Enjoyable read. Verity Bright always succeeds in giving us light-hearted and fun mysteries with her Lady Eleanor Swift series

Lady Swift in vacationing in the French Riviera with her household staff, loyal mascot and her ever faithful butler Clifford. We learn a little more about Clifford's upbringing in this series, as Lady Eleanor Swift works hard to clear her butler from the murder of an American film start.

What I love about this series, is that I never know who the culprit is, although I have gotten good at following the author's formula.

This book is a fast read and always leaves you yearning for more.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I was very intrigued by this book’s description and was excited to read it, even though I had not read any of the previous Lady Swift books. The premise of trying to solve a murder among movie stars while vacationing in the south of France sounded like a great escape. However, this book fell a little flat for me. I struggled with the pacing for the first half of the book and the mystery was not intriguing enough for me. I’m not even sure if I could say what I wished was different, I just think this wasn’t the right book for me at the moment. I think if you are a reader of the Lady Swift series or love historical cozy mysteries, you will really enjoy this book though.

Five stars for the book and another five stars if I could for the beautiful cover. Whoever is designing the gorgeous covers for this whole series deserves a commendation!

In this tenth episode Lady Eleanor Swift is on holiday on the French Riviera. She has hired a house and is accompanied by her butler Clifford, her dog Gladstone, and her staff (as you do!). Unfortunately as soon as they arrive Clifford comes across a dead body in the wine cellar and even more unfortunately the French police arrest Clifford for the murder. Of course Eleanor sets out to prove his innocence.

There follows a complicated but always entertaining mystery which involves film stars, lots of partying and, as is usual for Eleanor, lots of food. Hugh only makes a small contribution to the book, over the phone, but judging by his reaction when he discovers how Eleanor has spent her supposed holiday there will be sparks flying in the next book. I cannot wait!

Lady Swift, or rather "mademoiselle Lady Swift" is spending her holiday in the South of France with her household. This series is one of my favourite cosy mysteries and this adventure was exciting!
I enjoyed the usual banter between Eleanor and Clifford, the mystery had a good pace, but somehow I prefer when the books take place in the UK.

Recommended to anyone who enjoys cosy mysteries with lovable and funny main characters.

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

This book was my first look into the world of Lady Swift and her beloved butler, Clifford and I fell absolutely in love with both of them. Lady Swift was quick and resourceful while Clifford was put together, clever and knowledgeable about so many different things. Put those two personalities together, and they were an unstoppable force. I loved that they were both vital to the case, rather than one simply being the sidekick.

The case itself was interesting and allowed for the introduction of so many suspects. I appreciated that the suspects were more than just one dimensional characters that forced the plot along. Many of them were allowed to develop a bit and had a chance for some memorable moments with our leading Lady. The case moved at a steady pace, allowing everything that happened to have a purpose, either in character development or bringing readers closer to discovering the killer. I will admit that this case had me stumped and I was surprised when I came to the conclusion of the book. I absolutely love when I can't figure it out, but then when it is explained, it makes sense.

As a cozy mystery, this book had everything I needed. Interesting characters, a mystery that keeps me guessing, and a location that makes me want to jump right into the book. Ok, that last one isn’t really something I need in a cozy, but it definitely helps. I would love to be in a French villa right about now. I guess I will have to live vicariously through Lady Swift.

The only complaint I had through the entire book was that I would have loved more description about the different settings. That might just be greed on my part. It was such a great location that I simply wanted more.

This book is definitely worth a read if you are in the mood for a cozy mystery that takes you away for a little while! Make sure to check it out when it releases on May 30!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all opinions expressed are my own. This title in the now long running series finds Lady Eleanor, her beloved dog Gladstone, her faithful butler Clifford, and the rest of her household traveling to the French Riveria for a little rest and relaxation. After just a few hours, Clifford finds a dead body in the wine cellar and is named the lead suspect for the murder! Now, with Clifford in jail, the stakes for Eleanor to solve the murder have never been higher! Who is the mystery man killed by a sword and what was he doing in the wine cellar of her rented house? Eleanor finds out the dead man is connected to an American movie crew filming a movie based on the life of Napolean Bonaparte (with some artistic license). Did the new leading man make sure that his predecessor was out of commission, did the director find a way to settle his dispute with the dead man for good, or is the murder somehow tied to the wealthy American's who have rented out a local hotel and throw fabulous parties? I enjoyed the setting and thought the mystery was well done. I'm looking forward to the next title featuring Eleanor, Clifford, and Gladstone. I'm hoping that there will be some developments in Eleanor's tentative relationship with Detective Seldon.

