Murder in Mayfair by Verity Bright Book Review

Publication Date: 27 June 2024
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Print, e-book and audio
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #18
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy Mystery

Book Description

Tea and cake at The Ritz, a stolen pearl necklace and a missing dead body… Lady Swift is back on the case!

Lady Eleanor Swift has been eagerly awaiting her trip in a hot air balloon to take in London’s amazing sights. But what she witnesses instead is a murder! From way up high she sees a man in a dark coat shoot another man dead, but by the time she arrives back on the ground, Eleanor can find no trace of the body. Just the broken piece of a pearl necklace clasp, trodden into the dirt.

Back at The Ritz hotel, over afternoon tea, Eleanor’s old friend Lady Philomena Chadwick confides in her about a scandalous theft. Lady Chadwick is certain someone on her staff has stolen her priceless pink pearl necklace. Eleanor is immediately suspicious when the description matches the jewellery she spotted at the crime scene.

Much to her butler Clifford’s amusement, Eleanor goes undercover as a governess in the Chadwick’s sparkling Mayfair mansion. As she sets about questioning the disgruntled staff, she uncovers a treasure trove of gossip. But how do a secret love affair, a flirty footman with a fondness for spying, and a housemaid hiding a nightly visitor connect to the murder?

And when Eleanor’s beau, Detective Hugh Seldon, is brought in to investigate a string of further robberies in Park Lane, Eleanor is certain that Chadwick House is hiding the unlikeliest gang of jewel thieves below stairs…

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but will this necklace get Eleanor killed before she uncovers the hidden gem she needs to crack the case?

Murder in Mayfair is a totally gripping and twisty Golden Age whodunnit set in London, perfect for fans of T.E. Kinsey, Agatha Christie and Catherine Coles!

My Thoughts

Lady Eleanor Swift (Ellie) treats her indoor staff (including pets) to a day out at the British Empire Exhibition. While in a hot air balloon drifting over one of the compounds, Ellie sees a man shot, but by the time she makes her dramatic descent from the balloon, there is no evidence of a body or anything to suggest a crime has been committed. Ellie's fiancé, Detective Inspector Hugh Seldon, is on the scene as head of security for the exhibition and although he and Clifford, Ellie's butler, have doubts, they do not dismiss Ellie's claims entirely.

True to form, Ellie cannot let matters rest and decides to investigate, once again involving Clifford and Hugh. Their subsequent visits to the compound, after having been warned to stay away, cause trouble for Hugh, who faces disciplinary action as a result.

Circumstances take an odd turn for Ellie when she is approached by Lady Chadwick, a woman she hardly knows, and pressured to investigate a stolen necklace. Lady Chadwick believes one of her staff is the culprit. With misgivings, Ellie moves into Chadwick House and assumes the role of governess to the Chadwick children, enlivening their lessons and making two new friends. On the other hand, garnering information from the staff is much harder than expected as, unlike her own household, the Chadwick one is not very friendly and treat her with suspicion.

Despairing that she will never solve the case after uncovering a number of lies, a crucial piece of evidence surfaces linking the missing necklace to the restricted compound. The race is then on to unmask a murderer, avoid a scandal, prevent another crime and save Hugh's career.

This is another fun-filled instalment of this delightful series. It opens with a dramatic hot air balloon flight and ends with an equally hair-raising confrontation. The bits in between are filled with historical facts (some provided by Clifford), entertaining banter, some lovely moments between Ellie and Hugh, the presence of the cheery and irrepressible female staff of Henley Hall, clandestine meetings in Whitehall and the introduction of a new character, who has already proved to be a great source of entertainment.

Roll on Book #19!

Meet 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.

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Where to Purchase

Amazon

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