Friday, November 26, 2021

BLOG TOUR - Death on a Winter’s Day


DESCRIPTION:

Christmas at the castle with holly, handmade gifts, snowflakes and… is that a body under the tree? Someone call Lady Swift!

Winter, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, amateur sleuth and reluctant lady of the manor, has been invited to spend Christmas in Scotland, at the beautiful castle of her dear friends Baron and Baroness Ashley. Even her favourite companion, master of mischief Gladstone the bulldog, is coming along to share a slice of turkey. As snow begins to fall outside, the rather mismatched group are cozy by the roaring fire, sharing a tipple over a plate of Mrs Trotman’s famous mince pies.

But after what was supposed to be a fun party game, Mr Eugene Randall is found dead at the feast. A somewhat unpopular business associate of the Baron’s from across the pond, it seems Mr Randall has certainly upset somebody. Was it what he said about Scottish whisky?

The killer must be in the castle… and when the Baron is arrested, Baroness Ashley begs Eleanor to investigate. Determined not to let her friend down, Eleanor sets about questioning the remaining partygoers.

All too swiftly, someone else is found dead, having apparently fallen from a high balcony. As if one murder wasn’t enough to put a twist in the tinsel! Eleanor knows she’s skating on thin ice now. And when she discovers a hidden document that points the finger of suspicion at the unlikeliest of suspects, she realises there’s more to the story. Can Eleanor catch the killer before it’s time for Christmas dinner?

The perfect cozy mystery to curl up with this winter! Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss are in for a festive treat.

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3qOZpoS

Audio Links:
UK: zpr.io/fTeJ8rAQjLGR
US: zpr.io/8R94J4qaVH6U

Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/death-on-a-winters-day-by-verity-bright-narrated-by-karen-cass


MY THOUGHTS:
 
Title:   Death on a Winter's Day
Author:  Verity Bright
Series:  A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #8
Publisher:  Bookouture
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   220
Date of Publication:   November 24, 2021
My Rating:   5 Stars

Christmas in Scotland. In a castle. It should be rather enjoyable. Well, when Lady Eleanor Swift finds that her friends' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas, her staff willingly agrees to accompany her to perform duties that should make Christmas enjoyable. As always, Eleanor's closest comrade is her butler Clifford. He was her uncle's erstwhile butler, and now he is proving to be quite loyal to her. Of course, her bulldog Gladstone is along for the trip.

At what starts off as a boring dinner early after they arrive, they decide on a party game. However, things go terribly wrong when a visiting American, Mr. Eugene Randall, is found dead with a dirk in his back. Of course, Eleanor not only wants answers, but with the rather inept officers who barely begin the investigation, she relies on her finely honed skills as an amateur detective. With Clifford by her side, along with his keen sense of observation, Eleanor begins to dig for answers. Oh do they need answers, because the killer soon strikes again.

The facts are fairly clear. There was a dinner party at the castle. The baron and his wife, along with their guests, are all suspects. Eleanor begins looking for clues, and is determined to unmask the killer so that Christmas dinner can take place.

What an enjoyable addition to a series that is close to my heart. I love Eleanor as she has recently stepped into the role of a Lady, and how she defies convention repeatedly, all while Clifford strives to keep her in line. The time period, 1920s England, is terrific for this lovely series. Not only does Eleanor prove to be the perfect protagonist for these stories, but I love the slow brewing romance between her and detective chief inspector Seldon and how he makes an appearance in this novel. I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series, A Royal Murder, set for release in March.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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 humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

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