Lady Eleanor Swift is finally persuaded to go on holiday by Clifford only to find a dead body in the rented villa before they have even had time to unpack! Things go from bad to worse when Clifford is help by the police for the murder. It seems the newly popular resort town doesn't want to lose their tourists so they blackmail Eleanor and Clifford into investigating - find the murderer without upsetting any rich Americans - particularly the film crew in town - or Clifford takes the fall.

I love this series and #TheFrenchforMurder is no exception! A fun and easy read with plenty of action and suspects to make things interesting. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series is a firm favourite, so I was eager to get my hands on The French for Murder.

This time around, Eleanor is on holiday in France, naturally bringing her entourage with her! And, naturally, they stumble across a dead body. This is followed by shenanigans with the French police, the local mayor, a group of Americans filming nearby, some artists, some musicians, and a couple who have booked out an entire hotel!

As always, it’s lovely to return to the familiar cast of characters. I very much enjoyed seeing them in a different setting, with different challenges to overcome.

The plot was an interesting one. There were so many possible culprits, and quite a number of them were up to no good (though not necessarily murder). This left plenty of opportunity for trying to work out who had done the dastardly deed, and kept me guessing right up to the end.

As with the previous books, I loved the banter between our main characters, especially Eleanor and Clifford. And Gladstone had his small part to play in solving the mystery too.

In conclusion, this was yet another winning combination of murder mystery and humour from Verity Bright. I can’t wait for the next book (Death Down the Aisle)!

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

This is a fun adventure. It starts with the dead body in the very first line! That caught my attention. While the story flagged a bit here and there, especially in the third act, I still stayed up late to finish it. I had a brief suspicion about whodunit but not much motive. I hoped it wasn't that person. By the time of the reveal, I was so confused that I am certain the author wrote this book without a murderer in mind in advance. It reads that way anyway. Even so, I liked this one a lot. The historical details about the arts and entertainment industry are really good and the reader gets to read about the birth of a place like Cannes and about all the new household inventions of the 1920s. My only major complaint is the hard-partying Hollywood set is too similar to the Bright Young People set Ellie already investigated.

I caught two spelling errors. Alright should be two words. two words people - All right. Not "Are you alright?" Alright is OK in speech when it means OK but not when it means well as in "Are you all right? Are you well?" Location 4035 American's should not have an apostrophe.

As always, Ellie is lovely but when she sees injustice, her temper flares. She loves Clifford as a dear friend, though he would be horrified to hear her say it. She knows he's not a murderer and wants him free NOW! I'm tired of the drawn out romance. Hugh is not here and Ellie isn't sure where they stand. He works too much and is still kind of enigmatic. What about that bombshell he dropped a few books ago that he had a wife who died! What was that all about? Clifford is as impeccable and upright as ever. He is honorable, honest and very proper. He adores Ellie like she's his own niece and does not look after her out of loyalty to her uncle. We learn more about his backstory which is surprising. Clifford is no match for the Americans who underestimate him because he's a stiff, upright Englishman. The ladies are fun as always. Their amazement at household items we take for granted, like the refrigerator, was fun to see. I love how they have to name everything. Little Polly is still skittish and clumsy but with Lizzie by her side, she's not as fearful. Gladstone is as adorable and drooly as ever. This time he gets to uncover evidence- or rather chew evidence! He also has his fill of slippers in a scene in which hilarity ensues. It's too bad that scene was told after the fact. It would have been fun to see it.

It is interesting to see Ellie basically starting over, having to deal with a new detective. Inspector Damboise comes across as your stereotypical arrogant, lazy Frenchman. He dresses like a dandy and jumps to conclusions about Ellie and Clifford. I thought he was going to suspect BOTH of them from the way he acted. At first he keeps her in the dark and she doesn't know what's happening. Monsieur le maire, Mayor Lessard is more what I expected. He wants to protect his own interests at all costs and doesn't care about the cost of innocent life. They still use the guillotine in France which means Clifford's life is at stake! I can see the mayor's point but really? Are those the people you WANT to come to your town? It felt rather like The Jersey Shore : the murder mystery. Perhaps if the mayor doesn't railroad Clifford, Ellie will tell her friends and neighbors to come to Garbonne Sur Mer and spend their money. It won't be as much as American dollars because apparently the English are rude and cheap but it's better than letting a murderer go free. After Ellie meets the mayor, Inspector Lessard becomes more of a complex and sympathetic character. He's a loving husband and father and the scene at his home is delightful! Ellie understands he's just doing his job and orders come from above, the same as it is for Hugh back home.

