Murder on the Golden Arrow

The Kitty Worthington Mysteries, Book 1

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Pub Date 21 Sep 2021 | Archive Date 11 Sep 2021

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Description

What’s a bright young woman to do when her brother becomes the main suspect in a murder? Why, solve the case of course.

England. 1923. After a year away at finishing school where she learned etiquette, deportment, and the difference between a salad fork and a fish one, Kitty Worthington is eager to return home. But minutes after she and her brother Ned board the Golden Arrow, the unthinkable happens. A woman with a mysterious connection to her brother is poisoned, and the murderer can only be someone aboard the train.

When Scotland Yard hones in on Ned as the main suspect, Kitty sets out to investigate. Not an easy thing to do while juggling the demands of her debut season and a mother intent on finding a suitable, aristocratic husband for her.

With the aid of her maid, two noble beaus, and a flatulent Basset Hound named Sir Winston, Kitty treads a fearless path through the glamorous world of high society and London’s dark underbelly alike to find the murderer. For if she fails, the insufferable Inspector Crawford will most surely hang a noose around her brother’s neck.

A frolicking historical cozy mystery filled with dodgy suspects, a dastardly villain, and an intrepid heroine sure to win your heart, Murder on the Golden Arrow is the first book in The Kitty Worthington Mysteries. For lovers of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey alike.

What’s a bright young woman to do when her brother becomes the main suspect in a murder? Why, solve the case of course.

England. 1923. After a year away at finishing school where she learned...


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Featured Reviews

I loved this book!! The leading character, Kitty, was very interesting, relatable, and likable. The writing is top notch and lots of twists and turns interweaved throughout the chapters made this a very satisfying mystery read for me. I highly recommend and hope for more books in the series. A plus from me!!!

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Historical mysteries are some times hard to relate to, but I found myself thoroughly entertained by the characters and the plot line. I will most definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

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cosy-mystery, witty, situational-humor, verbal-humor, law-enforcement, London, murder, murder-investigation, family, family-dynamics, friendship, class-consciousness, 1920s*****

What a fun read! Perfect escape reading with lots of laughs and misdirection. The family is wealthy but they all get along and are truly nice people for the time. None of the adult children are married, but one daughter is at university, the son is in business with the father, Kitty has been through finishing school and is enjoying the social aspects without looking for a marriage contract, and everyone takes care with the mother who tries hard to do the right thing despite never having gotten over the death of the other daughter who died of the influenza. Mother, brother, and Kitty travel to and from Paris by boat and train where they meet or renew with some interesting characters and one is murdered on the way back. There is an interesting but stern DI from Scotland Yard also on the train who takes over and seems to have brother in his sights. Let Kitty's sleuthing begin! Great light read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Hearts Afire Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

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What a fun book! Kitty decides to investigate a murder that involves her brother. Kitty is smart, confident and feisty! I thought it was a good mystery, it kept me engrossed to the very end. I can’t wait to see what Kitty gets into next.
I really enjoyed this book
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

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On the train home from finishing school, the last thing Kitty Worthington expects to encounter is a murder however that is exactly what occurs. Even worse, her eldest brother Ned soon becomes the prime suspect. With his former romantic ties to victim, the inspector is ready to arrest and charge Ned for the crime. Kitty knows her brother is innocent and is even more sure she can prove his innocence. With her mother scrutinizing her every move and ready to wed her off to the first worthy suitor, as well as the ridiculous requirement of the time for a lady of class to be properly chaperoned at all times. Kitty is finding it difficult to investigate. However will she make it through her debut, with the full calendar of social events, and still find the time to launch her investigation into the murder?
Set in 1923 England, Murder on the Golden Arrow is a delightfully charming mystery full of rich historical details, well drawn characters and an intriguing plot. It is clear from the start that the author has done her research on 1920's era England and I thoroughly enjoyed my romp through times past. Her characters are cleverly crafted and combined with the captivating plot, brought the story to life in vivid detail. The mystery itself was done in a bit of a locked room style, with a small pool of characters and clues unveiled a bit at a time. With a similar setting and taking place in the same era, it was a bit of an homage to the queen of mystery herself and Murder on the Orient Express, however the similarities end there and the story is wholly unique.
Kitty was a great leading lady and although she is a bit sheltered given her upbringing, it is clear investigating is her heart's desire. There was a bit of a budding romance between Kitty and the inspector which I hope to see develop in future books in the series. I highly recommend Murder on the Golden Arrow for those looking for a fun, lighthearted, period romp to add to their ever growing pile of books to read.

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(A big thank you to NetGalley for supplying a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!)

Earlier this year, my husband, Alex, and I planned out our honeymoon. We decided to include a 16-hour scenic train ride on the famous Zephyr Amtrak train. This train’s route is known to be one of the most picturesque in the United States, and we’d both been looking forward to it for months.

