Like catching up with friends, it is always a joy to come back to Kitty Bryant nee Underhay, her delightful husband Matt, her friend Alice and Bertie the dog.

Upon going to collect some cider, in those wonderful stone jars, that I can picture Kitty comes across the owner of the orchard. Dead, crushed by his own cider press. Gruesome for Kitty’s standards. But with the intrigue, of a son who lives with his Aunt and Uncle on the neighbouring farm, a son who has become a solicitor, another one left to run the farm, a orphaned housekeeper, a feud between brothers and a forgotten love, this book has a lot packed into its pages.

It will be up to Kitty and Matt to come up with the solution, without putting anyone else life, especially their own in danger.

Plenty of questions need to be asked and it seems that perhaps the killer is closer to home than they all think. Until it seems Alice seems to have become involved, will she be lucky in love as Kitty has.

Always great to be back in this part of the world, war is only a few years away and it is lovely to see how Kitty and Matt’s relationship blossoms and changes as life throws some them some interesting challenges. Where will we go next I wonder?

Kitty, out for a leisurely drive to an Apple Orchard, stumbles across a dead body, Titus Black the owner, crushed in an apple press.

Titus Blake, unliked by most in the village, leaving many suspects, including his 3 sons.

Kitty and Matt once again become involved, investigating the suspects and who has the most to gain.

Another great read in the Miss Underhay Mysteries series!

I've been reading this series since the first instalment and always had fun and was glad to catch up with Kitty, Mat, their friend (both human and pets), and relatives.
Somehow I found this darker than usual with echoes of the classic story about the condition of life in countryside at the beginning of XX century and how the ownership of the land could cause serious riff in families and a lost love can the cause of lasting rage.
Kitty and Matt are investigating but I think that the two families at the center of the story were quite intriguing as they're at the centre of a storm of emotions: hate, love, greed, envy.
If you are a bit squeamish please note that the first murder could be a bit gore even if there's no details or graphic descriptions.
Ms Dixon delivers another gripping, twisty, and entertaining solid mystery that i thoroughly enjoyed.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I like this series. The characters move forward in their lives in each book. (But I would love to know what happened with the 2 side character's romance). The mystery kept me guessing. I like the historical setting - England.

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

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Helena Dixon for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder in the Countryside coming out September 4, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have several books in this series, but I’ve only read the book right before this one. I love these cozy historical mysteries though! It reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie. I think the plot and setting in the countryside was awesome! There were actually some serious themes for a cozy mystery. I wasn’t expecting some of the plot points. But I love Kitty and Matt’s relationship and they work really well together. I loved it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical cozy mysteries!

This is a great series and I have been reading it for a little while now. I still find myself enjoying each book that comes out as much as the first. This book has plenty of red herrings, twists and multiple viable suspects so it moves along at a pace as you expect from this series. This book does take a slightly darker turn however with the first murder being a bit more unpleasant than usual for this series and rape is also touched on which again is not the norm so something to bear in mind for those that prefer to avoid these darker turns. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I love those books where you can ease into without reading the prior books. This was one of them. Though this is the 17th book in the series, the book provides enough background to understand the characters and their behaviour.

Well written plot, with resilient and smart characters, this book is one of the best historical mysteries series and I would be adding the previous books to my TBR.

The only thing that irked me a little was when Kitty disclosed a secret to Alice. I understand that they are friends and perhaps Alice had helped her in solving mysteries in previous books, but it somehow didn't feel right. Especially considering the fact that she doesn't press Alice to disclose about her own secret.

I definitely want to see how Alice's life progresses along with how Kitty and Matt grow together. Recommended for all the historical mystery fans.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've dipped in and out of this series set in the English countryside in the 1930s and each time I remember how much I enjoy the adventures of Kitty and Matt, an intrepid married couple who solve crimes. In this case, it's a neighbor who has been squished in his cider press. The local police officer isn't happy they're investigating (of course) but that doesn't deter them and does make for some lively conversations. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is an easy reading genial historical cozy that's got enough twists to keep you guessing.

A welcome return to home ground for Kitty and Matt as they seek to solve the case of a murdered farmer and uncover all the secrets and lies surrounding him, his farm and his family.

I love this series and have been reading it for a few years now and still enjoy every installment that gets released. There is something special though, when the cases are closer to home and so can more easily include Kitty and Matt's support network including Alice, Chief Inspector Greville and of course Bertie.

This particular case has plenty of red herrings, twists and multiple viable suspects so it moves along quickly and is a thoroughly enjoyable read overall. The drama of the finale was particularly effective and I thought that the opening murder was actually more gruesome than what we normally see - a nasty death for a nasty victim. There is some discussion of sexual assault which is darker than we normally see in this series and which I think added to the more mature turn that we've been seeing over the last few books.

This installment of the series is a great historical fiction mystery that's dramatic and tense and even with the darker elements it remains a fun read as you try and solve the case alongside Kitty and Matt.

