I had heard about these books, so I was interested in reviewing this one.

This was a fun, entertaining cosy mystery set in the 1920s. I think it would have made more sense to read the other books first, but I still warmed to the characters. This book reminded me of books I've read by T.E. Kinsey and Helena Dixon, which was something that I liked, and I probably would read another one of these.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Fans of the series will welcome another outing for Ellie and our other favourite characters. You get exactly what you expect: murder, mayhem, suspicion and a hint of danger, this time with Hugh as a suspect. Perfect escapism.

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

I enjoyed this story. The mystery kept me guessing and I look forward to more in the series.
I like the characters, the setting and that things are progressing with the characters..

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

Booked onto a luxury cruise Lady Eleanor intends to relax and enjoy her leisure time but this intention goes out the window when a murder occurs on deck and by a massive coincidence the man who makes her heart flutter Detective Hugh Seldon is also on board

Will he allow her to help him find the murderer or will he do his utmost to keep her away from the danger she normally finds herself in

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Another positively charming read from Verity Bright! I loved it, as always. The end.

Hahahaha, no. Y’all know I couldn’t stop with just one line, right?

I simply adore Lady Eleanor Swift. She’s never been accused of being a proper lady, and I don’t think she ever will be. I think Clifford is finally making his peace with that (and honestly, I think he’d be a little disappointed if she did decide to settle down and behave as befits her station in society).

Here we see Eleanor’s expectation of a birthday celebration with Hugh dashed when he cancels their plans on her at the last minute. Never one to stay down for long, Eleanor decides to take advantage of an offer to go on a transatlantic cruise to New York. Naturally, Clifford and Gladstone the bulldog come along, and Eleanor brings all of her staff, too! I cannot tell y’all how much I love that she values “the ladies” enough to know that they would appreciate a cruise and to make it happen for them. They may not stay in first class with Eleanor, but they do have a grand old time.

Eleanor soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery after she observes two men arguing and sees one throw the other off the ship after shooting him. She manages to find the murder weapon, and when she recognizes it, she knows she can’t turn it over. She also learns that the gun’s owner, none other than Hugh, is on board the ship for reasons of his own, and that’s why he’d bailed on her birthday celebration.

As her first-class status may allow her to have conversations that the ship’s staff cannot, the captain asks her to assist in the investigation. The ship’s master-at-arms is visibly unhappy about Eleanor’s involvement and does his best to make it difficult for her. What does he have to hide?

The cruise setting adds an element of tension to the story. The mystery has to be solved before they dock in New York, or Hugh may find himself in serious trouble with the law. Swift gives us suspects aplenty and lays out one red herring after another as we follow the clues along with Eleanor. Throw in a storm that puts the Celestiana in grave danger, and you’ve got a story where the pages practically turn themselves!

When the birthday celebration was called off, I feared this would be another book without Hugh. I was delighted to see that wasn’t the case! We learn more about Hugh’s backstory here, and he and Eleanor seem to be slowly, slowly learning to open up and trust each other, even with the hard things. There were a few moments when I wondered if their relationship would survive, but so far, it has. I hope we see them growing even closer in the next book.

And the previously mentioned ladies! They are just so much fun. The trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, and they make the most of it. They’re also able to help in the investigation, as they can see things on the lower decks that Eleanor really couldn’t poke her nose into.

Witty dialogue, characters you love (or love to hate), fascinating descriptions of a cruise on a luxury liner, a mystery that keeps you guessing – Death on Deck is another winner from Verity Bright!

Death on Deck: First thing’s first: you do not have to have read the previous Eleanor Swift mysteries in order to read Death on Deck. Each book is written like a standalone novel. That’s one of the reasons I found myself liking this series. It doesn’t matter that I started this series on volume 12; all the information I needed was provided with a brief backstory explaining Lady Eleanor’s situation.

This volume has Eleanor, her ever-faithful butler, Clifford, her dog Gladstone, and her house staff traveling to America aboard the Celestiana, a luxury cruise ship on its maiden voyage. Eleanor was invited by the Blue Star Line’s owner because of her reputation as a fiercely independent woman who has solved many mysteries, and being a Lady doesn’t hurt, either. Also on board, unbeknownst to Eleanor at the beginning of the cruise, is her beau, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. Hugh had cancelled his plans to spend time with Eleanor on her birthday, which led to Eleanor accepting the invite to cruise on her birthday. Why is Hugh on the ship, and why didn’t he tell Eleanor? That’s all part of the mystery.

