Murder at the Dolphin Hotel: A Gripping Cozy Historical Mystery: A Miss Underhay Mystery, Book 1

Is a first novel in a series and introduces Kitty Underhay as the heroine and Matt Bryant as the hero. Kitty is a young woman working at her grandmother's hotel that has been in the family for several generations. Her grandmother has received some strange and threatening letters and has hired a young man recently out of the Army after the first World War. We don't know the whole story on Matt, but he apparently had some very traumatic experiences during the war that has left him with PTSD, plus his wife and small child were killed in some way that we don't know yet. The job turns out to be significantly more complicated than he thought and he finds that he is having feelings for Kitty, much to his surprise, since he didn't think he would ever love another woman. There are several murders and several attacks during the novel and Kitty is in danger. The 2 of them, working with the police, manage to solve the case, although with a suspenseful climax. The premise of the story and some of the action is a little thin in credibility, so this is a light novel that is fun to read. I rate this story 8 of 10.

The book had an authentic British setting. The characters were unique. I loved the expressions used to describe various characters, such as ‘she is an old trout.’ A hint of romance, and yet a bit of sadness for charcters, which all seemed very real

This is a great cozy historical mystery that is just the beginning of what I know will be a great series. Kitty and Matt are the stars of the book. Kitty's grandmother has left her in charge of their hotel and hired Matt to keep her safe. There have been threatening letters and people are being murdered . Matt and Kitty become a team trying to find answers and putting themselves in all sorts of danger. I followed their clues and was surprised by the outcome. If you like mystery, a hint of romance, excitement and the unexpected than this is a must read.

Nice characters and an interesting plot. Miss Underhay has live with her grandmother since she was six. Her mother disappeared and he father went to America to avoid WW I. While her grandmother is away and the Dolphin Hotel is in her care, she becomes involved in murder and the search for a valuable ruby.

Being a fan of Agatha Christie, I have tried reading several "cozy" mysteries, hoping to find something as fun and compelling as Ms. Christie's page-turners. I have been disappointed in every one, until I read Murder at the Dolphin Hotel. Finally - a cozy mystery that did not let me down! Is it Agatha Christie? No. Is it ten times better than many other cozy mysteries? Yes! I really enjoyed reading this book.First of all, I really liked the main characters and found them to be more interesting and complex than the stereotyped tropes of most modern cozy mysteries. I especially loved Kitty. She isn't your standard "feisty, witty, do-it-all heroine" that seems to inhabit the majority of modern plotlines. She is much more believable and (in my opinion) lovable. She is pretty and intelligent and sometimes confident and sometimes not so confident. She is vulnerable and feminine but also brave and caring. She isn't loud and brash and witty. She is thoughtful and smart and genuinely tries to do what's best for those around her. She struggles with making decisions. She has responsibilities which she tries her best to fulfill. She is kindhearted and appreciates history and values beautiful things. She is sometimes too trusting and sometimes skeptical and sometimes doubts herself. She is complex and relatable and interesting. And believable. The other protagonist, Matthew Bryant, is also an interesting character, with some deeply-held secrets and scars, which I'm sure we will learn more about in future books. He is the kind of hero I like in a story -- brave and smart and honorable and also a little bit mysterious. The one thing that kept bugging me about his character was that his secrets and scars go back to his participation in WWI, and yet the story takes place in the early 1930's, a dozen or more years after the end of WWI. Matt is apparently quite a bit older than Kitty, who is only in her early 20's, although his age is never mentioned. Not that the age difference bothers me, but the book keeps referring to the war as if it was fairly recent history, while in reality it was long before the events of this story. It is a minor issue, though, and did not overall inhibit my enjoyment of the book.In addition to the two main characters, I also loved the setting of the book. Of course, the time period is wonderful, but I really enjoyed the fact that the story takes place primarily in a historic hotel, which Kitty owns and runs with her grandmother. While I've read many stories where the main characters are guests at hotels, I don't think I've ever read a story from the point of view of the proprietor of a hotel, and it makes for some really interesting and different settings, in addition to giving Kitty constant responsibility as she balances her duties in running the hotel with her desire to solve mysteries. Again, it adds a layer of realism and complexity to her character. And I enjoyed having a behind-the-scenes viewpoint of the day-to-day running of the hotel.The book does run into the same issue as many other contemporary mysteries -- having too many underdeveloped secondary characters, making it difficult to differentiate them or remember their specific plotlines. There are a couple of interesting supporting characters that stand out, but for the most part the supporting characters are not memorable. However, it is a minor complaint.I would have liked to give this book 4 1/2 stars, if that is possible, as it did have a few flaws, but for the most part I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, which I've already purchased. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a truly "cozy" British mystery. Kudos to the author for writing believable, engaging characters and for creating an interesting, transporting setting.

This is a twisted story story with good characters and plot. I will admit that I didn’t know the villain until the final chapters. Well done. If I have one complaint…the timeline is muddy to me. Maybe because I’m an American, the references to “the war” should be WWI. I wish the author could have clarified the conflict where Matt was injured because WWI ended 16 years before this story and he’s supposed to be a younger man. I researched to discover the UK was in conflicts almost constantly from the end of WWI to the beginning of WWII. I just don’t know which would be “the war.” Otherwise I enjoyed this book.

I loved it all. Any scene that is set by the sea ,body of water or in another country, I will love it. This book was a double plus for me because it was from another country and century. Well write, good read!

Kitty Underhay has been raised by her grandmother, the proprietor of the Dolphin Hotel, after the mysterious disappearance of her mother. Now her grandmother must travel to Scotland to care for her sister Lily, leaving Kitty to oversee the hotel in a dangerous time. A dead body has been recovered near the hotel and Kitty’s grandmother has been receiving threatening messages asking for the return of a treasure of which she is ignorant. That is why Matthew Bryant has been hired to watch over Kitty in her grandmother’s absence. And then the murders begin…. A hotel with many guests, a handsome but fragile ex-soldier, a young woman and a mystery create a good beginning for a romantic, cozy series.

I liked it very much. Read in two days , even during night instead of sleeping. I'm pretty such I read all available books of this series. I'm waiting for the book #7 "Murder in an Irish Castle".By the way as a pensioner I have plenty of time.

Full of mystery and intrigue, charm and elegance - I really enjoyed this story! Living in Devon and just across the river from Dartmouth myself, I loved reading the atmospheric descriptions of the setting, which always lent themselves to the unfolding, murderous plot. The characters’ individual stories were very compelling as well as the main mysteries occurring in the town. If you love a period setting, glamorous events and murder most horrid, then this is the book for you!

Relatively fast paced, sweet and yet a thrilling murder mystery with a missing jewel and missing people. Kitty Underhay is a sensible and smart hotelier and budding detective with a logical mind and damn brave spirit. I still cannot believe she broke a crook's neck by breaking her umbrella on him 😆. The story is written in a very engaging manner and I loved the pacing, the plot points and the unexpected but plausible culprit.

Tout à fait ravie d'avoir découvert cette nouvelle série qui se tient durant les années 30 en Angleterre. Un peu longuet sur la fin mais bonne trame et personnages attachants

Miss Underhay ist certainly not the most heroic heroine and her finance not the cleverest detective, but the story is good. Te setting in the 1920s/30s is interesting although historians will find some faults there. But in a nutshell the book is a good specimen of the cozy crime genre and definitely worth reading.