This is one of my favorite series. I love Clifford. Ellie and Hugh are good as well.. There are no annoying reoccurring characters, which makes for an easy read for me (not wanting to throw the book across a room whenever the problem character shows up!) The mystery keeps me guessing. Ellie travels around so there isn't a ton of dead bodies showing up her her small town.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I look forward hopefully to many more in the series.

1921 and Lady Eleanor Swift has been invited to give an address to the girls as she is considered a rather prestigious
old girl. Independent, adventurous and definitely not found elsewhere a rather sensible down to earth young woman who is also of the aristocracy. Very unusual combination for the time.

When one of her most beloved teachers are found dead just before her speech and which turns the whole school upside down, Eleanor is called upon to privately investigate along with Clifford her butler who is a character in himself (and stories
could be written from his point of view alone) to find out who did this. The school seemingly made up of staid, respectable
teachers is anything but and Eleanor discovers plot upon plot with many suspects. It has to be whittled down and fast, because a second murder takes place.

Entering the school as a relief was the only way Eleanor was able to access the school without suspicion and without incurring the wrath of its well heeled parents, who did not want even a whiff of scandal to touch their daughters at this elite school. Fighting the establishment and discovering clues was not an easy task but the inimitaqble Lady Eleanor does it all in her usual unflappable style.

Loved the plot, the characters, the settings, the era, everything!

I love this series by Verity Bright, so it was lovely to receive the latest instalment (A Lesson in Murder) as an ARC.

I really enjoyed the setting for this book, it’s unusual for an adult cozy crime to be set in a boarding school. The insights into Eleanor’s earlier life, when she was at school, were really interesting.

Although some of the regular characters don’t feature in this book, it’s always a pleasure to return to this world, and the characters feel like friends by now. I love Clifford’s unparalleled efficiency, and I liked how the change in setting altered the dynamic between Eleanor and Chief Inspector Seldon. It was fun exploring the school through Eleanor and Clifford’s eyes.

The plot was a great one, and each character fell under my suspicion, until finally the solution was revealed. There was a good range of suspects, and quite a few of them were hiding secrets.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable, with a great cast of characters, and an intriguing mystery. I definitely recommend it, and the whole series.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of A Lesson in Murder, the seventh novel to feature amateur sleuth Lafayette Eleanor Swift and her butler, Clifford, set in 1921.

Lady Eleanor is back at her old school, St Mary’s, as guest of honour at the annual prize giving when the ceremony is halted due to the death of a staff member. Mrs Wadsworth had been Ellie’s support as a lonely child and now she was lying dead in the library, murdered she and Clifford suspect as does Chief Inspector Seldon when he arrives. Ellie and Clifford stay on at the school to conduct an undercover investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Lesson in Murder, which is a light, frothy tale with an ingenious solution. The novel is told entirely from Ellie’s point of view, so what she knows the reader knows and I still didn’t get near a solution, probably due to too much giggling and taking what I was told at face value. It is difficult to see through the misdirection when you’re having fun.

Being set in a boarding school the novel contains most of the usual tropes, mischievous school children, personality clashes in the staff, midnight feasts, school dinners, secret passages and lost diaries among others. It is also heartwarming as Ellie champions the underdogs and releases untapped potential. So, an excellent background that takes me back to my childhood reading that frames a clever murder mystery. The solution is highly unlikely, but who needs verisimilitude when it’s all good, clean fun? Not me.

The novel misses the staff at Henley Hall, always another source of entertainment, but Ellie and Clifford manage to soldier on in their inimitable style, provoking laughter on a regular basis, ably assisted by Gladstone the dog. To make up for the loss of “the ladies” the author moves the will they, won’t they relationship between Ellie and DCI Hugh Seldon a step closer to romance, but we’ve been here before, so who knows?

A Lesson in Murder is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

First off, I wish I would have known that this book was number 7 in a series. It gave me major Agatha Christy vibes overall. It was hard to track with what was going on in the story, and figure out who each character was, what they were saying and what was going on. I thought that the storyline was good for the most part, slow at times.
I think that if I had know this was apart of a series, and had read the other books first, it would have made more sense to me.

