I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Murder in the Snow, the fourth novel set in Buckinghamshire to feature 1920s amateur sleuth Lady Eleanor Swift.

When Conrad Canning drops dead during the fun run, part of the festivities at Lady Eleanor’s Christmas Eve party for the villagers, she isn’t so sure that it’s the heart attack both the doctor and DCI Seldon think it is and is determined to investigate. When the vicar and his housekeeper are also taken ill her suspicions are fully aroused.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Snow which is a fun read with a good mystery attached, i.e. I had no idea of the perpetrator’s identity. This is the first novel in the series that I have read but it won’t be the last. I loved that it is told entirely from Lady Eleanor’s point of view as it means that there are no distractions and the reader knows what she knows, nothing more and nothing less. There are plenty of suspects as Canning was not a nice man and plenty of motives as he’s a man with a past. The solution comes out of left field although the clues are maybe there if the reader looks hard enough.

The real pleasure in the novel comes from Lady Eleanor’s character and her relationship with her butler, Clifford as he’s more minder and mentor than butler. It is a fun relationship with amusing dialogue and situations.

Murder in the Snow is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Put your feet up, take a sip of parsnip perry or chestnut liqueur, a slice of Christmas cake, a mince pie or a morsel of Stilton and transport yourself back to Christmas 1920 at Henley Hall, Buckinghamshire to the home of Lady Eleanor Swift. During the Christmas festivities at the Hall, Conrad Canning, the coal merchant dies .... Lady E and Clifford the butler investigate.

Oh the sheer joy of escaping these dark, Groundhog Day times in the company of these wonderful characters (especially Eleanor) and of course Gladstone the bulldog, who frankly steals the show ... and baubles.... and slippers .....! They all feel so vibrantly alive, they’re colourful and the storytelling is lively and entertaining. The period of time is captured well in these above and below stairs times (not that Eleanor places much store in that) and the language used is spot on, what! Oh it certainly is my old fruit. This is very much in the spirit of the mysteries of the era as the great teamwork of the intuition of Lady Eleanor and the knowledge of Clifford solves a twisty mystery.

Overall, a delightful, fun and entertaining read but try not to read when you’re hungry as I guarantee you’ll want to reach for the cake tin! If you like Christie or Dorothy Sayers then I think it’s well worth giving this novel a go. I love the cover too.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc.

An old fashioned festive whodunnit, a fabulous cosy Christmas read!

Set in the 1920s at Henley Hall, Lady Eleanor Swift and her sidekick/ butler Clifford are hosting a Christmas eve party for the locals. Everything is going wonderfully until during the fun run, the grumpy disliked ex sailor, now coal merchant Canning drops dead. Lady Ellie suspects foul play so she contacts Detective Inspector Seldon who's too busy on another case, so he 'unofficially' gives her ladyship and Clifford permission to do a little digging.
They find a key near his body which has some significance to the investigation. As they start discretely interviewing the villagers, they discover a vast array of suspects with motives for his murder!

I absolutely adored this book! it reminded me a of a cosy Christmas tv special. If you are a fan of such things as Piorot , Miss Marple and Downton abbey then this book is definitely for you! I loved all the characters especially the elderly, mischievous and very humorous bulldog named Gladstone. The writing and language was very apt for the time and I was impressed that the leading protagonist didn't fit the stereotype often associated with historical fiction. It kept me guessing right up to the very end.

This is the first one I've read from the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series and although its not a stand alone book it worked really well as a solo read. I cant wait to read the rest of the books in the series now.

Another great book in the series of Lady Elenor Swift. I have had the pleasure of reading a two of the others and have enjoyed reading about Lady Ellie and her adventures with her bulldog Gladstone. This one brings us back to Hensley Hall at the most beautiful time of the year. Lady Swift is hosting the big party and festivities when it is time for the Christmas fun run. It is at the finish line that one of the contestants has a heart attack and falls out right there. As the man is being removed, Ellie finds a key that may hold the answer to something that is nagging her about the scene. As the vicar falls prey to poison all eyes are on Ellie as the poison was found in he home. Everyone was with Lady Swift on the night in question so who could be the one poisoning others and could the two cases be connected? Lady Swift will find out and very swiftly indeed. I love this writers ability to captivate the reader and keep the characters inline for that time period. I felt as though I was right there in the book in that period. The characters were very like able and I really enjoyed the dialect of how we got to know Lady Ellie up until the end. While it may be a stand alone novel, you do learn more about certain characters in the other books that would otherwise not be privy to. It does not influence the readers ability to understand the characters though and is a great read on its own.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for this ARC. I love this series! The characters are well written and the storylines are fine. I like that in each book you find out more about the characters past - makes me want to rewad the next one.

This is the second book I read in the series and I'm just so glad I did. While I found Lady Swift an endearing and intelligent women in the previous book, it felt like she came into her own in this one. Her relationships with the aristocracy, her household and her community are maturing and the result is delightful.

The savvy Lady Swift and the butler are able to host the most amazing community Christmas party and then go onto resolve the murder mystery. It was a goodie and while I was headed in the right direction, an unexpected twist meant a surprise at the end.

It definitely makes for a lovely Christmas read for anyone who enjoys a cozy murder mystery. I have great expectations of the next one. Great Job Verity Bright!

With thanks to #NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

It was great to be back at Henley Hall for Christmas! This one really reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel in the best way - lots of really well fleshed out secondary characters, a few red herrings, and a really satisfying ending. Can't wait for the next Lady Eleanor mystery!

