Masked Ball And Murder.....
Eleanor Swift, intrepid adventurer, sometime amateur detective and reluctant Lady is off to a masked ball and putting her sleuthing on hold....so she thinks. Needless to say, events do not go quite according to plan and murder is on the agenda. With a likeable (although somewhat irritating at times!) protagonist in Eleanor and a colourful cast of supporting characters this is another entertaining,, lighthearted and engaging read providing some much needed escapism.

This is the second book in a cozy mystery series set in the 1920s

I really enjoyed this, the characters are colourful and fun.

Lady Eleanor Swift is still trying to adjust to the inheritance of her title and manor. When a party she attends ends in theft and murder, she and her butler take it upon themselves to try and solve it, in order she can try and clear the name of new beau who was found standing over the body with the murder weapon in his hand...

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Thanks to #Netgalley, #Bookouture and the author #Verity Bright for providing me with a copy of #DeathattheDance in exchange for an honest review. Death at the Dance is the second Lady Eleanor mystery by Verity Bright and although I have read (and reviewed) the first I think this would be fine to read as a stand alone. It was released 8th July, it has 290 pages in the ebook version and is also available in paperback and audiobook. I loved this book even more than the first, the character development and plot kept me enthralled from start to finish. This dynamic crime-busting duo are just so much fun to read about and I am so thrilled that the third book is due to be released in September.

Death at the Dance is the second Lady Eleanor cozy mystery by Verity Bright. Released 8th July, it's 290 pages (ebook version) and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the first in the series) are currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a sweet and light genteel English cozy with a young female protagonist amateur sleuth back again investigating murder with her dogsbody sidekick butler Clifford. There's a huge romance subplot around which the plot turns. The language is very clean and there is no on-page violent content. The dialogue is occasionally a bit too precious, but overall, it's a fun read and not to be taken seriously. There is quite a lot of "I say, what", and "old fruit", and it does read at times as if the author is channeling her inner P.G. Wodehouse, but the overall effect is mostly cute and it's a quick and easy read.

Four stars, I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for the series as it develops more.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Death at the Dance by Verity Bright is the second installment in A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series.

Eleanor is slowly getting settled into her new life and she is invited to a masked party by her neighbors< Lance's parents, Obviously she wants to make an impression.
Unfortunately the impression she makes is not a favorable one and even worse is that she is thought to be an accomplice when an old colonel is found murder.
Main suspect is Lance who is arrested for murder. Knowing how successful she and her butler Clifford were the last time they solved the murder, Lance's parents ask her to help out.

This is light and entertaining historical read. Lovely and charming characters. combined with an engaging and well told story are recipe for success.
With each new book we get to know the characters better and like them more.
I especially like how knowledgeable Clifford is, he is full of interesting information and easy banter between him and Lady Eleanor.
There was a bit too much of old fashioned talk in this book and I felt that Lance's father part was so overdone. He was presented as a caricature almost and I was not a fan of it.

I can't wait for the next adventure.

This cosy mystery is full of vivid imagery it's characters, conversation and setting all draw the reader into the 1920s, from the first page. Historically authentic characters and an engaging mystery plot make this an enjoyable read.

Events and people, in the wrong place, may seem insignificant, but they might not be. So if you are trying to solve the murder mystery be observant. The story is well-paced and not hampered by the impressive amount of character and historical detail.

This story is the second in the series but reads well as a standalone. Eleanor is a likeable amateur sleuth, and there is a diverse cast of characters that make reading the first book in the series a good idea too.

Despite the murders, this story captures the frivolity of the 1920s. It largely ignores the aftermath of the great war in keeping with the attitude of the bright young things that epitomised the period.

This mystery interlude is irreverent and irresistible a fun way to escape for a few hours.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Bookouture for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Death at the Dance’ by Verity Bright in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in their series of cosy mysteries featuring Lady Eleanor Swift, who is undertaking a spot of amateur sleuthing in England, 1920.

Eleanor arrives a shocking 15 minutes late for the masked ball at the local manor hosted by Lord and Lady Fenwick-Langham, the parents of her new beau, Lancelot. She can’t seem to locate him though while searching the manor opens a door on a shocking scene: Lance standing over the body of Colonel Puddifoot-Barton, a silver candlestick in his hand and the family safe wide open and empty!

Moments later, the police burst in led by DCI Seldon and Lance is arrested for murder and for burglary, not only for this instance but for a string of similar burglaries. Eleanor is convinced that Lance is innocent and with him locked up awaiting trial she knows that she has to clear his name.

