Lady Takes the Case is the first book in this historical mystery series. Set in England 1912 at Danby Hall, Lady Cecilia Bates and her sidekick Jack the Cat are on the case when a dinner party at Danby Hall goes wrong. A guest sips from poisoned glass meant for American heiress Annabel Clarke.

Lady Cecilia is left to find out if a resident of Danby tried to kill the arrogant Annabel, or if one of their guests is out to make trouble for the Bates family.

Overall the mystery is a fun whodunnit to unravel with Lady Cecilia and her cat, however nothing too exciting to write about.

After Not the Girl You Marry‘s cynicism, it was refreshing to discover a cozy, well-written historical mystery with an engaging, likeable heroine, her “downstairs” sidekick, A CAT NAMED JACK (who saves the day), a Yorkshire setting (one of my favourite places in the world), and a Christie-esque closed-manor murder. Our heroine is nineteen-year-old Lady Cecilia Bates of Danby Hall; her mother, the Duchess, determined to save the crumbling manor and family’s waning finances by arranging a lucrative marriage for her son; the Duke, urbane and warm, sells off the family treasures, piece by piece, to keep staff, grounds, tenants, and family; the heir, Patrick, handsome, but distracted and solely focussed on his botanical experiments. When the novel opens, Danby Hall awaits the arrival of Miss Annabel Clarke, the swimming-in-money American bride-to-be, whose fortune will save Danby Hall in exchange for a Duchess’s title. Lady Avebury has rallied the staff and her family to welcome Annabel with balls, masquerades, garden parties, and picnics. To that end, she has invited neighbouring aristos, as well as interesting London-based guests, one of whom, Richard Hayes, famous explorer, expires of strychnine poisoning at the first grand dinner. The spoiled, mercurial heiress believes the poison was meant for her, but Lady Cecilia Bates and the heiress’s New-Jersey-born lady’s maid, Jane, with Jack’s help, are on the case.

Like the wonderful Poppy Redfern I read a while ago, what gives Lady Takes the Case its charm is the character ensemble and loveable figure of Cecilia Bates. While Cecilia, maid Jane, and cat Jack, question, prod, and sneak into secret hidey-holes to discover who killed Hayes, the novel is permeated with the atmosphere of the old manor and its denizens, which spill out, delightfully, into a great group of villagers. At nineteen, Cecilia possesses a lovely ingenue quality, but she’s also smart, kind, and warm. She reads sensational and sentimental novels, knows and loves every nook and cranny of Danby Hall, and, most astutely, realizes the world is changing.

Many a moment arrives when Cecilia will muse about the changes coming to society, the possibilities, especially for women, of a life beyond hearth and home. Cecilia, though she had her come-out in last year’s London season, isn’t husband-hunting: “Cecilia sighed. No wonder she was so reluctant to get married herself.” Cecilia’s sentiments are echoed in the American lady’s maid’s, Jane’s, thoughts: “Jane didn’t want to marry. Not yet. She was sure there were adventures to be had first.” In two of the unlikeliest of young woman, one, an aristocrat; the other, a maid, we see a desire in young women for a life other than of marriage, though they both have an attraction to a nearby young man; their first thoughts are of attraction, not marriage. Cecilia muses about the necessity even for her brother to marry to save the family estate: ” … even if Cecilia chafed to be free, she did understand her mother’s worries. Understood what drove her. Cecilia loved that land, too, loved their home and the history of it all. But surely, there had to be another way to save it all, without sacrificing the Bates children’s happiness?” Cecilia’s understanding of this tension between the value and beauty of the land and manor with the urge to make choices for herself is one of the themes that makes this closed-manor murder mystery all the more compelling and deep.

The mystery too is part of the changing landscape of England’s Edwardian history. Cecilia’s father, a charming, kind man presides over a crumbling manor, no matter its beauty and tradition, maybe because of it. Cecilia’s mother, like Mrs. Bennett, desperate for decent marriages for her children, under her command, her heart is in the right place: to ensure their home and future. With Annabel’s arrival, that new element, the brash, wealthy American enters the ancient house. And with the murder, the changing outside world makes for an invasion (and it’s seen a few) that Danby Hall has yet to experience. Cecilia is very much aware of this: “Cecilia … knew how things had changed in the last few years. The old ways, when families at Danby ruled their fiefdoms and were not questioned, were allowed to run their own affairs as they saw fit, were gone. She wasn’t sure her parents would ever see that.” Though I had long-guessed the mystery’s resolution, the reasons behind and the machinations around it were way more interesting: sexual harassment, greed, manipulation.

