This was my first Lady Eleanor Swift murder mystery and I think I really missed out by not starting with the first book and reading through in chronological order, as the characters are wonderfully engaging but I got the impression of lots of backstory behind their relationships, conversations and behaviour.

Very much a classic, British, golden-age style mystery here, as Lady Eleanor and her trusty sidekicks Clifford, Gladstone and Seldon investigate the deaths of two teachers at her old private boarding school and manage to uncover a web of secrets beneath the refined facade.

The main plot is well-constructed and kept me guessing, and there is a nice little subplot that reminded me of Enid Blyton’s school stories, as Lady Eleanor explores her history with the school and finds some closure by helping some of the current girls deal with their problems.

In fact, the only aspect I wasn’t keen on were the constant ‘Ellie’ asides, which I found a bit distracting!

I definitely intend to head back to try book 1 of this series, and feel that it is one fans of Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters and similar are likely to enjoy.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

A Lesson in Murder is the 7th Lady Eleanor Swift cozy mystery by pseudonymous writing duo Verity Bright. Released 14th Sept 2021, it's 266 pages and is 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 rest of the series) are currently included in the KU library to borrow and read for free.

This is such a lightly humorous and refreshing read. The entire series is just perfect for lifting the spirits and being entertaining. The style is reminiscent of earlier golden age inter-war drawing room mysteries. It's 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. Gladstone the elderly bulldog also makes an appearance in this installment, despite much of the plot revolving around Lady Eleanor's investigation into murder at her old school, St. Mary's.

It's a fast and undemanding cozy; the language is clean, the crimes are not written violently or explicitly and the denouement is satisfying. 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.

Four stars, a decidedly exuberant and whimsical romp. There are now 10 books extant in the series, with the 11th due out in August 2022. This is a prime candidate for binge reading. Although each of the books is self contained, I recommend reading them in order (though it's not absolutely necessary).

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

Great book by Verity Bright. I will be reading more from her. It was a great blend of cozy mystery and suspense. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Lesson In Murder' by Verity Bright.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Verity Bright, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 14th September 2021.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the seventh book in her 'Lady Eleanor Smith Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read Verity's 'A Witness to Muder' (third book in the series), 'Mystery By The Sea' (5th book in the series) and 'Murder At The Fair' (6th book in the series) which I would also recommend reading.

I was originally drawn to this book by its fantastic eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Rhys Bowen are in for a treat. ' I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Verity and if this is as good as 'A Witness To Murder', 'Mystery By The Sea' and 'Murder At The Fair' it is sure to be an epic read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 41 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and had holidays in England on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Verity has based the book on.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Lady Eleanor Smith. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO VERITY ON YET ANOTHER PAGE TURNING SUCCESS!!

Another successful unputdownable cosy mystery by the very talented Verity Bright. I'm always a bit dubious with books based historically as I worry about not being able to 'deal' with the language used but I absolutely love how Verity has written her books. The language used is perfectly suited to the era whilst being easy to read and making it quite humorous on several occasions. The atmosphere and descriptions were perfect. The synopsis and cover also suit the storyline.

The storyline had me hooked immediately and I love the way that Eleanor and Clifford go about their detective work. There was so much going on that it kept me entertained thoroughly throughout with mystery after mystery and clue after clue. It was filled with suspense, mystery, laughter, murder, clues, deceit. tension, suspense, a sprinkle of romance and so much more!! It is absolutely perfect to read either curled in front of the fire or lying on a beach which not many books can achieve. I never did work out who the killer was and was completely shocked when they were discovered. A great achievement as I am a huge crime fan and tend to work out who did what quite early on, especially considering I have read so many of Verity's books yet she manages to get me everytime. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery. I loved the fact that it was set in Ellie's old boarding school and the lovely surprise that it wasn't only Ellie that attended!! It was lovely watching her reminiscing about her times there while also discovering new knowledge while there.

