Member Reviews

Another exciting installment in this cozy historical mystery series featuring the irrepressible Lady Eleanor Swift. Along with her enigmatic and brilliant butler, Clifford, Eleanor works to prevent a huge injustice while on a cruise down the Nile.

Lady Swift, her butler, and her domestic help are on a holiday in Egypt in the summer of 1924. While the help goes on ahead to ready a townhouse she’s rented for them all in Bawaaba, Eleanor and Clifford will travel on the river via a decrepit SS Cleopatra instead of the luxurious ship she thought she had booked passage on. While underway, one of the passengers is found dead. Though others insist it was suicide, Eleanor and Clifford think it murder. An investigation ensues.

I love the characters and the historical detail in this series and always look forward to the next installment. Its success has to do with the mix of both of those elements combined with a compelling mystery for the due to analyze and solve. Eleanor is not the typical lady of the times, much to the chagrin and consternation of her butler, though he actually encourages her inquisitive nature and her courage. I enjoy reading about this era and relish the descriptions of life and times in that period.

If you do want an absorbing cozy series, I’d suggest you start from the beginning of this one and read them in order. Hope to see more of Eleanor’s beau, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, in the next episode.

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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Verity Bright for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder on the Nile coming out September 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have most of the books in this series. I’m obsessed with cozy historical mysteries. Verity is a really intelligent, strong character. I love that she’s always going on adventures. Ancient Egypt is fascinating to me and the time period reminds me of the Mummy. I loved it. It was a great adventure book. I’m definitely checking out more books in this series!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure travel cozy mysteries!

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I absolutely loved this book!
The feisty and 'modern' Lady Swift, her intrepid butler, and a colourful cast of characters all make for a great read. The period feels right, the location well researched. If Agatha Christie had a heart as well as intellect, this is how she might have written.
I immediately started the whole series from the beginning!

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Meet Hercules Poirot's female counterpart, a forced to be reckoned with who will stop at nothing to bring justice to the undead.

I love Lady Swift as a character, she always needs to solve a murder, even if she should be on vacation. And to do it with her counterpart and butler, she is unstoppable.

This book will also hold a special place in my heart because it is centered around Egypt, and I have a fascination with stories that are situated in the country. I should probably thank the movie "The Mummy" for my obsession, and I have not read or seen a movie situated in this country that I did not like.

Needless to say, I was yet again bamboozled by second death in this story. The first one was warranted (I mean, it's in the name) but the second one always catches me off guard.

I was going along with the characters, trying to solve the puzzle with them, but I was looking at the wrong person this whole time 🤯.

The ending almost had me in tears as well, and that rarely happens. It could be because I have formed an attachment to the characters and if they feel a certain emotion, I do too.

Now I'm eagerly awaiting Lady Swift's next adventure and wondering where she will travel to next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookotoure and the author for sending me an ARC for my honest review.

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"A cruise down the Nile, a camel ride around the pyramids, lunch in the shadow of the Sphinx...And a very dead body!

1924. Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford are touring the great, ancient sights of Egypt on a much-anticipated extended vacation. But when the pair arrive at the docks in Cairo expecting to board the luxurious paddle steamer advertised in their brochure, they are baffled by the crumbling old cruiser waiting for them. And things only go from bad to worse as death stalks the decks of the SS Cleopatra...

Two days into the trip one of their fellow passengers, Lieutenant Baxter, is found shot dead in his locked cabin. Immediately suspicious and desperate to see justice done, Eleanor discovers a half-finished note addressed to her hidden in Baxter's travelling trunk. In it he asks her to deliver a vitally important letter to the authorities at their next stop down river: a priceless treasure worthy of a king has been stolen and an innocent man's life hangs in the balance.

But before the sands of time wipe away all evidence on board, Eleanor must uncover who among the other travellers wanted Baxter dead. Was it the anxious archaeologist who doesn't have an alibi, the reptile expert with a passion for the murderous Nile crocodile or the art dealer with a devious secret?

