If you're looking for a compelling read that is entertaining with a mystery twisted through, this is it. Perfect for a summer read on the beach or pool. A fun heroine, a great partner-in-crime, and leaves you wishing the next book was already available. Another great read by Verity Bright.

Verity Bright is back with the latest addition, The French for Murder, to her wonderful Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. The whole household has up and offed to France for a beach holiday and much needed rest and relaxation but trouble is afoot from the moment they arrive…there is a dead body in the wine cellar! Any hope of staying out of the investigation goes out the window when Clifford, Eleanor’s beloved butler, is arrested for murder.

In no time at all, Eleanor finds herself on the hunt for the true killer. The victim’s identity leads her to a movie set and immerses her in the lifestyle of the rich and famous! Parties, fast cars and tall tales are the order of the day and it’s a race against the clock to unearth truth.

As always, the dialogue amongst the characters sparkles and the mystery is an interesting one! It’s a page-turner and I read it straight through. I had hoped to see a little more of our favourite Inspector and do hope he has a staring role in the next novel. If you love historical mysteries, cosy and well-written, this one is for you! It’s five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended.

The French Riviera is the place to be this summer. I know it is the off-season as it can be unbearably hot, but more and more people are vacationing there earlier. I just saw the Lord and Lady Grantham there when I watched the second Downton Abbey movie a couple of weeks ago. Now Lady Eleanor Swift and her staff have taken a villa on the seaside to enjoy a nice, quiet rest.

The story opens with Eleanor taking in the wonderful view of the Mediterranean sea and the reader is immediately transported to the French Riviera. I don't know about you, but I could use a nice, quiet seaside vacation just about now.

Unfortunately, the very thing that Clifford had hoped Eleanor could take a break from is discovered mere hours after they have arrived. The trunks and cases haven't even been unpacked yet, when Clifford, the ever efficient butler, stumbles upon a dead body while taking inventory of the wine cellar. Surely the French police can handle the case and Eleanor can continue her vacation in peace.

Enter French police inspector Damboise. Immediately I thought of Agatha Christie's Inspector Poirot. And I got to test a little bit of my French. Don't worry if you don't speak French - it's just a few phrase here and there and they are usually translated or you can tell their meaning from the rest of the text.

The little village that Eleanor is vacationing in is hurting for money - as are many small tourist locales following the Great War (WWI). An American movie production has chosen a nearby town as a filming location and the mayor is keen to keep Americans (and their strong American dollars) coming to the area. So Eleanor is coerced into helping with the murder investigation.

I really enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery. I have been reading this series for a while now (though I still haven't had the time to go back to pick up the first couple of novels I missed at the beginning of the series). While this is book 10, I think you can pick up with this book even if you haven't read any of this series before.



I really did find everything about the book delightful. Perhaps it is just my desire to travel again and need for a vacation, but I loved the French Riviera setting. Though I'm sure it is quite different now than it was in the 1920s (the time period of the story), I still want to visit.

I loved the French Inspector. He is quite the foil to Eleanor's British Chief Inspector. I still love Hugh, but I really enjoyed the carefree nature of Damboise.

When they are in England, I always picture a somewhat dark (I always think it is overcast there) and kind of depressed (probably because I also always think it is cold there) in the winter sort of way. In stark contrast, the French Riviera setting gave me the impression of gaiety and bright, warm sunshine which immediately uplighted my mood when I opened the book.

If you are needing a mental vacation, why not join Eleanor, Clifford, and the rest of the cast on the French Riviera? Even with a murder to be solved, there will be plenty of fun for you to enjoy.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/06/the-french-for-murder-by-verity-bright.html

I just love Lady Eleanor! She’s taking a little R and R on the French Riviera, along with Clifford, her canine companion Gladstone, and her staff. Nothing is on the agenda except some fun and sun. She doesn’t believe Clifford when he tells her that there’s a dead body in the wine cellar of their rented villa. And she really can’t believe it when the French police arrest none other than Clifford for the dirty deed.

Bless her heart, Ellie can’t get away from crime-solving even on her vacation. The officer handling the case, Inspector Damboise, knows they don’t really have anything on Clifford. His incarceration is largely at the behest of Mayor Lessard, who would rather see an innocent Brit take the fall than risk upsetting the boisterous American movie folks who are in town (and no doubt bolstering the local economy by rather a lot). After all, the dead man is one of those movie folks. Mayor Lessard doesn’t even want word to get out that the man was murdered for fear of putting all Americans (and their money) off the idea of coming to his little seaside town. A deal is made. Clifford can go free, but only if Ellie finds evidence to prove who really committed the crime.

