice to see how Kitty’s relationship with Alice has turned into a true friendship.
I enjoyed the mystery quite a lot. The beauty queens had all a good amount of secrets, so that gave rise to lots of chances for the author to throw the reader of the scent and misdirect suspicions. Matt and Kitty make a wonderful team and I’m anxious to see if they’ll be able to win over their new nemesis, DI Lewis.
Another great installment in this phenomenal series of historical cozy mysteries, that is not afraid to introduce some changes in something that had previously worked so well, for the sake of the story, their characters and the fans that have accompanied Kitty and Matt since book 1 and have been waiting for this moment forever!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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