【 THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY 】

book #1 in The Secret Detective Agency series

Genre: Cosy Crime, Historical Fiction
Audience: Adult
Author: Helena Dixon
Published: March 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 264 (paperback)

This was what it said on the tin: a cute, fun, Golden Age cosy crime. Set in 1941 in London and surrounds, this follows two main characters who are unhappily lumped together to puzzle out a case. This was the perfect curl-up-on-the-couch-with-a-cuppa sort of book.

I found this to be a fun and entertaining read – almost lighthearted (inasmuch as crime and murders can ever be lighthearted). We have some classic tropes of the grumpy, reluctant sleuth, as well as the prim and proper (and seemingly friendless) female detective who has everything to prove.

If you’re a cosy crime reader, particularly of the Agatha Christe-esque settings, then any Golden Age story is going to suck you in, and this is no exception. From manor estates, to sweet little English towns and more, this has it all. Great attention to detail is given for the afternoon teas and refreshments served at each house they visit while donning their detective hats (honestly, this book makes you desperate for a pot of tea and some cake!), as well as descriptions of the furnishings – all done in a way to help build era in a really tangible way.

What really made this for me, was Benson the butler. There’s something irresistible about the grandeur of this time, when every big house had a team of servants keeping it going. Benson is an absolute legend and if I do read more in this series, it will totally be for him.

The (super) reluctant friendship that blossoms (very slowly) between Arthur and Jane was great, too. Backed up by the almost humorous appearances and administrations of Benson, these guys make an epic trio. The book is touted as the next Sherlock–Watson duo, but really, this is a fantastic trio, not a duo, that we’re starring here.

I wasn’t 100% blown away by the mystery side of this book, that must be said. That was mainly because it fell prey to the easy out of having a long monologue by the villain explaining how everything happened. That was slight shame, as I was gunning for 5 stars up until the ending. I had very few other critiques of the story – and at the end of the day, this isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s just a good ol’ fun cosy crime set during the Blitz, so I’m not too mad at it.

So, if you’re hankering for a book that’s reaching-for-the-stars level of clever in its ultimate reveal of whodunnit, this might not be the book you’re looking for. However, this is a great book to pick up for some light and entertaining reading. It’s a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and one that still ticks all the boxes. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more of the series!

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Title: The Secret Detective Agency
Series: The Secret Detective Agency
Author: Helena Dixon
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Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!

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 they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…

But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…?

If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s totally gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Verity Bright!