Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett is the first book in A High Society Lady Detective series. Olive Belgrave has left her family home and struck out on her own to live in London. She has been unsuccessful at finding a position despite her education. She gets a desperate telegram from her cousin, Gwen Stone asking her to visit their home, Parkview. Gwen’s flighty sister, Irene has gotten herself engaged to Alfred Eton. Violet’s mother, Caroline and Gwen are not fans of the man, and he has provided few details on his background. Caroline wants to hire a private investigator, but she does not wish to associate with any unsavory types. Olive volunteers to dig into Alfred’s history and the family insists on paying her. Sebastian Blakely, society photographer and Alfred’s godfather, is hosting a weekend party which allow Olive to ask subtle questions. The party is off to roaring start until one of the guests ends up dead and Violet is the prime suspect. Olive must expose the killer before her cousin is hauled off to the hoosegow.

Murder at Archly Manor gives us a lively main character in Olive. Her father recently remarried a woman who prefers Olive to be out of the house and keeps pushing her to marry the local curate (he is odious). Olive was attending college in America until her father lost her college fund on a scheme. Olive is smart, pretty and fashionable which is the last thing a woman of the house wants in a governess. I found Murder at Archly Manor easy to read thanks to the authors breezy writing style and steady pacing. Sara Rosett captured the era with the hairstyles, attitudes, language (slang) and fashions. I wish the author had provided more background information on Olive and key details on other characters (last names for example). The murder takes place around the thirty percent mark which I felt was a little late in the story. There are several suspects, a red herring and good clues to aid readers in solving the whodunit. Murder at Archly Manor is a light, humorous historical cozy mystery that will transport you back to the roaring 20s. The next novel in A High Society Lady Detective series is Murder at Blackburn Hall.

Olive Belgrave has become desperate for employment but it is not easy in London of 1923. But her family knowing of her quick and inquisitive mind, her aunt asks that she investigate her cousins' fiance as he doesn't seem quite the right thing. All this leads to a house party and a body.
An enjoyable cozy mystery to start off the series, the characters were a likeable bunch and quite varied, hopefully some will reappear in the next book.

As Autumn nights draw in my go to genre of choice is a murder mystery. They are comforting bowl of soup and freshly baked bread on a cold day.

Murder at Archly Hall totally fits the bill.

Aristocratic, but down on her luck, Olive Belgrave is searching for employment in 1920's London. Even her connections aren't paying off when she receives a telegram to return to her family estate. Olive's cousin Violet has become engaged to Alfred Eton, a young man whose life in the colonies and heritage remain a mystery and who may not be a suitable match. Aunt Caroline employs Olive to use her skills and social connections to investigate.

Intrepid Olive heads off to an extravagant house party hosted by photographer Sebastian Blakely, Alfred's wealthy but unlikeable godfather and friend to dig up some dirt on her cousin's future husband, but as a firework display is underway a murder occurs.

With cousin Violet as a prime suspect, Olive sets  out to prove her innocence and find out exactly what has happened and why.

Olive herself is by far the star of Sara Rosett's book. Her narrative style is chatty and easy to read but doesn't skimp on atmospheric detail. She reminds me of Daisy Dalrymple but with more fun and more sass. The story was compelling and I thoroughly enjoyed solving this country house murder. I'll definitely look out for Olive's future adventures and more books in the High Society Lady Detective series.

Thanks to Kobo Writing Life and Net Galley for this free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Olive's new stepmother has pushed her rather forcibly out of her father's house. Unfortunately, Olive has no skills. Her father spent her college money on some scheme. And, unfortunately, his schemes never come out. She's rather desperate when her cousin asks her for help. It seems her other cousin, Violet, is engaged to a man who is wholly ineligible. Or at least he seems so at first glance. Olive agrees to look into the man's past for a slight fee.
Invited to a party at Alfred's godfather's house, Olive finds herself among the fast set. And it gets even faster when Alfred is thrown off a balcony. Violet immediately becomes the most likely suspect. Especially since she was one of the only people upstairs at the time of the murder.
I really liked this story and look forward to the next in the series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 1`5
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

This is my very first historical cozy mystery. And guess what? I am super impressed! This book was not only glamorous but had a fantastic mystery. I was enamored in the story and am so excited to read the next book! I hope it comes soon because I don't know if I can take the wait!

I have a weakness for well written mysteries with very interesting people involved. I started this book because I wanted a break from the kind of books I was reading and was rewarded for making that choice. I read this book in two sittings, two only because I had to sleep. We are introduced to our leading lady Olive Belgrave. She is on a hunt for a job as she's strapped for cash. Her cousin then gets herself entangled in an unwelcome relationship ( unwelcome by her family that is). Olive offers to look into it in a sort of official capacity. 

What unfolds next are a sequence of events which are essential to a tale of this kind: murder,suspicion, misdirection and a final reveal. The highlight of the experience is not the case itself but the world we are introduced to, the people and the goings on. It did feel like the story played out in a very different era.There was some action thrown in and the ending was very believable in context with all that we have been told about the case at hand( that is something that is sometimes hard to come by). 

It was very simple but it held my attention and I am really looking forward to what Olive would do next! I actually even found the notes written by the author at the end of the book interesting and felt it an extension of how to understand Olive better.

"A high society murder. A spirited lady detective. Can she out-class the killer before an innocent person takes the fall?

London, 1923. Olive Belgrave needs a job. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, she’s penniless. Determined to support herself, she jumps at an unconventional job—looking into the background of her cousin’s fiancé, Alfred.

Alfred burst into the upper crust world of London’s high society, but his answers to questions about his past are decidedly vague. Before Olive can gather more than the basics, a murder occurs at a posh party. Suddenly, every Bright Young Person in attendance is a suspect, and Olive must race to find the culprit because a sly murderer is determined to make sure Olive’s first case is her last.

Murder at Archly Manor is the first in the High Society Lady Detective series of charming historical cozy mysteries. If you like witty banter, glamorous settings, and delightful plot twists, you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett’s series for Anglophiles and mystery lovers alike.

Travel back to the Golden Age of detective fiction with Murder at Archly Manor."

It's a golden week for new mystery series, and if I do say so myself, I always have a soft spot for the 1920s and murder!