The first night on board the ship, Eleanor heads out for a midnight stroll and see two figures in shadow in the distance. One has a gun. The next thing she knows, the gun goes off, and one of the men goes overboard. Eleanor rushes over to the scene of the crime, only to discover a gun she recognizes as that of her boyfriend, Hugh. She finds him in second class, woefully seasick, not realizing his gun was missing.

It turns out Hugh is not on a case, not officially, anyway. His wife’s unsolved murder some years prior has always been a source of angst for him. He’s taken time off of work, spent his savings on a ticket for this cruise, following the man he thinks killed his wife. Now the problem is that the man overboard turns out to be his suspect, and his gun was used to kill the man. Someone is trying to frame Hugh, but who on the cruise knows of the connection? Lady Eleanor is on the case.

As Eleanor investigates, another man is found murdered, putting the pressure on her to find the murderer before anyone else gets hurt, and before the ship docks in New York in just a few days.

I found this book charming as a cozy mystery should be. The resourceful Clifford aids Eleanor with all things, including remedies for seasickness for Hugh, as well as making sure Lady Eleanor wants for nothing, as usual. This is my first introduction to Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, and I have to say, he does not come off well during the first half of the book. I don’t know if it was because of the seasickness making him fairly helpless, but I couldn’t see why Eleanor was so taken with him. However, as the book progresses, I began to see what all the fuss was about. By the end, I was definitely in the team Hugh camp!

There are a few chapters that are crucial to the plot, where Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford go over the clues they’ve picked up. I found this to be rather helpful to the overall story. I do have to say I guessed the guilty party based upon a thrown-away comment that turned out to be important to solving the case, which is the sign of a good mystery writer. Usually I don’t pick up on those things, but luck was on my side this time. The journey to get to the main suspect was still a thrill ride even though I guessed correctly.

As a whole, Death on Deck is the sort of mystery I like to read. Great characterization, great time period (1923), a plot that doesn’t meander or plod along, a locked room mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture, NetGalley and the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Death On Deck marks the 13th installment in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries series, and is another fun historical cozy mystery, with a nice change of scenario this time to keep things fresh.

Lady Eleanor is all excited to celebrate her birthday with Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon but, when he has to cancel their plans at last minute because of a mysterious job assignment, she decides to take up on the invitation from her ex-employer and she packs her staff up to board the Celestiana’s maiden voyage across the ocean to New York. But Ellie, being Ellie, will not have a quiet journey and she will encounter death once again.

If I had to describe Death On Deck in just a few words I’d say it is Titanic meets Death On The Nile, and let me tell you, that’s some entertaining crossover! The lovely descriptions of the ship, the decor, the food, really made me feel like I was another passenger aboard.

I just adore the sense of family created between Ellie and all her staff. Their dynamics are always fantastic. It’s so much fun to see them out of their element, and so refreshing to never see a bad word from Ellie towards any of them, just love and words of encouragement. I loved how she said she would never be a “real lady” if that meant to keep her distance from Clifford and the ladies of Henley Hall.

Ellie is independent, tough and not afraid to defy the conventions of her time, not really caring about what others might think about her. This time her investigative partnership with Clifford takes the backseat, as she finds a new sidekick in Hugh. It was nice to see them together for most of the story and not just for a few scenes. Their relationship is finally developing…and what a way to do it! I never saw that ending coming!

There were plenty of suspects and red herrings that made me err this time when it came to picking up my prime suspect so, well done! It was nice being fooled!

Book 14 has already been announced and it looks like Ellie is taking Manhattan by storm. Anxious to read it? I sure am!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been a couple of hectic days and a Lady Eleanor mystery was the right book to help me to relax and have some fun.
After reviewing 13 novels it’s a bit hard to find something original to write: this is a series that improves with each new story and it’s also addictive as once you start reading you cannot stop and you want another story ASAP.
All these blah blahs can be summarized in:
This is the best story so far
I love Eleanor, Clifford, the lady and Gladstone
It’s tightly knitted, fast paced, and solid mystery that kept me guessing.
You can read it as a stand alone but if you read the rest of the series be ready to have a lot of fun.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the Bookouture for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was a delightful read. Silly in some parts, but a wholly well-plotted murder mystery set on a cruise liner. I would compare it to a mash up of Agatha Christie with Downton Abbey - although Eleanor was a star, her supporting characters were what really made the story.

I loved the multitude of cliffhangers littering this book. I found it difficult to stop between chapters once the story picked up a little before halfway through.

I will say there were some quirks of Eleanor's character that annoyed me a wee bit (oh she's so darling, so feminist, treats her staff so nicely) which I understand are necessary to appeal to today's audience but felt a little much. I'm okay with assuming as much when reading.

