I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ecopy of this book in exchange for my review.

I've read a lot of cozy mysteries and really enjoy the little worlds the author is able to build, so that with each new book, it almost feels like a visit with old friends. Usually, the books are more enjoyable when you read them in order, so you can get to know the characters well from book to book. This was a good cozy mystery, even though I haven't read the others in the series. The mystery was light enough that it was easy to read and relaxing, without feeling like I have to read it super quick to see what happens next. I enjoy the author's writing and the character description.

I’m a big fan of historical mysteries, and I also like that dry British sense of humor (or humour), so I was happy to get a chance to read a review copy of A Witness to Murder, which is the third book in Verity Bright’s Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Swift series. I read the first book in this series some time ago, and I liked that one, so I expected good things from this book too. And I was not disappointed!

First, the characters have matured some. Ellie is a little more settled into her life at Henley Hall, although in a “modern” way; her relationships with Clifford, Mrs Butters, and her other staff are more developed; her relationships with Lancelot and Inspector Seldon remain suitably confusing; and she’s getting more comfortable in Little Buckford. And of course, Ellie’s bulldog Gladstone is a wonderful character in his own right!

The plot is also interesting, with a wide cast of potential suspects and many possible motives that get narrowed down by a subsequent death, and of course, by Ellie’s (and Clifford’s) sleuthing. Clifford is awesome as a sleuth – while reading this, I often thought he should have an equal co-billing with Ellie. As with the first book, I enjoyed some of the details of village life (good and bad) that popped up in the background, such as the worries of the milkman about the weather and whether his milk would curdle, or the idea that women who had supposedly just gotten the vote actually couldn’t vote until they were 30 (and had property), but all men could vote at 21.

All-in-all, I liked this book as much as the first one, and now will have to go back and find the second one to read. Please keep in mind that for me, four stars is a really good rating. I try to avoid star-flation, and keep five stars for a very very few books that I like enough that I imagine I will read and re-read and re-read again – maybe only one in thirty or forty books. Again, my thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley, who provided me with the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Do you know the feeling you get when your favourite characters come back for the next installment of their adventure? Well, A Witness to Murder is the third installment in A Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries by Verity Bright. And I am the lucky one to read them all in correct order.

A Witness to Murder is out on 14 September and here is my review of the book for Netgalley.

My Dear Friend, I can’t keep up with you.

I only just read first two books in the series and hardly finished the third one, when the fourth is almost out. You keep having adventures… Well, keep on having them.

Lady Eleanor Swift hardly stepped over the threshold of her inherited mansion but she already immersed herself in the life of the village, lives of local gentry and… murders’ investigation.

This time it is all about politics, parties, dirty tricks and election campaigns. To top it all, Eleanor is running for MP… Well, the girl wants to do some good for her community, why not.

However, all these running around with leaflets, making speeches and rumming support for her election takes a lot of time and enegry. Murder investigation, in this third installment, has taken back seat more than once. And I found all these political nonsense just that… nonsense. Lady Swift and politics… I don’t think so.

Eleanor has her trusted butler Cliffords by her side, as well as her lovable bulldog Gladstone. Her staff are more like a family to her. Plus, she established very warm relationships with villagers and gentry alike. Her lovelife is a lot to be desired. I am more inclined towards detective rather than Lancelot (lord and rascal)… But that’s just me.

Lovely adventure, lovely characters. Dialogues, connections, places… What more could you wish for in cozy mystery.

Can’t wait for the next one

A murder leads Lady Eleanor Swift to delve into the world of politics and women's rights as well as into a new investigation. Arnold Aris, who is running for election, dies from a peanut allergy at a dinner party and the cook is blamed. Eleanor is convinced of the cook's innocence and is determined to find the real killer. Meanwhile, she is also persuaded to stand for election in his place...
The dry wit of the butler Clifford continues to be the absolute highlight of the series. The humorous exchanges between her ladyship and the servants is entertaining and feels very modern, but otherwise the historical setting of the 1920s feels accurate.
The use of politics and women's suffrage, as well as the class differences that have permeated all of the book in this series, gives Eleanor and Clifford a chance to shine. The unfairness of social inequality combined with Eleanor's desire to help others underpin the plot. Her kindness and humanity are particularly highlighted at the end of the book.
Eleanor's relationship with Lancelot doesn't really progress during this book despite an eventful date in an aeroplane. I am still hoping that she will come to her senses and see the police officer as her intellectual equal unlike Lancelot who is her social equal. We also have the continued disappearance of her parents which tries to give an emotional background to Eleanor but isn't particularly developed.
A Witness to Murder is an enjoyable murder mystery. It would work perfectly well as a standalone book and I look forward to seeing what adventures Eleanor faces next.