Inspector Damboise joins forces with Ellie and Clifford as they all work to solve the murder. There are seaside jaunts, lavish parties, and hair-raising twists aplenty as Ellie discovers that many people had good reason to dislike the dead man and even want him dead. Can she put the pieces together and identify the killer before Clifford is thrown in the clink for good?

Verity Bright has gifted us with another delightful read! Ellie is sharp as always, and even with the threat of prison hanging over his head, Clifford keeps his cool and does his best to keep Her Ladyship in line. They offer such a charming contrast to each other. Clifford, so proper and so mindful of doing things correctly. Eleanor, such a free spirit and so not bound by the expectations for her class and gender (she reminds me a bit of Phryne Fisher in the Miss Fisher Mysteries). In this story, though, we get a little peek at Clifford’s backstory, and that’s a lot of fun. Has our butler always been as buttoned up as we usually see him? How HAS he picked up so many diverse and interesting skills? Read and find out!

And my goodness, what descriptions of the Americans come to town! They rented out an entire hotel, threw over the top parties, and generally made spendy nuisances of themselves. After reading about those shenanigans, I could see why some Europeans might think of their American cousins in less than flattering terms. That’s a lifestyle that just sounds exhausting to me.

The mystery kept me guessing, as each new clue that seemed poised to blow the case wide open invariably came to nothing, more than once. Bright does a great job of keeping multiple options open and then bringing them together in a flash of brilliance, just in time. I did miss Hugh Seldon in this book. He only made his appearance by telephone. I hope their time apart gave Ellie and Hugh a new perspective on their relationship, and maybe we’ll see things progress a little more between them in the next book!

An engaging story, a beautiful setting on the French Riviera, lots of action, witty dialogue, interesting characters, and an ending that I didn’t see a mile away. This would be a great summer read, and I highly recommend it for cozy mystery lovers!

The French for Murder by Verity Bright brings Lady Eleanor, Clifford, the household ladies, and the dog to the French Riviera for a holiday, away from murder. The first afternoon they are there, as Clifford is taking inventory of the wine cellar, he discovers...a dead body. The police come and promptly arrest Clifford. Ellie makes her way to the police station, driving herself there, which in itself is fraught with danger. There she discovered that his arrest was a ploy to obtain her cooperation in the investigation. The mayor was very public-relations-minded and knew that a murder might keep people away, particularly those from Hollywood. It turns out the murdered was a motion picture star, in France filming a movie. After seeing Clifford, disheveled, most unlike him, they made their way back to the villa.

Things got complicated, both in the main plot and in related subplots. There was no shortage of suspects and to vet them Ellie had to attend a great many parties, where the bulk of the guests spent their time drunk and wore highly inappropriate clothing, according to Clifford. Of course, he was always present, caring for her. Hugh was back in England and the police here were so very different. Ellie, often mistaken for Gloria Swanson, discovered that the film industry was not for her, nor was the party circuit. The ladies had a wonderful time while Ellie and Clifford were investigating, but sadly they had to cut their vacation short upon the emotionally fraught discovery of the murderer. Hugh was to meet them when the boat docked. This continues to be a favorite series, never letting me down. Ellie is the quintessential modern woman warring with tradition and Clifford is the beyond traditional English butler. The language is a joy to read. I highly recommend this book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The French for Murder by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bookoutre #veritybright #thefrenchformurder

This book is my introduction to the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. Lady Eleanor and her butler Clifford made quite the pair. The mystery was wonderful and the author does a fantastic job with bringing the era to life in the story. While this book can be read as a standalone, i also recommend reading the other books in this series as well. I look forward to reading more of Lady Eleanor's adventures.


My thanks to Bookouture and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review!

I’ve been reading this series of books since the first one, A Very English Murder, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. In this book, we head to sunny France, as Lady Eleanor has agreed to take a holiday and has brought the Henley Hall team with her. The idea of the holiday is to get a break from the seemingly endless stream of murders Eleanor ends up involved in, unfortunately changing countries doesn’t change this as almost the minute they arrive at the rented villa, Clifford finds a dead body. This time there are film stars and French police involved so it puts rather a different spin on things and provides a nice change of scene and character interactions.

