This is my first exposure to the series. I don’t often read books I’d class as cosy mystery but this sounded like a good read and it was. There’s something very endearing about Lady Swift and Henley Hall. I enjoyed the time spent in their company. The book is well written and engaging and held my attention from start to finish. I loved the fact the book is set at Christmas without being overly sentimental or cheesy. Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Lady Swift feels responsible when a man dies practically on her doorstep during the Christmas lunch and race which the whole village have been invited to and is determined to find out exactly what happened. I might check out other books in the series because I really enjoyed this.

A fun mystery with an entertaining plot and fun characters. I haven't read any of others in the series, but I plan to after enjoying this one. The series seems to have a lot of fans, and I can see why. Keep up the good work Ms Bright.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series by Verity Bright.

It is Christmas and Lady Eleanor is very generous with her staff which doesn’t seem to be the norm with others of her ilk. And that is just a sad fact of the times.

During a fun run, one of the participants ends up dying. And Lady Eleanor is immediately on the case with her loyal driver Clifford who is always a hoot to watch. That guy just makes these books sing!

As I said in my last review for book three, I was looking for some falling in love time in this book and it just didn’t happen. I had been told by another reader that this would turn the page away from Lady Eleanor and toward Eleanor and our favorite detective inspector. But I just didn’t find that to be the case. Seldon does get pulled into her case but not to the extent I was hoping for.

Loved so much about this book. If you like historical cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This was such a delightful read. Pure escapism! It is the first time I have read any of the Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries and I enjoyed every moment of it, so much that I was sad to see it end.

The writing sparkles and had me chuckling away whilst trying to work out who the dastardly murderer was. Set at the very beginning of what will become the roaring 20’s, Lady Eleanor Swift is Lady of the Manor (or should I say Henley Hall) since inheriting after her beloved uncles death earlier in the year. This is her first Christmas as hostess but she has the full support of her wonderful staff to help make sure that everything runs like clockwork. And everything is going swimmingly until a man dies during the fun run. The man in question just happens to be one of the least liked men in the community and it soon become obvious to Eleanor that his death is rather suspicious – now she just needs to convince the local police. Just like that Christmas is turned on it’s head as Eleanor and her rather brilliant butler, Clifford throw themselves into investigating the murder but can they solve the mystery before someone else dies?

This was jolly good fun and a highly enjoyable read. A perfect cosy crime novel to curl up with any time but especially at Christmas time.

My thanks must go to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a review copy via Netgalley. I look forward to reading more from Verity Bright.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Murder in the Snow" by Verity Bright. This was the 4th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series.

Once again Verity Bright has written a wonderful story with our favourite characters: Lady Eleanor Swift, Clifford - the Butler, Mrs Butters - the housekeeper, Mrs Trotman - the cook, Polly - the maid and the most important character in the series Master Gladstone - the elderly bulldog, who steals every paragraph that he appears in.

This story is set during the Christmas holidays - Christmas Eve until New Year's Eve. Master Gladstone is quite excited and is stealing holiday decorations and burying them. The household is preparing for the Villager's Christmas Eve Lunch. A tradition started by Lady Swift's Uncle Byron Henley from whom she inherited Henley Hall less than a year ago.

Of course, Lady Swift once again ends up in the middle of a murder mystery when Conrad Canning manages to collapse and die during the "fun run" at Henley Hall during the Luncheon. Clifford believes that he was poisoned, even though DCI Seldon doesn't agree with him. Clifford shares with Lady Swift that he feels that His Lordship died of a deliberate overdose of digitalis. Together they set off to solve the murder when the police don't appear interested. They have a short list of suspects with clear motives to harm Canning. Canning tried to have Doctor Browning struck off the medical register because he was convinced that he killed his mother. Miss Moore and her son Alvan who were abandoned by Canning. The Reverend Gaskell was enraged by the way Canning treated his parishioner Miss Moore. Later they add Hubert Wraith to the list after learning that he had a row with Canning.

When the Reverend Gaskell and his housekeeper Mrs Fontaine are also poisoned in a similar manner, they are convinced that they are on the right track. Along the way several members of her staff are arrested by DCI Seldon. Convinced of their innocence Lady Swift once again places herself in harm's way to prove that they would not have tried to poison anyone.

There is of course, a visit to the Fenwick-Langham Manor where Lancelot once again acts as the annoying clown at the Christmas Day Lunch.

