I found this one too distressing for me, I don’t do well with young vulnerable deaths and the lead characters don’t seem to be as interesting any more as the tension is gone. I so enjoyed the previous ones so I was disappointed!

I had so much to do when I sat down to read a few chapters of this, however, none of that got done because I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. Fantastic

Love this next installment of the adventures Kitty and Matt undertake! I really liked the beauty pageant aspect, although I felt the addition of the letter-writer was a bit unnecessary to the whole. As usual, I found the characters to be the strongest point. I love seeing Kitty and Matt’s relationship continue to evolve. The other characters, new and old, were all well represented. The mystery kept me guessing and engrossed.

I would love to see some comma and usage issues caught and corrected. Also, the ending felt very rushed.

Overall, I’m anxiously awaiting the next adventure! I love this series!

Helena Dixon gives the reader another enjoyable Miss Underhay mystery in Murder at the Beauty Pageant. In 1935 Kitty Underhay is newly married and engaged in detective work with her husband. There is a beauty pageant at the Dolphin Hotel and one of the contestants is found dead. She has the reputation as a blackmailer. One of the other contestants may be taking cocaine. Many villagers have secrets. The new detective on the police does not like Kittty or her husband getting involved in police business. What could go wrong? Read and find out.

Newlywed Kitty Bryant is feeling a little underwhelmed by married life. She is less involved with her grandmother's hotel but has a limited role in her husband's private investigato business. She is encouraged to help organise the town's beauty pageant to keep her busy. But someone doesn't want the pageant to go ahead and then one of the entrants is murdered...
Murder at the Beauty Pageant is the 12th book in the Kitty Underhay (now Bryant!) cosy murder mystery series.
Poor Kitty is feeling sorry for herself as she struggles to adapt to her new life as a married woman. I felt sorry for her too as we've been waiting a long time for this marriage to happen! She throws herself into the organisation of the beauty pageant in honour of George V's silver jubilee (hoping to avoid the disaster of a recent bonny baby competition...) I liked the inclusion of a big royal event as our own King's coronation is imminent.
Warning letters start arriving for the organisers, judges and contestants but the contest continues until one woman is found dead. Kitty and Matt have to contend with a former foe in the persona of a new police inspector. He is not keen on their involvement but luckily they have the support of other police officers. There are a limited number of suspects for the pair to investigate, and a mix of clues and red herrings along the way.
Murder at the Beauty Pageant is an enjoyable addition to the series and the usual momentum is maintained despite the change to the main characters' personal and professional lives.

I've read a number of Miss Underhay mysteries by Helena Dixon, and this continues to live up to past installments. This time around Kitty is involved in hosting a beauty pageant at her grandmother's hotel when one of the contestants turns up dead.

In the days leading up to show, threats were received that requested the event be canceled. But can it be as easy as some disgruntled individual against beauty contests behind the murder or is there more to it?

Kitty intends to find out, and so does her new husband, Matt, whether or not the new police inspector in town wants them poking their noses in or not. As the investigation kicks into gear, our duo considers a few suspects, weighing who would have the most motive.

They theorize a few angles but will they get it right? They are starting to question that themselves when another young woman connected to pageant winds up dead.

As always this book hosts a cast of colorful characters, including an Egyptian archeologist this go around. (Personally, I'm fascinated with Egypt's history.) But I can recommend Murder at the Beauty Pageant as an entertaining cozy mystery you'll want to read if you're a fan of the genre.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

This one was a little different and I enjoyed it. Kitty is now married so commuting to the hotel! This changes the overall dynamic, (though she is still a very active member of this team). The thread that ran the previous books has been resolved and it was unclear to me just how this impact on the stories going forward, but there was plenty to get on with. There are the expected twists and turns - after ll it is a cozy mystery,

I am a fan of the series, the author's writing style and the characters in this series, having read all of the books to date.

It's a FOUR out of FIVE for me.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion

Couldn’t Stop Thinking About This Book!

