Today is a return to the more familiar, with a review of the latest in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. If you follow my blog you’ll know this is a series I love. Many thanks to Bookouture for having me on the tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
The Book: Lady Eleanor Swift isn’t normally one for grand social occasions, but who can resist a wedding? Especially when it’s her old friend, Constance Grainger, marrying the most eligible bachelor in town, Lord Peregrine Davencourt. Eleanor is taking Gladstone the bulldog as her plus one, with a smart new bowtie to match her bridesmaid’s dress.
But the big day is ruined when the groom is arrested for murder before he makes it to the altar. In a baffling twist, it turns out he was already engaged to the lovely Daisy Balforth, who has been found dead at the local inn with Lord Davencourt kneeling over her. The gossip pages will have a field day!
The distraught bride-to-be asks Eleanor to clear her fiancé’s name, as she’s certain he wouldn’t hurt a fly. With help from handsome Detective Seldon, Eleanor examines the evidence. But she’s barely had time to write down her suspect list before Constance’s father is set upon by a bearded stranger on the golf course. Clearly there is more to this story than Eleanor first thought, but can she catch the real killer before the wedding turns into her wake?
The Review: As I’ve already stated, and probably most people know, I love this series. I’ve read all of the previous books (and reviewed them) and the series keeps improving with each book. There’s been a few recently set in locations that are not Eleanor’s home of Henley Hall or the surrounding area, so it was nice to be back there again for this book. This one starts a little differently, in that it isn’t a murder that Eleanor first starts investigating, but that soon changes and we get into the more familiar routine of her investigating, the fabulous Clifford assisting, and Seldon being involved in an official capacity.
It was lovely to be back in familiar locations, although I think being elsewhere for the previous few books has made the return all the sweeter. There’s a lot that takes place in locations other than Henley Hall so we get the perfect mixture of being there for meals and discussions (and a few other things) and being elsewhere for the murders and investigations. Seldon seems to be mellowing a little which I rather enjoyed seeing, and the rest of the regular characters don’t appear to have changed a bit which is perfect.
This is one of those series where I know the chances of me enjoying a new book are quite high (nothing is ever guaranteed!), and I know if I enjoy it I’m going to be swept up in an intriguing investigation with peril and excitement, not to mention lots of fabulous meals. Because of this, these books are like comfort reads to me. I know when I pick one up to get a drink and snacks organised first because I’m unlikely to move for a while.
If you love historical cosy crime and haven’t tried this series yet, what are you waiting for?
The Author:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B218W5P8social
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BookLoverWorm 
Hi Sandra – Thanks for the lovely review 🙂 I enjoyed being back in Henley Hall writing it as well.
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