The Afternoon Tea Murders

The Secret Detective Agency, Book 4

By: Helena Dixon

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

An utterly addictive cozy murder mystery

Tea and cake on the terrace, views of the Devon hills… and a dead body in the local village? This is one for Jane Treen…!

London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.

When Jane arrives, it quickly becomes clear that the murder is a half-baked attempt to curdle Arthur’s current codebreaking mission–but how? There seem to be suspects at every turn. Is Arthur’s boss going to extremes to cover up his incompetence? Can the teashop customers be trusted? And what about the secretary, who seems to have secret links to the village teashop…

Spurred on by scones and clotted cream, Jane and Arthur start to whip up a theory as to who the killer could be. But just as they begin to make progress, someone else is murdered–and it looks like Arthur could be next. It’s clear they need to solve this case quickly, before teatime is over and Arthur meets a sticky end…

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

©2026 Helena Dixon (P)2026 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Another adventure

Another adventure for the secret detective agency. The story was enjoyable and there were enough possible suspects to keep it interesting. Less relationship building than I’d like but I’ll definitely buy the next installment.

Love this new series from Helena Dixon

The third installment of the secret detectives series is an enjoyable listen. Well crafted and well performed.
A great companion for a rainy afternoon.

Unique and Intriguing

London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.

The entire mission seems to have been stymied time and time again. Is it just incompetence on the part of leadership or something more clandestine?

This book is a great edition to a series that is always interesting and unique. It reveals aspects of work done during WWII by often brilliant but otherwise ordinary people, including Jane and Arthur. Jane has a keen mind, highly organized and observant, a real problem solver, who spends most of her days in a cramped office at Whitehall and her nights avoiding Nazi bombs. Rather than being the strong handsome war hero type or even a member of law enforcement, Arthur is an asthmatic and extremely talented codebreaker. He and Jane have worked well together through several adventures and developed a level of respect for each other. Perhaps there is the possibility of a romance, but to say it is even hinted at in these first three books would be an overstatement. The focus is on the dangers of the war and the people and work it takes to prevail.

I would be remiss not to mention Benson, Arthur's devoted manservant, who makes his own contributions to these adventures.

The character development is slow paced but definitely there. The plot and storylines are well done, and I never seem to identify the culprit with any certainty before the big reveal. If you are looking for an interesting story that will keep you guessing and characters that are genuine, I highly recommend this book and the preceding books in the series.

Kristin Atherton does an excellent job voicing these characters with their numerous British and foreign accents.