"A masked ball, a dead body, a missing diamond necklace and a suspicious silver candlestick? Sounds like a case for Lady Eleanor Swift!

England, 1920. Lady Eleanor Swift, adventurer extraordinaire and reluctant amateur detective, is taking a break from sleuthing. She’s got much bigger problems: Eleanor has two left feet, nothing to wear and she’s expected at the masked ball at the local manor. Her new beau Lance Langham is the host, so she needs to dazzle.

Surrounded by partygoers with painted faces, pirates, priests and enough feathers to drown an ostrich, Eleanor searches for a familiar face. As she follows a familiar pair of long legs up a grand staircase, she’s sure she’s on Lance’s trail. But she opens the door on a dreadful scene: Lance standing over a dead Colonel Puddifoot, brandishing a silver candlestick, the family safe wide open and empty.

Moments later, the police burst in and arrest Lance for murder, diamond theft and a spate of similar burglaries. But Eleanor is convinced her love didn’t do it, and with him locked up in prison, she knows she needs to clear his name.

Something Lance lets slip about his pals convinces Eleanor the answer lies close to home. Accompanied by her faithful sidekick Gladstone the bulldog, she begins with Lance’s friends – a set of fast driving, even faster drinking, high-society types with a taste for mischief. But after they start getting picked off in circumstances that look a lot like murder, Eleanor is in a race against time to clear Lance’s name and avoid another brush with death..."

A masked ball in the 1920s with a side of murder? Just what I wanted!

This was the second book in the series, and I haven't read the first book, but I was still able to enjoy it. I loved this cozy mystery. The characters were wonderful. The book was suspenseful, but still so cozy and charming. I loved it so much!

I really enjoyed this second book in the Verity Bright series. When her potential paramour Lancelot is accused of murder, Verity must infiltrate a group of Bright Young Things to find the real murderer and save Lancelot from the gallows. There were some instances where the language felt a little anachronistic (they refer often to "partying" in a way that sometimes too me out of the story) but overall I'm excited to continue this fun mystery series.

4.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed Death at the Dance! I haven't read the first Lady Eleanor Swift mystery, but I didn't feel lost or scattered at all. Bright has created a fascinating protagonist, Eleanor is witty and entertaining and intelligent. The supporting cast is also a lot of fun, and you have many characters to root for and root against. (Clifford the butler and Gladstone the bulldog are definitely the highlights of the book for me!) This is an excellent cozy mystery- it isn't too cheesy or easy to solve, but also not too gruesome or psychological. All in all, a wonderful read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc of Death at the dance by Verity Bright.

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

Lady Eleanor or ellie for short is attending a masked ball when her friend and other people including Lancelot are kneeling over a dead body... and the murder weapon in his hand.... All evidence proves that it was Lancelot but thing is Ellie truly know that it wasn't him. He has bad choices within friends but he wouldn't kill anyone in cold blood....

Ellie decides to go undercover with His friends to track down the real killer, and to free Lancelot. Even Her butler decides and will help anyway in which he can help...

This is a Agatha chrisite type book, with all clues, mysteries twists and much more, i really enjoyed this and the suspense of what happened, i recommend to everyone whom loves a murder mystery.

5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Definitely recommend

Such fun! "Death at the dance" is the second book in the "Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery" series and much better than the first one IMO.

In this instance, Lady Swift's beau Lancelot has been accused of theft and murder. Eleanor is convinced of his innocence so with the help of her butler Clifford she sets to clear his name. For this she will have to mix with the bright young things, but the plot thickens when one of them dies in suspicious circumstances.

While this is a cozy mystery, and I enjoyed that part, I think the real strenght of this series are its characters. After a first book where they were still getting to know their characters now the authors have fully developed them, making it in a way that I would gladly read a story just of Eleanor and Clifford talking and bantering. Her unladylike behavior and his cheeky responses were so refreshing, making this story so fun to read. That's one truly special relationship they have!

Light mystery with a wonderful cast of characters. Can't wait to see what's in store next for Lady Swift and Clifford.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Attending a masked ball is a sure fire way of getting yourself murdered, especially if you are a cantankerous old grump at the best of times! When Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to the ball as the special guest of host Lord Lancelot Fenwick-Langham she has no idea how much trouble it is going to cause.

Found leaning over the dead body, the murder weapon in his hand and Eleanor by his side, Lance is hauled off to the local police station to await trial with the verdict very likely to be guilty followed by a sentence of death. Knowing the newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Seldon isn't looking for anything other than proof Eleanor was his accomplice she begins her own investigation with her indomitable butler, Clifford at her side and Lance's parents cheering her on from the sidelines. The problem is everything except her heart points to Lancelot being the murderer and anything remotely positive is impossible to find.

Once again the writing duo known as Verity Bright has produced an excellent excursion into the period between the wars and peopled it with the bright young things determined to prove, by hook or by crook, they can be as disreputable as anyone else. I'm not sure if the landed gentry spoke in the way some of Eleanor's friends do here but it evokes an atmosphere of Lord Peter Wimsey and Albert Campion which can't be a bad thing!

There are some parts of the story which didn't seem necessary but overall it was an entertaining, lighthearted read which was very easy to picture as the story progressed and was a nice change from my usual fare of psychological thrillers. There were no shortage of possible culprits, at least as far as Eleanor was concerned, and I didn't work out whodunnit or why which is always good if the reasoning is sound as it was in this case. There are hints about the next book in the author's notes and it again sounds right up my street!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, easy, well executed read. This is a fun series which has great potential for a long run.