Lest you think that Lady Takes the Case is humourless, I will give you a hint of some of its delights. A village of adorables, a cat with a propensity for pouncing on ribbons and solving crimes, witty dialogue, two sleuthing friends, Jane and Cecilia, with a shared love of books, especially romantic and sensational ones. And lest you think it is romance-void, I will hint at one cross-class tall, handsome Viking of a young man for Cecilia, who is kind, funny, and protective. And yes, another one for Jane too. I enjoyed every moment of Casey’s first-in-series and urge lovers of cozy mystery, cats, and a dab of romance to read it too. Also, I am eagerly awaiting the second in the series, out in June, where our Cecilia ventures forth and meets some suffragettes! With Miss Austen, we deem Lady Takes the Case possessed of “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

Eliza Casey’s Lady Takes the Case is published by Berkley Prime Crime. It was released in November 2019 and may be procured at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley from Berkley Prime Crime, via Netgalley.

Very happy I read this delightful romp in 1912 England. Lady Cecilia was charming and Jane was very sweet. The mystery was also enjoyable. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

This book is set in Danby Hall in England in 1912. The descriptions of the house and its grounds and of the clothing that was worn were wonderful. It really made me feel like I was there observing it for myself. I also loved the descriptions of all of the shops in town, especially the Misses Moffat's tea shop. I like Lady Cecelia and how she wants to protect her brother, so she starts investigating what happened to their guest, with the help of Jane, one of the ladies maids. The characters are engaging and I enjoyed the history included in the story. The mystery was also very well plotted. I can't wait to see what happens next at Danby Hall and what Lady Avebury has planned next for her children's future.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"LADY TAKES THE CASE" BY Eliza Casey

I love a great Historical Mystery story sub genre and this debut novel of the Manor Cat Mystery Series is an amazing beginning to series I will be looking forward to. The setting is in the Danby Hall in 1912 and Eliza Casey writes a wonderful cast of characters that include Lady Cecilia Bates and her sidekick Jack the Cat. I love the historical detail that Eliza Casey writes within this lovely mystery story. Its Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie and I cannot have enough of this amazing start of a great series. I am certainly now a fan of this one.

This was an exciting read for me and one that I thoroughly enjoyed in one sitting. The pacing is great and the characters are absolutely vivid and engaging. What a lovely ride back in time for this amazing cozy mystery.

Stevie‘s review of Lady Takes the Case (Manor Cat Mystery, Book 1) by Eliza Casey
Historical Mystery published by Berkley 26 Nov 19

I have a great fondness for stories set immediately prior to the First World War, with all the ongoing and upcoming upheaval that the setting involves. If there’s a mystery at the heart of the story, so much the better. Having said all that, I also like a story that has a proper feel for the times and the people, and an acknowledgement that these aren’t just modern people inhabiting period costumes. A proper sense of place is also high on my list of requirements. This story started off so well, with a suitably cinematic prologue. Sadly things went rapidly downhill from there…


Danby Hall, the seat of the Earl of Avebury, is splendidly described at the beginning of the book, although we soon learn that the Earl is struggling to maintain the house and family in a suitably grand manner. We also learn that the story is set somewhere near Leeds, which doesn’t really fit with the naming of the earldom, but hey ho, there are notable exceptions to that rule. I’m not entirely sure that the family of an ancient Earldom would have the surname Bates, either. All that said, the story proper begins some days before our exciting prologue, as Lady Cecilia and the rest of the household await the arrival of the American heiress, whom they all assume will save the family finances by falling for and marrying Cecilia’s rather unworldly brother.

The family have planned an elaborate dinner party to show off, and show off to, their guest and have invited a number of local personalities, along with a famous explorer. When the explorer drops dead – poisoned – during the meal, Cecilia finds herself investigating the crime, since the police seem determined to make her brother, with his ‘suspicious’ botanical experiments, their chief suspect. Cecilia is aided in her endeavours by the heiress’ relatively new maid, and also by the maid’s pet cat – acquired on their voyage from the US.

