A Midwinter Murder

A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery, Book 20

De: Verity Bright

Narrado por: Karen Cass

Homemade baubles, reindeer-shaped cookies and snowy walks across the rolling moors… but Lady Swift’s festive plans are ruined when a body turns up!

Winter 1924. When Lady Eleanor Swift unexpectedly finds herself a guest of the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke, she’s determined to enjoy Christmas with all the trimmings at his sprawling manor house. And that includes kisses under the mistletoe and cozying up by the fire with her fiancé, dashing detective Hugh Seldon.

Instead, the season of goodwill turns frosty as she finds the Duke’s studious secretary, Mr Porritt, dead in the storeroom. Clasped in his chilly hand is a golden pendant in the shape of a rose. The Duke denies ever having seen the necklace before. But Eleanor can see the lies in his eyes… Did it belong to his mysteriously absent wife?

Hugh and Eleanor must ditch relaxing with hot cocoa in favour of interviewing the Duke’s holiday guests. Every suspect has a secret they’d kill to keep: the socialite with the false name, the Sir with a questionable inheritance and the husband hiding a crack in his marriage.

As the blizzard outside rages, Auldwyke Hall becomes cut off. Trapped by the snow, Eleanor and Hugh must skate around the increasingly secretive Duke to unwrap the identity of the killer. But does the answer to the secretary’s murder lie with a ghost of Christmas past? And when an attempt is made on the Duke’s life too, they realise the killer is closer than they think…

A gripping and twisty Golden Age murder mystery set in a country house on the Yorkshire moors, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!

©2024 Verity Bright (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Excellent Read

I did not want it to end! This book has it all, Christmas festivities, murder & mayhem, witty dialogue, romance, and all my favorite characters. Eleanor, Hugh, Clifford, and the Ladies are all present and accounted for, as Eleanor's plans for a magically romantic Christmas with Hugh meet with one challenge after another, but Lady Swift and her people never give up. I am hopeful that we will see more of the young constable who is introduced in this adventure. This is a delightful read, and I anxiously await the next book in the series scheduled to release in March 2025.

In addition to the very skillful story telling by the team that is Verify Bright, I enjoy the historical notes following the conclusion of the story that give readers a glimpse into real life that inspires or forms the basis for the fictional versions in the story.

As always, Karen Cass does an excellent job of voicing these characters and bringing them to life.

My favorite so far

Something about the interaction / collaboration between Hugh and Eleanor. And that she's talking to herself less which I suppose is a result of that? I don't know but just really enjoyed this book.

Phew!

Was nervous for this one, as her last book didn’t seem up to par. Thankfully, this was a hit! Much more in line with her previous books, can’t wait for the next one!

Always wonderful!

Always great! I wish the next one was available NOW! Buti I must be patient!

Story line was new.

I expected a nice little “b” story, but was surprised to get quite a nice new story line with characters I really liked. I had never read a book by this author before but certainly will again.