Clifford and Lady Swift will have another adventure in their future as they learned that someone had ordered her Uncle's death. Looking forward to their further adventures in the near future!

Lady Eleanor and her butler Clifford is back with another mystery to solve. Murder in the Snow is the fourth book in Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. As I've only read book 3 in the series, you can enjoy this Christmas story without having read the previous books.

I was particularly tired this past week as I tried to read this book and that may have played a role in my level of enjoyment of the story. I felt that it was missing some of the fun from the previous novel I read, A Witness to Murder (read my review). It felt a bit more plot heavy and that I didn't really get to see the character's personality as much.

The Christmas lunch at the Langdham's estate livened up the story by injecting some much needed levity to this holiday cozy mystery. I adore Harold.

I enjoyed the mystery. A tradesman collapses during the fun run at Henley Hall's annual village Christmas party. Before help can arrive, the man dies. He had a bad heart, he shouldn't have ran in the race, claims the local doctor. It's isn't just the doctor who lacks any kind words for the deceased. But who hated him so much to poison him? That is what Lady Swift is determined to discover. In the process, she might learn more about her own late uncle.

As there are plenty of suspects, I was kept guessing as to who the killer was and why he was killed right up to the very end.

There's plenty of Christmas festivities - from the village party at Henley Hall on Christmas Eve day, Christmas morning at the vicarage with friends, a lavish Christmas lunch at the Langdham's (I think it was a 10-course meal!), Boxing Day breakfast in pajama's at Henley Hall with Eleanor's staff, and then a New Year's Eve party. Even with all the party's, it was a massive snowstorm that made me ready for Christmas (though it is unlikely I will see snow for Christmas).

Overall, Murder in the Snow is a solid entry in the series. I'm sure those who have followed the series from the beginning will love spending the holidays with this cast of characters and those just looking for a fun Christmasy story will equally find it enjoyable.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, November 23 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/11/murder-in-snow-by-verity-bright-review.html (link will be live at 11:20 am EDT)

Murder in the Snow is the 4th instalment in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in Little Buckford, Buckinghamshire in the 1920s. Amateur sleuth Lady Eleanor is about to experience her first Christmas as Lady of the Manor, as well as hosting a Christmas event for the whole village. But during the traditional fun run through the vast grounds of the Hall, a coal merchant, Conrad Canning, suffers a fatal heart attack. His death is believed to be a result of strenuous exercise but Ellie isn't sure so she and Clifford begin to investigate...

Murder in the Snow had me so engrossed from the first chapter until the final page. It was a seasonal treat that saw me very much immersed in the joys of Christmas, complete with baubles, mulled wine, mince pies, and gingerbread. Verity Bright's portrayal of Ellie delights me with every book and I love that Ellie's strong-willed, down-to-earth, intelligent, and possesses a great sense of humour. Her relationship with Clifford really complemented the story and they make a formidable team. I appreciated the greater roles of some of the other members of the household and the glimpses into Ellies uncle’s past. The mystery itself was pretty good and although I had an inkling of the killer's identity, I struggled to guess the motive.

Murder in the Snow was a comfortably-paced, compulsive and charming historical crime novel and once again, Verity Bright's highly addictive storytelling really worked for me. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and I highly recommend this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Thank you so much, Bookouture, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was definitely a treat!!!

This is book #4 in the "A Lady Eleanor Swift Murder Mystery" series. I have not read the first three books, but can tell you that that is perfectly fine! Based on this book, I can say that you do not have to read the books in order. However, as with many series, it does help to read them in order in particular when it comes to some of the characters and their relationship. I'm intrigued by Eleanor and her bond with Detective Seldon! So much so, that I will read the first three books too. I just have to know how this special relationship developed over time. Eleanor is not your typical 1920s English lady. She reminded me a lot of a book I recently read about the Flappers of the 1920s. Female sleuth is a job title that was not very common during those years, but I love, love, love it when women escape their "golden cages of femininity" and wow us with skills that render even the toughest and smartest male detectives speechless. Lady Swift is one of those! She is a lady, yet she is blunt, not scared to voice her opinion, and she is certainly smart. She has the wit of a Miss Marple and the noble attitude of a Hercule Poirot!

