Lady Eleanor and her new husband Detective Hugh Seldon are honeymooning in Paris. Luckily they have taken Clifford, their butler, with them as he soon becomes vital to helping them solve the case when a man dies in a rather scary way in the hotel restaurant. There follows a twisty, tricky mystery as our three sleuths work to solve the crime. Four really as Gladstone, the bulldog is there as well.

I really enjoyed this story. Eleanor, Hugh and Clifford have all evolved hugely over the period of this series and I cannot help but enjoy the jokey, but very caring relationships between them all. I also loved the Paris setting and the many historical facts which just slipped in naturally into the tale.

I have enjoyed every book in this series but give this one full marks for being the best of them all.

An excellent adventure for Ellie, her love, Clifford and Gladstone. It's very twisty and the most fraught adventure yet. My subconscious actually put it together but there was so much going on, I forgot about my earlier thought and couldn't put the book down.

Paris of the 1920s plays a huge role in the story, almost a major character. Can you imagine a time when the Impressionist painters were not well known and their art was only just beginning to sell for a lot of money? Can you imagine when the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world and when elevators were so new, just taking one up the tower was scary enough without thinking about how high up you were. The rooftop party was interesting and really helped created the 1920s setting. I can't imagine NOT going to Paris and geeking out in Montmatre! the windmill! I love Impressionist art and I loved seeing the familiar scenes from the paintings come to life with the characters. Ellie is not an art connoisseur and even Clifford seems to be unfamiliar with the Impressionists. I want to jump into the book and hang out with Ellie and show her all of my favorite paintings and tell her about the artists. I'm not a fan of post-Impressionism as much and that's what she's seeing in this adventure but I'd still recognize a famous painting if I saw one. It was fun to time travel and see everything fresh and new. If you don't know much about French art of the early 20th-century, this book has just enough information to send readers looking for pictures but not too much to be boring.

Watching the development of these characters has been wonderful. Ellie arrived with a chip on her shoulder, ready to sell Henley Hall, convinced Clifford was trying to kill her and now look at her! She banters with Clifford like the brother she never had and he adores her. Even if he acts like a devoted servant, they're family. Ellie took awhile to figure out what she wanted and how she wanted to live her life and now she's self-assured and mature. Hugh arrived on the scene grumpy and tried to arrest Ellie. Now they're madly in love and he's so very sweet! Who knew Hugh was a romantic? Ellie does have some trepidations about marriage after her first ended in a spectacular failure but doesn't dwell on it too long. She knows that wasn't her fault and she knows in her heart Hugh loves her and won't let her down and she loves him and would never hurt him. They are the real deal - happily ever after! And Hugh inviting Clifford on the honeymoon signifies Hugh's awareness of how important Ellie's found family is to her. It's too bad she didn't get to reconcile with her uncle but I think somehow he knows how much she loves him. Ellie's endless compassion and empathy make her one of the most appealing cozy mystery sleuths I've ever read.

This is the most hair-raising adventure yet and I hope the rest of the trip is uneventful!

Lady Eleanor Swift and her new husband, Detective Inspector Hugh Seldon of Scotland Yard, have arrived in Paris to begin their honeymoon, a delightful surprise for Eleanor. With them is of course, Clifford, and Gladstone, the madcap bulldog. Dining at the luxurious restaurant, which was part of the hotel, on the night of their arrival, their meal had barely begun when a man crashed through the skylight and landed on the table in front of Eleanor, Hugh and Clifford, spraying glass everywhere. As Eleanor did her best for the poor man, including taking an item he pressed into her hand before he died, she vowed to discover what had happened to him. And so their relaxing, romantic honeymoon was disrupted completely, as they raced to clear their names, and find a killer before they murdered again. Why does this always happen to Ellie?

Death at a Paris Hotel is the 22nd in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by husband and wife team, Verity Bright and once again it's an exceptional read. Learning in the last few days that the wife of the partnership, Laura, had recently passed away saddened me, and I send deepest sympathies to her husband, Mark. I really enjoy Eleanor's character; tenacious, stubborn, determined and compassionate are a few words to describe her. Then there's Clifford who is stoic and strong, but often makes me laugh. He's a real character. And now, Hugh fits in well. A great team! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.

For Lady Eleanor Swift, Paris means champagne at breakfast, romantic walks by the Eiffel Tower… and her deadliest case yet! It is a well written novel, with punchy dialogue that rings true, and the descriptive writing brings the scenes to life.

Eleanor and Hugh are on their honeymoon in Paris under the watcheye eye of their butler, Clifford. What could possibly go wrong?

Murder and mayhem seems to follow Lady Swift even on her honeymoon!

Another wonderful witty read that will have to right there with the delightful characters until the end!