Clearly I enjoy these books and it’s because they are so well-written. The characters are realistic and the descriptions of the places and people are so good that it all comes alive. It’s easy in these stories to feel as if you are part of it, watching and experiencing everything that Eleanor does. The difference in this book, and the last few, is that many of them are set outside of Eleanor’s home, Henley Hall. This adds more options with location and characters and it benefits the stories. I would go so far as to say I think this may be the best one so far. While I love Clifford and have warmed to Hugh, this one felt to me as if it gave Eleanor more of a chance to show off what she’s learnt over the course of the series.

I loved this book. The French riviera setting was ideal (especially if reading in the sunshine!) the French police inspector was an interesting character and quite a contrast to Hugh and it was good watching Eleanor and Clifford working together again. This is a series I find reliable. I know, when I pick up one of these books that there’s a strong chance I’m going to enjoy it and it’s nice to find a series I can say that about.

Once again this was a delightful read. A new environment as the household goes on holiday to the south of France.

It soon becomes evident that Eleanor and Clifford are not going to get the break they were hoping for! I mean who would dream of arresting the inimitable Clifford! Once again, their bond is in evidence as they tackle this curious case and a police (and community) mindset that is so different to the one they are used to dealing with. back home. The repartee continues and ultimately, in true Eleanor Swift style, all is again well!

As always, Gladstone, the bulldog is a delight. Perhaps Detective Seldon will make more of an appearance in the next murder mystery?

This series is so enjoyable, and the author does well to bring us intriguing plot twists as well as humour and style (though the excesses of the artistic community Eleanor spent time with are not my personal choice :)) A most enjoyable cosy mystery!

My thanks to Bookouture, #Netgalley and the author, Verity Bright, for my Advance Reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike the previous novels, there is no preamble. From the very first page, delivered by the very first line, we are made aware of a dead body in the cellar, discovered by Clifford between "the champagnes and the dessert wines" while taking that all important wine inventory, even before any suitcases are unpacked. At first, Ellie doesn't believe him. After all, she is on holiday to escape that sort of unpleasantness but, unfortunately, it's true. Once again, Ellie is caught up in a murder investigation, only this time Clifford is hauled off to goal as the prime suspect.

I kept waiting for Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon to put in an appearance, wondering how it would be contrived. Sadly, he's absent from this one, although he did have a cameo role, albeit at the end of a telephone line. Discovering that Ellie was investigating another murder while on holiday will cause some ructions when she returns home.

While Hugh's absence was disappointing, there is a plethora of other characters to cause a distraction: an American film company, replete with backers, Hollywood stars and crews; extras, musicians and artists; not to mention the ambitious mayor Alonse Gaston Bertrand Lessard and Inspector Jacques Jean-Baptiste Damboise, who more or less blackmail Ellie into helping them with the case.

A chance meeting with wealthy Americans, Floyd and Kitty Williams, results in an invitation to one of their famous parties and Ellie becoming a reluctant member of their social set. This proves useful, but also dangerous, as Ellie and Clifford get closer to unmasking the murderer.

In this instalment we learn more of Clifford's past and his relationship with Ellie's uncle, that Ellie's investigative skills are much better than her driving, even when she remembers to stay on the right side of the road, and although Clifford possesses a sense of humour, he is not amused when called “Starchy Archie” but it made me giggle.

Again, I've been thoroughly entertained, bamboozled by lots of red herrings, amused by the antics of Gladstone, the bulldog, and left looking forward to Ellie and Clifford's next murder case.

This was a really good cosy murder mystery.

This story tis set on the French Riviera, where Lady Eleanor has gone on holiday, away from murder and finding bodies. She is plunged into yet another investigation, when Clifford discovers a body in the wine cellar.

These books are well written, fun reads and this is a great addition to their series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this in exchange for my review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The French For Murder' by Verity Bright.

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

Publication date 30th May 2022.

This is the seventh book I have read by this author. It is also the tenth 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' (3rd book in the series), 'Mystery By The Sea' (5th book in the series), 'Murder At The Fair' (6th book in the series), 'A Lesson In Murder' (7th book in the series), 'Death On A Winter's Day' (8th book in the series) and 'A Royal Murder (9th 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 Lee Strauss will adore The French for Murder.' 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', 'Murder At The Fair', 'A Lesson In Murder', 'A Royal Murder' and 'Death On A Winter's Day' 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 39 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 France 🇫🇷.