4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy of "Murder in the Countryside" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Kitty Bryant has been enjoying a treasured day off, along with a delicious lunch with her friend Alice and is now on her way home, via Wassail Farm where she intends to refill their stone cider jugs with some very delicious cider. Bertie is in the backseat of her red Morris Tourer, the roof is down and life is very good indeed.
Arriving at the farm, there is no one around but she sees a table loaded with Jugs, jam and punnets of blackberries. It is very quiet, a bit too quiet, so she goes to investigate and to her absolute horror finds the body of a man, killed with his cider press; there is only one thing it can possibly be and that is Murder.
Murder in Countryside sees both Kitty and her husband Matt rubbing up against Inspector Lewis again, a man on his way up the Policing ladder and none to keen to discover he is going to be working with them again, as they try and unearth the killer.
It turns out the dead man is Titus Blake, a man who is disliked far and wide for his difficult and often cruel nature and because of this, rather than one or two suspects, the list of possible suspects grows rapidly, making this case one where anyone, family or neighbour, appear to have had a good reason to do Titus Blake harm.
Out of all the suspects, who is it that hated Titus so much they would stoop to murder, makes a fascinating puzzle to be solved and as Kitty and Matt discover to their immense frustration, no one person is able to be ruled out categorically, which is terribly frustrating.
When another murder is committed for no apparent reason, it becomes a matter of urgency to find the killer before he or she kills again.
Murder in the Countryside, the seventeenth book in the Miss Underhay Mystery series, is another excellent cozy Murder Mystery from the pen of Helena Dixon, which will keep the light on and the pages turning as Kitty and Matt slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together to discover a very clever killer.

This latest book in the series lives up to the high standards of previous books. However, it does start with a more gruesome situation than usual! I love the 1930s period details, particularly the descriptions of tea being served and evenings out at the cinema. The gentile pace of life is charming, even when a murder is being investigated!

After the shock of the murder scene (the poor victim found crushed to death in an apple press at a farmhouse), this settles into being the cosiest of cosy crime stories. It's a real comfort read, with a lovely setting in a close-knit community in the 1930s Devonshire countryside.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I just loved this book! I just love all the books in the Kitty Underhay series and this book was just as amazing as the other books in this series and I can’t wait until the next book in the series comes out.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you have enjoyed all the other books in this series.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

This cozy mystery series has been a part of my life since last year and I'm so glad I was privileged to read book 17! Matt and Kitty are the best detective couple! This time Matt and Kitty I have to figure out who murdered a farmer who is not liked by many! So many suspects so many clues! I enjoy the descriptions of their detective work so much! ❤️

Especially in the author mentions the food LOL Helena has a gift with describing the various foods that encourage our detectives to keep moving!💋

Angela Lansbury and Columbo would love this book! I love how all the cast is back! Alice is one of my favorites! She is Kitty's best friend and confident and she's always up for helping with any mystery that Kitty and Matt encounter!☕️


I hope this series continues for a super long time! I never knew who it could be until I found out! I felt like a detective myself! Kitty is super brave and Matt is my hero!! I feel like every character has become my literary family! Helena is the ultimate gem in writing cozy mysteries!🎉


Bravo!!💕

3.75 stars

This straightforward British historical cozy series is always fun, if not emotionally detailed. Newlyweds Matt and Kitty have their own investigative business and are hired to look further into a murder after Kitty discovers a gruesomely dispatched body at a local ciderworks.

As always, the pair combine to uncover all kinds of facts that the local coppers can't root out. This one is grounded in old family problems, land disputes, neighboring farms and old secrets. Matt and Kitty trace the problems back and finally uncover the murderer. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another fabulous outing for Kitty and husband Matt in this cozy crime series.

On an outing to collect some cider, Kitty comes across another body, crushed in the cider press. She and Matt are engaged to investigate and discover more complicated twists along the way.

Great characters and a good build up of those from previous books. Great to see Alice and ex beau Robert making amends.

Solid story with an engaging cast and thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another exciting adventure for Kitty and Matt. While this is book 17 in the series, the story is still refreshingly new. I never tire of reading about how they are going to solve a mystery for which they have been hired to do. Honestly, this could be read as a standalone, but the series is true worth reading if you are a cozy mystery fan. Looking forward to what comes next not only for Kitty and Matt, but Alice too!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

17 books in and I’m still finding this series enjoyable. There were so many interesting characters around this mystery and they were (mostly) all so likable that I didn’t want any of them to be the culprit. Kitty is able to to connect with the families (and suspects) of the victim so easily and I found myself wanting her to stay friends with them after the story was over. Some twists and turns and unearthed past mysteries that confuse the case and what everyone’s intentions are. I started to figure out the murderer ¾ of the way through but not the motive entirely so that was left as a surprise at the end. I look forward to seeing what happens with Kitty’s friend Alice and getting more details about her relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I’m a big fan of the Miss Underhay Mysteries, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Murder in the Countryside.

In this, the 17th book in the series, Kitty stumbles across a body when visiting a farm.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There was an array of interesting characters as suspects, and complicated family dynamics to unravel in order to solve the mystery. The plot was great, with unexpected secrets being uncovered. I couldn’t put it down until I’d discovered the culprit!

It’s always a joy to spend more time with Kitty and Matt, who by this time feel like old friends. And I was pleased to see Alice thriving in her new occupation.

Overall, this was another truly excellent mystery that I just couldn’t put down. I highly recommend the whole series.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.