annieb123
Written on Oct 27, 2022
Murder in First Class is the 8th Miss Underhay cozy by Helena Dixon. Released 16th Feb 2022, it's 258 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free along with the rest of the series.
This installment sees Kitty investigating a locked room murder (in a moving train) and trying to figure out how the victim ties in to a cold case from her past. She's also trying to move on with her life and plan a future with her fiance. There are several disparate subplot threads which entwine to a satisfying denouement and resolution.
It's a consistently well written and entertaining modern classic English mystery series with well wrought characters and clever plots. The dialogue flows smoothly and isn't clunky or overwrought. With ten books out now, and an 11th due out in 2023, it would be a nice candidate for a series binge read. Although the mystery is self contained in this volume, the characters' relationships have developed over the length of the series, so I recommend reading them in order to avoid spoilers. There's also a multi-book overarching subplot which turns on the long ago murder of Kitty's mother.
Well worth a look for mystery lovers and fans of the golden age. I love interwar British mysteries and this is a good light series.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.