The appeal of train travel lies in the romance of the landscape, the intimacy of the train cars, and the simple excitement of seeing new sights without worrying about driving. To get me in the mood for our trip, I chose to read "Murder on the Golden Arrow: A Kitty Worthington Mystery” by Magda Alexander.

Marketed as a “1920s historical cozy mystery,” this fun, quick read was worth every page. We’re first introduced to the capricious Kitty, a young English woman whose mother is preparing for her to make her "debut" into society (think lots of dancing, date requests, and frilly dresses). Kitty humors her mother but isn't interested in marriage at the moment. After she spends some time perfecting her manners at a Swiss finishing school, her brother, Ned, arrives to escort her back home.

They take the Golden Arrow train, sharing a car with an assortment of characters. Some of the passengers Kitty has encountered at different times in her life, like the proper Lady Ainsley and the sickly Colonel Earnshaw. Others, she meets for the first time; most notably, she encounters the mysterious and seductive Rose Trevvyan, who Kitty suspects has previously made her brother's acquaintance.

Rose falls ill during the train ride and is dead within a matter of minutes. It’s not long before Scotland Yard rules her death a murder, and Ned becomes a prime suspect. Kitty is driven to clear her brother’s name, despite the handsome Inspector Crawford’s best efforts to keep her away from the story — not to mention the press and her family’s attempts to keep her adventurous, independent spirit in check.

I enjoyed this book and flew through most of the pages before departing for our honeymoon, ultimately finishing the story while I was actually on the Zephyr train.

The strongest parts of the story include its quick plot progression. I didn’t feel I was reading unnecessary information or trudging through pointless pages at any point. I also enjoyed the author’s inclusion of obstacles Kitty faces as a young woman in the 1920s, especially when it comes to solving a mystery. How exactly is a lady supposed to piece together a string of clues when everyone's watching her every move?

I also appreciated some fun historical inclusions in the story. I won't give away any spoilers but you'll find some real-life figures make an appearance at one point. The author also took care to add many details from the time period into the story, more so than other cozies sometimes do. These extra historic details helped me get a better sense of the setting without bogging the story down.

Perhaps the only part of the story I didn't like were a few character inconsistencies (at least, in my opinion). Kitty's mother seems to flipflop a bit in the amount of "helicoptering" she partakes in when it comes to Kitty's independence. Also, I wasn't a fan of her brother. Again, I won't reveal spoilers but I wasn't exactly invested in his name being cleared.

Kitty herself was a great character, and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more Kitty Worthington stories in the future!

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Fun cozy mystery with a delightful main character, Kitty. I liked her relationship with her mother. So many cozy mysteries, especially any set in the 1800 or early 1900's, seem to have the mother as very annoying. Kitty's mother is supportive and tries not to push Kitty. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

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This is a start for a new historical cozy mystery set in 1923, England.
Kitty, the youngest daughter of an English family, has just graduated from finishing school and is on the way home with her brother. Kitty's mother has lots of plans to find a suitable match and preparing for her debut.
This is what always happens, nothing goes on plan! When Kitty and her brother, Ned were on the train, the Golden Arrow, someone becomes ill and dies. This was not their problem until Kitty find out she was poisoned, pregnant, her brother had an affair with her, and she was blackmailing Ned.
Rose Trevvyan had not died a natural death, she had been murdered, Net is a suspect and, surely one of the passengers is the killer.
It is time that Kitty decided to discover the killer before they charge his brother. She finds out many things, betrayal, scandal, lies, and many more blackmail notes!

This was a great mystery with lovely characters. I really enjoyed the way story goes on. There are many suspects and twist with intelligent Kitty who tries to save her brother. I loved it.

"My dear Miss Worthington, you don’t mean to make a habit of investigating crimes?
Well. No. But if one happened to come along, and it involved someone close to me, I just might.
Heaven help us."
Hooray, count me in!

Many thanks to BookBuzz and Netgalley, I have given an honest review of Murder on the Golden Arrow: The Kitty Worthington Mysteries, Book 1 by Magda Alexander.

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If you like Agatha Christie then you'll love this one, a classic gripping murder mystery, I couldn't put it down until I find out who had dunnit, although I had a slight clue, it didn't take the fun out of simply reading it with its beautiful writing style.

This is my first book by the author and it certainly won't be the last, I can't wait to find out what happens in book 2!

Thank you @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review💕

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A good start for a new cozy historical mystery series. I had fun and throughly enjoyed it, a compelling and entertaining plot.
The characters are fleshed out and likeable, the mystery is solid.
The historical background is vivid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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A Rather Joyous Romp….
All aboard for this fun and engaging mystery, set 1923 England. Nicely woven with an endearing protagonist, a colourful cast of supporting characters and an entertaining storyline with plenty of humour along the way. A rather joyous romp.