First things first. Ellie wants to know who owns the cottage she's renting. The murder may be connected to the owner. Monsieur Thibaud, the rental agent, is nowhere to be found and doesn't want to be found. No one will talk about him or the villa! That does NOT sound like good news. Something shady is going on for sure.

The victim, Chester Armstrong, a famous Hollywood actor, disappeared from the set after storming off in a temper a few days earlier. Mayor Lessard has Inspector Damboise put it out that the actor died from a heart attack. No one seems to be truly mourning Mr. Armstrong. The man was hot tempered, paranoid, bossy and rude. He routinely stormed off set and behaved unprofessionally. Who DIDN'T want him dead?

Ellie must go undercover and infiltrate the Hollywood set. Lucky for her, she's already met Floyd and Kitty Fitzwilliam, a wealthy American ex-stock broker and his wife. He was rumored to have been ruthless but is lively and friendly enough. He's wealthy enough to offer to pay for repairs to Ellie's car and to host parties for film crews night after night. Kitty comes across as a silly flibbertigibbet, probably high or drunk. They both appear to be "well lit" every night and even the morning Ellie meets them yet the morning after their parties, they appear fresh and fine. I suspect these two are up to shady business. I am certain the murder involves them somehow. They're too much like the Bright Young People for my tastes. I think they're going to run in the night leaving behind numerous unpaid bills. Kitty claims to be a patron of the arts but that only seems to mean inviting bohemian artists to party with them. The couple came from Paris before this. Why leave Paris where the hard partying is had? It's off season in Nice and Monte Carlo is barely hopping. It's also JUUUSSSTT before the whole resort culture thing took off. Before Coco Chanel, before being tan meant idle rich. (The author's note is great).

A new epic movie about the love story of Napoleon and Josephine, with little regard to history, is filming at the elegant Chateau Beautour. Ellie must secure an invitation to visit the set. She lets everyone believe she wants to be in the movie even though that's the farthest thing from the truth. She's in luck when she overhears director Herman Truss on the phone. He sure sounds suspicious and there was no love lost between him and Mr. Armstrong. I agree with Ellie that the clues do point to Herman Truss. He has something to hide and I think he knows more about what happened than he shares. He owes it to the backers to pull off this film WITH their choice of leading man though. Why would he kill his meal ticket? It doesn't make sense.

Napoleon's Josephine is played by Clara Spark, a Hollywood "it girl". She is one nasty witch. She seems jealous of other women, basks in the adoration of all the men and makes nasty comments about the other actors behind their backs, including Mr. Armstrong. It seems he was a womanizer who made Miss Spark miserable. Is that a strong enough motive for murder? Walter Tuttle has played second fiddle to Mr. Armstrong for ages. Always the supporting actor and never the lead, he's hoping he'll step into Mr. Armstrong's shoes- and perhaps Clara Spark's bed. He seems sweet and honestly naïve though. I like him and don't want him to be a murderer. I know though that you have to watch out for the quiet ones for we bottle up our emotions and tend to explode. Could he have killed Armstrong in a fit of temper for having everything and not appreciating it? For being horrible to Clara? For being everything Tuttle wants to be?

Daniel Brockman, the assistant director seems very nice. He stays calm throughout everything. Yet he also had a good motive for murder. The movie was on the verge of derailing thanks to the lead actor's diva behavior. Daniel Brockman understands the cost of the film and how much the histrionics are going to delay the filming and cost the backers. Rudolph Perry, the new leading man, arrives on the scene rather quickly. This is suspicious. He seems nice enough and more low key than Armstrong, more unsure of himself. He claims he was on a break but jumped at the chance to come and fill Armstrong's role. Another source says Perry was on an enforced break because he had a breakdown and took too many studio provided stimulants. Yikes! Which one is telling the truth? If Perry needs to get his career back on track then this role could be the perfect opportunity. Did he come to France early and kill his rival?

Kitty's pet project is Augustine, a passionate French painter who dreams of fame and fortune. Augustine is a little whiny and selfish. I'm not sure why he's partying with the Hollywoods and other bohemians. I feel bad for him. I understand how it feels to work so hard for something with little reward. He seems to be a valuable source of information for the investigation since he's right in the thick of things.

It is going to take all of Ellie's investigative and acting skills to figure this one out.

In the summer of 1923, Eleanor Swift and her household go to Provence for a vacation. As they are moving into the very nice villa they have rented, Clifford finds a dead body (with a sabre in his chest) in the wine cellar. They call the police, who recognize the man as Chester Armstrong, the lead in an American movie about Napoleon which is being shot in the town. The Chief of Police, Damboise, at the instigation of the Mayor, arrests Clifford for the murder. The Mayor wants visitors during this slack time, and Damboise has read about Eleanor and wants her to solve the murder.