The blurb of this book says that it's a cozy murder mystery and I was wondering how can a murder mystery ever be cozy. But then I read this book. Honestly, it gave such warm, summery, cozy vibes!

We are following Lady Eleanor Swift, the newly minted 'Lady' of Henley Hall and an amateur detective, on a mission to solve a rather sticky murder. A prominent political figure literally drops dead during the dessert course at an elegant dinner party and the cook is unofficially declared responsible for it. But Eleanor detects foul play and takes it upon herself to help the kindly cook get out of this mess.

It was so charming to see Eleanor solve this murder! She a little pocket book where she writes all her suspects and clues, and I found it to be too cute! On surface, Eleanor seems like any other lady could be during 1920s, but we soon come to know that she's stubborn, determined and pure steel.

At the height of her investigation, Eleanor gets involved in local politics. I did not think that politics will play such a main role in the story! I loved every bit of it. It showed how determined and committed Eleanor is! I especially loved the butler, Clifford! He is a pure gem!

The mystery, in itself, is not that complex. But I loved it's execution. Murder and politics were combined expertly in the story. I also loved the issue of women's role in politics that was realistically highlighted in this book. Despite the heavy subject matter, the story maintains a quaint , easy pace which was fun to follow.

I will give this one a solid 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with the ebook. The above words reflect my honest opinion

This is such a great series. This is the third mystery solved by Lady Swift and her butler. Lots of period detail. Love how the characters are growing and their relationships are developing. Looking forward to the next book already

A Witness to Murder is the third Lady Eleanor historical cozy mystery by Verity Bright. Released 14th Sept 2020, it's 289 pages and available in paperback 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 rest of the series) are currently included in the KU library to borrow and read for free.
This is a very light & fun British cozy which is sort of an homage to earlier golden age inter-war mysteries. It's fairly irreverent, with an appealing ensemble cast of amateur society sleuth Lady Eleanor and her butler/dogsbody Clifford whom she inherited along with her title from her late uncle as well as assorted society friends and servants.

This outing sees a local businessman and politician collapsing into his dessert at a charity fundraising dinner. Lady Eleanor and Clifford are soon sallying forth to right wrongs and make the world safer for everyone.

It's a fast and undemanding cozy read; the language is clean, the murders are not written violently or explicitly and the denouement is satisfying and well written. For readers looking for verisimilitude in dialogue and action, be warned, this series is full of modern vernacular and sensibilities. Eleanor fraternizes with the servants and runs a shockingly lax estate. Her sometimes beau, Lancelot, is a caricature and only makes brief appearances in this entry in the series.

Four stars, a somewhat exuberant and whimsical romp.

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

This series improves with each instalment and this is the best one to date.
It's a fun, highly entertaining and well plotted historical cozy that made me laugh and kept me guessing till the end.
The relationship between Lady Eleanor and Clifford is as delightful as usual, Gladstone is becoming one of my favorite dog of the cozy world. All the characters are well written and I liked the character development and read about how Lady Eleanor is growing up and becoming a very interesting characters.
The setting is vivid and well described. I loved how the author deals with social themes like women's right and the issues like poverty and class difference.
The mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
Even if this is the third book in this series and it can be read as a stand alone
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Favorite Quotes:

As we say in the valleys, everything you have in this world is just borrowed for a short time.

…have you seen a fish hooked out of water and hurled three miles inland? Because that would be me trying to make it in the murky world of politics. Bad smell and all.

‘…my thoughts are now burning like acid. Clifford, what would you call indigestion of the mind?’ ‘Cerebral dyspepsia, my lady?’

You, Lady Swift, are all class. Which class, I’m not honestly sure.

My Review:

I am totally enamored and fully ensconced in the vastly entertaining and intriguing cozy mystery setting of Verity Bright’s Lady Swift series. A Witness to Murder is number three in this refreshingly crisp series which I hope continues into perpetuity. Each book has been a relaxing and pleasurable perusal of wry humor, engaging storylines, and an endearing and oddly compelling cast of characters, and this one even more so. Lady Swift finds herself nose deep in an unofficial murder investigation while also attempting to campaign for local politics, both were unexpected activities which she finds to be surprisingly and dishearteningly perplexing and strewn with countless roadblocks.