With the killer readying to strike again much closer to home, can Eleanor dig up the truth before she's trapped in a tomb under the pyramids forever?

A gripping and twisty 1920s murder mystery set in Egypt, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!"

And fans of Elizabeth Peters. Obviously.

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Lady Eleanor Swift, along with Clifford her indomitable Butler, are in Cairo waiting to board their ship for a cruise down the mighty River Nile, an adventure not at all approved of by Clifford, as he has not been able to ‘properly scrutinise’, the details. Little do they know what is in store for them once they board the not so wonderful looking boat, with a group of people of which they have little in common.
Murder on the Nile is nineteenth murder mystery in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and is the gravest and most dangerous murder mystery she and Clifford have even been involved with, which sees them both mixed up in what looks like being a serious and deadly situation, trying to solve a riddle that has seen two men killed.
Right from the beginning it is clear that nothing is as it seems as the SS Cleopatra has seen better days and is nothing at all like the brochure Ellie collected at the British Empire Travel exhibition in London. A strident English voice is heard demanding people get out of the way; the man was to be one of the other passengers.
Two Dutch Archaeologists, a German Arts dealer and seller, a Welsh businessman, a distinguish Egyptian man and a former Military man make up the passenger list. It becomes obvious from the first dinner together something is amiss as no one seems to be comfortable about answering even the politest of questions.
When a man is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message that Ellie and Clifford have obtained, Ellie is desperate to find out why he was killed and what the terrible injustice is that needs to be put right.
The SS Cleopatra is impounded in Bawaaba, a member of the crew is found murdered and Ellie and Clifford discover they have to convince the new head of the Bawaaba Policing, Sayeed Sharef, one of the passengers on the boat, that it is murder and not suicide, which has taken place in the first instance, with the second murder to make sure no one talked.
Rushing against the clock, they trek across the desert to meet with a man, a most dangerous man, who may be able to help them discover what happened, carry out a clandestine raid on the Cleopatra, and almost get themselves killed in a deadly race through the underground catacombs, in order to catch a cold blooded killer.
As always well researched and written, this storyline captures the uncertainly of life in Egypt in 1924, not many years after he British moved out of Egypt, during a time when the British were not popular and the Egyptians were slowly taking over the reins of Government as well as their country.
Murder on the Nile is a cliff-hanger of an adventure as Ellie and Clifford do their utmost to try and right a terrible wrong and save a young soldier’s life.

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4.25*

Is it a historical cosy mystery if there isn't at least 1 instalment of the series set in Egypt?!

Finally Ellie and the gang have their turn visiting the Pyramids and cruising down the Nile and I liked that this one felt a little different and overall I really enjoyed it.

The set up was effective, with a mystery within a mystery and alas, whilst there was no Hugh, we had plenty of Eleanor and Clifford doing their detection thing, working well alongside a new character who I could see popping up again in future.

The Lady Swift series is one of my staples, it's a very comforting and familiar read and I hold a lot of affection for all the characters. After this exotic instalment I'm not so secretly hoping we next get a case a little closer to home as I really do enjoy seeing everyone in a more familiar setting and of course, it means more Hugh!

As always, a recommended read and despite the length of the series I do recommended reading the earlier books if you're new to the series so that you build your connection to our wonderful characters as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy of "Murder on the Nile" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

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Thank you to Net Galley, Verity Bright and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.
This is book 19 of the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series and takes place in egypt on the river Nile. I have never read a Lady Eleanor Swift book so this was my first one. I have read similar books from Other authors.
Lady Swift and her Butler Clifford are a crime foghting duo and were on a boat going down the Nile when the murder happened and although it looked like a suicide they were not so sure so they set out to investigate. In the meantime there was an additional murder which they felt was for sure tied to the first one and and set out to prove that exact scenario. Of course there will be an archeological slant to the story given that it's in Egypt.
I like this book very much I don't know that I would consider it a cozy mystery it's a little more detailed and involved but I certainly plan to read more of Lady Eleanor Swift and I very much would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and also enjoys english novels set in prior time periods.