If you read this book please keep going once you get to the end as you come across the fascinating historical notes by Verity which will teach you more about the first non white teacher in Britain, the first woman to cycle around the world, Northern Ireland, Ellie's Irish connections, fingerprinting, the South African hospital in Abbeville, Vermilion (such a shame that couldn't have worked out), flanking paths, shellac, double helix staircases (fascinating!), victorian fern collecting (looking forward to my next custard cream!) and Who's who (obviously a mistake had been made). I thoroughly enjoyed reading this notes and I did have a bit of a giggle at a few. Well done Verity!

Although this is the seventh book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters were all larger than life, realistic and a complete breathe of fresh air. Eleanor is an amazing character, very bubbly and certainly not your typical 'Lady', she is absolutely unique as well as a very strong female lead which is a great bonus for myself being female. I absolutely adore her relationship with Clifford along with the rest of her "staff" that she treats more like friends. The only downfall is that herself and Clifford are fictional as these are two characters I would absolutely LOVE to meet in real life!! Clifford is absolutely fantastic and I really enjoy how he makes me laugh with his diplomatic skills while being extremely sarcastic at times. It is so sweet how he has taken Eleanor under his wing and admonishes her in several occasions in his humerus ways. I cannot wait to meet them both again and see what they get up to in the next "episode". I really enjoyed getting to meet the teachers at St Mary's along with all the girls at .Holly House who all had their own larger than life personalities!!

A huge congratulations on another fantastic success Verity!!! Here's to looking forward to your next book 🥂

If you are looking for a cosy mystery that will have you laughing until your crying look no further!!!


This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and this is one of my favourite 'series' Verity! A page turning and unputdownable success!

Overall a fun and easy to read page turning cozy murder mystery with the perfect amount of crime and humour that will keep you turning the pages.

Genres covered in this novel include Cozy Mystery, Murder and Crime amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Agatha Christie and anyone looking for a very easy, page turning and enjoyable read.

315 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I'm not a big historic fiction reader but I do enjoy this series. This is book 7 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series set in England before WWII. Asked to be guest speaker at her old school, St. Mary's, Lady Swift if dismayed to find her favorite teacher has been murdered in the school library. With many prominent families sending their girls to St. Mary's, Chief Inspector Seldon wants Eleanor to stay at the school as a teacher to help investigate. Another great cozy that can be read as a stand alone but you'll want to read them all. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Lady Eleanor Swift books have been my favorite Historical Mystery series since I first discovered them, and the seventh book in the series, A Lesson in Murder, was as delightful and fun as its predecessors.

In this installment, Eleanor and Clifford’s latest murder mystery takes them to Ellie’s former boarding school, where a beloved faculty member has died under suspicious circumstances.

Eleanor and Clifford are a joy as usual, and the setting (as is always the case in Verity Bright novels) is exceptionally well-rendered and fun. I’m always an easy sell when it comes to boarding school atmosphere, but count on the authors of this series to do an exceptionally great job on a setting that doesn’t even necessarily require that to be compelling.

Ellie’s sweet bond with the current students is a nice feel-good extra component to the mystery itself, and as always, the historical information is fascinating and the Author’s Note beautifully clears up any questions about fact vs fiction in the novel.

A Lesson In Murder by Verity Bright

When Lady Swift is invited to her old school she walks through familiar classrooms, finds her favorite books in the library, and surely that’s not a body?

This was a fantastic book. So many secrets, so many characters. Well-written. I enjoyed all the mischief that the girls, and Lady Swift, got into at the school. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I loved this from the front cover to the back page. It's everything you could want from a cozy murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Another great entry in the series! It was fun getting to learn more of Eleanor's backstory. I'm excited to see the mystery surrounding her parents disappearance unfold.

Thank you, Bookouture and Verity Bright, for a complimentary copy of this book! The review reflects my personal and unbiased opinion.

