A Very English Murder

A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery, Book 1

By: Verity Bright

Narrated by: Karen Cass

An absolutely gripping cozy murder mystery

Move over Miss Marple, there’s a new sleuth in town! Meet Eleanor Swift: distinguished adventurer, dog lover, dignified lady…daring detective?

England, 1920. Eleanor Swift has spent the last few years travelling the world: taking tea in China, tasting alligators in Peru, escaping bandits in Persia and she has just arrived in England after a chaotic 45-day flight from South Africa. Chipstone is about the sleepiest town you could have the misfortune to meet. And to add to these indignities - she’s now a Lady.

Lady Eleanor, as she would prefer not to be known, reluctantly returns to her uncle’s home, Henley Hall. Now Lord Henley is gone, she is the owner of the cold and musty manor. What’s a girl to do? Well, befriend the household dog, Gladstone, for a start, and head straight out for a walk in the English countryside, even though a storm is brewing....

But then, from the edge of a quarry, through the driving rain, Eleanor is shocked to see a man shot and killed in the distance. Before she can climb down to the spot, the villain is gone and the body has vanished. With no victim and the local police convinced she’s stirring up trouble, Eleanor vows to solve this affair by herself. And when her brakes are mysteriously cut, one thing seems sure: someone in this quiet country town has Lady Eleanor Swift in their murderous sights....

If you enjoy witty dialogue, glamorous intrigue, and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Verity Bright’s whodunit, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey, and Downton Abbey!

©2020 Verity Bright (P)2020 Bookouture

weak

the main character is difficult to like. she acts hastily and unwisely and justifies her actions as some kind of womens lib.

cute & cozy

It was a cute, cozy mystery, but Lady Eleanor was a just a little stupid, running around telling all that she knew when they could have been involved in the crime.

Could Not Put It Down

The story kept me guessing to the very end. I really liked Lady Swift and Clifford. There was no boring filler in the story. The narrator was excellent. I look forward to more!!

Fun story overall.

There were a couple of times that I really wanted to slap the main character for being stupid but I find that to be fairly common in this type of story. I still enjoyed the story though.

Too Long for No Reason

I know that mysteries need extra material throughout to build and support and add interest, but there’s a fine line between build/support and trail on needlessly. This does the latter. To be clear, this is my first and last Verity Bright mystery.