December 1934. A few days before they are to marry, hotelier Kitty Underhay and her fiance, private investigator Captain Matt Bryant, attend a charity ball. When the hostess is strangled with a silk stocking, their wedding plans are thrown into chaos. Murder at the Charity Ball by Helena Dixon is eleventh in the 1930s Kitty Underhay mystery series. Familiar characters return, including beloved family, Kitty’s roguish father Edgar who has sailed from New York, awkward relatives, dodgy characters, faithful friends and a criminal mastermind. The ball, in aid of the Seafarers’ Widows and Orphans Fund, is held at the glamorous Villa Lamora, home to Lady Eliza Foxley, her sister Mrs Lillie Trentham and her teenage daughter Miss Caroline Trentham. When the hostess is found dead by Edgar, he is immediately arrested. Kitty, afraid her father will unable to walk her down the aisle, must continue with her wedding preparations and greeting guests. Matt throws himself into detecting the real murderer, aiding Inspector Greville who is also keen to wrap up the case. His new boss expects a quick result.
The victim’s sister Lillie is the main beneficiary of the will but before she can be thoroughly questioned, she is poisoned and is recovering in hospital under police protection. There are plenty of suspects apart from Edgar. There’s a nanny afraid she will lose her job, ditto a personal secretary, a valve salesman who isn’t who he says he is, and a financial advisor who gives dodgy advice.
Kitty is the perfect heroine for a cosy mystery. Clever, determined, loyal, resourceful and not afraid to face danger. Trusting her instinct when something doesn’t feel right, she gets closer to the truth than the two male investigators.
An easy-reading book, I read this at a gallop after finishing a long historical novel. Quite a twisty plot, the mystery kept me reading as the victims pile up. Will Kitty be next?
Any of these novels can be read as a standalone mystery but to appreciate the complex long-running story threads and character development, it pays to start from the beginning with Murder at the Dolphin Hotel.

Next in the series is Murder at the Beauty Pageant.

Here are my reviews of other books in the series:-
MURDER AT THE DOLPHIN HOTEL #1MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT ENDERLEY HALL #2MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT THE PLAYHOUSE #3MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR #4MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER IN THE BELLTOWER #5MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT ELM HOUSE #6MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT THE WEDDING #7MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER IN FIRST CLASS #8MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT THE COUNTRY CLUB #9MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER ON BOARD #10MISSUNDERHAY

And my reviews of another series by Helena Dixon:-
THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY #1SECRETDETECTIVEAGENCY
THE SEASIDE MURDERS #2SECRETDETECTIVEAGENCY

If you like this, try:-
‘A Medal for Murder’ by Frances Brody #2KATESHACKLETON
‘Murder in Manhattan’ by Verity Bright #14LADYELEANORSWIFT
‘A Meditation on Murder’ by Robert Thorogood #1DEATHINPARADISE

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview MURDER AT THE CHARITY BALL by Helena Dixon @NellDixon https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-a4L via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:-