Book Reviews

Review: Murder Most British

There are some books when you hear that another one in the series is coming out soon, it makes you positively giddy. This book is one of those for me. I may have even squealed in joy.

Murder Most British is the 3rd book in The Secret Detective Agency series. The author (Helena Dixon) also writes the Miss Underhay mysteries, which are also on my cozy mystery reading list. While Kitty and her husband Matt are enjoyable characters, there is just something about Jane and Arthur (plus Benson of course) that really appeals to me.

Set in WWII London, we are re-introduced to Jane Treen, a no-nonsense, cigarette smoking, coffee lover who is an operative for British Intelligence and has a fluffy one-eyed ginger cat named Marmaduke. Thanks to the doings of Brigadier Remmington-Blythe, she has been working with code breaker Arthur Cilento whose modest ways and compromised health often hide his intellect and savvy thinking. As usual, he is accompanied by his manservant Benson who often provides home healthcare and helps with Jane and Arthur's investigations.

This time, the case involves a murdered government agent who had been placed undercover as a typist at the BBC when secret messages were suspected of being broadcast to the enemy over the air. Arthur entrusted with deciphering the hidden information in the transcripts and Benson takes on a custodial job at Broadcast House to get the behind the scenes angle. Unfortunately for Jane, her role is as fill-in accompanist for her imperious American mother who never approves of anything Jane does.

The suspects include the agent's fiancé who is also the manager 0f Broadcast House, a popular bandleader, a newsreader, an actress, and a pianist. Though the brigadier is able to get Arthur and Benson housing in the same building Jane lives in, they realize that they are being watched and are unsure as to who exactly is doing the watching.

Getting a glimpse of what life was like in Britain during the war is fascinating. The trio need to find the killer and stop the espionage all while dealing with blackouts and bombings (and Jane's mother). The act of getting food is complicated and sometimes risky with the need to have ration coupons and go to more than one store. Getting from one place to another may require multiple buses and those may not even be running.

I find the writing for the Secret Detective Agency books tighter than the ones that Dixon does for the Miss Underhay series. There is an urgency that is sometimes missing from the other books that I enjoy.

Plus I just love Jane Treen. What a great character! Pairing her with the gentle and brilliant Arthur works so well. By this third case together, they are starting to understand each other more and perhaps care for each other in a way that is more than collegial.

All in all, hooray for Murder Most British and long may the Secret Detective Agency prevail! Now all I have to do is count the days until the next book drops in April of next year.