This could have been a good story, even if the cat was a trifle too dog-like for my liking (my kittens are terribly unhelpful at pretty much everything), but it lacked both a proper feel for the manners of the age and any sort of understanding of the geography of the region and of Yorkshire villages in general. If it had been set in the Home Counties, I might have given it a little more leeway, but the idea of sending a servant from Leeds to London for last-minute supplies just made me boggle (not to mention the idea that a village near Leeds would have raspberries out of season, whether in insufficient numbers or not).

I think I’ll avoid the next in the series, even if some of the descriptions were pleasingly vivid.

Grade: D

Eliza Casey introduces the Manor Cat Mysteries with Lady Takes the Case. Danby Hall is hosting a country party to introduce Annabel Clarke, an American heiress to the heir. Lady Cecilia Bates, his sister, is sharing a maid with the American; the maid has an enigmatic cat with some skill in pointing to possible suspects in the murder of an explorer and fellow house guest Mr. Hayes. Who is suspect? Annabel, who claims she is the murder target? The Viscount, the Danby heir, a plant expert? The investigations of the police and the family collide in the following days. Historical cozy prior to the First World War. Lady Cecilia joins up with the maid to find out who is guilty.

Lady Takes the Case is a great start to a new historical mystery series! I loved the setting (1912 England), the old estate, the mystery (well plotted!) and the cat! A fun read - looking forward to more in this series.

Review will be posted on 12/10/19

While Danby Hall is a beautiful estate, it's upkeep is a difficult undertaking, which is the situation regarding most of the grand estates in England. There's only one way to save Danby and it's American money. Many of the British aristocracy married American heiresses in order to save their family's estate and that's the hope of Lady Avebury. She hopes that she can arrange a marriage between her son, Patrick, and the American heiress, Annabel Clarke. When Annabel comes to visit Danby, they are hoping she will be enamored with its grandness and its history. However, during a dinner party, disaster ensues. One of the guests, a famous world explorer, falls ill during the dinner party and dies. Everyone is a suspect, especially Patrick who has a laboratory filled with herbs, plants, and the like. When the Inspector starts questioning Patrick, Lady Cecelia Bates, Patrick's sister, gets concerned, because knows that Patrick wouldn't harm anyone. Lady Cecelia forms a friendship with Annabel's maid, Jane, and together, along with Jane's cat, they figure out who is responsible for this horrific dinner party murder. Having a friend like Jane, Cecelia is privy to the going ons downstairs as well as the details surrounding the new footman. Lady Takes the Case by Eliza Casey is a cozy historical mystery that's perfect for fans of Downton Abbey as well as Jane Austen.

Lady Cecilia is an interesting and unconventional character in Lady Takes the Case. She is already "out" in society, but hasn't had any offers. So, she throws herself into figuring out who is responsible for the murder of traveler, Hayes. There are many suspects--Annabel, the new footman, someone else from downstairs or could it be.....her brother? It does raise a red flag that he was hesitant to get married to an American and also he has a laboratory where he does a variety of expeiments using various concoctions. Things aren't looking promising for Patrick, which is why Cecelia gets involved with the help of Annabel's maid, Jane. Normally someone of Cecelia's social set wouldn't be involved with a lady's maid, but Cecelia marches to the beat of her own drum, which I appreciated.

All of the secondary characters in Lady Takes the Case were a lot of fun. They were mysterious, interesting, and reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel. I wasn't quite sure who the murder could be and enjoyed going along the ride with Cecelia. This wasn't an edge of your seat murder mystery though; it was more of a cozy read that's perfect for the holiday season.

The whole upstairs/downstairs vibe in Lady Takes the Case along with the great family estate is also similar to Downton Abbey, especially with the quest to find an American heiress in order to keep the estate up and running. I think this new hysterical mystery series will definitely be a hit with fan the show.

So, if you like to cozy up this holiday season with a mystery that won't give you high blood pressure, but rather make it feel like you are watching your favorite Masterpiece TV show, I urge you to pick up Lady Takes the Case. I look forward to book two as the ending of book one left me gasping!

This was an enjoyable, easy-to-read mystery. I guessed part of the solution to the mystery fairly early on, but I still enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy historical mysteries and is also a fan of Downton Abbey. I will be looking forward to more books in this series.

"When a dinner party turns deadly, the feisty Lady Cecilia Bates and intuitive cat Jack are on the case, in this first entry to an exciting new historical-mystery series.

