Eleanor and Seldon are getting ready for their wedding, and it is time for the annual Spring supper in Little Bufford. All the houses have food, and folks travel from house to house throughout the village. However, this year, many people become sick that night, and one woman (the chef doing Eleanor's wedding dinner) dies. They finally find out that the flour from the bakery has been poisoned, and folks from the new town across the bridge on the river are angry with the folks in the old town, and vice versa. Eleanor is taken away from her wedding preparations as she tries to find the culprit in the poisoning. It isn't until almost the end of the story that we find the culprit was trying to kill Eleanor and or her husband to be.

The entire series is great, and this is one of the best. I thank Netgalley and Bookoutour for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

"Cream cakes, cucumber sandwiches, apple tarts and...poison? Lady Swift is trying to plan the menu for her wedding, until murder strikes in kitchens across the village!

Lady Eleanor Swift's marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There's a lot to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake.

But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of poisoning. And as the doctor confirms her death wasn't an accident, accusations fly around the whole community.

With more of the village struck down by the poison, Eleanor must unmask a killer who seems intent on spreading chaos amongst her nearest and dearest. Everyone is accusing their neighbour...and Eleanor is in a pickle as the seating plans for the wedding fall apart. But she soon has bigger fish to fry when the source of the poison is traced to a trusted establishment in town. Eleanor is certain they are being framed and that sabotage is afoot...

And when a sample of poisoned wedding cake is delivered anonymously to Hugh working at his station miles away in Oxford, Eleanor realises that while she has been planning for the future, her past has been catching up with her. Eleanor must race across the countryside to save her love from certain death. Can Eleanor find the proof in the pudding and save Hugh in time? And will the poisoner finally get their just desserts?

A gripping and totally twisty historical cozy mystery set in an English village. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles, and L.B. Hathaway won't be able to put this down."

I mean, was the seating plan falling apart because too many guests were killed? One needs to know...

At last the wedding between Lady Eleanor Swift and Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is fast approaching we've waited a long time time to get this far 21 books no less. Of course the spanner in the works is the caterer getting poisoned and the whole village turning on each other. The story ticks along at a good pace as the countdown to the wedding puts constant pressure on them to solve the mystery. The mystery itself is as twisty as ever and keeps you guessing. We also discover more about Lady Eleanor's past during the war which is interesting as well. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first Eleanor Swift mystery and what a mystery it was!

Mass poisoning outbreaks across a village, deaths, attempted murder, sabotage. The stakes really were high for this case. I adored Lady Eleanor and the found family she had crafted around her. The love and respect she had for her staff, her butler in particular were truly heart warming and the writer was able to make you care so much about all of the characters within the tale.

It was an entertaining story, although the pace was a little slow at first. It almost had to be, due to how large scale the attack and mystery was. This isn't just your typical house murder, the crime was committed over almost 24 hours and encompassed dozens of victims in various states, from ill all the way up to dead.

Once the case really started going, it picked up a lot. My heart went out to Eleanor who so clearly wanted to do right by the people of the village and protect them, even if at times, it was protecting them from themselves.

The murderer was possible to spot, both from their own actions and from knowing how these books work, but it is never a bad thing to feel clever because you've solved the mystery.

I will be keeping my eyes out for the other books in this series and working through them.

Love Lady Eleanor. It has been a great journey watching her grow throughout this series and to finally get to making wedding plans. Or will she? Great addition to the series.

I enjoy this series and always love checking in with Lady Eleanor & gang. The mystery kept me guessing. I really like the characters and the setting.

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

This is the 21st book in this series so far and I am still loving them!

Lady Eleanor Swift and Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon actually make it to the altar at last and they do it in great style. It is the perfect wedding. However there is a lot of drama before that - mass poisonings, several deaths, rioting in the village - it is huge. Of course Eleanor rises to the occasion and solves the crime in time.

This was a very enjoyable book. It was nice to have Hugh being around a lot and helping Eleanor with the case. I hope there will be more of that in future books. And we know there will be more as #22 is already in the offing. Of course, Eleanor will have to have a mystery to solve on her honeymoon.