She decides to take a closer look at Lance’s friends from Oxford - a set of ‘bright young things’, high society types who drive fast, drink even faster, and have a taste for mayhem and mischief. Frankly, they came across as a group of obnoxious upper class oiks and the fact that these are Lancelot‘s pals made me like him even less.

I appreciate Eleanor wanting to clear Lance’s name but what on Earth does she see in him? His upper class twit way of speaking reminds me of Blotto, Simon Brett’s handsome but dim aristocratic sleuth from his farcical ‘Blotto and Twinks’ series of whodunnits set in the same period.

The recent Great War and flu pandemic continue to be ignored - aside from an off-the-cuff remark about the sad state of British male fashion and how would this look when the Germans get up to ‘old tricks again’ made by the soon-to-be-deceased but clearly prescient Colonel.

It appears that indeed throughout the 1920s younger members of the aristocracy and the like, who had been too young to fight and who were traumatised by the slaughter of so many young men, adopted a wild Bohemian lifestyle that was all about seizing the day - Carpe Diem. They were dubbed by the tabloid press as ‘Bright Young Things’ and became immortalised in the works of authors such as Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Mitford, and Anthony Powell.

While this is a frothy slice of cosy fun, I don’t feel that acknowledging the reality of the period would necessarily bring down the playful atmosphere. Again, a personal niggle unlikely to bother most readers.

Eleanor is accompanied in her sleuthing by her ageing bulldog, Gladstone, and her late uncle’s butler, Clifford, who is a fount of knowledge and extremely resourceful.

While pleased that Lancelot was off-stage, I wanted more of DCI Seldon in the story. Frankly, I much prefer him as a suitor for Lady Eleanor though she seems quite keen on pretty playboy Lancelot.

Again, this was great fun and I was completely stumped as to whodunnit until the final reveal. I have a number of friends addicted to cosies and will be recommending that they pick up this book and series. It’s the kind of novel that is ideal for a few hours of escapism.

I was pleased to read that Book 3, ‘A Witness to Murder’, will be published in September.

Death at the Dance by Verity Bright is the second in the Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries. As with the previous book, this is a delightful adventure. The mystery is perplexing enough to keep you guessing. Eleanor is a strong, unconventional heroine, and her relationship with her butler be and sleuthing partner Clifford works well
I found this to be an engaging yet anxiety-free read during these challenging times.

This is the second book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series.

Masquerade balls always provide a great backdrop for a murder, lots of people pretending to be someone else. Lady Eleanor is invited as the guest of honour and it isn’t long before she finds herself in the middle of a murder enquiry.

When a dead body is found at the party, Lady Eleanor’s beau Lord Lancelot, is deemed to be the culprit. Can Lady Eleanor prove his innocence when all the evidence points to him?

An excellent addition to the series, as Lady Eleanor once again puts her amateur detective skills to use. A clever plot full of humour and I can not wait to read more.

My review of A Very English Murder, the first in the series.