In this book, you find a lot of suspects and lots of motives. I have to admit that I found out in the end that the person I suspected in the last few chapters before the murderer was revealed was in fact the one behind the murder. HOWEVER, and that is a big however, there was a twist for me since my reasoning deviated quite a bit from what actually happened and why. This book was fun to read!

Another delightful romp in this detective series, staring Lady Eleanor Swift and her trust butler Clifford.

Lady Eleanor is really settling in to her lady of the manor role and the relationship between her and Clifford is shown in this novel where we also find out a little more about her late uncle and the friendship he had with Clifford.

Eleanor is preparing for her first Christmas as lady of the manor and among the traditional festivities is a snowy run, one in which the locals take part following a luncheon feast. Once again there is a death for Lady Eleanor and Clifford to investigate.

In this book we see the development also of Eleanor‘s feelings both for Lancelot and for Detective Seldon. She seems to have chosen but the chosen one does not yet seem to know!

As a series these books are a delightful read and the dialogue and description are well thought out. The covers also deserve a mention as they are really eye catching and would tempt a reader to buy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Lady Eleanor Mystery, and what a fun read it was. Set in the 1920s, Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Swift is an amateur sleuth, along with her butler, Clifford. She is getting ready to host her first village party at Henley Hall, and to celebrating her first English Country Christmas. However, during the traditional Christmas fun run on the grounds of the Hall, murder strikes, and Ellie knows that she cannot rest until she finds out who killed the miserly Canning. Murder in the Snow reminded me a lot of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, from the setting/timeline, to the Ellie and Phryne both being very independent women. The relationship between Ellie and the local police inspector, DCI Seldon made me think of Phryne and Jack, and faithful butler Clifford’s friendship is similar to Phryne’s companion and friend, Dot. Since I wish there was more Miss Fisher, Lady Eleanor seems to be a great substitute. I will be looking for more of these cozy murder mysteries; I loved the Christmas theme of this one: I can never resist a Christmas story, nor a snow storm! Thanks to BookOutre and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy!

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder in the Snow’ by Verity Bright in exchange for an honest review.

“An English Christmas has mince pies, cheerful carols, a twinkling tree… and a murder? Thank goodness Lady Swift is on the scene!”

This is the fourth in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in England in 1920. It was a delight from start to finish.

It’s Christmas and Lady Eleanor is playing host to the entire village at Henley Hall. Part of the festivities is a fun run in the grounds. Yet tragedy strikes when one of the runners drops dead at the finish line. However, Detective Chief Inspector Seldon is convinced that it was a heart attack though Eleanor isn’t sure. She is determined to discover the truth, so undertakes another spot of amateur sleuthing. No further details in order to avoid spoilers though I found it an engaging mystery that kept me guessing as to whodunnit.

As I began reading on publication day, I treated myself to its audiobook edition. It was narrated by Karen Cass, who does a lovely job of capturing the various characters’ voices both upstairs and downstairs.

Verity Bright wisely has been restrained in terms of exploring Lady Eleanor’s romantic prospects, so each novel moves this subplot on a few paces. Delicious! In addition, I feel that the sense of the period setting has increased as the series has progressed. Lady Eleanor may have had a bohemian upbringing but she is slowly adjusting to the more restrained life of being lady of the manor.

This series has continued to improve and I felt that this was the best to date. ‘Murder in the Snow’ was a fun romp and a perfect Christmas themed cosy for the festive season.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I love this series! The characters of Lady Eleanor and Clifford, especially, are fantastic and I love the development of those characters in this novel. Lady Eleanor is hosting a Christmas party at Henley Hall for the villagers. One of those villages falls dead during the fun run and Lady Eleanor and Clifford suspect foul play. Murder in the Snow was a great mystery - a small group of suspects, unclear method of murder, past secrets, and present conflicts.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy for review.

Really enjoyed this first time read for me by Verity Bright.. Lady Eleanor Swift is a fun loving sleuth who along with her loving butler Clifford look into who could have murdered a townsman on Christmas Eve. The back drop 1920's England. Beautifully written about the holidays approaching the family home Lady Swift inherited from hr beloved uncle who suddenly dies with no real explanation. As Lady Swift tries to keep up the holiday traditions of her Uncle Byron a murder ensures. As she and Clifford try to help the police figure this out and possibly see if Uncle Byron was murdered Eleanor also has to tend to her so called love life.
I love the time period of this story. I think of Miss Marple and the English manors and time of glitz and glamour. I highly recommend this book to all who love a little mystery and the love of England at a time of glamour and of course a time of a little love. Looking forward to more mysteries with Lady Swift and Clifford and the beautiful writings of Verity Bright.