More often than not, I take a publisher's promotional quote (about one of their titles) with a grain of salt---but, in the case of Verity Bright's new historical novel DEATH AT THE DANCE, they were "spot on." It is billed as "an addictive historical cozy" and I can attest that I am now addicted.

Lady Eleanor Swift and her more than capable "man" Clifford are as engaging a pair of sleuths as you are likely to encounter in a young series. Lady Swift inherited her Manor house, title and butler when her uncle died--and, it is both fun and refreshing to experience the transformation of this young protagonist from independent career woman to "lady of the manor." The charm is in her unfamiliarity with her role, her staff, and the expectations that come along with all that baggage.

The mystery is engaging too, but the real fun is in Lady Eleanor's relationship with her staff and the overweight, always-hungry, totally adorable bulldog that came with the "package" she inherited. Great fun for those of us who enjoy a light romp rather than a heavy mystery.

Death at the Dance is the second book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. In this book, Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Swift is attending a mask ball when her friend, and maybe more, Lancelot is caught kneeling over a dead body with the murder weapon in his hand. While all the evidence points to Lancelot, Ellie knows deep down that he isn't a murderer. He may have poor choice in friends, but he definitely wouldn't kill anyone in cold blood.

To track down the killer and free Lancelot from jail, Lady Swift goes undercover with Lancelot's friends to figure out any information that may help solve the case. Clifford, Lady Swift's butler, is also along for the ride to help in any way he can.

This book continues to engage the reader throughout each chapter. Watching Lady Swift's relationship with her house staff and with Lancelot develop is an added layer to this book on top of the mystery. I felt that this book had a great balance of working through the mystery, but also giving background and more every day details of the lives of those characters involved. Many times books will be heavy on the main plot and forget about the every day lives of each character. Or some books give way to many detailed explanations of everyday life. This book brilliantly balances continuing the mystery along with further developing each character. What exactly did Clifford and Lady Swift's uncle get into? That is still not solved, and may never be, but we get glimpses of that life and relationship.

This series is definitely one that I will be watching closely and counting down the days until the next book is released.

This was my first Verity Bright book, but will certainly not be my last. Death at the Dance is comical, gripping and fast paced. At no point did it drag and at no point did I want to put my Kindle down. I highly recommend for a somewhat easy yet enjoyable read. Be sure to look out for the adorable sidekick dog, Gladstone. He made me chuckle several times.

Fun read! This was the first time I’ve read this author and I must say I enjoyed it! This was a fun cozy mystery with solid characters and development. While I have read similar stories I love the main character as well as the menagerie of characters involved. What a delightful group! I will definitely read more from this author!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. Set in 1920s England, this book is a perfect, fun example of the changing class structures as a result of WWI and all the social upheavals that ensued. Lady Eleanor Swift wasn’t raised in the English aristocracy and inherited her home and her small fortune from her late uncle. Luckily, she also inherited a wonderful and kind staff, including an amazing butler, Clifford, (think Jeeves, only nicer) and Gladstone, the bulldog. As a result, most of her perceptions are from outside the cultural norms and allows for a fun tale.
Invited to a costume ball at a neighboring estate, she embarrasses herself beyond belief when she falls down in the middle of the ball. While attempting to recover as gracefully as possible, she sees the costume of her friend and the hosts’ son, Lancelot, going up the stairs. Deciding to follow him (still not what unmarried ladies should be doing!), she’s astounded to discover him standing over a body, holding a candlestick and with an empty safe. The police immediately arrive, and he’s arrested for murder. When his parents ask for her assistance in solving the crime, she’s more than ready to help with the aid of her butler. It’s fun, cosy and light, with a bit of romance thrown in.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Verity Bright for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

Death at the Dance was such a fun-loving read that I think we ALL need right now. This was the perfect escape from this crazy world we’re living in. I love a good, cozy mystery every now and then. The pacing of this one was perfect, and the sense of adventure kept me wanting more and more. Eleanor is the perfect blend of spicy (feisty) and sweet. She was a wonderful heroine to keep this body of work moving. Also, the setting of England in the 1920’s is an immediate selling point for me. All in all, an enjoyable time. If you need a bit of an escape, or need something to cuddle up with on the couch, grab this! Definitely looking forward to the following installments in this series!

Thank you again to those named above for the chance to read and review this ARC!

1920s, England, cosy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, historical-fiction, law-enforcement, situational-humor

What fun! The tale begins as a farce: presumed orphan from South Africa comes to rural England and find that she has inherited the title and all that of an uncle who is recently deceased. She has little idea of how people are expected to behave in this milieu and is a klutz, to boot. The best part of it all is the Butler who knows everything, helps her with anything, and never treats her like a ninny. She goes to a ball held at a nearby family and after splatting on the dance floor goes looking for the friend who lives there only to find him at the bottom of stairs with the body of an old grumpy with a candlestick in his hand, and his mother's jewels missing from the nearby safe. And the local DI at the ready to take him to gaol. She figures that her dopey friend is getting railroaded, so Lady and Butler set out to do the proper sleuthing! Basically, the tale goes from farce to a good period cozy and I loved it. A great light distraction from whatever reality exists today.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!