A charming historical mystery with strong period detail and lovable characters.

This is a promising start to a series, as heroine Kitty plays amateur detective to keep her brother safe from suspicion after his former mistress is murdered.

Kitty is a delight, as is her family, and the slightly romp-like nature of the story makes for a fun whodunit with a plucky protagonist and her companions.

The mystery itself is plenty good enough for the subgenre, and there’s a decent amount of historical detail to give the story a strong sense of place. I do wish more of the story had actually taken place on the train since it’s such a great setting for a murder mystery, but otherwise there’s little to gripe about here.

The concept feels sustainable for a series, and of course, you can never go wrong with a basset hound called Winston in the supporting cast.

3.5⭐️

Thank you to Magda Alexander, Hearts Afire Publishing, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love cozy mysteries and this one was fun! I really enjoyed the 1920s setting and the challenges the main character, Kitty, faced in trying to sleuth and get clues and stories from people. In a time where a chaperone was required when in the presence of a man, she had to get creative!

I love any story to do with trains, and it would have been super neat for this entire story to continue on the train. Alas, it did not haha. I enjoyed the sights and surroundings our main character visited, and hearing about how a car was started at this time (I would have gladly been chauffeured around!)

If you’re looking for a fun, not too serious light mystery, give this one a try! The characters were amusing and enjoyable, the sleuthing was well done and fun to read about, and there are balls and waltzes which is a fun addition!!!!

This is the first novel in the Kitty Worthington series! This was a fun cozy historical mysteries! I love how it took place in the 1920s! The author did an excellent job in bringing the time period to life. It was filled with meticulous details! I loved Kitty! She was a feisty, strong, and independent woman! I also love the potential romance in this series. The only thing I did not like about this novel was the mystery was predictable. Still, this is an excellent introduction to a promising series! I look forward to reading more!

When Rose suddenly gets ill and dies while traveling on the Golden Arrow Train, everyone in the car with her is detained for questioning by the police and becomes a suspect. One of the suspects is Kitty's brother, Ned. Kitty is determined to solve the mystery and clear her brother's name. The only thing getting in her way is Detective Crawford.

I really enjoyed reading this 1920s mystery. It was fun to read and very intriguing. The plot was full of surprises. I loved the characters with their quirks and boisterous personalities. I would highly recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hearts Afire Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love this start to a new series! The plot was good and the cast of characters are so colorful.
I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Hearts Afire Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a decent enough mystery with an enjoyable cast of characters.

I will say that the language used felt more late 1800s than 1920s, but perhaps that’s just me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this book. It was simply perfection in every way. A wonderful setting. Excellent writing. Well paced. An intriguing plot that kept me guessing. Extremely likable cast of characters. A flirty bit of romance. I'd say this was probably one of the best cozy mysteries I have read in a long while. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Another entry into the over-crowded market of amateur female sleuths in a 1920s/1930s setting. It's a fun, breezy ride but it will take a lot for this series to stand out, given some of the similarities to others out there. I look forward to reading more and hope that the author finds enough of a distinctive voice and character.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

I really, really enjoyed this one.

Well, fine! The mystery was a but convoluted – but no unrealistic. Some things happened a bit too conveniently – but it’s a cosy, and it’s not out of place. But on the whole, it was a joy to read.

The 1920s setting was really nice. I liked in particular the depiction of the British upper-class in the interwar year, because it’s quite obvious the author put a lot of research and effort in it. There are so many details about how the British upper-class lived, and acted, the many ‘rules’ they had to adhere too, and especially the ever present observance of etiquette. I enjoyed this in particular because it’s not often that this appears in a story.

I also liked the fact that, despite Kitty being a true flapper, a modern woman with ideas and dreams that are modern and contrasting with traditions, she’s also very observant of that tradition. She has an awesome relationship with her parents (especially her mother, I should say) and she loves her siblings dearly. It’s a refreshing situation, because so often, a flapper’s modernity is depicted with tens relations especially with the older population.

The characters are all fantastic. A great many of them is genuinely nice, which concurs to the overall light, easy-going feeling of the book. Yes, maybe the percentage of nice people is higher that life normally allows, but I won’t complain, it was nice to read about them.

Kitty and Inspector Crawford are a great couple in the making. I loved that their attractions wasn’t too centered to the story, and that they both functioned intelligently. It is only the beginning of their story, of course, but I find it very strong and coherent. I loved that.

All other characters are interesting. All of them have a hidden side to their personality, sometimes dark, something just mysterious. Which is nice. It made for more than one surprise in course of the story.

