Kitty Underhay has been invited to visit her father’s family, whom she never knew existed, in Murder at Enderley Hall by Helena Dixon, set in England, 1933. Having grown up without either parent, Kitty is excited at the opportunity to learn something of her father’s family and packs her bags for Enderley Hall, taking Alice with her as a ladies’ maid. But Kitty is surprised when Nanny Thoms addresses her by the name of her mother, who disappeared in 1915.
Before Kitty can learn more about this previously undisclosed visit to Enderley Hall by her mother, the household ends up in an uproar. Papers critical to national defense, which were stored in the house safe, have gone missing. When Nanny Thoms gets pushed down the stairs to her death in the middle of the night, Kitty determines that it is time to call in Captain Matthew Bryant, the private investigator who previously helped her in Murder at the Dolphin Hotel.
Matt comes to Kitty’s aide very quickly, and they call in Inspector Greville, with whom they worked in their previous case. As more bodies pile up, Matt must use his investigative skills, while Kitty must use her own unique gifts for snooping in order to identify the thief of the important papers who turned into a murderer as well.
Murder at Enderley Hall is a lighter historical mystery and a fun story. It is nice to get to experience a historical mystery that is also a genuine cozy mystery, since so many historical mysteries contain too many touches of realism to be appropriate for young readers. The characters, while a little flat in nature, attract the listeners’ interest and get us invested in their lives. The plot has good twists and turns and fun details.
One theme of this book is the way that even 15 years after the Great War has concluded, it holds strong sway over life in England yet. Matt has to cope with a form of shell shock, now recognized as PTSD, as he relives the horrors of the war. Even now Kitty’s father, who ran away to America in 1914 rather than have to serve in the war, is seen as a disgrace to his family, who have disowned him. The other men in the book also have their own personal issues left over from the war. In addition, we see how the horror of the war is making an effect on world events, preventing England from holding Germany accountable for its growing degrees of persecution.
The audio edition of Murder at Enderley Hall is performed effectively by Alex Tregear. Listeners feel the air and environment of 1933 England. When a character cries, listeners hear the tears in her voice. When the cook scolds her kitchen maid, we hear the anger and strong tones of upbraiding the girl. Tregear uses effective expression in performing this whole book, doing an excellent job.
I really enjoyed my experience of listening to Murder at Enderley Hall, both with the good story and in the audio performance. I recommend the book and give it five stars.
