Wow, what a year 2021 was! I thought that we would have a more relaxed time after our nightmarish move. But nooo, I was not able to catch a break. While I did finally get internet, the stressful college time was not over. My husband had transferred some of his GI Bill benefits to me for college. In order to qualify for the funds, though, I had to be enrolled fulltime in college, i.e., 3 college courses each 8 weeks long. I decided to sign up for 1 course early in the semester to ease into college after the move and then 2 courses in November/December. BIG MISTAKE!!! I should have skipped the winter semester because the day has only 24 hours. In November and December I needed at least 27 or more hours in my day. Who needs sleep, right? Unfortunately, this also affected my reading time. I had to squeeze in some time here and there. I needed it, though, because reading is relaxing for me. I'm skipping the spring semester to leave time for the kids, my new job (I'm a substitute teacher, mostly in a special ed classroom), and also for my favorite hobbies, reading and art (mixed media and Bible + art journaling). With that being said, here are 2 of the reviews that I wasn't able to post until now.
A Lesson in Murder
 | Description: 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.
A totally gripping and glamorous 1920s cozy! Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Rhys Bowen are in for a treat.
| About the author(s): 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. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s. https://twitter.com/BrightVerity |  Where to buy: Amazon: https://bit.ly/3kRsM5q |
My thoughts
First off, I am sooooo happy that we learned more about Lady Eleanor's mom. I cannot even imagine how happy Eleanor must have been to find out more about her mom as well. Now, on with the review: This book felt like Truly Devious (by Maureen Johnson) meets The Suicide House (by Charlie Donlea) but set in the 1920s and with an amateur sleuth who is way ahead of her time. While this was another great book in the series, it didn't meet my personal super high bar set by Murder at the Fair by Verity Bright. You can find my review of the book here. Murder at the Fair is still my all-time favorite in the series. However, this book is still a fantastic addition to the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. I loved adding more pieces to the puzzle that is Eleanor's life. This time, we dove into her ancestry (with her mom) and her time as a student. It did not surprise me one bit that the girls at the school were immediately drawn to Eleanor. She is simply a young woman with great ambitions, great stories to tell, and feminist traits. Once again, this helps her in her amateur sleuthing since she needs wits--which she possesses--as well as help which she gets from the students. I have to say that my guess of who was behind those heinous crimes was wrong. I love that about Verity Bright's books. You always find some twists and turns. Your "grey cells" (as Hercule Poirot calls them) have to work hard to even guess who the culprit is early on. I love it when I can do some sleuthing all the way to the end with the sleuth or detective without the villain being obvious from the very beginning.
Murder 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. Where to buy: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IHS1kK |
My thoughts
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!! Finally more of Lady Eleanor and Seldon's prickling relationship--gee, I love these two!!!! The setting of this 8th book in the series is also perfect: a beautiful castle in Scotland and during the Christmas holidays no less, what better place and time for a bit of amateur sleuthing, right? This book ranks right up there with Murder at the Fair. I didn't want this book to end! But let's paddle back and dive in a bit deeper. This book had a lot going on in addition to the main story. Lady Eleanor doesn't travel to Scotland alone. When she finds out that the Baroness' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas, she takes her own staff with her to ensure that Christmas will be enjoyable. That, of course, includes her most loyal butler (and dare I say friend) Clifford. And let's not forget Eleanor's bulldog Gladstone. No Lady Swift murder mystery would be complete without him. At first, it seems that the evening will be quite boring, but when the hosts and guests decide to play a game, things get crazy. One of the guests, the American Eugene Randall ends up dead with a dirk sticking out of his back. Eleanor is not the only one in the castle who wants answers. When she starts digging deeper, sticking her nose in things that make the killer nervous, he/she strikes again! Can Eleanor solve this mystery? Well, you will have to read the book to find out, but I can tell you one thing: if you think you have it figured out, you are most likely wrong! What I loved about this book is not only that Eleanor's "maybe or maybe, we know but they don't know boyfriend" plays a bigger role in unmasking the killer and we see more of his interaction with Eleanor but also that the authors were able to bring a paranormal/legend element to the story. It made the plot even more interesting! Yet another great book added to this already fantastic series!
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