Eleanor tries to get Clifford out of jail to help her, and they go to ask the Mayor. He says he will release Clifford as soon as she finds a clue. Finally, the dog Gladstone finds a uniform button in the wine cellar, which is an indication that one of the actors probably lost it when he killed Armstrong, and Clifford is finally out to help her find the killer.

They almost get run off the road by a wealthy American couple, the Fitzwilliams, who then invite Eleanor to attend their parties at the Azure Hotel (they have rented the entire hotel, and have lavish parties every night). The parties include friends from Paris, the movie crew and actors, as well as several local artists. As Eleanor overhears lots of conversations and questions party goers, including members of the film crew, she manages to discover several possible suspects, including the leading lady, the rich couple, the director of the movie, and the actor who has been called in to replace the dead man (who it seems was already nearby!). After Eleanor barely misses being done in with a sabre, she suddenly realizes who is the surprise killer. However, she and Clifford still have to find him.

I thank Netgalley and Bookoutour for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The French for Murder" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the tenth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. The favourite characters have returned. Lady Eleanor Swift, her butler Clifford, Master Gladstone the bulldog. While in the book but not mentioned often enough are Mrs. Trotman, Mrs. Butters, Polly and Lizzie. DCI Hugh Seldon is mentioned but he does not actually appear in the story.

Trouble seems to follow Ellie no matter where she goes. While on vacation in a rented villa on the Cote d'Azur Clifford finds a body in the wine cellar and is immediately arrested for the crime. This sets Ellie on the path to clear his name.

There are many characters in this book and at times it is difficult to keep track of all of them. Hopefully the next book in the series is set closer to home and our favourite characters have more of the story.

3.5 stars

The latest adventure of the reluctant heiress and lady of the manor Lady Eleanor Swife and her appealing household staff including pseudo-uncle/butler Clifford. Lady Eleanor is tired from discovering dead bodies and solving cases and whisks the household off for a vacation in Provence. The peace and quiet proves to be non-existent when Clifford discovers a dead body almost immediately in the wine cellar.

The victim is the leading man in an American film company's movie about Napoleon. And the French police want to arrest Clifford so Lady Eleanor has no choice but to delve right in.

There are lots of characters, and lots of motive to bump off the movie star. Lady Eleanor is always entertaining and her relationship with Clifford is touching -- he is basically her only family. Fast-paced and fun. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5★s

The afternoon that Lady Eleanor Swift, Clifford, Gladstone (the bulldog) and the staff arrived at the south of France villa for a month, Ellie was looking forward to lazing by the pool and relaxing after some turbulent times. When Clifford appeared at her side after doing an inventory in the cellar of the wines, his words of a dead body down in the cellar rocked Ellie, who initially thought Clifford was joking. But unfortunately not.

When the French police arrived, it wasn’t long before Clifford was arrested for the murder. But Ellie wouldn’t take that lying down! She immediately sought out Inspector Damboise – who knew a lot about her – and he struck a deal with her. It seemed she was embroiled once again in a case of murder, which she had to solve to save Clifford…

The French for Murder is the 10th in A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series by Verity Bright and once again it was fun and games for the Lady and her butler. The shenanigans they get up to makes this series a fun and entertaining one, which I’m thoroughly enjoying! This one is set in the French Riviera and the word-painted scenery, beautiful views, twisty turny roads on the edges of cliffs – all comes together well. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Eleanor Swift has only been at her holiday villa in the south of France for an hour when her butler Clifford finds the dead body of famous American movie star Rex Armstrong in the wine cellar.
When Clifford is arrested for the crime, it is up to Eleanor and her team to unmask the true killer with the help of American movie stars, French artists, a very wealthy American couple, and a friendly local detective. Each of these characters add a depth and texture to the story.
This escapist story is very much of the 1920s with a strict social class system and the distinction between the wealthy haves and the lower status have-nots is very clear indeed. This adds poignancy to the relationship between Eleanor and Clifford without being over the top.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The French for Murder, the tenth novel to feature Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler, Clifford set in 1923.

Clifford has persuaded Ellie to take a holiday, so she has hired a villa in the South of France for a month. The household has barely arrived when Clifford finds a murdered body in the wine cellar and is promptly arrested. To save him Ellie must find the real murderer among the victim, movie star Chester Armstrong’s, friends and co-workers.

I thoroughly enjoyed The French for Murder, which is a light, humorous read that had me laughing throughout. For those interested in the investigative side of proceedings it also has several motives and suspects, apart from Clifford, and a well disguised perpetrator.

