This is book ten in the series. The setting in the French riveria is beautiful. The mystery is complex and entertaining. I really liked the characters. A great series

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide me review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

I do not thin it was my time to read this book: I put it away for now and I will be coming back to this once in the mood for that genre.

A solid addition to a solid series. Not my favorite but I Clifford and Eleanor's adventures are always a good read.

I’ve been on a bit of a historical mystery kick lately and this is another brilliant addition to the genre!

While the author does have a wee bit of a formula going on, this was still a fun, easy to read and lighthearted mystery that while slow in places did ultimately draw me in and have me intrigued!

Lady Eleanor Swift travels to France for a holiday. On her first day at the villa, her unflappable butler Clifford discovers a body in the wine cellar and is promptly arrested for murder. Can Ellie prove his innocence and find the real killer?
The French For Murder is the 10th book to feature Eleanor, Clifford and Gladstone the dog.
The action starts straight away and Eleanor cannot believe that death has followed her on holiday. She doesn't recognise the dead man but he is a film star. The French police arrest Clifford even though they don't think he was responsible. To prove Clifford's innocence and gain his freedom, she explores the decadent life of the Americans staying at the resort.
The usual wonderful humour between Clifford and Eleanor continues and I loved the bathing suit scenario. I dread to think how Clifford would cope with modern bikinis! His character is a curious mix of old fashioned attitudes and forward thinking. Ellie's romance with Hugh takes a back seat as they are in different countries! But she has her staff in France with her so there is some familiarity for fans of the series.
I enjoyed the historical detail to the plot, characters and attitudes. The change of scene and the French characters added an extra dimension to the story. We don't get to meet the murder victim before his demise so Ellie needs to delve deep to find out about his life and therefore potential motives.
The French For Murder is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery and a good instalment for the series.

Helping identify so many murderers, time for a change of scene so
Lady Eleanor Swift - and her staff - to the south of France go.
However, on arrival there her butler is shocked to discover
The body of a man who has been murdered - yes, another!

Get ready for Clifford arrested and to have to spend time
Even though he has committed no crime!
Eleanor is blackmailed into helping solve this case
Leaving Clifford in jail isn't something she can face!

There are movie stars involved in a filming endeavour
With Americans arranging the best parties ever!
Can Eleanor help identify the victim's killer
In this engaging historical murder mystery thriller?

Her staff are all great characters, too,
And their reactions are brilliant to anything new.
The series gives an insight into life in those days
The new gadgets, roles and as well as how they play.

This is an enthralling adventure I recommend to you
A thrilling French adventure and cosy mystery, too.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

I'm in love with this series, This is book 10 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and it keeps getting better with every book. The characters grow and each one has their shining moment. Lady Eleanor, along with her entire staff and Gladstone her dog are vacationing in France. When Clifford discovers a dead body in the wine cellar the French police immediately arrest him as the murderer and think the case has ended. They certainly don't know Lady Eleanor. You can read this book as a stand alone but you'll want to read the previous 9 books for fun. My only disappointment is not handsome police officer from England was present.

I’ll never tire of the delightful hijinks of Eleanor, Clifford, and company, the most delightful cast of amateur detectives in the historical cozy mystery genre.

That said, this was probably my least favorite of the series. I’m not sure why every historical mystery series insists on doing a movie set murder installment. It’s overdone and it’s not a particularly good trope to begin with. In this instance it was especially disappointing because it felt like a waste of the especially good setting of the south of France.

But of course, I’m being picky because this is a favorite series and we always judge those we deem best most harshly. The mystery itself is still a good one, and while the historical content here gets overshadowed by the goofy Hollywood stuff, it’s still there and well-incorporated into the story.

We see less of the staff in this one and there’s less “down time” for the characters, which I found I missed. Some of the best elements of this series have always been in the setting and details rather than in that which directly drives the plot. But the ending is satisfying and Gladstone stealing slippers is as delightful as always.

The French for Murder is the tenth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright. This series is set in 1920s England and follows the sleuthing adventures of Lady Eleanor Swift, her butler Clifford and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. In this installment, Lady Eleanor has travelled to the French Riviera for a vacation with her household staff accompanying her but leaving Hugh behind working. Upon their arrival, Clifford starts taking an inventory of the wine cellar as one of the clauses of the rental agreement for the villa is to pay for whatever wine they consume during their stay and he wants to ensure that they are able to prove just what was there when they arrived. During the coursse of this inventory, he comes across a body in the wine cellar and the police immediately suspect him. Due to Lady Eleanor's past endeavors, the mayor and the police inspector offer to release Clifford from custody only if Lady Eleanor agrees to assist them in the investigation but first she must prove her abilities by finding any clues that the police have missed in the original crime scene.