Helena Dixon has a way of writing that makes the reader feel as though she is sitting in their living room and telling them a personally crafted story; a gift to the host who has just regaled her with a fine multi-course meal. Within minutes, Dixon has delivered such a delicious mystery that even her host has forgotten the meal because it pales in comparison. This is exactly how I felt after reading Murder at the Beauty Pageant: A Miss Underhay Mystery. For years the series has been on my TBR list and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t read any of the books sooner. I suppose it’s because I felt I needed to start at the beginning in order to fully appreciate the series. Not true. Dixon has a deft hand at familiarizing the reader, at whatever point they start in the series, without spoiling previous entries or making them feel lost. In fact, I was so captivated by the amateur sleuth, Kitty Underhay Bryant and her husband Matt, that I couldn’t stop thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it; they are such an exceptional pairing! Both characters are charismatic but realistic and contribute to the story in an equitable fashion. I could easily imagine stumbling on just such a couple in a quaint English village; discussing their amateur sleuth findings while sharing a cuppa and a slice of pork pie. Dixon has such a delicious way of writing that all the characters, even the less desirable ones and the red herrings, were well developed and added to the plot supplying a good amount of twists and turns. So, do as I have and take this off your TBR list now! Start with this installment in the series and work your way backwards. You will not be sorry! My thanks to #HelenaDixon, #Bookouture, and #NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book in the series and look forward to more. I liked the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The 12th entry in this series feels fresh, being the first in the series after Kitty (no longer Miss Underhay) has married Matt Bryant. Their PI business isn't keeping her too busy so she gets involved in other things, such as helping organize a local beauty pageant. When the contestants are threatened, and then one of them is murdered, Kitty and Matt investigate, not necessarily with the blessing of the police. This was a good historical cozy mystery with great characters and an engaging storyline.

As soon as I saw there was a new instalment in the Kitty & Matt series, I dropped everything else I had been reading and I devoured this book!

This is the first book in which Kitty and Matt are husband and wife, and Mrs Bryant still manages to come across murder in the wonderful Devon of the 1930s. As the Dolphin hotel organises a beauty contest to celebrate to king’s jubilee, mysteries unfold and suspicious people enter the story.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the chance to read this book as soon as possible. I enjoyed it enormously and cannot wait for book thirteen in this series!

This 12th book in the Miss Underhay series is my favourite so far! Kitty and Matt are settling into married life, but this didn't change the dynamics between them that I learned to love in the previous books. Inspector Greville has been promoted to Chief Inspector, and the new inspector isn't keen on working with private detectives. I'm interested to see how this will develop in future books.
I enjoyed the plot, it was well-written and a real page-turner.

4.5 stars, definitely recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kitty is newlywed to Matt, and they have their own private investigator business, but as the business isn’t as exciting as things used to be she is soon helping at the beauty pageant contest. But when one contestant goes missing and is found dead Kitty is back in business and her detective work just got ramped up.

This was a slightly different dynamic compared to the other novels as the main character is moving forward and natural life changes are occurring, but this did not affect the outcome or flow of the narrative and can still be seen to follow from the previous novels.

The minor character appearance is slightly less, and again this is to be expected but this was still very enjoyable and it was great to interact back with these minor characters.
This is a series I am enjoying and one I plan to continue.

Matt and Kitty are settling into married life. Though Kitty is finding herself a little out of sorts now that she isn't trying to manage the family hotel, particularly since the private investigation business is a bit slow at the moment. That is how she finds herself helping with the town's charity event with Mrs. Craven. But soon, Kitty may be wishing she had enjoyed the quiet life a bit more.

Murder at the Beauty Pageant is Helena Dixon's twelfth novel in the Miss Underhay Mystery series. New readers may be wondering what the series is called Miss Underhay as Kitty is now Mrs. Bryant, otherwise, you can easily start the series with this book.

While Matt has always treated Kitty as an equal, it was nice seeing them work their first case together as full partners.

Fans of the series may be worried that they won't be seeing some of the regular cast now that Kitty has moved out of the hotel. I know I wondered about Kitty and Alice's friendship since Alice often chatted with Kitty in the mornings over a cup of tea. While the early morning chats have ceased, it was nice seeing them together in a setting that wasn't so much employer/employee.