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It turns out it’s actually very fashionable to die onboard a sleeper train. Agatha Christie did it first and now Magda Alexander follows suit with Murder on the Golden Arrow. If it helps, it does not turn out that every single person on the train contributed to the murder.

But I digress.

Kitty Worthington has just graduated from finishing school and is now preparing for her debut, where she is supposed to snag a lucky husband. But her season does not start out auspiciously when a woman onboard her train back home takes ill and suddenly dies. To make matters worse, the police believe her brother, Ned, may be behind the woman’s sudden death due to a history he won’t explain.

What other way to start off October but with a good old-fashioned murder mystery? Murder on the Golden Arrow is a lighthearted adventure as the feisty Kitty tries to stop her brother from being sent off to prison, potentially ruining the family name. Even though Kitty is not that concerned with her reputation, she won’t stand for her brother being besmirch in the way that he is.

I adore Kitty—I love her energy—and the arc that NetGalley was so kind to send over did mention that Murder on the Golden Arrow is the first in a series. She does remind me somewhat of Amelie from The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart, in terms of how her characterisation and stubbornness. There is the smallest hint of a romance to come in the later books, but I won’t spoil it for you, the build-up is lovely and worthy of a read. I’m not going to lie, I spent the good first quarter of the book thinking that Kitty was 15 instead of 20, partly due to her name.

If you’re not a person who is a fan of dark thrillers, but you still want to get into the Halloween/fall spirit, Murder on the Golden Arrow—despite its name—might be the book for you.

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Hearkening back to Agatha Christie, this is a lovely start to a new series. Set in the 1920s, the reader is taken back to a bygone, more optimistic, era full of high society, balls and ugly murder. Add in some great secondary characters, a burgeoning romance and a nicely plotted mystery, Murder on the Golden Arrow is a delight to read. I look forward to many more books with Kitty.

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Thanks to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was everything it promised it would be. A mystery to solve, a plucky heroine who, despite living a life of privilege, has empathy for those around her, a cast of characters who have many secrets and a brooding, clever detective who simultaneously is exasperated by and adores the heroine.

It's a classic 1920's mystery in the style of Agatha Christie (while reading it I could not help but think of the Orient Express) but with a bit of a feminist, modern flair.

I can't wait to see what Kitty gets up to next ... and as for Inspector Crawford ... yes please!

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Murder on the Golden Arrow by Magda Alexander is the first installment in what will be a Kitty Worthington Mystery series.

This is a story of a young debutante whose brother finds himself in a precarious position when his former paramour is poisoned. After it is revealed that she has been blackmailing him, not just his standing in society but hers as well is at stake.
So Kitty sets out to find out the truth and clear her brother of all accusations.

It is set in London, in 1920's which is the magical time and place for murder mysteries for me. It has that A. Christie vibe that is always a winning combination for me.
The story is well presented and quite interesting. Chapters are pretty short and fast paced. Each chapter is dedicated to one particular suspect and the story is very easy to follow.
It is quite fascinating to read how our heroine goes about her investigation as she has to follow social norms and restrictions of society of that time, and all the obstacles she has to overcome.
There is a bit of possible romantic interest which will prove very interesting to read about.
At times I thought that everyone's willingness to help out was a bit of a stretch but as this is supposed to be a light and entertaining read I was more than willing to suspend my belief and just enjoy.

I will be looking forward to the next installment and am eager to see how it will progress from here.

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England. 1923. After a year away at finishing school where she learned etiquette, deportment, and the difference between a salad fork and a fish one, Kitty Worthington is eager to return home. But minutes after she and her brother Ned board the Golden Arrow, the unthinkable happens. A woman with a mysterious connection to her brother is poisoned, and the murderer can only be someone aboard the train. Loved this story and love this main character, Kitty! A great mystery, tight plotting and the perfect ending made this a very enjoyable read. I am really looking forward to more in this new series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

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When I see a historical cozy mystery I want to give it a try. Murder on the Golden Arrow is a fun read and I hope there will be more. Set in 1923, Kitty Worthington, her mother and brother are likable characters, the puzzle is a locked room mystery and it entertained me to the very end.
Kitty's mother would love to find a wealthy match for her daughter and Kitty has now completed finishing school, ready to make her debut. Those plans become derailed when, on a trip from London to Paris and back a woman on the train is poisoned and suspicion focuses on her brother. He and the victim had a connection but did it result in murder? Enter the Scotland Yard DI and a cast of interesting characters and you have the perfect reading escape. Kitty is a clever young woman and will use all of her intelligence to figure out who the real killer is.
My thanks to the publisher Hearts Afire Publishing and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Agatha Christie x Sherlock Holmes x Bridgerton vibe in the 1920s

Page 93, I have picked up on the scent of the murderer, and whilst one of my suspects was correct, I didn't get the case files completed. Alas, I won't be employed by Scotland Yard anytime soon.