The writing style of this author allows the reader to envision the aarea and the countryside while not being overly detailed to the extent that it oovershadows the events taking place. Also, the continued creation of new characters who may very well find themselves brought forward into future stories as well as maintaining consistency within the existing characters encourages the reader to become invested in the stories and look forward to more in the future. I found the inclusion of characters from different cultures as well as social status to be particularly innovative and interesting. Throughout this book, the author incuded enough clues and twists to keep the reader's interest without revealing the culprit or motive prematurely and even allowed growth and personal development within characters that at first appeared shallow and self-centered. I look forward to many more adventures for this entire cast of characters.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just hours after the Henley Hall entourage touch down to the south of France for a much needed vacation and a break from solving murders, Clifford comes across a dead body (with a Napoleonic sword thrust into it) in the wine cellar of the villa they have rented!

Talk about wanting to take a vacation from murder!!

To make matters worse, the local French police waste no time in deciding that Clifford is their culprit and arrest him for the murder of the man who turns out to be the movie star Rex Armstrong. It's upto Eleanor now to help prove Clifford's innocence and to do so she partners with Inspector Damboise and attends the glitzy parties thrown at Hotel Azure, where the film cast and crew of the Napoleonic era movie Rex was part of are ever present, to uncover the truth.

I enjoyed the new setting and a new character in the form of Inspector Damboise. I really liked Inspector Damboise and it was good to see him, Eleanor and Clifford getting along well. Even Gladstone manages to entertain the police officer's family with his slippers tricks and shenanigans 😂! There is a slight note of tragedy and sadness to the mystery and this is the first time in the course of reading this series that I actually felt sad for the culprit.

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

In this instalment of the book, our vivacious protagonist needs some downtime. Her butler comes to her rescue and sets up a holiday in a location that is supposed to not be in 'season' for holidayers. They are not there for even a day when Clifford almost stumbles on a corpse (literally and figuratively). Unfortunately for them, the dead man is an American, the kind who is famous and whose killer needs to be caught in a hurry to preserve the town in a positive light. This is where Clifford comes in. The mayor decides that he is the perfect fall guy unless Lady Swift and all the 'detecting' in her past can flush out the real culprit.
The story moves at a fast pace, with a lot of partying and characters moving in and out of the scene. The ending was unexpected in some ways, but thinking back, it made sense to me.
The writing, the central cast and their interactions continue to be the highlight of this series. It is fun without being mindless, and the plot of the mystery was quite intriguing. There was an actual need to delve into the investigative world here, and Eleanor comes out with flying colours.
I would not recommend reading this without having read the rest only to have a better perspective of all the people we follow. That said, if there was to be an independent book that someone could pick up without knowing the background of both 'Lady Swift' and her all-knowing butler, Clifford, this might be it. One can always go back and peruse the series at leisure at any time.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is based on my own reading experience of this and all the books previously written in the series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Cute cover on this one!

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. This go around the author has us in the French Riviera. Lady Eleanor Swift is on holiday, accompanied (as always) by her charming butler Clifford, and ready to enjoy a much needed break. The discovery of a body in the villa they are renting throws all those plans into disarray.

This was another completely entertaining read. Fantastic writing. Well paced. I loved the setting (south of France) and the Hollywood connection. The plot (as always) was engaging and full of red herrings to keep you guessing. The characters remain very likable. I especially enjoyed Inspector Damboise, and Eleanor and Clifford remain the hearts of this series. 👍🏻👍🏻

On a side note, I am not sure if I was reading too much into a conversation between Eleanor and Clifford, but I got the vibe that maybe there was more to the relationship between Clifford and her uncle than just butler and employer. Did anyone else catch that? Or am I reading into things? 🧐

And so book 10 in this wonderful series is upon us, and Ellie ups-sticks with her entire staff for a wee break on the French Riviera. As you do.

The usual dodgy goings-on happen - this time a body is found in the cellar of the villa they are renting, and the story goes on to involve glamorous film stars and shady dealings, with the added spice that honourable-to-the-core Clifford, Ellie's butler, is arrested for the murder!! Will everything work itself out...?

OK, it's slightly formulaic, but the sheer gusto of the characters, the wonderful settings and the fun that Verity Bright clearly has writing these books makes them impossible not to love. I always know that I will enjoy them, and 10 books into a series that's pretty good going. I can't wait for the next one. Definitely a 4 stars recommendation.

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

Favorite Quotes:

But there was nothing achieved on an empty stomach what couldn’t have been done twice as well and in half the time as on a full one.