We didn't have as much of Mrs. Craven as we have in the last few books, but that is okay. A little of her can go a long way!

There's also a new inspector as Greville has been promoted. Unfortunately, he isn't as welcoming to the assistance of a couple of "amateurs" particularly when one is a woman. I look forward to seeing how their interactions play out in future novels.

The mystery was very compelling as there are quite a few twists and turns given that secrets and scandal abound.

If you are looking for something fun and light to read, then definitely pick up this cozy mystery.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/05/murder-at-beauty-pageant-by-helena.html

Rounded up from 4.5

Ah, it's so nice to be back with Kitty and Matt for the twelfth book in this fantastic series!

Kitty is struggling to adjust to married life with Matt, especially when it comes to their private investigator business. She's been stuck with missing pet cases or consoling upset relatives. She ends up helping with a beauty pageant being held at the Dolphin. Everything is going smoothly until one contestant, Peggy, goes missing. Later she's found dead. It's the perfect opportunity for Kitty to do some sleuthing and get to the bottom of the case.

As usual, murder at the beauty pageant is a wonderfully entertaining historical mystery!
I was a bit worried that the previous book in the series, murder at the charity ball, would be the last, as a secondary storyline which had been running through the books had been wrapped up, but I was happy that wasn't the case.

The story was also just as good as previous books with plenty of suspects, intrigue and red herrings along the way.

I look forward to lots more mysteries featuring Kitty and Matt!

Kitty Bryant is now a newlywed. She and her husband Matt now have their own private investigation agency. Kitty has been instrumental countless times when it came to solving murders, often working along with the police. Kitty and Matt have a new client who has raised concerns about his stepdaughter.

Meanwhile, Kitty is one of the organizers of a small beauty pageant with several young ladies vying for first prize. There have been a few problems, starting with a threatening note, and ultimately one of the girls turns up missing during the middle of the pageant. Sadly, the young woman is soon found dead, and Kitty and Matt are fairly certain that the murder has to do with their current case.

With a new Inspector at the police, Kitty and Matt soon learn that their previous alliance has been broken. Yet, they want answers and nothing will stop them. With great characters and wit, Helena Dixon has kept this series alive and enjoyable. I enjoy Kitty and Matt’s exploits and look forward to seeing a lot more of them in the future. In fact, in a few short months, I look forward to the release of Murder at the Village Fair.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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.

Number 12 in this extremely enjoyable historical mystery series, set in beautiful Dartmouth in Devon, England.

At last Kitty and Matt are married, living in their own house, and working jointly as private investigators. Kitty is still obliged to carry out some activities helping her grandmother and her friends in various women's groups. One of these activities is to organise the Miss Dartmouth Jubilee Pageant at the Dolphin Hotel, and when one of the contestants is murdered, Kitty and Matt are immediately on the case.

I liked the extra freedom Kitty has to help Matt now that they are married. I also very much enjoyed the antics of Bertie when they leave him at home (I have a dog who is a bit the same) and I like the addition of Rascal the kitten to the family. All good and I look forward to the next book.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder At The Beauty Pageant' by Helena Dixon.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Helena Dixon, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 2nd May 2023

This is the seventh book I have read by this author. It is also the eleventh book in the 'Miss Underhay' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'Murder On The Dance Floor', 'Murder At The Wedding', 'Murder In First Class', 'Murder At Elm House', 'Murder At The Country Club' and 'Murder At The Charity Ball' which I would highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An utter joy! Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss will fall head over heels for this utterly compelling and totally charming historical cozy mystery!.' I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Helena and if this is as good as 'Murder On The Dance Floor', 'Murder At The Wedding', 'Murder In First Class', 'Murder At The Country Club', 'Murder At Elm House' and 'Murder At The Charity' it is sure to be a good read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 25 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Devon, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited Devon on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Kitty Bryant (Underhay) and Captain Matthew Bryant. I enjoy books written in third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters.