Liza Goddard and Lionel Blair are back, and I hope you like your whimsy! Death at the Dance, the second in the Lady Eleanor Swift series, is here, and Verity Bright has (have? VB is a husband and wife team, blended together as finely as one of Mrs Trotman’s celebrated marinades) not stinted with the ingredients. In the first few pages we are knee-deep in 1920s expressions, with a ‘botheration’, a ‘teensy’, a ‘golly’ and a particularly preposterous ‘lummy’. Thing is, you have to be in the mood for this, and at the start, gentle reader, I fear I was not. Palace lost to Aston Villa today, after all. Did I really want to know whether Blair (Clifford) was trying to second-guess Goddard (Swift) into wearing a particular party frock? No I did not until Bright did something very clever indeed, wrapping the scene up brilliantly, and causing even the grumpiest curmudgeon (me) to be charmed by the whole thing. We were off to the dance, the first in a season of social excess that symbolises the roaring twenties.
Three-quarters into the book, we’re rolling along very nicely indeed. I hope it isn’t too much of a spoiler to note that Lord ‘Goggles’ Fenwick-Langham has been wrongly accused of this and that and Eleanor Swift and her loyal butler Clifford are trying to clear his name. That’s fine for me because it means that we don’t actually get too much Goggles. (I’m not a fan.) Instead we party it up with his mates: brilliant socialites who are practicing for their inevitable appearance in a Huxley novel later in the decade. There are some rather fine set pieces including one in which these spoiled, privileged thugs drive at speed, tossing mixed cocktails between their two cars. There isn’t a huge amount of mystery (even I manage to work it out) but we don’t really mind because we’re living vicariously through Swift.
Once again, the relationship between Swift and Clifford is where the heart of the novel lies. Eleanor herself leans on her legendary adventuring to give her a sixth sense in times of trouble (I have learned what to do if someone’s driving straight at me), but we know that if she slips up then Clifford will do something incredibly clever and get everyone home safe. But his air of constant professionalism is balanced by both playfulness and a certain nerdiness. We like most of the rest of the characters too: Polly the young and scatty maid is pitched just the right side of the charming/irritating divide; the village am dram society are themselves well cast with all the tensions of that kind of local enterprise well portrayed. It’s good to see the loathsome Thomas Cartwright cast as the baddie, though Lady Millie might be an even better match. It’s still quirky, though it’s disappointing that Eleanor’s faithful hound Gladstone plays less of a part than in A Very English Murder. The police are ambiguous: obviously they get in the way, obviously they are oblivious. DCI Seldon has a love/hate relationship with Eleanor which is fun to watch.
Death at the Dance moves the series along: it’s worth reading A Very English Murder first, but this works as a stand-alone novel. It’s a great addition to the cosy canon with bags of style, a pinch of humour and a teaspoon of paprika relish.

Favorite Quotes:

Let’s hope this gown fools them and they don’t realise I’m as unladylike underneath as a frog in Wellington boots.

The poor old coot is as mad as a bucket of frogs.

Her tongue, it’s so sharp it’s incredible she doesn’t cut her own throat just by swallowing.


My Review:


I adore this clumsy and impetuous redhead with her infallibly omniscient butler and portly elderly bulldog. They make an exceptional crime-busting team as they bounce around their country lanes in their Rolls Royce. Her inner musings and personal observations were delightful engaging and whimsical, as was the crafty duo of authors’ smooth and seamless storytelling. The writing was pleasantly entertaining, cleverly amusing, and unpredictable and intriguing as well as true to the period with the deployment of colorful vernacular such as “you simple pimple,” “darling fruit,” and “the cat’s pyjamas.” I can’t wait to see what rib-tickling calamity this unlikely group of sleuths embroil themselves with next.

Verity Bright’s Death at the Dance follows on straight after the first book in the series, A Very English Murder. The dynamic has altered: in the first book, Eleanor is finding her way around her new role as Lady Swift of Henley Hall with a butler, housekeeper, etc.. In this second book, her relationship with the staff is much more confident, to the extent that she and the butler, Clifford, can gently tease each other.

Eleanor has travelled extensively and is used to being self-sufficient. However, the combination of her creativity and Clifford’s logic and patience make them an interesting team to read about. Once again, they’re investigating a murder (and jewel robbery). Unfortunately, the man Eleanor loves, Lance, is accused of the crime and, if convicted, will be hanged. No pressure, then!

This second book is just as enjoyable as A Very English Murder. Many of the characters from the first book reappear – with most of the policemen we met being deservedly promoted. I loved the way elements of various backstories were brought out in the book. There is gentle humour; touchingly devoted servants; and many many surprises from Clifford. (Was her uncle really someone like Q from the James Bond films? As we saw in the first book, he left behind a few inventions.) There are moments of jeopardy; many moments of humour; and a few fleeting moments of love. (Oh, and a penguin in the bath.) If you like “cosy” mysteries then you should read Death at the Dance.

I’d love to give the book five stars but won’t because (a) Lance is an idiot and Eleanor is surely wise enough to fall for Detective Chief Inspector Seldon instead; (b) Eleanor demonstrates too much gullibility when dealing with Lance’s pals, the Bright Young Things. (Mind you, she did that in the first book when dealing with Mayor Kingsley. Maybe she really isn’t as smart as we thought!) More seriously, that means her character doesn’t quite ring true: someone as clever and experienced as she is supposed to be shouldn’t be so naïve. Such inconsistencies remind us that the characters aren’t real – a cardinal sin when you love them so much.

#DeathattheDance #NetGalley

This is such a charming, cozy mystery novel! I seem to be getting in to these! I love the ‘who did it’ plot of the book!

This book is the second in the series, but the first which I have had the pleasure to read! I had absolutely no issues picking it up and reading it as a stand alone!