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The nineteenth book in this excellent series written by a husband and wife team. How great to be able to be married, live together, work together and produce good books as well!

It is 1924 and Lady Eleanor, Clifford the butler, all her staff and even her pets are making a grand tour of ancient Egypt. We meet Eleanor and Clifford as they are boarding a cruise down the Nile which turns out to be not quite as luxurious as planned. Certainly they did not expect a murder, stolen treasure, travelling companions with secrets, and even an innocent man who is about to be executed. Can Eleanor find the meaning of all this and save him?

I enjoyed this book enormously and it may even be my favourite of the whole series so far. The Egyptian setting is wonderful, Eleanor and Clifford bicker entertainingly, and her 'ladies' are there to make sure there is always a safe place to be. I guess one of the reasons I enjoy this series so much is that having read each book from the beginning I now know the characters really well and it is like spending time with friends. I hope the authors have plans to write lots more!

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Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler, Clifford, are on an extended holiday in Egypt. Their cruise down the Nile gets off to a bad start. First, the derelict boat they are traveling on is most certainly not the same boat pictured in the brochure. Second, one of the other travelers, Lieutenant Baxter, and his brusque demeanor are spoiling the trip for everyone.

Two days into the journey, Baxter is found dead in his locked cabin. The gunshot wound to the head leads the others to believe that Baxter took his own life. Eleanor and Clifford believe that Baxter was murdered, and his death staged to look like a suicide. While searching Baxter’s cabin, Eleanor finds a vaguely worded note addressed to her that implores her to finish his task should he not be able to. Convinced that Baxter was out to right a past wrong, Eleanor and Clifford must figure out which of their fellow travelers committed murder.

Thanks to Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody Series, I cannot pass up a mystery novel set in Egypt in the late 1800s or early 1900s. MURDER ON THE NILE is set just a couple years after the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, and Egyptomania is running rampant. Having not read the first 18 books in the series, I knew I was at a disadvantage going into the book. There are a lot of backstories that I did not know—mainly Eleanor’s life up to this point and her unorthodox relationship with her butler—that might have helped some scenarios and references make more sense. The mystery itself—and the motive behind it—was a little convoluted at times. That being said, the boat is full of shady characters and Eleanor comes up with a plausible motive to Kill Baxter for most of them. Overall, I enjoyed MURDER ON THE NILE. Eleanor is a spunky character who refuses to conform to her role of English lady. Clifford is equally fascinating.

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Loved this book. It did start off slow for me but I loved the mystery and how it was all woven together in the end. Definitely a fun read.

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Murder on the Nile (Lady Swift #19) is a cozy mystery treat! With a number of nods to Dame Agatha's "Death on the Nile" Bright's tale wraps us up and keeps us attentive to each little detail, in an attempt to sort out the murderer before Ellie and Clifford. Occasionally I felt the story was familiar, but then Bright would take a slight detour that found me applauding the creative choices made. Reluctant to put it down, much to the detriment of my chores, I really wanted to continue to 'see' Egypt of the 1920s and witness the environment Lady Swift and her intrepid butler find themselves in.

I highly recommend Murder on the Nile.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

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Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Bookouture.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Lady Swift and her butler are touring the sights of Egypt. But her habit of running into trouble quickly hits as there is a murder on the second day of the cruise. Once again she’ll bw in the middle of things as she gets involved in the investigator. Nothing seems to faze this heroine as she once again put herself in danger. A mystery you do not want to miss.

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This book was really good. Having never read the Eleanor Swift series, I found this introduction to be very good. With the setting being Egypt in the early to mid-1920's.