I LOVED IT! I've read and enjoyed every single adventure of Lady Eleanor Swift so far and this latest story is no exception. I love all the characters, from Eleanor to Clifford and Hugh, from Master Gladstone to the little girls of Holly House (especially Elsbury). I particularly enjoy books set in schools/universities so that was a nice bonus to an already amazing book. The story is gripping and fast-paced and a perfect escape read for the summer or a rainy day.

Highly recommended to all fans of cosy mysteries and the roaring 1920's.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 7th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, but the 1st of the series that I've read. I found it a quick and easy read with entertaining and engaging characters - and it was easy to pick up in the middle of the series. This book finds Lady Eleanor back at the boarding school she attended as a child, preparing to give a speech to the students and staff. Speech Day is interrupted with the discovery of the body of a beloved teacher. Lady Eleanor and her butler, Clifford, are recruited by DI Hugh Seldon to go undercover at the school to help solve the possible murder. With lots of secrets to uncover at the school, we are taken along as Eleanor and Clifford work together (although it seems like Clifford is the real detective here) to solve the mystery. There is a bit of chemistry between Eleanor and Hugh and hints at possible future romance in upcoming books. Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery and have even ordered the first 2 books in the series so I can spend more time with these entertaining characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Having received the first in this series as a free download i quickly raced through the first 6 books and number 7 is just as good

Faced with a talk at her old school Lady Eleanor Swift is just about to start when news reaches that her favourite teachers body has been found in the library, at first a simple accident it would appear but Lady Eleanor notices that all is not what it seems....

Highly recommended

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and not affected by the giveaway.</b>

It's June 1921 and Lady Eleanor Swift is hoping the ground will open up and swallow her whole before she has to give a speech at her alma mater, St. Mary's. While Ellie's memories of the school are not so great, she agreed to speak about her travels as a favor to her favorite teacher, Mrs. Wadsworth. Fortunately, an emergency delays Ellie's speech and then cancels the event. Unfortunately, the emergency comes in the form of the death of Mrs. Wadsworth in her beloved library. Clifford suspects foul play and asks Ellie to take a look. They both determine that the accident had to have been staged and the police must be called. Ellie is surprised to see her friend Chief Inspector Seldon on the scene. He's facing intense pressure from higher ups to call the death an accident and ensure the security of the school. Seldon trusts Ellie and Clifford but his hands are tied unless... he bends the rules and asks Ellie to go undercover. As a boardinghouse mistress she'll have the opportunity to meet the staff and talk to the students without anyone the wiser. Clifford will tag along to keep Ellie safe and help out on the grounds. Ellie is nervous about her new assignment and would rather stay out of it to avoid another row with Hugh but he's asking her to work under him so can't really say no. Her time at St. Mary's brings a lot of surprises, including another death the police determine as natural causes. Ellie and Clifford suspect otherwise. Can they solve the case before Seldon gets fired?

This is another very good entry in this series. The 1920s references were minimal since the setting was a boarding school. The history focus is on changing roles for women and progressive education that will teach girls to be strong, capable, adventurous women like Lady Swift! I questioned a couple of word choices but when I looked them up they were actually around when the book was set. "Get a grip" dates to the 1890s and the other expression I questioned was first recorded in print in 1919. I liked the story well enough to stay up very late reading it but found the whodunit kind of lame. I didn't expect it to be that person but I did suspect how the murderer got around. I'm not into boarding school stories - except for Harry Potter- but I liked the cozy details of Ellie's personal journey the most.