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A good mystery that takes place on a train, a murder takes place and Kitty set out to prove who did it.
Drama,humor,family,twists,intrigue and suspense.
Characters were great really like Kitty.
Just a really good mystery.
Voluntarily reviewed.

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My review of Murder on the Golden Arrow appeared on Ricochet.com at https://ricochet.com/1048421/a-return-to-the-golden-age-british-mystery/ and Lobsterforest.com at https://lobsterforest.com/this-weeks-book-review-murder-on-the-golden-arrow/

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The first in a new cozy mystery series sees Kitty Worthington freshly home from boarding school when the death of her brother's former mistress interrupts her plans for a successful London season. Worried the police will hang her brother for the murder, she has no choice but to investigate herself.

This started as a fun read and ended up really engaging. I'm already looking forward to the second in the series. The mystery unfolded nicely, with a progression of clues and red herrings that made the actual reveal neither too obvious nor too out there. Alexander even pulled off what is usually one of my least favourite tropes--having the main character exclaim in the narrative that she knew who the killer was, but withholding that information from the reader until the killer could be confronted.

What she did less well was character development--while Kitty herself was three-dimensional, the secondary characters weren't given enough time to blossom into fully realized people. With any luck, this will get fixed in later books of the series. While it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of this book, I can see it wearing me down in the future.

With thanks to NetGalley and Hearts Afire Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book.

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I just love books set in the 1920s with sassy heroines so it is hard for me to be objective, but I do think this novel is exceptional.

Kitty is tiptoeing through her debut year in 1923, trying to avoid a dreaded marriage while not dashing her mother's hopes completely. When she happens on a deceased damsel and learns that her own brother may be implicated in the poor woman's murder, she puts her sleuthing skills to the test.

Add in a beloved basset hound with a wonky tummy and you have all the makings for a great historical cozy so grab your cocoa and your fuzzy socks and curl up in your comfiest chair. You have a date with a book you won't put down for the whole weekend.

Kitty has me wanting more. She's a fun, sassy character. The pacing and clue-building are just right. I truly hope there are more Kitty Worthington mysteries.

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What a delightful book this is. The characters are well drawn and likeable. Kitty is intelligent relatable. The mystery is entertaining with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I really appreciated how warm and loving Kitty's family was. I get tired of books with terrible parents who want to marry their daughters off to the highest bidder. Instead, her parents are supportive and understanding...to a point. Her brother, Ned, is a bit of a wet blanket, but not a caricature. All in all, an entertaining read. I hope to see many more installments in this series.

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A wonderful start to a new cozy mystery series. I liked the main character and her family. I would have liked a little more romance, but there were strong hints that there will be more in future books.

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I received this ARC via Netgalley and Hearts Afire Publishing, in return for an honest review. I LOVED this book! It’s the first in a new series and I’m already looking forward to the next one. This is 1923 and Kitty Worthington is returning home from her year at her European finishing school. Escorted by her brother, Ned, they board the Golden Arrow train for their return to England. There’s quite the interesting mix of passengers in the first-class compartment. When one of them dies by poisoning in the dining car, everyone is under suspicion. Kitty realizes that many of them have relationships with victim, including her brother. Determined to clear him, while navigating her debut season and managing her mother’s expectations, Kitty has quite the agenda to clear!
This is a great new start to a series with an interesting and fun heroine. The period allows realistic engagement for a female sleuth while paying wonderful homage to Agatha Chrisite’s classic detective stories. Fun, fun, fun!

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This is a fun read in the style of "locked room" murder mysteries with an amusing first person (wealthy, young, female and English) narrator, and is set in the 1920s. The book is so engaging that I was not irritated by the occasional Americanism or modern slang word, although this might annoy some readers.

I'm already looking forward to the next in this new series.

With many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

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Kitty Worthington is so much fun! I loved this first entry in Maggie Alexander's new series. Great for fans of Beth Byers' Violet Carlyle, Ann Sutton's Dodo Dorchester, and Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor. The story isn't maybe the most original - a debutante on her way back from finishing school witnesses a murder. Unfortunately, her brother who is escorting her home "knew" the victim and becomes a suspect. So Kitty decides she needs to find the real murderer. But the characters are interesting, Kitty doesn't take herself too seriously, and the plot has enough twists to keep things interesting. I am looking forward to the next Kitty Worthington mystery! Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #MurderontheGoldenArrow.

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