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A Lesson in Murder: A totally unputdownable historical cozy mystery (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 7) by [Verity Bright]

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Verity Bright

A Lesson in Murder: A totally unputdownable historical cozy mystery (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 7) Kindle Edition

by Verity Bright (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,635 ratings

Book 7 of 11: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery

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When Lady Swift is invited to her old school, she walks through familiar classrooms, finds her favourite books in the library… and surely that’s not a body? Time for a lesson in murder!

Autumn, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to her old school, St Mary’s, as a guest speaker. Her favourite teacher, Mrs Wadsworth, has asked that Eleanor talk about her intrepid travels around the globe – travelling the Silk Road by bicycle, crossing the Himalayas and even befriending the Maharaja of India. But in the circumstances, perhaps it would have been a good idea to talk about her career as a daring detective…

Because no sooner has Eleanor brushed up on her times tables then she is greeted by terrible news: Mrs Wadsworth has been murdered. Eleanor is utterly devastated but she owes it to her dearest teacher to find out who killed her and why. So, alongside Gladstone the bulldog, it’s best paw forward to track down a villain.

But when the art teacher is also found dead, Eleanor is sure someone is trying to do away with the people who taught her everything. As Eleanor delves into possible motives, she discovers a clue in the most unlikely place: her mother’s old school diary. Does the route to the murderer lie within a secret passageway her mother uncovered? Can Eleanor nail the culprit in time or is the killer coming for her next?

A totally gripping and glamorous 1920s cozy! Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Rhys Bowen are in for a treat.

Readers are totally addicted to Verity Bright!

‘What a great cozy mystery! I am hooked! This is the best book, bar none, that I have read this year… An extremely witty, fast-paced mystery… I love the heroine, intrepid adventuress… A most enjoyable read!’ Reviews by Carol in Tallahassee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Can I give it six stars please?… Pretty much perfect… Bright has the amazing gift of bringing the reader into that world where the characters are alive.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘What a wild ride it is!… Gripping… This book is what would happen if Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie had a baby. Fun, fast-paced read with lots of charm!’ The Literary Wife

‘I was literally on the edge of my seat until the last page trying to figure out the mystery. It’s an adorable, captivating book.’ Washington Life Magazine

‘OMG! What an incredible read!… When I devour a book this quickly it only means one thing: I was so enraptured that I couldn’t put it down!’ Celebrating Authors ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Oooh I loved this book… I wanted a book which would be absolutely soothing to read with a murder in it and this was it. The book was everything I wanted in these troubling times. I loved it.’ Book Reviews by Shalini

‘A sparkling heroine and perfect partner-in-crime… Every bit as compelling a couple as Bertie Wooster and Jeeves and the series is both entertaining and eminently readable… The perfect light reading for a summer day. An added bonus is the delightful dog Gladstone who is indolent, gluttonous and totally adorable.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I am head over heels for Lady Swift and her investigative adventures. This book is perfect for Sunday afternoon reading to escape into a fabulously written English mystery story. Cannot wait for more Lady Swift.’ Sarah in Readerland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Print length

317 pages
Language

English
Publication date

September 14, 2021
File size

1287 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B096FXTG43
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (September 14, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 14, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1287 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #14,259 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #77 in Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries
- #80 in Cozy Culinary Mystery
- #82 in Cozy Culinary Mysteries

Customer Reviews:
1,635 ratings

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Verity Bright

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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 Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s. You can buy the first book in the series, A Very English Murder, on Amazon now.

Customer reviews

5 star		69%
4 star		25%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Texanne

A MYSTERY FROM BETWEEN THE WARS - A GOOD ONE

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022

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Eleanor is a woman of many accomplishments. She has ridden a bicycle around the world. She has had many adventures. And she has begun to solve mysteries. In fact, she has found murderers. The finding murderers is done with an awesome amount of help from Clifford, her butler. But, in reality he is so very much more. Eleanor and Clifford love one another as though they are father and daughter. He has looked after her in one way or another since she was nine years old. That is when her parents disappeared and she came to live with her Uncle and his butler, Clifford. Clifford is a wondrous person. There is nearly nothing he does not know nor cannot do.
This story takes place shortly after World War I. A woman’s place in the world was much different then. But, human beings have always been the same.
Eleanor has been asked to come back to her old school and speak to the girls. She is expected to speak of her adventures as well as provide advice to the girls on how to become a modern young lady.
Before Eleanor is able to speak, there is an emergency. One of Eleanor’s most beloved teachers is found dead. In fact, when Eleanor and Clifford look at the scene, they both believe the woman was murdered.
And we begin another adventure for Eleanor and Clifford and Hugh, the Scotland Yard detective who at times helps solve mysteries.
This is part of a series, but it works well as a stand alone read. There are references to past events but there are no times when things are not explained for the reader.
This story brings up Eleanor’s history as a student at St Mary’s school. It is a place for young ladies who are from the best and most powerful families. And the staff is only the very finest educators. But, just as in any place, there are problems among the staff. And people are not always as they appear.
I have enjoyed this series very much.
Ms Bright creates characters who are interesting and entertaining. Sometimes they are not very nice, but always interesting.
The plot moves along at a good clip. The reader generally gets all the same information that Eleanor, Clifford and Hugh find. As things unfold, the apparent villain changes. Or maybe it is just me, I figure out who is bad, and then things change and I pick someone else. But, the motivation for evil is always easy to understand.
This is a good mystery. There is humor and affection. Eleanor learns about her school and she also gets the chance to learn about young girls who are very similar to the young girls she was once. The little girls make this story very charming and fun.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a mystery from the period between the wars.