Ellie is still a bit immature and scattered but that's why we love her. Her strong, brave spirit and sense of adventure make her appealing. I like that she's less than perfect but she still needs looking after and I'm worried Hugh is going to spring it on her that he has a kid. She is NOT the motherly type. As dorm supervisor she's more of a big sister. Since Ellie attended the school and boarded at Holly House herself, she has intense empathy for the girls. A troublemaker in her school days, Ellie had little regard for authority but of course as an adult she must follow the rules. I think she did a good job balancing the adult in charge role with her desire to befriend the girls and be seen as fun. She learns more about herself and her past and is coming to terms with her uncle's seeming abandonment of her as a child. At first I didn't like how the relationship plot seemed to have fizzled since Ellie's birthday. It's true Hugh works a lot and as a policeman he's very by the book but I thought they had come to an understanding. While they don't have time for a date, Clifford works behind the scenes to make sure they have time alone to talk. By the end, I was happy with how things went. I felt really bad for Seldon in this book. He hasn't slept and can't rest until this case is solved. He's getting pressure from the higher ups who are being pressured by the school governor to hurry up and wrap up the case even take the lazy way out if it means getting out of the school quickly. Still, we learn a bit more about him and see his personality come through more. The banter between Ellie and Hugh is pretty cute. I'm hoping for more next time.

Clifford is incomparable. He's fun but tough. He looks after Ellie like a father figure/bodyguard rolled into one. He's incredibly intelligent and perceptive. He knows what Ellie needs before she does. I would have liked seeing him working in the gardens a bit more. That would have been funny. He brings along Gladstone, the naughty bulldog, who sadly only has one good scene. Sausages! No onion for Gladstone, I hope. I missed the other recurring characters though. The ladies didn't come along.

At the school the teachers are a mixed bag of draconian old school, new school and downright weird. Headmistress Miss Lonsdale is great. She seems to care about the school, the girls AND see that the world has changed since the pre-war days. Her education methods are sometimes unorthodox and she never uses the cane to punish a student. I really like her and respect her. I think Ellie does too. She goes along with Seldon's plan and allows Ellie a lot of leeway to explore the school and talk to the teachers. Second in command is Mrs. Coulson. She is NASTY! Mrs. Coulson is old school. She liked the draconian (read sexist and cruel) rules and prefers to keep order with an iron fist. She doesn't like being overruled by Miss Lonsdale, she doesn't like the elderly former English teacher turned librarian or the scatterbrained art teacher. Who DOES she like? I don't think she likes anyone. I like her for murderer! She's my chief suspect. I'd like her to be the victim rather than the sweet old Mrs. Wadsworth. Mrs. Wadsworth was lovely. She understood children needed kindness, gentleness and imagination. Boarding school shouldn't be a prison as Mrs. Coulson would like it to be. Mrs. Wadsworth was a huge influence on Ellie and I'm sure she inspired many other girls to love literature and to travel the world. Her legacy would be so special and enormous if she had been able to either retire voluntarily or die of natural causes. She was 68 which doesn't sound very old today but from the way they described her, it sounds like 68 was the equivalent of 80-something today. Her death is a real tragedy.

Miss Munn, head of PE is a jolly, energetic type. She can run pretty far and seems strong. Somehow I don't think she'd concern herself with the librarian enough to have cause to murder the older woman though. Matron, the school nurse, seems suspicious. She's hiding something for sure and I don't think it's a small secret. She's lying about where she was at the time of the murder. Matron seems nice enough, no nonsense though. I think she's good to the girls at least. Miss Jupe, head of music, plays the role of the exotic "other." The only person with brown skin at the school, she presents herself as foreign and mysterious. She likes to gossip and dig for information from other people but seems reluctant to give up anything. I think she's playing a role and may have information Ellie needs but won't share for whatever reason. Miss Small is the art teacher. She's very silly and the dreamy sort. She has her head in the clouds. I think Miss Small knows more about Mrs. Wadsworth's death than she realizes. That could put her in danger. Miss Rice, the school secretary, is the typical middle-aged spinster variety of woman usually found in the 1920s. She seems timid and rather reluctant to talk. To me she feels ... sad... like a woman who hears about adventures but has never had one and will never. I don't think she's the murderer or knows anything about it.

There are a few men at the school. The Chaplain is an odd sort of young fellow. He seems suspicious but I guessed his secret pretty much right away. Ellie should have figured it out sooner. The Bursar is a super nasty lech. He has a HUGE ego and thinks he's God's gift to mankind. He served in the war and has an old injury that conveniently just flared up. Is he telling the truth or lying? Ellie's method of testing her theory is not a great one. Why not let Gladstone run into the man? If you called "sausages" I bet Gladstone would barrel into a man for his favorite food. Finally, we have Mr. Hepple, the groundskeeper. He's been at the school forever and is very protective of it. He knows every rule, every inch of the school and is determined to prevent outsiders from coming in. He's very suspicious of Clifford but I think he's just one of those cranky gardeners.