So basically the main character Lady Eleanor Swift attends a masked ball and quickly ends up trying to solve a mystery when someone at the ball is murdered and a theft takes place!

Lady Eleanor is even more determined to solve this case when the police arrest and are convinced that her love interest Lancelot is the one who committed the crimes!

Lady Eleanor and her Butler Clifford quickly get to work, but can they solve the mystery without finding themselves in danger AND before it’s too late?

I LOVED the setting of this book, drawing me straight back in to the 1920s with all the characters and the language in the dialogue! I also absolutely loved and enjoyed how quirky and easy-to-read this book is!

I loved the characters. Lady Eleanor is witty, bright and adventurous BUT my far my favourite character was Clifford and I really enjoyed their relationship and banter! I just found them so engaging!

Overall I found this book classic and incredibly well written, and easy-to-read, historical cozy mystery which kept me guessing! I’d like to give this book 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️!

I look forward to more from Lady Eleanor Swift!

'Down to business then, I guess. There's a killer on the loose, and a mountain of confusing clues and a fabulously comprehensive picnic to work through. I can't decide which is going to take longest.'

Two months on from her first adventure after inheriting her late uncle's estate, Lady Eleanor Swift finds herself embroiled in another murder - and this time it is decidedly close to home. Attending a masked ball hosted by the parents of her (possible) boyfriend Lancelot Fenwick-Langhalm, she stumbles across Lancelot standing over the body of a dead Colonel, murder weapon in hand. Did he do it? And did he steal his mother's jewels as well? Certainly the police think so and Lancelot is imprisoned awaiting trial. It is up to Eleanor, accompanied by her trusty butler Clifford - and occasionally by her aging dog Gladstone - to try to find the killer. And when another body turns up Eleanor soon finds herself out of her depth and in real danger.

If you enjoyed the first in the series then this will be equally pleasing, and for those new to Eleanor Swift it should provide a diverting entertainment. It's all a delightful breezy romp that doesn't take itself too seriously and is full of utterly ludicrous OTT characters. This is the world of the 1920s bright young things and their posh families, where people are 'biffed' rather than punched, everyone has double barrel names and everything is a totally splendid lark. And it works, especially if you just want a wonderfully escapist murder mystery where you know things will work out fine. Throw in a few feminist undertones, a possible love triangle and a cast of likeable characters and this is a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 4 spiffing stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

As I’ve said I read and reviewed the first book, and I really enjoyed it. However, this book is even better. Eleanor has settled a bit more into her new situation and the people around her are now used to her being different from what they expected. Because of this we have more investigation, more time with the fabulous Clifford (he’s possibly my favourite character) and we also get to see more of Eleanor’s character coming through in, for example, the brief discussion she has with her maid.

The investigation itself has lots of intrigue and red herrings and is exactly what you’d expect from a cosy crime/mystery story. It whisks you along, neatly moving from the dance to the police station to Lancelot’s parents grand home without any issues whatsoever. Everything is seamless and smooth.

I found more humour in this book, whether that’s because of a better understanding of the characters or that there is more humour (or both) I’m not sure but it was something I liked. There was also a lot of enjoyment from the high jinks that Lancelot’s friends get up to, and watching Eleanor negotiate some new social situations with them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to seeing what comes next for the unusual but brilliant pairing of Eleanor and Clifford.

I found the first book in this series highly enjoyable and entertaining, this one is better.
It's classic whodunnit that pays homage to the Golden Age mysteries but there's also a modern twist and a lot of humour.
Eleanor and Clifford are two fantastic characters, their banters are highly amusing, and the plot is full of twists and turns.
The quirky characters are well written and highly likeable. It's a lot of fun to meet the secondary characters and my favourite was Harold or Lord Harold.
The style of writing reflects those of the 20s and the author is a good storyteller delivering a plot that keeps you hooked.
I can't wait to read the next instalment, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Lady Eleanor series and again a great cozy historical mystery staring Lady Eleanor, butler Clifford and Lady Eleanor’s potential love interest Lancelot.

Lancelet finds himself in jail suspected of theft and murder and this means that Lady Eleanor and Clifford need to find the true identity of the villain before Lancelot is hung for a crime he did not commit.

The plot is good and pacy but I felt lacked some of the descriptive writing that I enjoyed in the first book. The relationship between Lady Eleanor and Clifford is fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed their humorous exchanges.