This cosy mystery has it all, a beautiful, atmospheric setting, plenty of peril, lots of twists and turns and romance too, as it takes place during Ellie and Hugh’s honeymoon! They, Clifford and Gladstone form the perfect team to solve a very dramatic murder. It’s impossible to tell friend from foe and the book kept me guessing until the satisfying reveal at the end. Death at a Paris Hotel is a fabulous new instalment in this tremendous series. Highly recommended!

Eleanor and Hugh (along with Clifford and Master Gladstone, of course) are off to Paris for their honeymoon. They have barely enjoyed the delights of married life when a dead body literally falls in Eleanor's lap.

Death at the Paris Hotel is book 22 of the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series. You don't have to read all the previous books to enjoy this one. Actually, if you haven't picked up this series, this book would be a great one to start with. Eleanor and Hugh are on their honeymoon in Paris, so the only regular characters that are present are those two, plus Eleanor's butler, Clifford, and bulldog Gladstone. So you won't have to figure out a lot of character relationships.

I thought this one was really fun. I love how well Hugh, Eleanor, and Clifford work together on a case. I was worried about how adding a third would affect the dynamic, but it has enhanced it. I love how Hugh has just resigned himself to going along with Eleanor's schemes.

The mystery is complex and not easily solved. There are quite a few characters in this book and as we don't know any of them, we can't rule out anyone. Of course, they are all hiding something, which makes them all very suspicious.

I think this might be my favorite book of the series, and I'm so looking forward to more of Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford solving crimes.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Wednesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/06/death-at-paris-hotel-by-verity-bright.html

Eleanor and her husband Seldon are at last honeymooning in Paris with Clifford and Gladstone the dog accompanying them. On the first night during dinner, a man falls through the glass roof and lands on their table. Before he dies , he presses a pearl brooch into her hands. The police arrive, and it appears he had just been at an art museum down the street and was thought to have stolen something. They go along with the police to the museum. It appears the man was an artist who wasn't doing very well. However, the man's father was a very good artist, For some reason, the police suddenly think they are all involved with the theft, and they spend a night in jail. When they are out on bail, they are invited to stay with a wealthy man in the country. They meet the dead man's mother, and find out that Eleanor's parents had visited her many years before and she gave Ely some old letters from her parents. The story involves some bad police as well as bad museum employees. However, the bridal pair and Clifford finally are allowed to go home.

I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

This is a lighthearted historical cozy set in Paris. While Lady Eleanor and her new husband Detective Hugh Seldon are toasting their marriage at a fancy restaurant, a man falls through the glass roof right onto their table. Right before he dies, the man presses a beautiful pearl brooch into Eleanor's hand. The police arrive and immediately accuse Eleanor and Hugh of helping the victim rob the nearby museum. Eleanor, Hugh, and her butler Clifford, work together to clear their names. This book had red herrings galore, suspense, adventure, and a splash of humor sprinkled throughout. What a fun read!

The Eleanor Swift mysteries are reliable books with a set formula. If you enjoyed one, you'll enjoy them all. There's a lot to be said for being able to reach for a book that you know you'll like. They are classic cosy crime, with every feature and cliche you'd expect, and are really well done. You can read them in order, but they're also quite possible to pick up cold, as the accessible style and familiar format make them easy to enjoy separately.

In this latest adventure, Ellie and her new husband are in Paris enjoying their honeymoon. The enjoyment is quickly curtailed when a dying man literally drops on them from above. It's so audaciously daft that you can't help but smile. Rather than coyly try to cover up the essential silliness of this type of book, Bright simply leans into it - although they are not satirical, just unashamedly what they are. And it works. Whereas I often get annoyed at the implausibility of cosy (and non-cosy) crime books, I never do with these.

So Ellie sets off around Paris trying to find out what happened, assisted as always by her husband Hugh, butler Clifford, and bulldog Gladstone. Naturally there are uncaring policemen who don't appreciate her efforts/interference (and this time they are French, which is even better as no character does disapproving aloofness as well as a cliched Parisian), and a whole host of possible suspects, all of whom speak surprisingly good English. And of course someone gets pushed off the Eiffel tower (you'd have been disappointed if they hadn't). I did miss the presence of Ellie's other servants, who make a loveable Greek chorus in the background of the books set in England.

If you want gritty or realistic crime then these are clearly not for you. But if you want the perfectly tailored cosy crime novel, then you really cannot do any better than this series. I love them.

Lady Eleanor does it again!

After finally marrying the man of her dreams and on her honeymoon in Paris, you might be forgiven for thinking Eleanor deserves a break and rest from her sleuthing. Instead, a man drops dead in front of her - literally, having fallen from the sky above her.