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 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. I loved that this book was based in France as it felt like a mini holiday. I was just devastated to get to the end to have to unpack my suitcase!! I'm hoping Eleanor, Clifford and the gang will return one day!! The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery. I also love the fact that although this is a cosy mystery it also had me in stitches of laughter in so many occasions which makes it the perfect light hearted read!!

One of the things I love about Verity is that she includes historical notes at the end of her books. I am fascinated by history and manage to learn something knew every book. The fact that Verity always does her research when writing these fantastic books shines through so congratulations Verity!! It is always frustrating when I read a book to find the whole storyline spoiled because the author hasn't done any research. The historical notes Verity has included at the end of this fantastic novel include information on The Riviera (Cote d'Azur), The Murphys, Sunbathing, inventions such as water-skiing, the electric blender, the refrigerator, the hairdryer and the convertible, Hollywood, Droit de Suite, buying low and selling high, Rigor Morris, Fort Carre, Napoleon, Wine and Provencal Beef Daube. Absolutely fascinating as always Verity. Thank you 😊

Although this is the tenth book in the series you will have 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 loved meeting them again along with Butters, Trotters and Polly who are all larger than life with their own exceptional personalities. I cannot wait to meet them all again and see what they get up to in the next "episode".

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, Cozy Animal Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mystery, Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Murder and Crime amongst others.

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

332 pages.

This book is just £2.99 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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It is always a delight to return the world of Clifford, Gladstone the Bulldog and of course Lady Swift. This time we are joining them on a trip to sunny France as they attempt to have a quiet, relaxing holiday. Those dreams come to an abrupt end when Clifford (whilst taking an inventory of the rented villa’s wine cellar) discovers a dead body mere minutes after their arrival! Clifford is immediately arrested for the crime by the French police and it is down to Lady Swift to rescue him from the cells.

Once again she and her trusty butler are tied up in events that lead them into mortal danger and their trusty, handsome Chief Inspector is back in England blissfully unaware and therefore unable to assist. Eleanor shows her usual grit and determination however to uncover the true culprit using every means at her disposal. It’s not long until she discovers that some visiting Americans and a movie director are top of her list of subjects and so she throws herself in to the movie world and some rather undignified partying to get to the bottom of things. It looks like dear Clifford may have to turn a blind eye to some most unladylike behaviour as she tries to discover the truth of who murdered a world famous movie star in the cellar of her rented villa.

Along the way she does of course enjoy some wonderful food and of course the odd dip in a pool as she tries to deduce who the murderer is. An absolute delight as always although I did miss our lovely Chief Inspector but I have high hopes he will be featuring much more in book twelve, Death Down The Aisle.

Thank you so much to lovely Sarah at Bookoutre for inviting me on board this blog tour. It’s always a pleasure to read a Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery novel and this latest offering didn’t disappoint at all. I thoroughly recommend this series to any lovers of cosy crime novels although I do suggest to begin with book one – A Very English Murder.

Lady Eleanor Swift, on advice from her boyfriend Chief Inspector Seldon, goes on holiday to the French Rivieria to have a break from murder and constantly being caught up in investigating crimes. However, it seems that murder follows her even abroad, as a body of a man is discovered in a wine cellar of her rented villa.

The French police arrive and arrest Clifford, Swift’s butler (who is more like a father figure to her). Lady Eleanor is aghast and must work with the police to prove Clifford’s innocence. She has a feeling that the French Inspector Damboise is holding back important information – what could be his reason?

Soon, the identity of the victim is confirmed as a famous American movie star, Chester Armstrong, who was filming a movie about Napoleon in the local area. Why was he killed? Was it a personal feud or professional jealousy of one of his fellow actors?

Lady Eleanor needs to mingle amongst the movie stars, film crew, and the rich Americans living nearby, to solve the riddle. What will she uncover?

I really enjoyed this book. It offered me a sense of escapism and I absolutely adored the location of a French Riviera, I wish I could have been there!

This book made me laugh in places, especially when Eleanor was driving the car and bashing the sides – she is a terrible driver! She is unconventional for a woman living in 1920s, an independent spirit who loves food. I can reveal that mouth watering descriptions of various dishes feature in this book, and so they should, as the book is set in France, a nation of food lovers.