Murder in the Snow by Verity Bright is another in the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series featuring none other than Lady Eleanor herself along with her sidekick/butler, Clifford. It is Christmas at the manor and Lady Eleanor, in the tradition started by her uncle, is entertaining the entire village, as well as a few others for a large luncheon and entertainments, including a race, crafts, and all manner of noshing. The day was marred by the sudden death of a man, Canning, at the end of the race. He apparently suffered a heart attack, although there were some suspicious symptoms. Clifford managed the body so well that none of the guests were aware and the joyous day continued without blemish. Two days hence was Boxing Day and after enjoying a full breakfast with the staff and seeing them off, Clifford left for his luncheon engagement, and returned to commence investigating. No one else in town through Canning's passing a bad thing, but it niggled at Ellie's conscience. What would they discover?
Lady Eleanor and Clifford are an incongruous pair. She the lady of the manor, and he, her mentor and guardian.

She is growing in to her position, largely with her staff to thank. She has two men in whom she is interested. Lancelot, the son of he aristocratic neighbors, and DCI Seldon, with who she shared a contentious relationship, but with whom the attraction is mutual. She is popular with all her neighbors, aristocratic or not, and is in general, a lovely character, if a little stubborn. Clifford is perfection in a butler, always well turned out, always highly prepared for any eventuality, and always able to rescue her from the scrapes in which she finds herself. The murder is a conundrum, but with excellent organizational and sleuthing skills, they manage to solve the mystery and put as much to rights as is possible at this point. They may have even discovered Uncle Byron's murderer. It is a joy to be transported back to the 1920's English countryside and sojourn with Lady Eleanor and the other residents of her home and village. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Murder in the Snow by Bookoutre and Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #murderinthesnow

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
I love a good historical murder mystery set in a stately home. I lap them up, and even though some are cringe worthy- this is one that definitely hit the right note with me. I absolutely loved the nostalgic Christmas feel of the book and found it very cozy and comforting (even though there’s murder involved).
I also enjoyed the relationship between Lady Swift and her butler - their crime fighting duo will develop further in future books I feel. And I quite like that not everything was tied up in a pretty bow at the end of this book, despite it being Christmas- I still want to read on and discover more about Lady Swift’s Uncle. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

Winter, 1920 & Lady Eleanor Swift is feeling festive. She is playing host to the entire village at Henley Hall for gifts, games and gingerbread. She’s also purchased perfect presents for each of her household not forgetting the biggest bone in the butcher’s shop and leather slippers for her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog – and is looking forward to celebrating her first English country Christmas. As snowflakes fall, Eleanor is cheering on contestants in the traditional Christmas fun run in the grounds of the Hall. But tragedy strikes when one of the runners drops dead at the finish line. DCI Seldon is convinced it’s just a heart attack, but Eleanor isn’t so sure. When she finds a rather distinctive key where the man fell, Eleanor knows she’ll never rest until she finds out the truth about what happened in her own home. Next the vicar is taken ill with what looks like poison and Eleanor starts to wonder if the two cases are linked. When someone tries to frame her cook by planting poisoned berries in her own kitchen, she knows speed is of the essence. But the entire village was at Henley Hall for the festivities and Eleanor has enough suspects to stuff a town full of turkeys. Also a blizzard is blowing & the Hall & village are cut off plus the phone lines are down
This is the fourth book in this delightful series, I love Ellie & Clifford who make an awesome partnership. The pace is very good & there were plenty of twists & turns plus red herrings to keep me guessing. There’s also the relationships between Ellie & Lancelot & DCI Seldon, which are slowly progressing but not necessarily in the direct they all want. We also found out more about Ellie's uncle & things need to be resolved there too. So I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It's the day before Christmas, 1920. Lady Eleanor Swift is preparing for the luncheon and games that are held annually at Henley Hall for the local people. It's a tradition started by her late Uncle Byron. It's Eleanor's first year organising it and she's desperate for everything to go according to plan. So what to do when one of the contestants of the fun run collapses in the snow and dies?
Luckily Eleanor knows how to deal with these kind of things. Together with her butler Clifford she has solved murders before! When the inspector does not believe the man was murdered, Eleanor and Clifford start their own investigation.

