The Secret Detective Agency is the first book in the new Secret Detective Agency series by Helena Dixon. This charming cozy mystery is set in 1940s London, and is a perfect series starter.
Title: The Secret Detective Agency
Author: Helena Dixon
Series: The Secret Detective Agency #1
First Published: March 27, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley, from the author, from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture and Books on Tour, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review during the blog tour. *****
London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…
Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur’s country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand.
In the sleepy Devon village, someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died?
No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…
A good start to a promising new series
Spies. Secret codes. A fluffy ginger cat. An unlikely duo. I couldn’t wait to get started!
Since this was the first book in a new series, there was a bit of a slow start to the book while things got set up, which is to be expected. But the action really picked up halfway through the book and things didn’t slow down until the very end.
I really like the premise – mixing in a spy network and secret code-breaking work with the usual village murder mystery. It really made for an interesting story. The mystery was well written and I particularly enjoyed immersing myself in the timeline. It was interesting to see how the second world war affected life in a small English Village (rather than a big city like London, where most war-time mysteries are set). The details and descriptions really created a vivid setting.
As for the characters… Jane took a bit to warm up to (I’m still not a fan of her inconsiderate chain smoking) but she is as feisty as they come and I like how she handles herself. I just hope that some of her more annoying characteristics will be toned down.
I do adore Arthur (and his butler Benson). I feel a bit sorry for Arthur – his life has been completely turned upside down. When I started the story I thought it would be a Jane-Arthur partnership, but I definitely think Benson is going to play a big part in the mystery solving in the future and I love that idea.
There is a lot to like about this new detective agency and I can’t wait to read more of their adventures!
You can buy a copy of The Secret Detective Agency on Amazon
About the Author, Helena Dixon
Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and lives in Devon.
Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework.
She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon.
You can connect with Helena Dixon online here:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | BOOKOUTURE PAGE
Quote from The Secret Detective Agency
I love the idea of a cozy mystery set against the backdrop of 1940s London—it adds such a rich historical layer to the intrigue! Jane Treen sounds like a fascinating protagonist, especially with her mix of government work and detective instincts. Looking forward to seeing how Helena Dixon develops this new series!