Eleanor is preparing for her long awaited marriage to fiancé Hugh and, as lady of the manor, she is keen to use local business for the flowers and catering. To renew her acquaintance with the village, having been away travelling and having adventures, she attends the annual Spring Super. Although being warmly welcomed into the villagers homes Eleanor senses an uneasiness in the community and conflicts between the old village and the new development over the river quickly come to light.

A bout of food poisoning impacts the villages and rumours start to fly around the source of the tainted food. Eleanor is drawn into solving the mystery in an attempt to bring the community back together. She is accompanied in her investigation by her ever attentive butler and confidante, Clifford. A death occurs and the food poisoning is now know to have been done with malice. This is just the start with further malicious acts throwing the community and Eleanor’s wedding preparations into disarray.

The storyline is strong and the characters are well formed. There is also some amusing dialogue between Eleanor and Clifford, as he tries to steer her away from situations of impropriety. The village and mill settings are carefully described along with some excellent historical detail. The narrative is rich in detail of the culture, history and life of this period.

Highly recommended for a light hearted read with fun characters, fantastic settings, interesting insight on social protocols of the period and an intriguing plot.

Title: A Recipe for Murder
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #21
Author: Verity Bright
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction
Pub Date: March 31, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 396


Lady Eleanor Swift’ and longtime love interest dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon have finally set the date and the wedding is in a few days. Soon Henley Hall and its grounds will full of guests celebrating. True there is still much to do – Lady Eleanor is up to her neck with her list of things as well as decisions that need to be made of course the most important is to make sure the wedding cake Is perfect ~ aww the days before a Wedding Planner!

But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, Annie Tibetts, dies of poisoning. What is worse is the doctor confirms her death wasn’t an accident, But who will kill someone like Annie?

Thankfully Eleanor and Hugh do make it to their beautiful wedding. Now we are waiting for what adventure awaiting them on their honeymoon!

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 31, 2025.

I have read every book in this series and, while I love them all, A Recipe For Murder is definitely one of my favorites. I could not put it down! The mystery was intricate without being confusing and had a perfect mix of drama, humor, plus a dash of romance. I especially enjoyed the connection with Eleanor’s past and am hoping to see more storylines like this in the future.

All in all, I highly recommend the Lady Eleanor Swift series to all cozy mystery lovers.

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a murder mystery fan, pick up A Recipe for Murder when is publishes. Verity Bright wrote a fun one!

With the wedding of Lady Swift and Hugh Seldon fast approaching and with so much more to do, a murder is not welcome especially if it is going to effect the wedding plans?!

The caterer has been found dead and after it is discovered that it was by poisoning, the town is divided as to who is the culprit.

It is left us to Lady Swift once more to find the person responsible and with the wedding only a few days away, will she have time to stop anyone else being hurt?

A exciting read right up to the very end!!

I’ve read several books in this series and enjoyed this one just as much as the others, Eleanor is so irrepressible in her love of life, defiance of social norms and fight for what is right. This is a truly cosy crime with a clever storyline that brings a smile to my face when I’m reading

Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There’s lots to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake.

But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of poisoning. And as the doctor confirms her death wasn’t an accident, accusations fly around the whole community.

This was a delicious page turner right from the start. Everytime I had to put it down, it was all I could think about. I did end up finishing way past my bedtime, just so I would be able to sleep.

Our very unconventional Lady Eleanor is soon to be married to DCI Seldon and it had seems that everyone was happy. But suddenly everyone in this village comes down with an illness and one person dies. Turns out that it was poison and that there is a local feud, too many suspects, lies, and secrets. At least there is comic relief in the forms of her bulldog Master Gladstone and Tompkins the cat. While there is fun to be had, there is danger and more murders as well. Excellent mystery with a very detailed investigation, amazing plot twists (and a lot of laughs, too!). Fascinating addition to this delightful series!
I requested and received a temporary digital e-galley of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#ARecipeForMurder by @BrightVerity #LadyEleanorSwiftMysteriesBk21 @Bookouture
#situationalhumor #witty #mischievouspets #cozymystery #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #cozymystery #poison #enmity

Sitting on a bench in the spring sunshine finishing the latest Lady Eleanor Swift mystery! What could be nicer? This one had everything and affected Ellie’s entire village, from the old established residents to the newcomers on ‘the other side of the bridge’. It was the perfect combination of delightful cosy details, tension, drama and peril. The ending was wonderfully moving (there were tears!). They weren’t just brought on by Ellie and Hugh’s wedding, but also by the resolution of the mystery and the outcome for all concerned. It’s beautifully done.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "A Recipe for Murder" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the 21st book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and for Ellie probably her most important story. It's her wedding day to the man of her dreams Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. They have come a long way since the days when he threatened to arrest her at every turn. Now he sees her as a crime solving equal.