I look forward to seeing what book 3 has in store and to see if and how the relationship develops between Lady Eleanor and Lancelot.

Woohoo Lady Eleanor Swift was back, and this time she was invited to a masked ball. (And so was Lady Shalini... I decided to tag along uninvited with my darling friend Lady Marnie. We were in black in case you were wondering FYI) Author Verity Bright had some fabulous pieces of writing where she transported me right into the heart of landed gentry of London in the 1920s.

As the title suggested, our young, adventurous, swashbuckling heroine was right where the murder occurred with her good friend Lancelot being the prime suspect. My second book by the author, I was completely transported to the time when things moved at a slower, different pace. The descriptions were spot on.

This was, at its core, a murder mystery where Eleanor had to move fast to save her friend. I loved that she had her own team of her dog and butler. This was one series where I couldn't say - The butler did it!! Clifford was one of the main characters who helped Eleanor with his information and practical observations.

Their characterisation was perfect; their conversations, humorous and often teasing. Clifford made a perfect counterfoil to Eleanor. She rushed into and sometimes fell flat(pun intended); he thought twice before rushing. Their combined attitudes were a force to reckon with. Brains with gumption.

The story had the old fashioned sleuthing and subtle interviews of friends and foes. Eleanor did take some risks, but that made the book exciting. Many suspects and clues pointing in different direction gave the story the right amount of intrigue.

A light, fun whodunit set in the times past made this a perfect read to escape dark realities.

What a delightful book. The protagonist, Lady Eleanor Swift is an adventuress who has inherited her uncle’s property and now lives at his palatial estate. She is relatively new to being a lady, and tests all the boundaries, including the one about keeping her distance with servants. This is the second in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, and once again she teams up with her butler, Clifford, to solve the mystery of who murdered a guest at a formal dance and where are the missing jewels that were in the safe?
The book is filled with interesting characters, all of whom are unique in their own way and contribute to the light hearted nature of the book. Lady Eleanor is bright and energetic and sweeps everyone along with her as she goes. Her butler is a font of information and an excellent sleuth and companion on her exploits, always appearing at just the right moment.
The plot is well executed. Lady Eleanor is attending a masked ball given by the parent of a young man with whom she is quite attracted. The tone is set perfectly as Lady Eleanor arrives, quite late as usual, and within the first half hour stumbles and falls flat on her face in front of all the guests. Not in the least fazed, she searches the crowd for her young man, and spotting him follows him upstairs and into the study just in time to find him standing over the body, candlestick in hand.
Of course, the police arrive at the immediate conclusion that the young man, affectionately referred to as Lancelot or Goggles by Lady Eleanor, is the guilty party and she may actually have been his accomplice. This spurs Lady Eleanor, affectionately referred to as Sherlock by Lancelot, to investigate with the help of her butler and at the bequest of Lancelot’s parents. Further complicating the case are some missing jewels belonging to the family and, the admit to Lady Eleanor, they had deliberately set them up to be stolen in order to file for the insurance as they were in financial difficulties. Questions abound. Did Lancelot steal the jewels to help his parents? Is one of his group of “bright young things” the notorious jewel thief making the rounds of the monied set at the moment? Can Lady Eleanor successfully turn herself into a member of the fast set long enough to find out if any of them are responsible for the murder and theft? Are the two crimes related?
The setting is the roaring 20’s, and there is just enough attention given to help the reader enjoy the time period at the same time trying to solve the murder. The read is so light-hearted that it’s a joy to read and perfect for anyone wanting something refreshing and cheerful without being an out and out comedy. As for Lady Eleanor, she is one of the most delightful heroines to come along in a while. Think Miss Fisher of the Miss Fisher murder series and you might get a good idea of her entire approach to life and to solving mysteries.
This can easily be read in a day or two, if you want. It can also be stretched out over several days with interruptions without being hampered in terms of remembering where you were or what you were doing. It’s an excellent source of entertainment and escapism. My thanks to Bookoutour and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of the screwball comedies of the early talkies. “It Happened One Night” with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert is one of my favorites. As soon as I started reading this book, I felt like I was dropped right into the middle of one of those. This book had everything that makes a cozy mystery so much fun. I liked Lady Eleanor as the sleuth because she was feisty but shrewd at times. I’m not going to give away the plot of the mystery, but it’s a good (and fitting) one. The world created by the author enabled me to escape and enjoy a mystery romp in the 20s. Definitely a series to get into. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.