It wouldn’t be unfair to call the plot silly, but as that is a hallmark of the series, it’s hardly relevant. Despite this it is tightly plotted with several twists and a genuine puzzle as to perpetrator and motive, especially as there are several possibilities. Any guessing I might have done (and I’m not admitting to any) would be totally wrong as the solution requires some lateral thinking and while it’s not quite out of left field it’s a surprise.

My main pleasure in the novel is the wit and repartee between Ellie and Clifford. They are funny with the humour of close friends. This novel, however, is more emotional than previous ones with Clifford offering a glimpse into his past and Ellie voicing her closeness to him. It’s quite touching and reinforces their close bond. I was marginally disappointed that the dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon didn’t put in an appearance in furtherance of his and Ellie’s tentative romance, but the Clifford revelations made up for it.

The French for Murder is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I missed Hugh. However, the MC is on vacation in France, so no reason for him to be there. She does sort of still work with local law enforcement. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A grand villa, croissants for breakfast and a dead body in the wine cellar...Lady Swift can’t seem to take a vacation from murder!

Summer 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift is finally persuaded by her butler, Clifford, to take a villa in the south of France for the season. She plans to do what a glamorous lady abroad should: long lunches on the balcony followed by lazy afternoons lounging by the pool. Even Gladstone the bulldog is looking forward to a daily paddle in the ocean.

But when Clifford examines the wine cellar, he discovers there are no decent reds but there is a very dead body. The victim is famous American movie star Rex Armstrong. Poor Rex seems to have been stabbed with a sword from the film set. So how did he end up in Eleanor’s villa?

Before Eleanor even has time to change out of her travelling suit, her beloved butler is arrested for the crime. At sea without her right-hand man, Eleanor must gather her wits if she’s to outsmart a murderer and save Clifford.

Attending a glitzy party at the luxurious Hotel Azure with the film’s cast and crew so she can question her main suspects, Eleanor overhears the director having a most unsettling telephone call that throws all her theories out of the water. Can Eleanor unmask the true killer before her time abroad is cut murderously short?

A gripping historical murder mystery full of charm and intrigue, set in the beautiful French Riviera. Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss will adore The French for Murder."

The newest adventure of Lady Eleanor Swift is always a time for celebration, especially if we can celebrate in France!

Lady Eleanor is taking a break. She, her butler Clifford, her cook, housekeeper and two maids are all vacationing on the French Riviera. She needs a break from solving murders in England. They are staying in a luxurious villa with a view of the sea.
The best laid plans go awry. As Clifford is taking inventory in the wine cellar of the villa, he discovers a dead body. There is a saber through the body.
Eleanor and Clifford do the right thing. They call the police and report the body. Clifford is arrested for the murder.
Things are never as they appear in this story. The town’s mayor and the homicide detective want Eleanor and Clifford to solve the murder. There is an American movie company filming in the town and they fear the murder will make the Americans leave and never return. This is especially a problem since the body is the star of the film. He was playing Napoleon.
This is part of a series. I have not read any of the earlier books, but this story was easy to follow. There are no unanswered questions from previous stories.
Eleanor and Clifford are wonderful characters. They have a strong and caring relationship. She moved to live with her uncle when she was 9 and Clifford has cared for her since then. He has skills which come in handy. He is a terrific problem solver. Eleanor is a very brave woman. She will go to great lengths to question suspects. They are a very good team.
In this situation, it is very important to solve the mystery. If they don’t, Clifford will be back in jail for murder. It is pointed out that France still uses the guillotine. They are doing their investigation because of the blackmail. But, they also have a strong desire to find the answers to the questions.
We not only meet Eleanor and Clifford, but we also meet American movie stars, French artists, a very wealthy American couple and the detective’s family. Each of these characters add a depth and texture to the story.
This is a well written mystery. Ms Bright is a new to me author and I hope to be able to go back and read the series’ earlier books, because this book is very good.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Simply spiffing! I love the Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries. Verity Bright sets the bar high every single time, but I think this is my favourite yet. The south of France setting is beautifully described – I felt as though I was there – and I loved the period details and air of Hollywood excess surrounding the visiting film crew. The perfectly paced mystery kept me guessing and it was great to catch up with Ellie’s household and see them in a new setting. Delightfully entertaining escapism!

10th of the series but may be read independently and is thoroughly enjoyable. Lady Ellie is on vacation with her faithful butler, dog, and staff. When Clifford finds a murder victim in the wine cellar, he is arrested, and Ellie is coerced into helping to solve the murder to free her favorite mentor and butler.

ARC via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.