This is the latest in the series. This is an entertaining cosy mystery. These books are so easy to read. Perfect for a quick read

Lady Eleanor Swift heads to Scotland for Christmas with her entire staff. But the festivities don't last long before a body is discovered and Eleanor finds herself with a new investigation...
Death on a Winter's Day is the 8th book to feature the irrepressible Lady Swift and her endlessly patient butler Clifford. I enjoyed being reunited with Eleanor's staff as they did not appear in the last book.
A loud and brash American guest is found dead at the dinner table with a knife sticking from his back. Eleanor's friend and host is the chief suspect for the disdainful and possibly incompetent police inspector. She is determined to find the real killer but is she putting herself in danger once again?
There are plenty of characters to suspect and an old castle full of swords, axes and daggers as potential murder weapons. The pace of the plot moves quite quickly as the investigation ensues and red herrings give the story twists to keep us guessing.
Ellie and Clifford stick rigidly to their respectful friendship with a wry humour and avuncular tone that shows their true caring nature towards each other. The writing is light hearted as always and the relationship between them really shines throughout the plot. I feared that Ellie's romance with Hugh would be put on hold due to the relocation of the plot to Scotland but, never fear, he arrives!
Death on a Winter's Day is a hugely entertaining historical cosy murder mystery. It has a wonderful classical feel whilst also having a gentle humour throughout.

Death on a Winter's Day is the 8th Lady Eleanor Swift cozy mystery by pseudonymous writing duo Verity Bright. Released 24th Nov. 2021, it's 288 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 honestly fun read. The entire series is just perfect for lifting the spirits and a reading escape to a simpler time. The style is reminiscent of earlier golden age inter-war 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 brings his unique support efforts to bear, helping untangle this holiday mystery set in Scotland.

It's a fast and undemanding cozy; the language is clean, the crimes are not written violently or explicitly and the denouement is satisfyingly twisty 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 has shockingly bohemian attitudes and fraternizes with the servants.

Four stars, a decidedly exuberant and whimsical romp. There are now 11 extant books in the series, with the 12th due out in Nov 2022. This series 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.

I am a huge fan of the Eleanor Swift mysteries. Eleanor is a fun, carefree, and intelligent protagonist. The mystery is simple and predictable. Still, it was nice to revisit many of my favorite characters! Therefore, this was a light and cozy mystery! I recommend this fans of Rhys Bowen, Dianne Freeman, and Clara McKenna!

This one unfortunately did not keep my interest and I forgot about it in my kindle shelf. I went on to read other books and this one didn’t get read for a while.

Lady Eleanor is quickly becoming my favorite heroine. This is book 8 in A Lady Eleanor Swift series and is set around the Christmas holiday in 1920's England. Eleanor, her bulldog, Gladstone and her entire staff set off to Scotland to celebrate with friends. When the host is arrested for murder she must investigate to set him free. All your favorites are here including a certain police investigator. Can be read as a stand alone but don't miss any of the previous great stories. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another wonderful installment in my favorite historical mystery series.

This time Eleanor and the gang are headed to Scotland for christmas to a remote castle populated by a cast of suspicious characters thrown together for a murderously merry Christmas.

Eleanor and Clifford are (unofficially) on the job again when one of the holiday guests is actually murdered during a game of Wink Murder (highly underrated party game, by the way).

The mystery itself is fun and satisfying, but as is always the case with this series, it’s the historical elements and fun hijinks that make the book such a joy to read.

Oh my but I never get bored of this series! It has been a joy to spend Christmas with Lady Elenaor Swift and her loyal staff as they decamp from the Manor and spend Christmas in a Castle in Scotland. There will be snow, there will be lots of delicious food and of course there will be murder. Once again Lady Swift is caught up in grisly deeds and with the help of her trusty butler Clifford begins to seek the culprit before an innocent (or is he???) man is condemned.

As always it is wonderful to spend time in the company of such a warm, funny and charismatic bunch of characters - with a few questionable sorts thrown in too. At first I was concerned that her dashing detective wouldn't make it in to the pages of this latest instalment but I am delighted to say he makes a rather memorable appearance - no more here though as I don't want to spoil anything. This is such a charming, fun filled series and I love how each book brings us a little further into Eleanor's life and her past. I can feel the ongoing mystery surrounding her parents slowly being revealed and it always adds some poignant moments to the story. Absolutely loving it and I can't wait for the next book.

In short this is a wonderfully witty and festive piece of escapism.

The eighth book in this series, and the emotions continue to run high. Of the two I read back to back, I liked the mystery in this better. On an impulse, Lady Swift, who is yet to host her own gathering, decides to go to Scotland for a Christmas celebration.
Once there, Eleanor realises that she has miscalculated all her moves and that she does not know as much as she would like of the people to whom she has volunteered her staff for the duration. Scotland at Christmas is dark and dismal, not least because the area does not celebrate Christmas the way some people are used to. The weather does not help either.
The foulest man at the table is found stabbed after a chance blackout (or was it one?). The police are not as interested as they should be and swiftly pin it on the wrong person (or so Lady Swift assumes). Her investigative skills have been honed well, and she sets out her dedicated list to figure things out. A special Chief Inspector makes his entry after the second half and plays a significant role in bringing things to a close. There is also a lot of movement in their 'courtship', which laid a pretty solid foundation for the next book.
would not recommend reading this series without having first read the beginning ones. One or two books in between can be skipped, but not more because otherwise, it would be hard to make sense of some of the background plots.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the previous works in the same series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have really been digging cozy mysteries set in the 1920s lately, and this was another fabulous read. The writing was excellent. It stood up well as a standalone (I cannot wait to dive into the first seven books). The plot was engaging with plenty of red herrings. The setting (Scotland) was lovely and atmospheric. There was a light touch of folklore, and the characters were very likable. I especially loved the relationship between Eleanor and Clifford. I can't wait to see what happens next for these characters!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Lady Swift and her loyal staff go to a castle on an island in Scotland where the staff has deserted Eleanor's friends at Christmastime. Yes, it's a locked room. Yes, the lights go out. Yes, when they come on someone is dead, with a knife in his back.