Each delightful installment in this series seems to be even more elegantly written than the last and feel as well-crafted and aesthetically complete as a well-produced program of Masterpiece Theater with more than one curiosity teasing mysteries to be solved, clever humor, and brain twitching thoughts and vernacular of the times. I adore Lady Swift and her ever observant and well-connected butler and am already fervently awaiting the arrival of her next adventure.

This is the 3rd book in the Lady Eleanor Swift historical cozy mystery series and the best to date. Once again the household staff at Henley Hall steal the show! With plenty of red herrings and intrigue you should add this to your TBR pile. I can't wait to dive into book 4.

A great quirky and cosy read, this is the 3rd book in the series, but it’s not essential to read the previous books to enjoy this.

When a local candidate for Parliament dies at a dinner party from a peanut allergy, the host’s cook is blamed as the fudge she has served has peanuts in it. When she is fired, she is desperate to clear her name - she feels she has been framed as she knew about the allergy and would never have served it.

Lady Swift is horrified and when she is asked to stand in place of the deceased, she uses this as an opportunity to investigate.

This was a fun read, though I would’ve thought after what happened to Lancelot in the previous book, I’m surprised he wasn’t more sensible and reflective. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eleanor starts to tire of him.

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

A Witness to Murder by Verity Bright finds us once again in rural England with Lady Eleanor Swift and her intrepid butler, Clifford. This time she is investigating the murder of Mr. Aris, the MP for the area. Interestingly enough she has been asked to stand for election herself, as an Independent and candidate for women's rights. Needless to say, both are challenges. The cook, who served fudge, a particular favorite of the host, Lord Farrington, killed Mr. Aris at a dinner party, ostensibly. Although she was aware of Mr. Aris' peanut allergy, somehow peanuts were inserted into the mix, and Aris died right at the dinner table. Most off-putting.

Bright has a way with subtle comedy. Her characters are just that: characters. Ellie is an independent, modern woman, who inherited her uncle's estate, including the butler. She has difficulty with the upstairs/downstairs rules, which endears her to her staff but sets the local gentry on edge. Her relationship with her butler is most unusual: they investigate murders together, for one. He is also her mentor, shepherding her through social situations as well as daily life. He is the perfect butler. The murder is an interesting one, which of course, Ellie and Clifford solve. Her run for parliament...? Love these books. I recommend.

I was invited to read a free ARC of A Witness to Murder by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #awitnesstomurder

So this was fun to read! Although this is the third book in the series but the first one I have read, I had no trouble getting comfy and cozy with the delightful bunch of quirky and witty characters and the setting the minute I began reading. The bulldog Gladstone is such a character! I chuckled away at his antics while his master, Lady Eleanor Swift is refreshing... smart, witty goofy and completely unpretentious. I liked her camaraderie with all her household staff, especially her butler and sleuthing partner Clifford, who is a force to reckon with in his own quiet and subtle manner. He did remind me of Jeeves a bit.

A great blend of cozy and charming ☀️❤️.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Verity Bright for the e-Arc of the book. I look forward to reading more of the series.

This is a murder mystery set in 1920 and featuring Lady Eleanor Swift who, with Clifford, her intrepid butler, and staff, set out to solve just who did it! This is a fascinating read with many historical aspects from that era involved in the story, including politics, nobility, upstairs and downstairs, women's rights movements, they all play their part in the cosy mystery.

Lady Eleanor Swift inherited her title, Henley Hall and the family estate when her uncle died. She's certainly not used to acting as a member of the nobility are expected to, having travelled the world with her parents until they mysteriously disappeared and the story starts on the anniversary of that disappearance. However, she is shocked when she learns that a local politician has died at a dinner party and the cook, Mrs Pitkin, has been accused of his murder - death by peanut allergy . . . . Eleanor can't resist trying to discover what really happened. Nor can she resist agreeing to stand to be the constituency's next Member of Parliament . . . So with campaigning and investigating, life is going to be very interesting again!

The story has great characters, plenty of suspects and a great mix of both mystery and humour. The servants at Henley Hall are more like family to Eleanor, whilst they endeavour to ensure she's recognised as the Lady in charge of the Hall they are also caring, supportive and protective of each other and she of them. There are some really funny incidents, possible romantic encounters, deadly danger and not one but two murders to be solved in this entertaining read. The communities, the attitudes of the residents, the political machinations and the main news and fears of the time are all explored as part of this intriguing murder mystery. I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more stories involving this independent young lady acting as a detective!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I read voluntarily and reviewed honestly.

I loved this book and as I’ve already said, this series just keeps getting better. You could read it as a stand alone, there is enough explanation of previous events, but I feel from a character development point of view it’s better to read the series in order.