I'm enjoying this series more with each book and will for sure read more!

I was eagerly awaiting this new book in the Lady Swift series. I have become rather attached to Ellie, Clifford, Hugh, and of course, Master Gladstone, and I love passing my time immersed in another of their adventures.

In this book, we see a more vulnerable side to the strong whirlwind which is Ellie. We learn more about her time growing up and about her parents, especially her mother.

As usual, there is humour and laughter and a twist to keep you guessing.

Can’t wait for the next instalment, and especially to see if things progress with Hugh.

School Days Dilemma…
Lady Eleanor returns for the seventh outing in this fun, cosy series. This time she is tasked with a speech giving at her old school. Needless to say nothing goes to plan and when a tragic death occurs, quickly followed by another, it soon becomes clear that something is dreadfully amiss. Could the deaths be linked to Lady Eleanor herself? Entertaining escapism with a very likeable protagonist, a good sense of time and place and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A fitting addition to this enjoyable series

This book had me gripped from chapter 1! Autumn, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to her old school, St Mary’s, as a guest speaker. Her favourite teacher, Mrs Wadsworth, has asked that Eleanor talk about her intrepid travels around the globe – travelling the Silk Road by bicycle, crossing the Himalayas and even befriending the Maharaja of India. But in the circumstances, perhaps it would have been a good idea to talk about her career as a daring detective…Fabulous book 7 in the series and well worth a read!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "A Lesson In Murder" in exchange for my honest review.

This was the 7th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and as always I was eagerly anticipating it and I was not disappointed. While this book does not have the Henley Hall cast of characters, namely Mrs. Butters the housekeeper, Mrs. Trotman the cook and Polly the maid - we do have Clifford, DI Hugh Seldon and my all time favourite character Master Gladstone on this new adventure with Ellie.

It's Speech Day at St. Mary's the boarding school that Lord Byron sent Ellie to at the age of 9 when her parents disappeared. This returned her to the scene of some of the unhappiest days of her life. While on stage waiting to deliver her speech, there is an alarm bell that Ellie doesn't recognize and then several members of the staff leave the stage to check their departments. When the parents are told that Speech Day would be rescheduled and sent home, Ellie learns that an accident has befallen her favourite teacher and boarding mistress Mrs. Wadsworth. Ellie remembers her as the only one to be kind to her when she was a pupil at the school.

When DI Seldon is told by Whitehall not to investigate at the school, that the death of Mrs. Wadsworth was an accident, he agrees to have Ellie and Clifford do some discrete investigating. Ellie takes on the role of boarding mistress - replacing Mrs. Wadsworth and Clifford helps out as a groundskeeper.

There is a long list of suspects - Miss Lonsdale the headmistress, Mrs. Coulson, the deputy head (who insists that there is no reason to involve the police because it was an accident), Mrs. Jupe the music head, Miss Small the art head (who also found the body), Miss Munn the PE head, Matron from the Sanitorium (who claims she didn't hear the bell), Mr. Hepple the groundskeeper, Miss Rice the school secretary, the Bursar (who is rather slimy and may be faking a twisted ankle) and the chaplain round out the staff.

A helper on the grounds claims that someone was moving about in the art room and he raised the alarm which set about the chain of events leading up to the discovery of the body in the library.

Ellie learns that Holly House where she is now boarding mistress and where she herself used to live was where a plucky young girl named Phylida Henley was leader in 1871. Lord Grenville Henley had 2 children - Lady Phylida Henley and Lord Byron Henley.

When there is another death in the school and again it is ruled an accident - DI Seldon is pulled from the case because someone at the school informed Whitehall that there is an unwarranted murder investigation at St. Mary's. Apparently unauthorized, untrained assistants were spying on the girls at the school.