The synopsis of the book: Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford are booked on a cruise on the Nile river, and Eleanor with get off in Baawaba where she has a townhouse complete with staff. But while sailing the Nile, a retired Lieutenant is found dead in his state room, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. But Eleanor is immediately suspicious and feared the Lieutenant was murdered. So, one of passengers reveals he's the new chief of police in Baawaba, and orders the ship to dock and be held for investigation in Baawaba, and while the investigation is on going, one of the deckhands is also found murdered.

This book was well written, and I found the character of Eleanor Swift to be likeable, as well as Clifford.

I need to read this series from the beginning to get. a better feel.

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It's 1924, and Eleanor Swift and her butler, Clifford, are taking a trip down the Nile on a ship which doesn't look as fancy as the brochure showed. On the second night they hear a gun go off, and Lt. Baxter has been shot. Another passenger on the ship, Mr. Sheraf turns out to be a policeman who is about to be the head of police in the small town they are approaching and where Eleanor has rented a house and her female staff is waiting for Eleanor and Clifford. All the passengers on the boat will be staying at the only hotel in the town and the ship will wait at a nearby port. Eleanor, Clifford, and Sheraf have two days to solve the murder. In addition to finding Baxter's killer, Baxter has left a note for Eleanor asking her to save a man who has wrongly been accused of stealing a priceless archeological treasure from a tomb.

Can Eleanor find the killer and solve the mystery of the missing treasure in time? This is a clever mystery, and I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC so I could read the book before publication.

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Lady Eleanor and her faithful butler Clifford have travelled to Egypt and are taking a cruise when a fellow passenger is found dead in his room, seemingly a suicide. Both Lady Eleanor and Clifford feel that there is more to discover and attempt to find out what has happened. In the course of their investigations another body is found and together with a reluctant local policeman they blunder into some dangerous situations and potentially discover some valuable information.

As usual in this wonderful series the writing is creative and very sympathetic to the period it I set. The characters are easy to warm to and the double act of Lady Eleanor and Clifford is always an amusing read. The cover artwork is beautiful and very art deco in style, which is a great window for the story inside.

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

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I’m a big fan of the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries, so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Murder on the Nile, the 19th book.

Eleanor has taken her retinue (including the terrible two) to Egypt for a holiday, and naturally people start dying.

I loved reading this book. Eleanor and co feel like old friends now. I loved reading about them all having fun in Egypt, as well as about the mystery.

I loved the setting, Egypt is a favourite location since reading the Amelia Peabody series, so this book was extra fun for me.

The mystery was intriguing, and I had no clue who the culprit was in advance of the big reveal. I enjoyed trying to figure it out though.

Overall, this was another fun and fascinating mystery in an excellent series. I recommend them all!

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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A cruise down the Nile, a camel ride around the pyramids, lunch in the shadow of the Sphinx… And a very dead body!
What a sensational book this is, with a plot that unrolls like clockwork, and simmering tension that never lets up. Betrayal, double-crossing and the most delicious sting in the tail... I couldn't put it down.

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This was a fantastic, rip-roaring adventure full of atmosphere and local colour. Ellie and Clifford are such a good pairing. I love the constant tension between how Clifford thinks Eleanor should behave officially, and his impossible-to-deny admiration when she breaks all the rules. The cast of suspects was memorable, the cat-and-mouse scenes dramatic and the historical endnotes fascinating. I love these brilliant books. Top notch!

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Ellie and Clifford are at it again, this time with a mystery on board a Nile cruise. As it's a boat there's a finite group of suspects and obviously they are all lying about something, but what ? I enjoyed this story. There were very few clues to go on and I'll be honest, I wondered how they would ever manage to figure out whodunnit. The vagueness of the documents they find is a bit annoying. I mean if you want someone to figure it all out for you, why be so damn cryptic. Of course, it works well as a plot piece, but really? Sadly, there's not much interaction with the ladies and the terrible two in this story and Hugh doesn't feature at all, hence the 4 stars - I want more Hugh !

Thank-you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book

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