I was glad to find out more information about the enigmatic Clifford and how he came into the service of Lady Eleanor’s family.

This is the tenth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift’s series – I picked up the series when book 8 came out and I haven’t regretted it.

It’s an enjoyable read, perfect for those who like a ‘whodunnit’ mystery.

Thank you to Bookouture for the e-ARC.

Persuaded by her butler, Clifford, to spend a season at a villa in the south of France, Lady Eleanor Swift is ready for a holiday so the timing is perfect. She happily accepts and is looking forward to lazy days by the pool with a glass of wine. But as soon as they arrive and before the holiday begins it comes to an immediate stop when Clifford discovers a dead body in the wine cellar. Rex Armstrong, the famous American movie star appears to have been stabbed with a movie set sword. The French authorities are immediately focusing on Clifford as the suspect. Lady Eleanor knows that Clifford is no murder. She must prove Clifford’s innocence in order for him to be released from jail. When she attends a glamorous party at the Hotel Azure she begins to piece together clues about the murder. While she overhears conversations of the guests she must race to find out who the killer is before they strike again. I absolutely love the Lady Eleanor Sift mystery series. Gladstone the bulldog is one of my favorite dogs to read about. This cozy mystery was such a delightful read. This story is one that will keep you guessing until the very end who the killer is. It is very well written and just when you think you have it figured out, another twist in the story happens. I love the author’s vivid description of the French Riviera. I felt as if I had just had a holiday in the south of France. Just lovely. I look forward to the next installment in this series. It is definitely a favorite of mine. I loved this book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Verity Bright for such a wonderful continuation to A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book.

“I apologise for delivering news of an inconvenient nature, my lady, but there appears to be a dead body in the wine cellar.’ Clifford, the butler.

Well that was quite an opening line! Lady Eleanor Swift at first assumes that her faithful butler is teasing as they have only just arrived at the holiday villa on the Côte d’Azur and haven’t even unpacked. Yet he is quite serious and so begins a new case.

‘The French for Murder’ is Book 10 in Verity Bright’s Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the early 1920s. My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Eleanor is on holiday in order to recuperate following her recent adventures. Aside from Clifford she is accompanied by her bulldog, Gladstone, and various members of her staff. With the discovery of the body, the revelation of his identity (no spoilers), and the local police bumbling about, Lady Eleanor has no choice but to use her wit, charm and sleuthing skills to solve the case.

I so love this series and combined my reading with its unabridged audiobook, narrated by Karen Cass.

Verity Bright closes with some fascinating historical notes about the Riviera and how from 1922 it became a popular summer holiday destination for wealthy Americans after an influential American couple rented out an entire hotel for the summer and invited a number of guests including painters, writers, and musicians. They swam, sunbathed, and partied through the nights.

‘The French for Murder’ featured a fictional American couple who are doing similar. They also are attracting film industry folk to them. During her investigation Lady Eleanor attends a number of glamorous events. As always the authors include rich period detail into the narrative including food and fashion as well as cultural history.

This was a delight from start to finish and I certainly look forward to the next mystery for Lady Eleanor due for publication in August.

When the Publisher states on the Cover Page they this is “AN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE HISTORICAL COZY MURDER” it is put up or shut up time. Lady Eleanor Swift, her Butler Clifford, Gladstone the Bulldog, and the house staff are escaping England for a period of recuperation in France, getting far away from past unpleasant events. What events? Why Murder of course.

Lady Eleanor is going to lounge around the pool at a fabulous villa on the Cote d’Azur overlooking the mediterranean, dine at elegant restaurants and try to forget the recent danger and murder. Oh but fate has other plans and before the suitcases are unpacked a dead body is discovered in the wine cellar and Clifford is the prime suspect. If Lady Eleanor is going to clear Clifford of suspicion it it will require a very touchy detente with the local authorities, first class sleuthing, partying with a wild group of Americans and all sorts of subterfuge and artifice. Is Lady Eleanor up to the challenge? Will she save Clifford from the Guillotine? This was another fun excursion in the travels and travails of Lady Swift and her entourage. I look forward to each new addition to this series and devour it chuckling and smirking from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for a copy and congratulations to Verity Bright for another terrific addition to this series.

