This is the first book I've read by this author, It will not be the last. I love historical mysteries and this one held my interest until the end. I will be looking for more in this series. I truly enjoyed it.

Despite trying to avoid house parties hosted by England’s titled elite, Clara Vale and her assistant, Bella Cuddy, go undercover at Penford Manor during the opening of grouse season to hunt for the person blackmailing Lady Penford and prevent the woman’s secrets from being revealed. While Clara investigates upstairs among the family and guests, Bella works behind the scenes alongside the servants. The discovery of the body of a local trade unionist on the manor grounds gives Clara and Bella another mystery to investigate—one that appears to be connected to the blackmail. Clara and Bella team up with the local detective to investigate both crimes before time runs out and Lady Penford is forced to pay her blackmailer.

I’m a big fan of Clara and Bella. They’re modern women working as private detectives in the early 1930s England. They’re learning as they go. And, while not everyone takes them seriously, they always get the job done. There were plenty of suspects with varying motives for wanting the labor unionist dead and to ruin Lady Penford’s reputation. Throw in a mentally unstable son, spinster women desperate to marry, and a group of men circumventing the law, THE PENFORD MANOR MURDERS makes for a compelling read.

The 4th book in the Clara Vale series and like its predecessors it didn’t disappoint.

Miss Vale is to attend a shooting party in order to investigate blackmail. Her disapproving family are also invited. There are lots more returning characters, but still could be read as a stand alone.

She’s a woman ahead of her time, but her modern outlook doesn’t jar in the period setting.

A great series of books. I look forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

Another great book in this series. I loved the period details, from descriptions of clothes and furnishings to the vocabulary of the time, and the rigid social hierarchy. Only 4 stars because at times I found the large number of characters and the intertwining plots quite complicated to follow! In my head it was visually stunning, with the beautiful clothes and country house setting, I think it would transfer to TV really well.

This is another excellent book in the series. Clara Vale is one more court in the action only this time she is back in England hobnobbing at a country estate. What starts out as a simple blackmail plot turns into something a little bit more sinister as accidents happen. Dan are fired and people go missing. Clara is her usual excellent self caring for others digging into the depths of what is going on behind the scenes and shining light into dark corners. She’s helped by the excellent Bella who just about managers to keep the rough edges hidden as she helps her employer. This is a murder mystery but a cozy one with great characters and a reassuring plot line.

I love a cosy crime novel and this ticks all the boxes.
An ahead-of-her-time heroine shows what a strong woman can achieve in a man's world - though it helps of course that she's highly educated, comes from wealth and status and is independently wealthy herself!
Fun, not remotely testing, a great series.

Miss Clara Vale always gets her man...or woman! The fiercely independent Clara Vale is back again with more mystery and female rebellion! Miss Clara is such an inspiring character well ahead of her time and adore every moment spent with such an intelligent confident woman.

The Penford Manor Murders is slightly complicated with all the titles, British and German, floating around and my brain got a bit distracted with that. Once I decided to ignore that aspect I got on much better! The murder mystery element is complicated enough that it's not straightforward for the reader to preempt the denouement. The characters are an interesting mix with their different motivations and back stories.

I like Clara Vale; she's flawed like all human beings. I like that she makes bad decisions and good decisions that sometimes don't work out. Fiona Veitch Smith is developing this series nicely and I eagerly look forward to the next book.

Clara Vale's latest title is a country house mystery. Clara and her assistant Bella are hired to investigate a blackmail plot at a stately home. Things get out of hand when a body is discovered. Are the two connected? Clara tries to keep up her own investigation and assist with the police one. Things are complicated by the arrival if her parents at brother as guests at the stately home.
A cosy mystery in the style of the golden age of crime with a country house setting.

Clara Vale and her investigative assistant, Bella, go to Northumberland to investigate a bit of blackmail among the upper class. Unfortunately, her parents and brother are going to be there as well. Then comes the murder of a renowned miner followed by several attempted murders and a DI she has had contact with before. Lots of due diligence on everyone's part as the investigation turns into a Gordian knot. Well done!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Embla Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Apr 15, 2025
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