England 1912. Danby Hall is the only home Lady Cecilia Bates has ever known. Despite the rigid rules of etiquette and her mother the Countess of Avebury's fervent desire to see her married off, Lady Cecilia can't imagine life anywhere else. But now, with an agricultural depression sweeping the countryside, the Bates family's possession of the hall is suddenly in peril.

A possible solution arrives in the form of the imperious American heiress Annabel Clarke. The Earl and Countess of Avebury are determined that Cecilia's brother, Patrick, will win Annabel's hand in marriage - and her fortune along with it. To help the lackluster Patrick in this pursuit, the Bates and their staff arrange a grand house party upon the heiress's arrival.

When a guest dies after sipping from a glass meant for Annabel, it's clear the Bates have a more poisonous problem on their hands than a lack of chemistry. As the scandal seizes Danby, Cecilia sets out to find the culprit, with help from Annabel's maid, Jane, and Jane's curiously intelligent cat, Jack.

After the poison that someone had stashed away inside the manor is discovered, Cecilia is left with two possibilities: Either a resident of Danby snapped and tried to kill the arrogant heiress, or the threat is coming from one of their guests, who would love to see the Bates family's decline become permanent."

A house party with a side of murder and a crime fighting cat? Your perfect cozy for a cold winter day!

*** 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ***

This book covers a lot of firsts – I believe it is the first book by the author, it is the first book in this series and it is my first read by this author. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to request this book because I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a talking, magical cat or – well – something else. Happily, it turns out it is just a normal cat doing normal cat things and the sleuthing is left up to the two ladies.

The mystery itself isn’t too challenging to figure out, but it was interesting to see how the resolution unfolded. Historical mysteries are my favorite sub-genre and this fit right into that mold – although 1912 is a bit later than my normal reading period. I enjoyed the setting – a period when young ladies are trying to figure out what to do with themselves; the beginnings of the suffragette movement, etc. Given that, I think it will be fun to see Lady Cecilia work her way through what she wants for herself and her life – while solving mysteries, of course. In order to satisfy my reading requirements though, I’ll need a love interest for Cecilia and I didn’t see that. I did see one potential, though inappropriate, possibility in a private investigator who makes a brief appearance. We’ll just have to see what happens in the romance department before I decide whether to continue, long term, with the series.

The Blake family, like many others of the time, are titled and rich in properties, but poor in the money to actually support those properties or the lifestyles that go with them. If they don’t come up with a solution soon, they will be forced to sell their beautiful estate, Danby Hall. The family, Lady Cecilia, Lord Patrick (Viscount Bellham), and Lord Avebury are going along with Lady Avebury’s plan to marry Patrick off to an American heiress. Patrick is one of those lovely, sweet, befuddled people who is always lost in his own world of scientific (botany) experiments. He’s a very handsome young man, just oblivious to the world around him.

The Blake’s are hosting a house party with the American heiress, Annabel Clarke, as the guest of honor. It turns out the lady is quite a demanding, temperamental diva and is quite full of herself. Yet, she charms Patrick and he seems totally smitten. Cecilia notices some strange undercurrents among the guests, but they are a varied lot and some have old enmities. Most of the guests, however, don’t even know each other. That makes it really hard to figure out what is going on when a guest suddenly dies in the middle of dinner one evening. It seems he was poisoned and the heiress is sure that it was meant for her.

Lady Cecilia has always been curious about what was going on, but when it seems Patrick is the prime suspect, she is determined to solve the mystery. I love that Cecilia and Jane become instant friends and both have an insatiable curiosity. They work well together – one covers the upstairs folks and the other covers the belowstairs folks.

There was a lovely epilogue that sets up the next book, Lady Rights a Wrong, and that will be interesting to see. I’ll certainly read that addition to the series to see if a romance is added in and then I’ll decide whether to continue with the series or not.