Eleanor (Lady Swift) goes on vacation to Garbonnes sur Mer in the French Riviera. It’s the off season, and she’s rented a villa, brought her beloved staff and Gladstone with her, in the hope of resting for a month.

That hope goes to the wayside almost immediately, when Clifford finds a dead man in the villa’s wine cellar. The police imprison Clifford for flimsy reasons, and blackmail Eleanor into investigating the murder so Clifford does not get charged.

She encounters a hard partying husband and wife from America, who’ve rented out an entire hotel for the duration of their stay, a somewhat chaotic film production, high drama amongst the actors, and a charming French policeman. Eleanor charms her way into finding clues, and she and Clifford, of course, solve the case.

It’s a breezy, fun book, with the authors giving us a little insight into Clifford’s background. He’s fascinating, and Eleanor must have eaten her weight in tasty meals during this very much not-vacation.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A season at a lovely French villa is anything but a vacation for Lady Eleanor Swift. Just as she is imagining being poolside with a nice glass of wine, her butler Clifford discovers a dead body in the wine cellar. The French authorities do not know much, if anything, about Eleanor and Clifford, so as he found the body, he proves their main suspect and he is immediately arrested.

Eleanor knows one thing for certain: Clifford is no killer. She must prove his innocence to get him released from jail as soon as possible. The victim was American actor Rex Armstrong, and Eleanor must rub shoulders with the cast and crew of the movie being filmed in France in order to look for clues and to try to find the identity of the murderer. She must act quickly, as she wants to get Clifford out of jail immediately.

As Eleanor pieces together clues about the murder, she finds herself further confused after overhearing the director. Who is the killer, and will she not only find said killer in time, but will she do so without finding herself in the killer's crosshairs?

What a delightful cozy mystery story that is part of the truly engaging ten-book series. Each and every book has been quite enjoyable. I love the historical aspect, as it takes place in the 1920s. I also enjoy the "professional" relationship between Eleanor and Clifford, as he was previously her uncle's butler, and his regard and respect for her as he is now her butler straddles on the lines of friendship. Another character that needs mentioning is Eleanor's bulldog Gladstone. He may not have much to offer in the way of advice, but he definitely proves quite a listening ear when it comes to Eleanor's skills of deduction being tested out.

I am thrilled that this series will be continuing at the end of August with Death Down the Aisle. Please check this blog for reviews for any or all of the previous books in this series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/y8OU3muNUug

‘The French For Murder’ is a tightly plotted, fun novel set on the French Riviera that has everything I love from this series. By now I think it is clear that I adore the Lady Swift books and this one might be my favourite! Who couldn't love it when it involves the french sun, Hollywood and murders most foul?!

Eleanor has been told that she needs a holiday so Clifford marches her and the staff to a villa on the south coast of France pronto. But before she has even unpacked Clifford finds a body in the cellar and is thrown into jail! Eleanor jumps to his defence and starts to investigate the murder on behalf of the local Mayor in return for Clifford being released! Unfortunately, the man who died was a huge Hollywood star and this drags our heroes into the world of Tinseltown! Will they find the murderer before it so late?

Oh, how I love Eleanor Swift and secretly wish I had been born in her lifetime! She has all the attributes of a brilliant protagonist - intelligence, loyalty, has a good sense of humour, elegant without trying, everyone loves her, loves a good mystery, wears her heart on her sleeve and she is a dog person! Clifford of course is just the perfect butler and sidekick! For me, this series is just perfection.

Let me know if you read this one!

The French for Murder is the 10th instalment in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s. This time, it's summer and Ellie is in southern France on the French Riviera, with her butler, the other staff and Gladstone the bulldog.

The author's portrayal of Ellie delights me with every book and I love that Ellie's strong-willed, down-to-earth, intelligent, and possesses a wicked sense of humour. Again, a real draw of these tales book for me is the wonderful relationship between Ellie and Clifford and their delightful repartée. After nine books (I missed book 2 for some weird reason) the characters are like real friends and it is a huge pleasure to spend time with them. The mystery itself was pretty good and the perpetrator was kept under wraps aided by the clever twists. The French for Murder was comfortably paced, compulsive and once again, Verity Bright's highly addictive storytelling really worked for me. I cannot wait for the next Lady Swift adventure and I highly recommend this one. A super, refreshing and effervescent tale as ever.

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