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2021

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I've read the entire series and I think this one is the best yet. I love reading about Lady Eleanor, Clifford, and the rest of the household staff who are actually more like family. And then there's Gladstone and his collection of leather slippers. This "episode" was especially interesting, murder aside, because we got to know Lady Eleanor as a nine-year-old child who'd just lost her parents, goes to live with an uncle who loves her but knows nothing about raising a little girl. In the end, she's been sent to boarding school. Finally, as an adult, she goes back to her boarding school by invitation as a guest. Then the murder of her favorite teacher (who practically made Lady Eleanor the brave and intrepid woman she grew up to become) leads her to discover not only the murderer but also to stories of her mother that she knew nothing about and to the reasons why her uncle sent her to that boarding school in the first place.

One person found this helpful

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Ellen F

This was the most difficult of the author's mysteries to solve, in my opinion

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2021

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Imagine that you are reading a book, and it's a fairly entertaining and amusing book, but every 5 to 10 pages, someone squirts you in the face with a blast of ice water. That is what my experience of reading the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries has been, because to me, seeing blatantly contemporary language used in what is supposed to be a period setting is like a blast of ice water to the face, in that it takes me out of the story, and leaves me dreading the next instance. And I'm not talking about a few scattered verbal anachronisms; in these books, it's constant, so much so that I find myself thinking that if only the characters would use the time machine that takes them to the 1970's to pick up technical and slang terms to go back to the time and site of the murder, they could save themselves and the reader a lot of problems.
The most blatant error in this book was Chief Detective Inspector Seldon bemoaning the lack of a national database for fingerprints. Not only would the word "database" not exist for another several decades, the whole concept of a database did not, because the concept of a computer was a good 25 years off. If that were the only such error in the book, I'd chuckle and shrug it off, but as I said, the author does something like this roughly every 5 to 10 pages, and it interrupts the flow of events in my mind and makes reading these books something of a chore. But if modern language in a period setting doesn't bother you, you'll probably like the book.

11 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Spectacular

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021

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Verity Bright is one of my top two favorite authors and A LESSON IN MURDER is a perfect example to reason "Why?" It is also pleasing to know that this is NOT the final mystery in this series.
Lady Swift continues to gently grow and mature into a wonderful woman of heart, humor, humility and true grace all while solving the murder, in this case, of a teacher and mentor; oh, and another poor victim. A very enjoyable story in true Lady Swift style.

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2021

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The Eleanor Swift mystery series is utterly charming. I love the relationship between Ellie and Clifford. Their banter is wonderfully, cleverly written. And Hugh—what can I possibly say about the Chief Inspector that any woman reading this book hasn’t already thought? A delicious series, and I can’t wait for the next installment.

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MJ26

A lovely trip into the past.

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2021

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This series is like comfort food. When I need a light hearted book that I know is well written and clever. With characters that are wonderfully developed who somehow solve murders. A touch of romance and a look into life in the 1920s then these are the books I read. The whole series is enjoyable.

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Mary Beth Garber

Reading this is like eating cake topped with whipped cream

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021

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Savoring every word, every twist, shedding loving tears, hating the fact that you are about to eat the last bite and there is nothing left in the plate. Delicious!!! I hope “Verity Bright” is busy writing the next adventure, which I cannot wait to read.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022

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Lady Eleanor was scheduled to.speak at the boarding school she attended as a girl
She was preempted by the murder of her favorite teacher. Clifford and she stay to find a killer.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

T. Wood

So Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2021

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Your school days are supposed to be some of the happiest of your life but not always. For Lady Eleanor Swift leaving St Mary's School was the best thing she did, so why is she voluntarily returning as a guest? One reason would be to renew the friendship with her old house mistress and current librarian, Mrs Wadsworth, the one kindhearted teacher who, amazingly, is still there.

When Speech Day is interrupted by the sound of the school alarm the event is suddenly cancelled after the discovery of Mrs Wadsworth's body. Devastated by the news Eleanor is amazed when DCI Seldon arrives to oversee the investigation he wants her to undertake covertly, with the ever present Clifford, of course!