This was a fun read and I think the author did a nice job of creating an interesting mystery with red herrings and distractions. I believe that Eliza Casey is a pseudonym for a multi-published author, but I don't know which one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cecelia knows there's something wrong at Danby. Paintings and other knock knacks have gone missing but no one is kicking up a fuss. Plus, it's just expensive to be in the upper classes of England these days. Her parents are trying to get her married off (lovingly, but there is still pressure) and they've invited am American heiress to a house party in the hopes that she will fall in love with Cecelia's brother, Patrick.
There is a brief moment of horror when the ship the heiress is on sinks but she does show up with her maid, Jane, in tow. The party begins but almost comes to an abrupt halt when one of the guests, a famous explorer, dies at dinner. The heiress is convinced the poison he drank was meant for her. There are more obvious reasons to kill the explorer but when there's another attack, it seems like she may be right.
Jane and Cecelia hit it off, bonding over the cat, Jack, that Jane rescued from the ship. And it is their work that helps them solve the case, but not before they are in some danger.
Some world building since this is the first book in the series and the ending was a little overdramatic but overall an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 26th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Groupand NetGalley
Opinions are my own

3.5 stars

This likable debut of a historical cozy series is set in pre World War I England. Lady Cecilia Bates and her brother Patrick and parents live in a grand but fading estate called Danby. Cecilia and Patrick need to marry well to insure the survival of their home.

An acquaintance has suggested Annabel Clarke, a rich American heiress, might be the answer. Patrick is a botanist and neither he nor Cecilia is terribly interested in society and the London season. Soon Annabel and her new maid Jane (and Jane's cat Jack) are headed out for a week of parties and events to meet the family.

Annabel is nearly scuttled enroute when her ship sinks, but she and Jane survive and soon she arrives. She is beautiful, spoiled, sometimes charming and sometimes difficult. The second night of her stay at dinner, a fellow guest dies at the table -- and the police say it's poison.

Cecilia and Jane begin asking questions because they know something is not right. Everyone has secrets, and obviously some of them are deadly.

Fun, light and entertaining. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in England in 1912, Lady Takes the Case is the first in a historical cozy mystery series featuring Cecelia Bates, a member of the aristocratic Bates family that is feeling the effects of the agricultural recession sweeping the nation. In an effort to see Cecelia's brother Patrick married off, a dinner party is arranged to introduce Patrick to wealthy American heiress Annabel Clark. During the dinner, a member of the party is killed and it soon becomes clear they were poisoned. With Patrick's interest in botany, Cecelia fears he will fall under suspicion. In an effort to save her brother from any negative association, she sets out to investigate with help from an unlikely source. Mrs Clark's lady's maid Jane lends a hand in the investigation and together the pair set out to uncover the killer.

Lady Takes the Case is the start of a fun new historical cozy series. Danby Hall was filled with interesting characters and made for a unique historical setting. I enjoyed the main heroines immensely and the mystery moved at a quick pace with some twists thrown in to keep it interesting. There were hints of a future romance for our feisty heroines as well and the ending was quite the cliffhanger. I look forward to future adventures featuring Cecelia and Jane and the rest of the Bates family.

A great light, cozy mystery, for when you just want to stay inside on a rainy day, and curl up with a book. The mystery isn't anything crazy, and I figured the main parts of what was going on pretty early on, but there were some good little twists towards the end. Heroine was actually intelligent as well, if not a bit sheltered, but it seemed the events of this book gave Cecilia a good dose of confidence.

Also, beware of cliffhanger endings.

This is a fun historical cozy mystery. Set in 1912, Lady Cecilia's mothers marital attentions have shifted onto Cecelia's brother, Patrick. When one of the guests dies in the middle of a dinner meant to introduce a wealthy American heiress to Patrick Lady Cecilia sets out to make sure her brother, with his interest in botany isn't arrested as a poisoner. Danby Hall is a wonderful setting and the characters are charming. The mystery was easily worked out but I look forward to see what is next fro Lady Cecilia.

Nice entry into the Victorian cozy genre. Lady Cecelia is not the one her parents are trying to match up this time, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t expected to not participate in the festivities. The mystery begins when her dinner partner ends up dead.
Goodreads & Facebook

I put a small review on GoodReads and this is what I said:

“I received this ARC from NetGalley and I am glad they shared it with me because I passed a very pleasant Sunday afternoon reading it. I won’t restate what the book is about since that will be done by others. It doesn’t take long to read and I enjoyed the storyline although I was caught by surprise in the end. I was wondering why it was called a Manor Cat Mystery. Is it because cats are cute and it will draw more people in to read the book? I never got the sense that the cat was the main character but a supporting one. I will look forward to reading the next one in the series.”

I am not a good reviewer, but I really did enjoy the book and will look forward to the next one. Thank you so much.

Disappointingly little about Jack, the "Manor Cat," but not bad for a cozy. Not my typical choice for a mystery.