Murder By The Minster By Helen Cox

‘Murder By The Minster’ is the latest book by Helen Cox.

It’s a perfectly normal day for Kitt Hartley at her job at the University of the Vale of York library, until Detective Inspector Halloran arrives at her desk to tell her that her best friend, Evie Bowes, is under suspicion of murder. Evie’s ex-boyfriend Owen has been found dead – with a fountain pen stabbed through his heart – and all the evidence points to her. Kitt knows there is no way Evie could murder anyone – let alone Owen, who she adored. Horrified that the police could have got it so wrong, Kitt decides there’s only one thing to do: she’s going to investigate Owen’s murder herself. She’s read hundreds of mystery novels – how hard can it be?
With the help of her assistant Grace, and the occasional hindrance of the library’s eccentric regulars, Kitt summons up all her investigative powers (absorbed over years of reading everything from Agatha Christie to Ian Rankin) and gets to work. She soon discovers that down the quaint streets and snickelways of York lie darker doings than she’d ever dreamed, but she needs to watch her step: the murderer is watching her. And they haven’t finished killing yet…

I spent my Sunday curled up with this book and I couldn’t put it down until I reached the final page. The first book in the new Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mystery series is a fantastic introduction to a new mystery series and one that I wholeheartedly hope there will be more books to come.

The story is seen solely through the narrative of librarian Kitt Hartley, who finds herself using her own investigative skills to solve a murder of her best friend’s Evie’s ex boyfriend. As Evie finds herself the prime suspect in the murder, Kitt is determined to solve the crime using her own wit and the skills she has learned from her love of Agatha Christie novels. But as Kitt delves deeper into the crime and the bodies pile up much to the disgruntlement of the Yorkshire police, particularly a handsome detective called Halloran.

I loved the characters in this book, particularly Kitt and her librarian assistant Grace as the pair piece together the evidence and clues they have gathered along the way. They are a comical duo who make for entertaining reading with their banter. Throughout the story, there are many suspicious characters that leave you wondering if they are the murderers.

Gripping from the first page, this cleverly written book is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple. Set in a sleepy village with a pair of witty and cunning librarians at the centre of the drama, ‘Murder By The Minster’ is an exciting new series that is riddled with mystery and drama throughout.

You can buy ‘Murder By The Minster’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.