I will happily pick up another Verity Bright - Death on Deck was a fun murder mystery and I'd love to come along on Eleanor's next case!

Death on Deck by Verity Bright is another charming entry into the world of Lady Eleanor Swift, in which she is looking forward to her birthday and the promised celebration with her beau, Chief Inspector Hugh Selden, when on the other end of the telephone line he breaks the date. She is furious. This has now happened once too often, but not one to wallow, but she quickly recovers with her invitation to sail on the maiden voyage of the Celestiana. No only is Clifford a necessity, but she believes all the ladies in her household deserve a holiday so Clifford books passage for all. As she is boarding she spies a man who looks very much like Hugh; of course, it is not. That evening she watches the mystery man compete in a dance contest. She is mesmerized. She is not alone. As she is gazing at the starts from the deck shortly thereafter, she hears a man being shot and tossed overboard. All she can see are shadows. After the murderer has fled, she spies a gun on the deck and recognizing it, she stows in her her handbag. Ellie quickly finds a staff member who takes her to the captain. As the owner is aware of Ellie’s many talents, he invites her to join the investigation. By the next day, the missing man has been identified and Ellie discovers the errant Hugh on on board the vessel.

Lady Eleanor Swift is such a great character. Bright has imbued her with so many endearing personality traits, many of which are what keep her from truly being a member of the aristocracy: her generosity, for example. What lady of the manor brings the entire staff on holiday, at her own expense? Of course, the ladies may come in handy on the trip, but still. Clifford is a wonder. He not only is able to read her mind, but read her thoughts before she has them. He is her right-hand-man by every measure. Able to blend in anywhere, Clifford is often found at Ellie’s right shoulder when he has no business in that setting. Then Hugh, whom Ellie finally realized she loves: a moral and upright man who has only two faults: his job is more important than she is and he is prone to seasickness. What a wonderful cast of characters Bright has sown and nurtured through this series of books. Ellie is not able to stay out of trouble, and so is always in the middle of things. This murder, and then a second, are prime examples of the kinds of trouble she finds. This was a good mystery and it took all three of them to solve it. Finally Hugh’s obsession with solving his late wife’s murder will be laid to rest and he will be able to move on. I love Lady Swift!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Death on Deck by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #VerityBright #DeathOnDeck

Lady Eleanor Swift is ready for the birthday celebrations to begin. She is all packed and ready to set sail on her first ever cruise with her boyfriend, Detective Hugh Seldon. From the very beginning things don’t go as planned. Once again Hugh cancels at the last minute. But that doesn’t stop Lady Eleanor, she goes on the cruise anyway, without Hugh. Once at sea and headed for New York, Lady Eleanor and her dependable and devoted bulldog, Gladstone begin to relax and take in the warm sunshine. But soon Lady Eleanor witnesses a man being shot and falling overboard. Gladstone and Lady Eleanor leap into action and begin investigating the scene. Lady Eleanor recognizes the weapon laying on the deck, it belongs to the one and only Detective Hugh Seldon. How can it be that Hugh is on the cruise even though he canceled? Just when things can’t seem to get any worse for Lady Eleanor, another passenger is found dead in his first-class cabin. Lady Eleanor must clear Detective Seldon's name and fast, before another passenger becomes a victim.

Oh my goodness I don’t even know where to begin saying how amazing this cozy mystery was. Wow, what a phenomenal addition to this fantastic series. I love Gladstone the bulldog, and who wouldn’t want him as a trusty sidekick? This fabulous cozy mystery read is exactly what I needed. It made me laugh out loud as I felt the warm sun on my face, while listening to the waves lap against the side of the cruise ship. This brilliantly written and captivating, whodunnit is one that is so good I may have to go back and read it again. This is a wonderful addition to the famous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series but can be read as a standalone. However, my suggestion is to read the whole series, you won’t be disappointed and I highly recommend it.

Well I now have to go buy all of the Lady Elanor Swift Novels. She reminds me so much of phyrne fisher from Miss fishers' mysteries. Larger review coming soon.

Favorite Quotes:

‘I’ve met some hard-boiled eggs before—’ ‘But he’s the full ten minutes.’

I just wanted to say as how we’ve been walking up and down the decks like grand people and… and taking tea in a proper dining room with people waiting on us! ’Tis like a naughty dream, your ladyship. But real.