There are secrets to be uncovered, enquiries to be made as Eleanor finds herself taking over Mrs Wadsworth's position as head of Holly House and the welfare of the youngsters who will undoubtedly be missing the much loved librarian. As she tries to investigate alongside her new and unfamiliar duties Eleanor finds it's not just the students who are gaining an education.

This is the seventh in the wonderful Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series and for just the second time the action moves away from Henley Hall. With only Clifford, Seldon, and Gladstone from the main protagonists to assist her the storyline is a little different but no less entertaining because of it.

I have to admit that Clifford did come across a little less realistically this time. He has always had the ability to provide Eleanor with everything necessary to solve a case but here, in an unfamiliar setting I found it harder to believe he could do so as, if not more, expertly than usual.

Clifford's perfection however, did nothing to reduce the reading experience and I particularly enjoyed Eleanor's moments of introspection and better understanding of her unhappy childhood. There was also a very satisfying ending to this book with a promise of more to come and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. If you are a fan of this series you won’t be disappointed but as it can also be read as a standalone it could also introduce you to a wonderfully eccentric and enjoyable reading experience with six other stories to catch up on.

One person found this helpful

V. O'Regan

Lady Eleanor returns to her old boarding school - jolly fun whodunnit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2021

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‘I’m an old girl of St Mary’s. And even though I have no idea why they would ever have wanted me back on the premises, Miss Lonsdale invited me to be the guest of honour at today’s Speech Day.’ - Lady Eleanor Swift, ‘A Lesson in Murder’ by Verity Bright.

This is the seventh in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the early 1920s. While I don’t read a great many cosies this series has become a firm favourite. I also treated myself to its audiobook edition, narrated by Karen Cass, for an immersive reading experience.

June 1921, Lady Eleanor is back at her former boarding school, St Mary’s, to give a speech to the current students. Her favourite teacher, Mrs Wadsworth, had suggested that Eleanor talk about her round-the-world travels. Yet just as she steps up to the lectern and shuffles her notes, a bell sounds and the headmistress rushes off. A few minutes later and the announcement is made of ‘a most unfortunate incident.’ Translate: a body has been found.

Before long Lady Eleanor is utilising her sleuthing skills to discover whodunnit. She is aided by Clifford, her butler, and of course, Gladstone the bulldog. During her investigation, she also temporarily fills the position of boarding housemistress for Holly House.

Due to the exclusive nature of St. Mary’s, the police top brass have sent Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon to the Bedfordshire school to look into the matter. Both he and Eleanor are rather surprised to see each other outside of their usual environment.

Aside from an interesting case to unravel, it was wonderful to see Lady Eleanor interacting with her young charges at Holly House. She was the kind of student always getting into trouble, yet now she is in charge. Being back at St. Mary’s triggers memories of her time there and also of her mother, who had boarded in Holly House years previously. The mystery of her parents’ disappearance when Eleanor was only nine remains an intriguing ongoing subplot.

This was excellent and in my opinion the best in the series to date. It’s wonderful to see how Lady Eleanor is evolving as a character; not only adjusting to her new position as Lady of the Manor, but now experiencing herself in relation to a new generation of young women, themselves on the threshold of entering a wider world.

Overall, I can’t praise this novel and the entire series highly enough. It has the gentle quality that I seek in a cosy mystery and is historically accurate both in the events taking place in the wider world and in terms of the social etiquette of the period. Attention to these kind of details is what elevates this entertaining cosy mystery for me to a 5-star read.

Venetia

An excellent read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2021

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When Eleanor is invited back to her old school to give a speech, it’s to find her favourite teacher has been murdered. Cue a brilliant array of suspects, plenty of plot twists and turns, and a villain finally outed in a satisfying ending. The period charm of the 1920s is present in spades, this time in a school setting rather than Henley Hall, giving the reader an understanding of Eleanor’s childhood with both its good and bad memories. Her relationship with her charges, as she takes on the temporary role of house mistress, is delightful. Overall, Eleanor is a wonderfully realised character and so well-matched by the inimitable Clifford, a butler everyone should have!

One person found this helpful

Debbie Doodles

Jolly hockey sticks and murder

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2021

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I have enjoyed the Lady Swift series so far. And the latest book was delightful.
Eleanor goes back to her old school for Speech Day. Only to find her favourite teacher has been murdered.
Eleanor agrees to stay at the school to find the killer.
What follows, is a delicious combination of an Enid Blyton school story and Agatha Christie.
I loved it. Even though it has given me flashbacks to my own school days.

One person found this helpful

IBart

Every day is a school day!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2021

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It is always a treat to read of Lady Swift's exploits. Everyone who has ever been at boarding school or delighted in such tales from their childhood will love this story. Full of characters who come alive with each new event and so many red herrings and twists, definitely worth reading!! And what will happen next - can't wait to find out!!

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