Murder in the Snow is the fourth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series. Even though I did not read the first three books, that was not a problem. The story is easy to get into with it's lovely characters and it's easy style. The story is told from the perspective of Eleanor and gives the reader little peaks into her thoughts. It's fun to read how she reprimands herself and talks to herself calling herself Ellie.

I have read this book during my train rides to and from work. Everytime I reached my stop I was annoyed that the trip hadn't lasted longer. I just needed to know who the killer was and what the motive was for murdering the poor man. And even up to the very end I had not a clue! The book's conclusion caught me by surprise!

While reading I thought of Miss Phryne Fisher a lot. Set in the same time period, with also a strong minded, if from time to time a little headstrong, lady. The only difference being that Miss Fisher claimed herself to be a Lady Detective. Perhaps there is a career choice lying ahead of Eleanor?

So who is author Verity Bright? And why is her picture a drawing? Verity Bright is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing together. The couple have been at it for years, writing travel articles and books, and trying out different genres like humour and mystery.

All in all Murder in the Snow was a lovely, festive read. With rain streaming down the windows of the train and Christmas songs sounding in my ears I had quite some comfortable train rides!

I love British mysteries in a historical setting, and this did not disappoint.
Lady Eleanor Swift is new to the whole thing of being a member of the elite. So it was easy to empathise and understand her point of view. The story is set during Christmas and begins on the 24th with a party thrown at the Manor house for the villagers to enjoy the season. I enjoyed reading of the preparations and festivities. And then, of course, someone falls down dead, literally.
What follows is seven days of investigation by Lady Swift and her trusty butler Clifford.
I thought the middle sagged a bit and the pace dragged. The mystery was an intricate one that did not give away too many clues to the murderer's identity. It kept me guessing. However, I felt that the story was more about the butler's sleuthing ability than that of the protagonist Lady S.
Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable trip one hundred years into the past, and set the tone for the season.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for a review.

Every year during the holidays I like to pick a couple of books set at Christmas time to help swath myself in happy Christmas vibes. Nothing accomplishes that more for me than an historical mystery set in the English countryside, so I had high hopes when I picked this book.

I didn't let me down. Not only did I get to vicariously revel in a lovely (if murderous) 1920's English country Christmas, I got to do it with perfect companions. Lady Swift is charming, the sort of person I'd love to be friends with, and Clifford is a wonderful Watson for her (although sometimes he's more Holmes and she's more Watson, and I love that!). The book had lots of twists and turns on the journey to discover who'd poisoned the victim and why, and the pace kept me happily turning pages. And to top it all off, Gladstone's antics kept a smile on my face.

All in all, this is exactly what I want from a cozy mystery, especially one set at Christmas--atmosphere, people I want to spend time with, and a fun puzzle to solve. Highly recommend.

I’ve read and enjoyed the previous books in this series so it’s no surprise to find out I enjoyed this one too. However, I think this one might also be the best so far because I romped through it. I had trouble keeping away from the book which is always the sign of a good story.

This time the story is set over the festive season and starts on Christmas Eve, though it’s not quite the Christmas Eve that we would recognise now. Lady Swift is following her late uncle’s traditions by inviting the village for lunch and has organised a race, which ends in tragedy. Having the death happen outside her very door Eleanor feels responsible and so decides to investigate when it becomes clear that the death was unlikely to be of natural causes.

Again we spend time with familiar characters including the fabulous Clifford, DI Seldon, Lancelot, Eleanor’s household staff and some of the villagers we’ve met in previous books. The weather also plays a part this time, and severe snow creates all sorts of problems for our detective duo. I include Clifford in this duo because while Eleanor is fabulous she benefits hugely from Clifford’s presence and logical thinking. This story is more Eleanor focused than the others and by that I mean that it tends to be her, the household and the suspects that are in the story, more so than other characters like Lancelot, and much as I like Lancelot (and DI Seldon) it was nice to have this story a bit more contained to a few people, it fitted with the season and the weather as well.

This is a brilliantly festive crime story so if you’re looking for cosy Christmas crime then this should definitely be on your list. I would say it can be read as a stand alone but I think it benefits from being read in order to understand better the changes that have happened since Eleanor first arrived at Henley Hall. Either way it’s definitely a gripping story and definitely one for the festive reading list.