First off, I am sooooo happy that we learned more about Lady Eleanor's mom. I cannot even imagine how happy Eleanor must have been to find out more about her mom as well. Now, on with the review: This book felt like Truly Devious (by Maureen Johnson) meets The Suicide House (by Charlie Donlea) but set in the 1920s and with an amateur sleuth who is way ahead of her time. While this was another great book in the series, it didn't meet my personal super high bar set by Murder at the Fair by Verity Bright. You can find my review of the book on my blog. Murder at the Fair is still my all-time favorite in the series. However, this book is still a fantastic addition to the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. I loved adding more pieces to the puzzle that is Eleanor's life. This time, we dove into her ancestry (with her mom) and her time as a student. It did not surprise me one bit that the girls at the school were immediately drawn to Eleanor. She is simply a young woman with great ambitions, great stories to tell, and feminist traits. Once again, this helps her in her amateur sleuthing since she needs wits--which she possesses--as well as help which she gets from the students. I have to say that my guess of who was behind those heinous crimes was wrong. I love that about Verity Bright's books. You always find some twists and turns. Your "grey cells" (as Hercule Poirot calls them) have to work hard to even guess who the culprit is early on. I love it when I can do some sleuthing all the way to the end with the sleuth or detective without the villain being obvious from the very beginning.

INCREDIBLE, SIZZLING, SUSPENSEFUL.

I can't believe I've never read this series. When I requested it from Netgalley, I was skeptical because this is book 7 and I haven't read any of the other books in the series. Nevertheless I decided to give it a try. And oh, was it fantastic! The book opens with Lady Eleanor Swift, a sophisticated young woman who in spite of the rather absurd, chauvinistic views on women, she was free willed with a very liberal approach. She did as she willed not giving a thought about what anyone would think. Having being called to give a speech at her formal school, she sits on the high table waiting for her turn. All of a sudden, the hall filled with teachers and students becomes an uproar as they are all sent to another part of the school and the event is postponed. Something has definitely happened. The headmistress then calls Eleanor to her office and explains the situation. Mrs Wadsworth - who was Eleanor's favorite teacher back when she schooled there has just been found dead. Eleanor is called unto the scene and she realizes something - poor Mrs Wadsworth didn't just slip and fall. Someone either pushed her or shook the stairs to enable her fall. Whichever one it was, it's certain this is not an accidental death. It's murder. And the year is 1921.

I love reading Historicals and this definitely tops the list. The setting plays a very important role in the plot of the book, especially as it involves a murder. The manners used in fishing out the criminal are quite different from our modern ones hence making the whole process long. Eleanor is an interesting character - witty, funny and quite creative. Together with the chief inspector Detective Seldon and her butler, they maneuver their ways around the school in order to find the killer. It's a race against time especially after another teacher is found dead. To be honest, everyone in the school was a suspect to me. Each had their own motives and chance to commit the crime.

I loved reading about Eleanor's childhood. In as much as she hated the school, Mrs Wadsworth and the little sweet shop just outside the school brightened her day. It was sweet reading about her return to the shop, wandering around the school all the while remembering how her life had been as a student. The new friends she made at Holly House fueled her passion to solve the crime no matter what.


Clifford is a whole different ball game. Ha! He IS the book. Without him, it wouldn't be the same. It's like this butler knows everything! I love how considerate and smart he is and always at the beck and call of Eleanor. Together with Gladstone the bulldog, the trio make the best team. Detective Seldon's attractive to Eleanor is cute i must say, and I was pleased to see he finally made a move.

I enjoyed reading this 1920s cozy mystery. If you love historical fiction with a twist, full of suspense and witty dialogues, then this book is for you.

Another wonderful read. This series just gets better and better. I absolutely enjoyed this one. A brilliant mystery expertly told. Five wonderful stars.

Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to her former school to give a speech to the current cohort of boarders. However just as she takes centre stage, speech day is cancelled with the announcement of an accident. Her favourite teacher, now the librarian, has been murdered but who could possibly have wanted to harm the elderly woman? Ellie is determined to find out...
A Lesson In Murder is the seventh book in Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor Swift series. It can be read as a stand alone book but I would recommend you read them all as the characters are so entertaining!
Ellie is not your typical lady of the manor. She is assisted by her stoic, practical and often exasperated but always unflappable butler Clifford alongside bulldog Gladstone. There is a romantic side to Ellie shown through her antagonistic relationship with police officer Hugh Seldon.
I enjoyed Ellie's reminiscences about her escapades as a child which prepare her for going undercover at the school. She is given charge of one of the houses whose boarders are notorious for their behaviour but Ellie is up to the challenge. She investigates her former teacher's murder with the permission of Hugh unlike in previous books so they have more positive interactions than usual.
The writing style is light hearted and the main characters are wonderful. Ellie continues to defy convention and the dynamic with Clifford remains strong, underpinning the plot.
A Lesson In Murder is my new favourite in this series.

A Lesson in Murder is the seventh book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series and the series keeps getting better and fresher with each passing book. Absolutely loved this one as well and it was wonderful to see Eleanor getting a tiny glimpse of her mother's life as a student at the same boarding school Eleanor went to as a child. I am not sure if Eleanor realises it but I believe she has found another professional calling as a Housemistress to go hand in hand with her sleuthing skills.

Now onto the eighth book!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Verity Bright for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another fun addition to this series, as Ellie is invited back to her old school to give a talk on her adventurous life. Just before she stands up to give her speech, however, a body is found in the school. And when another teacher dies, Ellie sets out to solve the crimes. She becomes a mentor to the girls at the school, and starts to uncover secrets from her own past - and that of her mother, also a former student there - that may just help her catch the killer.

This is a fun, engaging series with enough charm and plot twists to keep any reader's attention. I'm already looking forward to the next in the series! 4 stars.

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

Miss Swift lost both her parents at an early age. She was sent to a girl's school by her uncle. She never imaged coming back, but she was requested as a speaker as she had travelled the world on a bicycle.

Bookouture and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published so you can get a copy now.

While she's on stage waiting to speak, some bells go off and they find a teacher dead in the library. It was her favorite teacher. She starts asking questions and looking for the killer. The cop warns her off, but she doesn't listen.

They invite her to stay and take over the class. She agrees. It turns into fun for her.

She and the cop compare notes. He can't tell her everything but she gets the idea. Then the music teacher dies.

She keeps looking and asking questions until she gets too close to the killer. Will she survive?

Lady Eleanor Swift returned to her misliked private girl's school to give the guest lecture which is cancelled as there is a murder in A Lesson in Murder. She and her butler stay at the school as "staff" to help find out whodunit. She has run ins with the chief inspector responsible for finding the perpetrator. Chance to see private girl school dynamics in the 1920's and follow a good historical cozy.

Going back to your old school can be traumatic for anyone. When Ellie is invited back to speak on Speech Day, she hardly expects the opportunity to be abruptly ended by the death of her old teacher. Ellie and Clifford are engaged to be undercover investigators to keep the police at arm's length. The mystery is tricky (I didn't guess it at all), Ellie's interactions with the students is delightful, and the book advances the overall arc f Ellie's story.

This is another great instalment in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. I am luckily enough to have reviewed the majority of the books.

A Very English Murder

Death at the Dance

A Witness to Murder

Murder in the Snow

Murder at the Fair

This book sees Lady Swift giving a talk at her old school, the building and the staff hold memories for her. So when a dead body is found at the very moment she is due to start talking, she swings into detection mode.

The investigation continues at pace when another body is found and Eleanor finds herself determined to solve this mystery, along with Clifford and Gladstone. Could there be a link to her past?

Another intriguing mystery that had me guessing all the way through. This series has become a big favourite of mine. It is extremely well written and plotted and there is attention to detail in the historical fact.

This series is so enthralling although I’m not sure it’s one that you could dip in and out of because the joy of it is the development of the characters, their friendships and the way in which we find out more and more about them and their lives as the tales continue.
In this one, we learn of Lady Eleanor’s school life as she and Clifford investigate the murder of her favourite teacher. The usual carefully laid clues and twists and turns, good fun