Having been involved in investigating two murders since she arrived at Henley Hall, Eleanor is keen to do something worthwhile, and also not get involved in the latest one. However things rarely go according to plan and she ends up investigating as well as doing the worthwhile thing she chose to do. Between the two there’s hardly any time left for anything and the story moves along at a slightly faster pace than usual.

Despite this increase in pace we still get Eleanor having tea in the kitchen with her staff, solving crime with the fabulous Clifford and Gladstone the dog, and even spending time with Lancelot and his plane. There’s a lot packed into his story but it doesn’t lose sight of the aspects of the first two books that worked well.

If you like this series, or are new to the series but like cosy crime, then chances are you’ll enjoy this story. It’s got everything from lunch with the local titled families to chatting in the shops with the villagers and finding out hidden aspects of their daily lives. Eleanor is able to negotiate both of these and it gives a greater range of perspective than we might otherwise get.

I’m very much looking forward to the fourth book, and seeing where this series goes next.

4.5* I love this series! In the 3rd book in the series, Lady Eleanor Swift is asked to stand in the upcoming by-election after local MP dies at a dinner party. The Women's League want Eleanor to continue to stand for women's issues as the previous incumbent did. It is October 1920 and Lady Swift is 29 years old. This book manages to combine a great mystery with a fascinating piece of history. Isn't it bizarre that women over 21 could stand for office (after 1918) but could not vote until they were 30? Women under 30 did not get the right to vote until 1928. I love the characters (especially Eleanor and her imperturbable butler, Clifford). The dialogue is realistic and the period detail spot on. The book is well-plotted and tightly paced and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for sending me a copy for review.

This is the third book in Verity Bright's series about a retired explorer, set in 1920's England in a place called Chipstone.

Lady Eleanor Swift is adamant that she doesn't want to get involved in any more murder investigations, but when a local politician at an elegant dinner party being held at Farrington Manor dies after eating the fudge, the police believe he may have been poisoned. Shortly after, Mrs Pitkin, the cook from Farrington Manor shows up at Henley Hall with the news that she has been dismissed from her job because the police consider Mrs Pitkin a suspect...

A Witness to Murder was a compelling, fun, cozy read. Having read book one, A Very English Murder, I had some idea what was on offer and I was not disappointed! I was sold from the very beginning, with its solid characters, great writing and a marvellous mystery to satisfy even the most diligent armchair detective. Busy protagonist Eleanor impressed me again with her sleuthing skills and I love her spirit and astuteness, although she is inclined towards impulsiveness. Her faithful partners in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, and the loyal butler, Clifford, were on hand as Eleanor endeavoured to find the killer.

Although part of a series A Witness to Murder could be read as a standalone novel but there is some development of the characters between books as more of Eleanor's past is revealed, as well as a possible love interest. With an entertaining plot, the mystery itself was well done and there were red herrings and twists to keep me guessing the culprit's identity. I highly recommend this humorous, easy to read cozy and I can't wait to see what the author has in store for Eleanor in book #4, Murder in the Snow.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Witness to Murder’ by Verity Bright.

‘A medieval house, a dead body and some rather suspicious chocolate fudge? Call for Lady Swift!’

This is the third in the Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries set in England in 1920. It is very much the epitome of the cosy historical mystery.

Lady Eleanor has promised herself that she will avoid getting involved in any more mysteries. Then a local politician dies suddenly at an elegant dinner party at Farrington Manor and the police believe he may have been poisoned.

Mrs Pitkin, the kindly cook from Farrington Manor, turns up at Henley Hall with the news that she has been dismissed without references because the police consider her a suspect. Eleanor decides that she must investigate.

With the help of Clifford, her butler, and Gladstone, her faithful bulldog, Eleanor sets out to determine if there was a murder and if so, to track down the killer and so clear Mrs Pitkin’s name.

Naturally, there are a number of suspects, red herrings, and further mysteries to solve. In the middle of all this Eleanor is approached to become involved with local politics, with special reference to further enhancing women’s rights now that women had gained the vote and were able to stand for Parliament. Indeed, Eleanor’s campaigning provided a number of amusing scenes as she was well intentioned yet clearly out of her depth.

This series continues to be entertaining. Until the final reveal I was not at all certain whodunnit.

I did have a small quibble about the lack of references in the first two books to the Great War, though here it is mentioned a number of times. Indeed, even though a cosy, this outing for Lady Eleanor expressed more awareness of the social issues of the period as evidenced with the subplot on politics.