Yet another fantastic murder mystery by the very talented Helena Dixon!!! Congratulations 🎊 🎉 🎈

This book was very well written and I do believe some research went into it as everything linked correctly in with the era it was set in. It is a real bug bear for me when I read a historical novel and the author hasn't done their research and gets basic information mixed up so well done Helena!! It was very well written and I found the synopsis and the cover fitted the storyline perfectly, The descriptions were great and it really felt as if I was in the story.



Yet another hugely successful addition in this fantastic series by the very talented Helena!! In this book we start delving into the beginning of Kittie's married life to Matt and it feels like the start to an era. The plot includes Kitty helping to arrange a beauty pageant in order to raise funds for a children's party to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. This book is fantastically timed to coincide with the coronation of Prince Charles coming up on the 6th making it even easier to picture the celebratory atmosphere. However, when threatening letters start to arrive, someone goes missing and a body is found the atmosphere changes for the worse. The storyline was very interesting and fast paced. Helena completely emerges the reader into the storyline. I absolutely loved that this murder mystery took place in such beautiful settings and as always Helens evocative writing skills brings the atmosphere, sights sounds and characters to life ensuring the reader is completely sucked into the storyline seeing and feeling everything the characters are. I really enjoy the fact that this series is set in the past and the storyline really suited that. It really is a nice cozy mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. At no point did I suspect who was doing what or why so a huge well done there Helena!!! I have read many a mystery and find that I am working out the killer/perp quicker every time and there's nothing worse than working out who did what when your need even half way through a book. Not only is this quite a suspense and action filled mystery but there was just the right amount of quirkiness, laughter and romance to give it a nice mix!!! A fun, addictive, unputdownable cozy crime mystery. This is a fantastic series and if you have never read any of Helena's previous books then you are definitely missing out. I, personally, would like to add that I think each storyline has got better and better which is a very rare thing for a series. I also loved the cliffhanger at the end!!

Although this is the twelfth book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I am really invested in the characters and really enjoyed Kitty and her fantastic and quirky personality!!! In fact all of the characters had their own individual personalities which worked really well with each other. They have all become like a family to me and I always hate saying goodbye to them at the end of the book. I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next 'episode' of Mrs Bryant's adventures which I'm sure will be just as exciting as this one!! I absolutely adored that Kitty and Matt have finally got married which has been a long time coming and that this is their first mystery since. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about how they continue to settle in to married life!!! I also adore the fact that we get to see more of not only Bertie the dog more who made an explosive entrance in 'Murder In First Class' (so make sure you don't miss out on that amazing page turner!) but we also have another animal addition in the form of a gorgeous kitten called Rascal. I wasn't a fan of the new Inspector Lewis who has taken Inspector Grevilleve's place after his promotion to Chief Inspector and he certainly wasn't the biggest fan of Kitty and Matt being involved in the investigation!! Regardless of whether you love or hate the characters though they each play their parts perfectly and are all vital characters in an absolutely addictive series!!!

Well done Helen on yet another fantastic success and here's to the next addition to an addictive page turning series 🥂!!!

Overall a perfect mix of mystery, crime, romance, laughter and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!!

Genres covered in this novel include Historical, Cozy Mystery, Cozy Animal Mystery, Private Investigator Mystery, English Crime, Murder Mysteries, Police Procedural, Historical Thriller, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Craft & Hobbies Mysteries, Women Sleuths and Crime among others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss and anyone looking for a nice easy mystery to read while curled up in front of the fire.

287 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £7.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I was on all blog tours for Miss Underhay series sot it’s starting to be a bit complex to write something new as each story is better than the previous.
This is the best one: a complex and twisty mystery that I read in one sitting as I wanted to know who-did-it and how Kitty and Matt were going to beat an obnoxious new DI that we already met.
There’s a solid and gripping mystery but I also appreciated the historical details as the pageant is part of the celebrations King's Silver Jubilee.
Kitty and Matt are facing the changes of their new life and Kitty is discovering what it means not working at the Dolphin.
They’re a good couple of detectives and I love their strength and brain.
I could write a lot or simply write that this is one my favourite historical cozy and to go and enjoy these stories.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this arc, all opinions are mine