Of course this is Ellie that the story is about so she is in the middle of a complicated mystery just days before her wedding. She goes through the story with a sense of foreboding ~ especially as someone keeps leaving little flower bouquets on her doorstep. At first she brushes them off as the florist sending over samples for her wedding bouquet but the strange feeling doesn't leave her. Things go missing in the house, and things are damaged. Who would try to ruin Ellie's special day?

Hugh is working on a case and on his way back he is stopping off at the boarding school where Clifford's ward Master Kofi is studying. Ellie is fortunate to have a wonderful "family", not related by blood but by love. Her "aprons" Mrs. Butters, Mrs. Trotman, Lizzie and Polly, along with her terrible twosome ~ Master Gladstone and Tompkins the cat. And who can forget the best character ever ~ Clifford her butler.

The Spring Supper is happening at the same time in the village as her wedding preparations. All too soon they learn that people have come down with food poisoning and a couple are in hospital. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else ~ it had to be the milkman, the fish monger or the baker. When Ellie's caterer for the wedding ends up ill and passes away in hospital, tensions in the village grow even higher and villagers start blaming those "other side of the bridge". When one of their own gets ill, they blame this side of the bridge.

When it turns out that the poisoning was deliberate and not an accident, it's up to Ellie and her gang to solve the mystery as Constable Fry has also taken ill. This is a well crafted addition to the series and one of Ellie's most challenging cases to solve. A lot is riding on her figuring out the clues in time to save her wedding. As they're off on their honeymoon, one can only imagine the trouble Ellie will get into next!!

In A RECIPE FOR MURDER, written by Verity Bright, preparations are underway for Lady Eleanor Swift’s upcoming wedding to Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon with help from her Henley Hall butler, Clifford. Lady Swift, alongside Clifford, attends the Spring Supper where villagers go from house to house, eating at each location. I am curious if something will happen during the Spring Supper and read on. I am also looking forward to reading about Lady Swift’s marriage to Hugh Seldon.

I enjoy following Lady Eleanor Swift’s life in this twenty-first entry of the Lady Eleanor Swift series. While the story is rather slow moving, and it takes a while for the mystery to present itself, I find myself drawn to the setting and the characters. Lady Swift is tenacious and brave as she, alongside Seldon, works to solve the mystery. I like reading about Lady Swift’s developing relationship with Hugh Seldon and look forward to reading future books in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A RECIPE FOR MURDER.

I just finished my first Lady Eleanor Swift novel, and I’m hooked! I can’t wait to dive into the series from the start. This book was an utter joy to read.

In just under two weeks, Henley Hall and its sprawling grounds will come alive with wedding bells as Lady Eleanor Swift ties the knot with the charming Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. With so much left to plan, Ellie’s juggling her excitement alongside her duties to the locals, like the upcoming Spring Supper. But when a wave of food poisoning strikes Little Buckford’s residents, Ellie leaps into action to uncover the cause. What she doesn’t expect is the peril it brings to those she holds dear. Will she and her trusty sidekick Clifford unearth the clues to stop a cunning culprit, or will Henley Hall’s happiness crumble for good?

This story was pure magic. The wedding buzz is warm and playful, peeling back the curtain on a surprisingly relaxed Henley Hall. Meanwhile, the village of Little Buckford, its quirky locals, and some mysterious newcomers steal the show. The clash of lifestyles and values is striking, and Ellie faces challenges that push her to new limits. I couldn’t put it down—every page was a treat!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This talented author has written a page turner. Realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. Mystery and secrets… this is a series that keeps me intrigued. Thanks Netgalley