But who did it?

This adventure-packed mystery will keep you guessing.

Christmas cancelled! Not on Lady Eleanor Swift's watch and sure enough in this 8th installment, we see her bring her entire Henley Hall entourage to Scotland to save the Christmas celebration of her close friends, the Ashleys, at Castle Ranburgh. Once there, saving the Christmas celebration becomes least of her worries when one of the guests is found stabbed to death during the Christmas Eve dinner and Baron Ashley is incarcerated as the main suspect!

I liked how the Scottish historical and folklore references were incorporated in this book with Eleanor unlocking another piece of information about her mother. There is also a major nudge (finally!) forward on the romantic front and we also get a new addition to the Henley Hall entourage by the end of the book.

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

This was a wonderful book. This is the first time I've read a Lady Eleanor Swift mystery, and it will be a pleasure to read more. Lady Swift spends the Christmas holiday with friends in Scotland, and is in broiled in a murder mystery. With the help of her faithful butler, Clifford and her love interest, Chief Inspector, Hugh Seldon, she solves the mystery. If you like historical English mysteries with personable characters and well written plots, then you
will like this book. I highly recommend it to other mystery readers.

Another enjoyable Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery.

This eighth entry in the series sees our favourite amateur sleuth spending the holidays with her friends Baron and Baroness Ashley at their beautiful Scottish castle.

But the Yuletide gaiety quickly abates when the eccentric gaggle of houseguests becomes trapped inside the mansion with a murderer.

Filled with unexpected twists and just a touch of highlander magic, this quick and cozy mystery is perfect for a snowy day, safe and warm by the fireside.

This is the 8th book in the series and I loved everything about it. This time Eleanor and her staff travel to Scotland to help out friends at Christmas. This book hit all the right notes with me. The setting was divine, the mystery was interesting and as always the characters didn't disappoint. There's also mention of Eleanor's parents and that was very welcome.

The characters saved this one for me as I felt the underlying mystery was a little convoluted. That said, very much enjoying learning more about Eleanor's parents.

This series gets better and better.
Lady Eleanor is in Scotland and its not going well for her, her hosts or servants.
And certainly not for the unpleasant American visitor who is murdered in front of the house party.

As usual it is up to Clifford and Eleanor to solve the case and its going to be dramatic!

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

Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!! Finally more of Lady Eleanor and Seldon's prickling relationship--gee, I love these two!!!! The setting of this 8th book in the series is also perfect: a beautiful castle in Scotland and during the Christmas holidays no less, what better place and time for a bit of amateur sleuthing, right? This book ranks right up there with Murder at the Fair. I didn't want this book to end! But let's paddle back and dive in a bit deeper. This book had a lot going on in addition to the main story. Lady Eleanor doesn't travel to Scotland alone. When she finds out that the Baroness' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas, she takes her own staff with her to ensure that Christmas will be enjoyable. That, of course, includes her most loyal butler (and dare I say friend) Clifford. And let's not forget Eleanor's bulldog Gladstone. No Lady Swift murder mystery would be complete without him. At first, it seems that the evening will be quite boring, but when the hosts and guests decide to play a game, things get crazy. One of the guests, the American Eugene Randall ends up dead with a dirk sticking out of his back. Eleanor is not the only one in the castle who wants answers. When she starts digging deeper, sticking her nose in things that make the killer nervous, he/she strikes again! Can Eleanor solve this mystery? Well, you will have to read the book to find out, but I can tell you one thing: if you think you have it figured out, you are most likely wrong! What I loved about this book is not only that Eleanor's "maybe or maybe, we know but they don't know boyfriend" plays a bigger role in unmasking the killer and we see more of his interaction with Eleanor but also that the authors were able to bring a paranormal/legend element to the story. It made the plot even more interesting! Yet another great book added to this already fantastic series!

Great story. I love the relationship between the butler and the main character. Overall a fun mystery.

Another lively tale featuring the heroic and beautifully written characters Lady Eleanor and her faithful butler Clifford. In this encounter we see Lady Eleanor and her household travel to Scotland where friends of hers are rebelling against tradition and celebrating the season.

All is not well as the staff there resent the intruders and there is much animosity amongst the guests. In a game of wink murder after dinner, one of the guests is found dead and the case begins.

In this, the 8th book in the well written historical mystery series, we see more again of the characters and we hear about Lady Eleanor’s parents and she discovers a bond to her mother which was really lovely to read. The duo of Lady Eleanor and Clifford rally to solve the crime and do so in spectacular fashion, as ever.

A lovely well described story full of intrigue, great characters and the ongoing “will they won’t they” love story of Eleanor and her detective inspector.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.