Tis the most beautiful view any of us have ever seen. If Polly’s eyes get any wider, I think they’ll fall out and roll down the hill into the sea.

My Review:

The talented writing duo that comprises Verity Bright never disappoints as their tales are unfailingly crisp, creative, and comedic, and capture my interest with unpredictable plot twists and conundrums. They have unlimited tricks up their sleeves as well as a smooth and pleasant writing style that keeps a grin on my face while tickling my curiosity with an unabiding need to solve their mysteries as well as learn more about the oddly compelling characters themselves. I certainly didn’t see this one coming and had reached all the wrong conclusions. I am avidly looking forward to their next caper.

Another outstanding romp in the cozy crime series featuring the mystery sleuth Lady Eleanor and her faithful butler Clifford.

Eleanor and the household have decided to get away to the south of France for some relaxation after another mystery has been solved at home, however as soon s they arrive at their villa a man is discovered dead in the wine cellar.

Plunged into the world of actors and artists Eleanor and Clifford find themselves central to the action as Clifford is arrested for the crime.

Brilliant writing, great plait and I love this series. Highly recommended.

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

The usual great fun.
Lady Eleanor is a liability but what larks.
As usual Clifford saves the day and I loved the descriptions of setting and vintage Hollywood.

Taking place just as the South of France is just becoming popular in the summer, this mystery brings together several trends that are also becoming well-known: modern art, the flamboyant parties of rich Americans in southern France, and movie-making. When a murdered actor is found dead in Ellie's wine cellar hours after they arrive at the rental, Clifford, her butler, is arrested. As a condition of his release, thy must find the murderer.

Not only was this an excellent mystery, it gave a real feel of the time and place.

This is pure vintage mystery detective work. A real Lady along with her butler whom she inherited from her late uncle, a bull dog Gladstone who is definitely part of the proceedings and her domestic staff, all loyal servants, proceed to France on a holiday. She wants quiet, and peace and a chance for her staff to have a good time. She did not envisage her butler Clifford finding a dead body in the cellar when he went rooting for wine!

The discovery of the body ends with Clifford being taken into custody because the Mayor wants under any circumstance possible to keep the murder under wraps. He is looking at a long term political future and wants to be the person who brings prosperity to the village, by attracting many film directors to film in this area so that prospects for the locals will be enhanced. The story is convoluted, the suspects are many, the background histories are complicated and Lady Eleanor is in the midst of it all, charming the local Constabulary and Mayor on the one side purely with the hope of getting Clifford released.

The story is very descriptive of the region, the hi jinks which are involved when you've got famous Hollywood stars in the vicinity and the gossip is rife The language is fluent, the characters are just so and the story evolves.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The fabulous Verity Bright delights with the tenth superb installment of her brilliant 1920s series featuring the effortlessly stylish Lady Eleanor Swift: The French for Murder.

Convinced by her butler Clifford to take a villa in the South of France for the summer season, Eleanor – and her bulldog Gladstone – leave England behind for the majestic splendour of the Mediterranean. Taking a break from sleuthing and investigating, Eleanor hopes to spend the summer lazing by the pool, having long lunches on her balcony and sipping delicious wine while taking in the breath-taking vistas. Eleanor had wanted this holiday to be a relaxing vacation where she didn’t have to concern herself with anything more taxing than topping up her tan. But when Clifford is wrongly accused of murder, the redoubtable Lady Eleanor Swift is left with no other alternative by do some investigating of her own.

Clifford had gone down to the wine cellar to fetch a bottle of red – he certainly never imagined that he would find himself stumbling over the dead body of film star Rex Armstrong who had been stabbed by a sword from his latest film. Who would have wanted to kill Rex? And how did he end up in Eleanor’s villa? Determined to clear Clifford’s good name, Eleanor heads over to a glitzy party where she quickly finds no shortage of suspects who had plenty of reasons for wanting Rex dead.

Will Eleanor be able to solve this case and be reunited with her beloved butler? Or will this case leave her completely dumbfounded and end up costing her everything?

As soon as a new Verity Bright mystery appears on my Kindle, I have to stop whatever I’m doing, cancel all my plans and read the book from cover to cover. In The French of Murder, Verity Bright has once again written a delightful historical cozy sparkling with ingenuity, wit and style packed with red herrings, hair-raising twists and turns and hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud.

Lady Eleanor is on top form in this French-set mystery and without her trusted butler by her side, she certainly has her work cut our for her. However, Lady Eleanor is, as always, determined, dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes in pursuit of justice.

Witty, captivating and immensely enjoyable, The French for Murder is another winner for Verity Bright.