We learn a lot of background to Ellie and her mother in this book. We learn about the Holly House Book of Secrets that she started which detailed the secret passages at the school. There is a lot of fun conversations between Ellie and Clifford. It is fun reading her calling her oh so proper butler a "terror". We also have hint that Ellie and Hugh might want to be more than friends in the future.

This book again deserves more than 5 stars and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Verity Bright immerses you in 1921 in this A Lesson in Murder. You’ll actually feel as if you are there, the time, place with Lady Eleanor Swift. Finding out her favorite teacher is murdered was not on her agenda when she returned to her old school. The journey is quite enjoyable.

Your school days are supposed to be some of the happiest of your life but not always. For Lady Eleanor Swift leaving St Mary's School was the best thing she did, so why is she voluntarily returning as a guest? One reason would be to renew the friendship with her old house mistress and current librarian, Mrs Wadsworth, the one kindhearted teacher who, amazingly, is still there.

When Speech Day is interrupted by the sound of the school alarm the event is suddenly cancelled after the discovery of Mrs Wadsworth's body. Devastated by the news Eleanor is amazed when DCI Seldon arrives to oversee the investigation he wants her to undertake covertly, with the ever present Clifford, of course!

There are secrets to be uncovered, enquiries to be made as Eleanor finds herself taking over Mrs Wadsworth's position as head of Holly House and the welfare of the youngsters who will undoubtedly be missing the much loved librarian. As she tries to investigate alongside her new and unfamiliar duties Eleanor finds it's not just the students who are gaining an education.

This is the seventh in the wonderful Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series and for just the second time the action moves away from Henley Hall. With only Clifford, Seldon, and Gladstone from the main protagonists to assist her the storyline is a little different but no less entertaining because of it.

I have to admit that Clifford did come across a little less realistically this time. He has always had the ability to provide Eleanor with everything necessary to solve a case but here, in an unfamiliar setting I found it harder to believe he could do so as, if not more, expertly than usual.

Clifford's perfection however, did nothing to reduce the reading experience and I particularly enjoyed Eleanor's moments of introspection and better understanding of her unhappy childhood. There was also a very satisfying ending to this book with a promise of more to come and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. If you are a fan of this series you won’t be disappointed but as it can also be read as a standalone it could also introduce you to a wonderfully eccentric and enjoyable reading experience with six other stories to catch up on.

Verity Bright’s novel, A Lesson in Murder, starts with Lady Eleanor Swift as guest of honour on Speech Day at her old school, St. Mary’s. However, before she can start her speech, there’s an interruption – and a body. Ellie’s favourite teacher from her time at school, Mrs Wadsworth, has been found dead in the library. The police are called, but everything has to be handled very discreetly because many of the girls’ fathers are VIPs. The Head Girl’s father, for example is the King’s Private Secretary. The police cannot remain on site, but maybe Ellie can – as temporary housemistress in place of Mrs Wadsworth – with her butler, Clifford, as a temporary handyman helping the grounds staff. Thus, Ellie and Clifford are investigating another murder – and then someone else dies.

I think the word “cosy” (or “cozy” if you’re American) is a mis-used description for murder mysteries. I read one recently where a wife was being physically abused by her husband – I don’t think “cosy” is an appropriate description for that scenario. However, it really is apposite for the Lady Swift series. I think, partly, because we have descriptions of Ellie being physically cosy – dressing gown, slippers, glasses of brandy, slices of cake, etc. – with Clifford’s amazing secret-agent type skills keeping her safe.

This, the seventh in the series of Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries, is written with the same skill as recent ones in the series. I wanted to finish the book in one sitting because each chapter nudged the story along and I desperately wanted to know what happened next. Verity Bright (the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing partnership) is very very good:
- The characterisation is brilliant. You can picture everyone in the story within a few sentences of them appearing. Their appearance, their language, their actions – all combine to build a mental picture of that person.
- There is action. The plot is always being moved along. Even when Lady Swift is talking to Clifford, things are said or discovered.
- The dialogue is witty, with excellent banter between Ellie and the two men.
- There is romance: will Ellie and Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon admit to their growing love for each other?

If you haven’t read any Lady Swift books, I do recommend that you read them in order, even though it took a couple of books for Ellie to mature as a character.

#ALessoninMurder #NetGalley