I really enjoyed, and I certainly read more about this series. It’s cute and very well-written. Check it out!

Thanks to BookBuzz.net and Net Galley for this ARC. I wasn't too sure about this book based on the writer's previous genre's but was pleasantly surprised. A good story line not to heavy so great for a lazy afternoon. Hoping there will be a book 2.

Enjoyable historical fiction with a cozy mystery setting. Likable characters, funny, and well plotted. Looking forward to the next one.

On the train home from finishing school, the last thing Kitty Worthington expects to encounter is a murder however that is exactly what occurs. Even worse, her eldest brother Ned soon becomes the prime suspect. With his former romantic ties to victim, the inspector is ready to arrest and charge Ned for the crime. Kitty knows her brother is innocent and is even more sure she can prove his innocence. With her mother scrutinizing her every move and ready to wed her off to the first worthy suitor, as well as the ridiculous requirement of the time for a lady of class to be properly chaperoned at all times. Kitty is finding it difficult to investigate. However will she make it through her debut, with the full calendar of social events, and still find the time to launch her investigation into the murder?
Set in 1923 England, Murder on the Golden Arrow is a delightfully charming mystery full of rich historical details, well drawn characters and an intriguing plot. It is clear from the start that the author has done her research on 1920's era England and I thoroughly enjoyed my romp through times past. Her characters are cleverly crafted and combined with the captivating plot, brought the story to life in vivid detail. The mystery itself was done in a bit of a locked room style, with a small pool of characters and clues unveiled a bit at a time. With a similar setting and taking place in the same era, it was a bit of an homage to the queen of mystery herself and Murder on the Orient Express, however the similarities end there and the story is wholly unique.
Kitty was a great leading lady and although she is a bit sheltered given her upbringing, it is clear investigating is her heart's desire. There was a bit of a budding romance between Kitty and the inspector which I hope to see develop in future books in the series. I highly recommend Murder on the Golden Arrow for those looking for a fun, lighthearted, period romp to add to their ever growing pile of books to read.

(A big thank you to NetGalley for supplying a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!)

Earlier this year, my husband, Alex, and I planned out our honeymoon. We decided to include a 16-hour scenic train ride on the famous Zephyr Amtrak train. This train’s route is known to be one of the most picturesque in the United States, and we’d both been looking forward to it for months.

The appeal of train travel lies in the romance of the landscape, the intimacy of the train cars, and the simple excitement of seeing new sights without worrying about driving. To get me in the mood for our trip, I chose to read "Murder on the Golden Arrow: A Kitty Worthington Mystery” by Magda Alexander.

Marketed as a “1920s historical cozy mystery,” this fun, quick read was worth every page. We’re first introduced to the capricious Kitty, a young English woman whose mother is preparing for her to make her "debut" into society (think lots of dancing, date requests, and frilly dresses). Kitty humors her mother but isn't interested in marriage at the moment. After she spends some time perfecting her manners at a Swiss finishing school, her brother, Ned, arrives to escort her back home.

They take the Golden Arrow train, sharing a car with an assortment of characters. Some of the passengers Kitty has encountered at different times in her life, like the proper Lady Ainsley and the sickly Colonel Earnshaw. Others, she meets for the first time; most notably, she encounters the mysterious and seductive Rose Trevvyan, who Kitty suspects has previously made her brother's acquaintance.

Rose falls ill during the train ride and is dead within a matter of minutes. It’s not long before Scotland Yard rules her death a murder, and Ned becomes a prime suspect. Kitty is driven to clear her brother’s name, despite the handsome Inspector Crawford’s best efforts to keep her away from the story — not to mention the press and her family’s attempts to keep her adventurous, independent spirit in check.

I enjoyed this book and flew through most of the pages before departing for our honeymoon, ultimately finishing the story while I was actually on the Zephyr train.

The strongest parts of the story include its quick plot progression. I didn’t feel I was reading unnecessary information or trudging through pointless pages at any point. I also enjoyed the author’s inclusion of obstacles Kitty faces as a young woman in the 1920s, especially when it comes to solving a mystery. How exactly is a lady supposed to piece together a string of clues when everyone's watching her every move?

I also appreciated some fun historical inclusions in the story. I won't give away any spoilers but you'll find some real-life figures make an appearance at one point. The author also took care to add many details from the time period into the story, more so than other cozies sometimes do. These extra historic details helped me get a better sense of the setting without bogging the story down.