My Review:

I have relished each and every installment of this entertaining series. The writing is easy to follow yet the mysteries are always confounding and difficult to solve, proving me wrong almost every time. The recurring characters are endearing and populate storylines that sparkle with wit, wry humor, clever observations, and villains that are complete rotters. This adventure occurred on an opulent ocean liner with scenes that were lushly depicted and vividly described while still remaining true to the period. I was contemplating booking a cruise for myself until they fell on harsh conditions. Terra firma now seems more appealing than ever.

Lady Eleanor Swift is back, solving yet another murder mystery.

This time she finds herself aboard the Celestiana, the largest and most luxurious ocean liner ever built, on its maiden voyage to New York.

Ellie isn’t travelling alone – she has Clifford, her trusted butler, and Gladstone, her lovely bulldog, plus the staff of Henley Hall, where she resides.

Lady Swift feels despondent; her birthday is coming up and she was supposed to celebrate it with her beau, Detective Hugh Seldon. He cancelled on her at the last minute, so she decided to go to New York instead.

During the voyage, one of the passengers is shot and pushed overboard. Ellie finds a gun at the scene of the crime and she recognises that it belongs to Hugh… Is he onboard? Did he kill someone or was the gun planted?

I really enjoyed this cosy murder mystery. I am a fan of the series, so I was very much looking forward to this book and I wasn’t disappointed.

I loved learning about Seldon’s past, and the historical references to the Titanic. At that time in the 1920s, such tragedy still had a profound impact on people, and ships’ maiden voyages caused a lot of angst, something that the author captured magnificently.

I adored the ending of the story – I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Ellie and Hugh.

Thanks to Sarah Hardy of Bookouture for the e-ARC.

Eleanor Swift had really been looking forward to spending her birthday with her beau Hugh Seldon for a while. He is a busy Chief Inspector, and she still hasn’t fully forgiven him for not being available on her last birthday. Disappointment reigns when Hugh informs Eleanor that he hast to cancel their plans, with not even much of an explanation. And having previously received an invitation for a trip to New York, Eleanor makes the quick decision to pack up her staff, and this includes her butler Clifford, and her bulldog Gladstone, and boards a ship’s maiden voyage across the ocean.

After witnessing an altercation and a man that has gone overboard, Eleanor makes a discovery that shakes her to her very core. More than that, she is shocked beyond belief that Hugh is also on board. Hugh is a likely suspect for the death of one of the ocean liner’s travelers. Hugh is there for a reason he refuses to disclose to Eleanor, but she is certain that he could not be responsible for the murder that took place. Eleanor has earned a reputation and is asked to assist in the investigation as to what has happened on the ship.

Eleanor does not hesitate to try to get to the bottom of things, and in this 13th book in a truly delightful cozy mystery series, it is always enjoyable to watch Eleanor do what she does best, as well as the quips that happen between her and Clifford. I also loved the relationship Eleanor has with Hugh. Not only was this a thoroughly enjoyable read, one that was engaging from beginning to end, the conclusion is certain to whet the appetite of fans of this ongoing series. Book 14, come on, let’s see what Eleanor will be up to next.

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

Another fun installment in this historical mystery series.

Lady Eleanor Swift and her staff are enjoying a last minute luxury cruise to New York when she becomes involved with a murder investigation on board the Celestiana.

You had me at “cruise” as I confess I love reading about ocean voyages aboard lavishly appointed ships during the Golden Age circa 1930s. I loved all the details and descriptions of everything from decor to food to dress. I enjoy the characters, especially Eleanor and her butler, Clifford, and their lively, humorous repartee. It was great to have Chief Inspector Hugh Sheldon along and to see their relationship finally progress. Lady Swift is definitely unconventional for the time and place, but she’s independent and tough and also incredibly kind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC — I definitely recommend the entire series and encourage any curious readers to start at the beginning. I look forward to the next.

Lady Eleanor is excited about spending some time alone--without a murder involved-- with her beau, police detective Hugh Seldon, for her birthday. But he cancels at the last moment, again. Hurt but not out, she decides to take her staff and her faithful bull-dog on a cruise on a luxury ocean liner's maiden voyage to New York City. Alas, Hugh may not be able to keep his appointments but murder seems to have no problems finding time for Lady Eleanor. One night, she witnesses a man being pushed overboard. And wait, is that detective Seldon on board...

A fun book. After all, 1920s, a cruise and murder go together like peanut butter and jelly, at least in the world of books. Another charming mystery in the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series with all of the regular characters--yes, even that job wedded detective--are here. I appreciate that the long and unpredictable hours of a detective is an issue in this book. Plans being cancelled or truncated because of the call of duty on a regular basis would make many people at least question, can they deal with this long term in a relationship. Do they love this person enough? Usually that is glossed over in cozies but this one at least acknowledges that problem.