This was another very entertaining mystery. The supporting characters, as ever were a joy, from the familiar such as her butler and her bulldog, to one offs such as the Paris detective or the list of suspects that cover all possibilities. If you've read and enjoyed any of the previous Eleanor Swift stories, you will enjoy this one just as much. It's more of the same, which is no bad thing for someone who enjoys a cosy murder mystery. The story moves on at a good pace, characters are explained well, and the answers make sense.

We also get some new nuggets about Eleanor's past, as this story turns out to be far more personal than anyone, even the lady herself, originally realises. It was heart-warming and heart-breaking in equal measures.

I discovered Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor Swift series about two years ago. I immediately LOVED this series. I quickly made it through about 15 of them, and then, sadly, had to begin waiting for new releases. So, you can imagine my excitement when I was chosen to read the newest novel, Death at a Paris Hotel, before its release!

I loved this book! Of course, it's always lovely to pop back into Ellie's world, and this time, with Hugh and of course, Clifford, in tow on her honeymoon in Paris. I connected to this book, especially, as I had the great fortune of visiting Paris on my honeymoon. While nearly a century separated our visits, there were still familiar roads, landmarks, and streets, that felt familiar in the location of this latest installment.

If you've enjoyed this series' prior adventures, you will heartly enjoy this one! We get the usual banter, relationship dynamics, and high jinks, but we also get insight into more of Ellie's younger years, which I have been waiting to know more about.

Just go read this. Order it in advance and cozy up for a one-day read-a-thon. Why not?!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Verity Bright for this advanced read!

thrilling cozy set in France - Art, Murder, and Theft

This book was a little more intense than the other in the series, but it was very entertaining. We see a shift in Selvyn and Cliftons' demeanors and Ellie taking more of a lead than usual.

The author gives us more hints about Ellie's past and maybe a new future for the three of them. Selvyn is pondering what to do now that he is married to a lady of the realm.

The mystery was good, but a little too many red herrings. A young painter is killed most strangely, falling from the ceiling onto Eleanor's dining table. She soon finds herself, her new husband, and Clifton as accomplices to a robbery and murder, and is placed under arrest. This is not a spoiler, but I loved the part where she identifies the painting and where it was done.

This was a good mystery, and I can't wait to see what the next installment brings.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "Death at a Paris Hotel" the 22nd book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series, in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story starts in Paris, 3 days after Ellie and DCI Hugh Seldon's wedding. They are on their honeymoon and have brought Clifford and Master Gladstone with them. Sadly the ladies are not featured in this story but they are mentioned.

Of course, no trip with Ellie can be free of mayhem, so when they are dining in the hotel restaurant it is not surprising that a body falls through the atrium roof onto their table. The hotel manager is a tad shady because instead of calling a doctor, he calls the police first. Before dying the man presses something into Ellie's hand. She feels that the item is something that is from her memory but she's not sure why. The police arrive at the conclusion that Ellie knew the man and that she was his accomplice. They say that there was a theft at the Musée d'Art Contemporain but the Musés's director insists that nothing is missing from any collection.

Ellie is sure that the police have it wrong and the man was pushed, he did not fall into the restaurant. So our trio get involved in the investigation because according to Clifford this is a holiday Lady Swift style. Ellie is far from being the titled lady that she is expected to be. Brought to light with Clifford marking a passage in an etiquette book about how to behave in a hotel.

The author included the interesting "secret" apartment of Gustav Eiffel's at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, if Ellie is there then there is another body. Ellie is more determined than ever to solve this mystery because she feels she can't let the man from the restaurant down.

There is a lot of evidence planting, false imprisonment, a mysterious Le Compte, before Ellie makes a stunning revelation that the reader would not have seen coming.

The reader is left wondering what the new venture our trio has planned and really what could go wrong if Ellie is involved. Another fabulous addition to the series with great descriptions of Paris and historical references. Looking forward to where the adventure leads out friends in the next book!

Having finally married the man of her dreams, Lady Eleanor Swift is honeymooning in the most romantic city in the world, Paris, with the suave and equally besotted Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. With her butler, Clifford and bulldog, Gladstone, also accompanying them romance, friendship, and laughter, is the order of the day until a body crash lands in her celebration dinner! Determined to solve the murder of a young man she feels an immediate but unexpected connection to, Eleanor has soon persuaded her companions to help, as she usually does! Danger and lies follow them continuously and, with very little understanding of the language and no idea who they can trust, they are truly alone in a foreign land with no one else to call on. Will Ellie sort through the clues and deceptions, or will her honeymoon be her last hurrah?

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved every word of this, from the romantic excursions, through Seldon's protective devotion, and his and Clifford's awkwardness at some of Eleanor's antics, to the big reveal. Married life definitely suits this series. Highly recommended.