3.75 stars

Another entry in the entertaining Lady Eleanor Swift series. Ellie was a worldwide adventuress and traveler before inheriting her uncle's estate and settling down in the British countryside. She doesn't much conform to society's idea of a Lady, but she is smart and good-hearted and determined and she is easy to like. Assisted by her late uncle's servant/friend Clifford, she keeps getting embroiled in mysterious murders.

Although it would be nice to have the background from the previous books, I imagine this would be fine as a standalone. This time out, during the manor's gift luncheon and fete for the village, a cranky and much disliked resident drops dead after the footrace. A heart attack is suspected, but it turns out to be murder. There are a pool of suspects, including some of Ellie's servants, so she and Clifford conduct their usual efficient investigation.

The ensemble cast is fun, and Ellie and Clifford's exchanges are enjoyable. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A light cozy book with lots of interest and intrigue. I enjoyed the book and the character were rather fun. The interaction between the butler and Lady Swift was rather pleasing and tongue in cheek, and at times poignant. The mystery was well written with lots of twists and turns - enjoyable all around

The fourth novel in this historical murder mystery series see Lady Eleanor play hostess to the entire village for Christmas, but the festivities are interrupted by yet another murder!

Trusty butler Clifford soon sees the similarities between the recent murder and that of his late friend and master. Accompanied by bulldog Gladstone, Eleanor and Clifford are soon on the case - but can they solve the crime and find the culprit before an innocent person is framed!?

#MurderintheSnow #NetGalley

Amidst The Snow A Murderer Lurks.....
The fourth endearing cosy mystery to feature Lady Eleanor Swift, reluctant amateur sleuth, and another investigation. The festive season is upon the village and upon Henley Hall and Lady Eleanor is playing indulgent hostess. However, all is not as joyful as it seems, as amidst the snow a murderer lurks. Enjoyable cosy mystery with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A fitting addition to the series and an entertaining festive treat.

Such fun! As usual! It’s always a pleasure going back to Henley Hall and meeting once again Ellie, Clifford, Master Gladstone and cia. And it’s Christmas time so, what more could you ask for?

On her first year as lady of the manor, Lady Swift is playing host to the entire village at Henley Hall for Christmas Eve celebrations but, when one of her guests ends up dead during a race, she finds herself involved once again in a murder investigation.

Ellie’s character just keeps getting better and better. She’s strong, intelligent, helpful, down to earth and with a clever sense of humor. Now she’s more mature than when we first met her but without losing an ounce of charm. Her relationship with Clifford is one of love and mutual respect and they make a formidable team, both in and out of the investigation. It was nice to see how the other members of the household had a more important role in the story and I loved the little glimpse into her uncle’s past and how it linked with the current investigation.

The murder mystery was a good one and, although I called the killer I could not guess their motives.

Lovely series with a cast of endearing characters you can’t help but love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

1920s, Christmas, England, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, cosy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, situational-humor, amateur-sleuth*****

What fun! The series begins as a farce: presumed orphan from South Africa comes to rural England and finds that she has inherited the title and all that from uncle who is recently deceased. She has little idea of how people are expected to behave in this milieu and is a klutz, to boot. The best part of it all is the Butler who knows everything, helps her with anything, and never treats her like a ninny. Now it is Christmastide and she works with her staff to provide the estate and the village with the kind of celebrations that her uncle had always done. Everything and everyone is quite happy until a crabby middle-aged man drops dead at the first community event. Eleanor and her butler are certain that it is murder, but the friendly law enforcement do not, and are very annoyed when she keeps on snooping as the snow gets deeper and deeper. Loved it! A nice, low key cosy for these fraught times.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Can I give it six stars - please? Verity Bright’s fourth Lady Eleanor Swift novel, Murder in the Snow, is pretty much perfect. I really enjoyed the first three novels, but was frustrated by Eleanor’s occasional out of character behaviour. However, in this book. I’m delighted that Eleanor consistently behaves like the highly intelligent woman she really is. (Yes, yes. I know it’s fiction and that the characters are the invention of Verity Bright, but Bright has the amazing gift of bringing the reader into that world where the characters are alive.)

It’s Lady Eleanor’s first adult Christmas at Henley Hall and she’s determined to keep it in the same manner that her late uncle did, starting with a Christmas Eve lunch for the villagers, followed by games and a fun-run. However, one of the fun-run competitors drops dead in front of her – that wasn’t part of the tradition. Eleanor and Clifford investigate and uncover many people’s secrets.

Although Chief Inspector Seldon isn’t “on stage” very much in this book, we also get a touch of romance with Ellie and Seldon acknowledging that they look forward to seeing each other. And for once, Lance doesn’t play the buffoon – as I said, pretty much perfect.

Eleanor is more mature in this book (maybe because her big three-oh is looming) and so is Verity Bright’s characterisation. Even the minor players spring to life as soon as they appear on the page. If you’re new to the series, I recommend you read the other books first as you really will enjoy this one more if you understand the back story.

#MurderintheSnow #NetGalley

The Lady Eleanor Swift books are such a delight to read, and this one is no different!

As a character, Ellie is a headstrong and intelligent lady with a witty sense of humour and mischief to top it all off. I love her approach to solving crimes, and her relationship with Clifford is endearing.

I love how the book leads you in many directions and just when you think you’ve uncovered the killer, you find that you’ve got it all wrong! The twists add the right amount of mystery to this great read.

Looking forward to more books in this entertaining series.