Perhaps the only part of the story I didn't like were a few character inconsistencies (at least, in my opinion). Kitty's mother seems to flipflop a bit in the amount of "helicoptering" she partakes in when it comes to Kitty's independence. Also, I wasn't a fan of her brother. Again, I won't reveal spoilers but I wasn't exactly invested in his name being cleared.

Kitty herself was a great character, and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more Kitty Worthington stories in the future!

Fun cozy mystery with a delightful main character, Kitty. I liked her relationship with her mother. So many cozy mysteries, especially any set in the 1800 or early 1900's, seem to have the mother as very annoying. Kitty's mother is supportive and tries not to push Kitty. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

This is a start for a new historical cozy mystery set in 1923, England.
Kitty, the youngest daughter of an English family, has just graduated from finishing school and is on the way home with her brother. Kitty's mother has lots of plans to find a suitable match and preparing for her debut.
This is what always happens, nothing goes on plan! When Kitty and her brother, Ned were on the train, the Golden Arrow, someone becomes ill and dies. This was not their problem until Kitty find out she was poisoned, pregnant, her brother had an affair with her, and she was blackmailing Ned.
Rose Trevvyan had not died a natural death, she had been murdered, Net is a suspect and, surely one of the passengers is the killer.
It is time that Kitty decided to discover the killer before they charge his brother. She finds out many things, betrayal, scandal, lies, and many more blackmail notes!

This was a great mystery with lovely characters. I really enjoyed the way story goes on. There are many suspects and twist with intelligent Kitty who tries to save her brother. I loved it.

"My dear Miss Worthington, you don’t mean to make a habit of investigating crimes?
Well. No. But if one happened to come along, and it involved someone close to me, I just might.
Heaven help us."
Hooray, count me in!

Many thanks to BookBuzz and Netgalley, I have given an honest review of Murder on the Golden Arrow: The Kitty Worthington Mysteries, Book 1 by Magda Alexander.

If you like Agatha Christie then you'll love this one, a classic gripping murder mystery, I couldn't put it down until I find out who had dunnit, although I had a slight clue, it didn't take the fun out of simply reading it with its beautiful writing style.

This is my first book by the author and it certainly won't be the last, I can't wait to find out what happens in book 2!

Thank you @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review💕

A good start for a new cozy historical mystery series. I had fun and throughly enjoyed it, a compelling and entertaining plot.
The characters are fleshed out and likeable, the mystery is solid.
The historical background is vivid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A Rather Joyous Romp….
All aboard for this fun and engaging mystery, set 1923 England. Nicely woven with an endearing protagonist, a colourful cast of supporting characters and an entertaining storyline with plenty of humour along the way. A rather joyous romp.

It turns out it’s actually very fashionable to die onboard a sleeper train. Agatha Christie did it first and now Magda Alexander follows suit with Murder on the Golden Arrow. If it helps, it does not turn out that every single person on the train contributed to the murder.

But I digress.

Kitty Worthington has just graduated from finishing school and is now preparing for her debut, where she is supposed to snag a lucky husband. But her season does not start out auspiciously when a woman onboard her train back home takes ill and suddenly dies. To make matters worse, the police believe her brother, Ned, may be behind the woman’s sudden death due to a history he won’t explain.

What other way to start off October but with a good old-fashioned murder mystery? Murder on the Golden Arrow is a lighthearted adventure as the feisty Kitty tries to stop her brother from being sent off to prison, potentially ruining the family name. Even though Kitty is not that concerned with her reputation, she won’t stand for her brother being besmirch in the way that he is.

I adore Kitty—I love her energy—and the arc that NetGalley was so kind to send over did mention that Murder on the Golden Arrow is the first in a series. She does remind me somewhat of Amelie from The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart, in terms of how her characterisation and stubbornness. There is the smallest hint of a romance to come in the later books, but I won’t spoil it for you, the build-up is lovely and worthy of a read. I’m not going to lie, I spent the good first quarter of the book thinking that Kitty was 15 instead of 20, partly due to her name.

If you’re not a person who is a fan of dark thrillers, but you still want to get into the Halloween/fall spirit, Murder on the Golden Arrow—despite its name—might be the book for you.

Hearkening back to Agatha Christie, this is a lovely start to a new series. Set in the 1920s, the reader is taken back to a bygone, more optimistic, era full of high society, balls and ugly murder. Add in some great secondary characters, a burgeoning romance and a nicely plotted mystery, Murder on the Golden Arrow is a delight to read. I look forward to many more books with Kitty.