Lady Eleanor, particularly her butler and her bull-dog are great characters. Charming and full of humor. Seldon isn't bad either.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Death on Deck‘ by Verity Bright. I also was invited to take part in their publication week blog tour.

This is Book 13 in the sparkling Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the 1920s. As usual I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Karen Cass.

While background is provided for new readers, I feel that it’s rewarding to read these books in order so as to observe the development of its main and supporting characters over the course of the series.

In this latest outing Lady Eleanor has received a first class ticket to travel to New York on the maiden voyage of the luxury ocean liner, Celestiana. She is uncertain about accepting given that she and her beau, DCI Hugh Seldon, have plans for her birthday. When Hugh cancels due to a work commitment, Eleanor decides to go on the trip accompanied by her butler, Clifford, and Gladstone the bulldog.

After getting settled in she is walking on deck and sees a man being shot and falling overboard. She is unable to identify the assailant but stumbles over the likely murder weapon. She is shocked to recognise it from a nick in the barrel as belonging to Detective Seldon… Clifford discovers that Hugh is indeed on board on an undercover assignment.

Who might be seeking to frame Hugh? Naturally there are plenty of suspects and Lady Eleanor covertly undertakes an investigation seeking to interview the first class passengers to identify whodunnit. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I so enjoy historical murder mysteries in this kind of atmospheric nautical setting as they combine the Golden Age of Detective Fiction with the Golden Age of Ocean Liners.

As always ‘Death on Deck’ was a delight from start to finish and while a cosy mystery did have some very tense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I finished it in a single sitting and can hardly wait for the next in the series.

It's Lady Eleanor Swift's birthday. Hugh has promised to sweep her off on a romantic surprise, but cancels at the last minute - an important case! Fortunately, she had also received an invitation to sail on the maiden voyage of a cruise liner owned by her former boss. Of course, if wouldn't be a celebration without her staff who she thinks of as family so she buys tickets for Clifford and the ladies as well. Unfortunately, her first night on board she witness a murder, and worse she recognizes the gun left behind.

I like that this series has Eleanor going to other places so that all the murders do not happen in her village. This time she is off on a cruise. I love cruising, but I think the cruises of the 1920s were much more opulent - at least for the passengers in first class. There are a lot of references to the Titanic as it sunk in 1912 so it was still a fresh tragedy. Bright provides a lot of details about the ship so if you've seen the movie or a documentary about the Titanic you will have a pretty good visual of what Eleanor is experiencing.

Now sometimes when Eleanor travels we don't get to see much of the ladies downstairs or Hugh. But don't worry as Eleanor takes all her staff with her. I still don't think the ladies got as much page time as I would like, they do make several appearances. If you are rooting for Hugh and Eleanor then you will be very pleased with this story as I think this is the most they have been together the whole series.

Speaking of the series, Death on Deck is book 13 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries. But you do not need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one. But if you have the time, they are all enjoyable.

This is a fun mystery. A lot of the suspects are strange ducks and they provide interest and color to the story. Count Balog is a displaced Prussian (?) aristocrat having lost his land during WWI. He sails the seas playing cards with the wealthier first class passengers. His long-tailed coat and shoes with buckles made me think of the descriptions I've read of King Rudolph (from the 1600s).

If you are looking for something fun to read, then you should pick up this novel.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, March 14 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/03/death-on-deck-by-verity-bright-review.html

I absolutely LOVED this book! These books are for Agatha Christie fans! This was the first Lady Eleanor Swift book I have read, so I was little confused on the relationship between characters, but I will definitely be reading the rest of the series now!

Lady Eleanor Swift is back on the case! When on a cruise to New York for her birthday, she witnesses a man getting shot and falling overboard. As she approaches the scene, she encounters the likely murder weapon that belongs to none other than her boyfriend Detective Seldon. However, things are getting suspicious for our girl because Detective Seldon cancelled on her once again at the last minute FOR HER BIRTHDAY!!! but yet is aboard the same cruise. Hmm...

Lady Swift believes Detective Seldon is being framed and decides to try and decide who the real murderer amongst them is. Is Detective Seldon at fault? Has Lady Swift gotten herself in a pickle? You will have to read the book to find out!

This book had me hooked from the beginning and I kept flipping through the pages because I could not put it down! I definitely recommend this to all my murder mystery fans!

I am looking forward to Murder in Manhattan in a few months!