Lancelot ‘Goggles’ Fenwick-Langham continues to be the subject of Eleanor’s romantic interest though neither he nor D.I. Seldon, who has always seemed to me a more suitable partner in terms of maturity, only had a few scenes each. Lancelot is still running around with his Oxford set of Bright Young Things. How Eleanor tolerates them is baffling.

I note that the fourth book in the series is due to be published in November and I look forward to reading it in due course.

Overall, a delightful and engaging historical mystery. A book and series that I certainly recommend.

A Witness To Murder is the third in a series featuring an amateur sleuth, Lady Eleanor Swift. The story takes place ini 1920, somewhere in the Cotswolds in England, not too far from Oxford. I had not read the first two books in the series but felt this worked as a standalone just fine. The author provided enough information on Lady Eleanor’s backstory without going into too much detail. The main character is charming, an unconventional young woman in attitude and history. She has recently inherited her uncle’s manor, including his loyal staff and beloved dog, Gladstone. She is still learning what being the “lady of the manor” means. One example is that traditionally women used printed calling cards but “Ellie” doesn’t care for that and doesn’t get any printed. The butler, Clifford, is her partner in solving local murders, and he is delightful. The whole situation reminded me so much of the old television series, Upstairs, Downstairs, as well as the more recent Downton Abbey series.

Being set in 1920, there is a fair amount of the plot that revolves around the position of women, who had recently gained the right to vote, but were still looked down upon by most men.

One thing that just didn’t sit right with me is the method of death being attributed to a severe peanut allergy. That seemed anachronistic to me, as peanut allergies didn’t “explode” until the 1990s. I could certainly be wrong about this, but it just seemed odd to me. Also, do the English actually like and use peanut butter as an ingredient, especially 100 years ago? Again, I could be wrong, but I think it’s much more an American thing. I will have to trust that the author did her research on this topic though.

This was an enjoyable mystery, with lots of suspects and lots of red herrings. There is also a bit of a love interest and a possible romantic triangle that might be explored in future books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I have discovered the most delightful cozy mystery series. I saw mention of the upcoming Christmas book in the series and since I'm a sucker for Christmas stories I went to Netgalley in hopes of scoring an ARC. That book wasn't listed yet but I did find that a new book in the series was available.

A Witness to Murder is book 3 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but when has that stopped me from jumping right in? I'm glad that I did as I loved every minute of this book.

From the first pages, I fell in love with Eleanor. If I was a titled Englishwoman she is who I would want to be. She is a bit of a combination between Lady Edith and Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey. While she has a title and has inherited a large estate, she is very down-to-earth. I think in some ways she would rather just be called Eleanor and invited to the farmwife's kitchen for tea.

There are some particularly delightful scenes like Chester taking a pram full of cats for a walk and the chasing of runaway piglets. That added a quirky vibe to the town, which tipped the scales towards light-hearted when weighed in the balance with the more regular townsfolk she encounters. I thought the ordinary and oddity was well-balanced overall. It kept the story light without becoming a farce.

The series is set in 1920s England. The ideas of a modern woman, women's rights, and even the breaking down of class barriers all seemed in step with the time period. However, the chocolate peanut butter fudge and peanut allergy felt out of place - a bit too futuristic. I'm not saying that there weren't peanut allergies in the 1920s. But how popular was peanut butter in England at the time? It is much more of a North American (the process was patented by a Canadian in the 1880s) food. I would have thought marzipan (popular in many parts of continental Europe) would have been the nut product of choice. And how would Mr. Aries have known he had a severe peanut allergy unless he had a reaction before? Epinephrine was in use in the 1920s but I'm not sure how widely available and easily accessible it was. If one small bite of fudge killed him so quickly it is likely any previous encounter with peanuts would have done so as well without quick access to epinephrine. Now that I'm really thinking about this scene, I wonder how silently he would have killed over. Anaphylaxis usually results in difficulty breathing and one reacts as if they are choking or by taking loud, wheezing breaths. How would his dinner companions not see he was in distress?

Thankfully the whole death scene is quick and most of the investigation is focused on the motives to kill so it is easy to suspend disbelief in favor of entertainment.

As I mentioned I have not read the first two books in the series, and I had no problem jumping in with book three. It is still early on in the series so plenty of the backstory is explained, making it simple to start here. But if you are one who must start at the beginning it shouldn't take long to catch up. For me, I have the delight of enjoying two more books in the series while I wait for book 4.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, September 14 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/09/a-witness-to-murder-by-verity-bright.html