Murder by the Minster

(The Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries: Book 1)

By Helen Cox

 Having lived near York for the last 20 years or so, I was intrigued by the title and thought it would be an interesting read.  Set in York, it is the first in a series of books about no nonsense Yorkshire woman, Kitt Hartley, who works as a librarian in the University of the Vale of York Library. She is a competent, reliable, sensible woman, who wears a trilby and drinks Lady Grey tea!

Kitt loves her work and is good at her job, but her life is turned upside down one day when Detective Inspector Halloran enters the library to inform her that her best friend, Evie Bowes, has been arrested under suspicion of murder. The victim is her ex-boyfriend Owen, a man who treated Evie badly, and sadly for Evie, all the evidence suggests that she carried out the dastardly deed.  But Kitt knows otherwise, for at the alleged time of the murder, Evie was with her!

Horrified by how wrong the police can be, Kitt decides to investigate herself aiming to clear her friend’s good name. She has read lots of murder mysteries in her time, loves Agatha Christie and Ian Rankin, so is perfectly qualified - how difficult can it be?

Helped by her library assistant Grace and a few of the eccentric regulars at the library, Kitt is soon to find that there is more going on than she thinks and that if she doesn’t watch her step, she will end up in serious trouble herself. DI Halloran suspects Evie had an accomplice – could that be Kitt?  And the murderer is far from finished, showing that they have a vendetta against men who treat women badly.

As more murders occur, Halloran takes the unusual step of asking Kitt to collaborate with the police – after all, she has managed to turn up a few unexpected and important leads.  But does he really trust Kitt and think she can help or is it a ploy to accuse her of murder too?

Yorkshire born Helen studied at York St John University and describes areas of the city beautifully. It adds an extra layer of interest to those who live in the area but does not detract from the plot for those that don’t. There are lots of references to books for book lovers and a cast of amusing, eccentric but likeable characters. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you interested and as the reader gets to know Kitt, Evie and even DI Halloran, they can’t help rooting for them and hoping that the murderer will be unmasked.  But who is it?  Why are they doing it? And what is the significance of the rather classic fountain pen?

An easy read, part of the cosy murder/mystery genre, with an added atmospheric charm, particularly for those living in Yorkshire.