SYNOPSIS
Spring, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, explorer extraordinaire and accidental sleuth, hasn’t had a vacation since she arrived in England a year ago. Being an amateur detective can be a rather tiring business and she is determined to escape any more murder and mysteries. So she books into the Grand Hotel in the fashionable resort of Brighton for some fresh air, fish and chips and, of course, a dip in the ocean.
Eleanor is enjoying her view of the waves and trying to find her bathing suit when calamity strikes: a guest has been found dead at her beautiful hotel. The distraught manager, who can’t afford a scandal, asks Eleanor to solve the case as swiftly as possible. Thank goodness she has her partner in crime – Gladstone the bulldog – to help her sniff out the dastardly culprit.
But when Eleanor enters the dead man’s room, she receives a shock big enough to make her forget even the finest ice cream sundae. The body is that of her husband, who supposedly died six years ago on the other side of the world. Has he been alive all these years? Why does he have a copy of their wedding photograph with a cryptic message written on the back? If Eleanor can keep herself safe long enough to find her husband’s killer, she might discover that everything is not quite as it seems beside the seaside…
Eleanor is enjoying her view of the waves and trying to find her bathing suit when calamity strikes: a guest has been found dead at her beautiful hotel. The distraught manager, who can’t afford a scandal, asks Eleanor to solve the case as swiftly as possible. Thank goodness she has her partner in crime – Gladstone the bulldog – to help her sniff out the dastardly culprit.
But when Eleanor enters the dead man’s room, she receives a shock big enough to make her forget even the finest ice cream sundae. The body is that of her husband, who supposedly died six years ago on the other side of the world. Has he been alive all these years? Why does he have a copy of their wedding photograph with a cryptic message written on the back? If Eleanor can keep herself safe long enough to find her husband’s killer, she might discover that everything is not quite as it seems beside the seaside…
Title: Mystery by the sea
Author: Verity Bright
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #5
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication date: March 11, 2021
REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lady Swift's 30th birthday deserves a celebration so she takes her whole household off to Brighton to enjoy some well deserved vacation after the events that took place during Christmas at Henley Hall. But as soon as she enters The Grand Hotel she encounters a body being removed by the police and to her surprise, the dead guy is not a stranger.
As per usual this book was pure and fun escapism. Once again the 1920s are perfectly portrayed. The change of scenery was really nice and all the talk and descriptions of Brighton's landmarks made me wanna go visit (although I had to settle for googling them). The historical context and information provided made the cozy mystery plot even more interesting.
The cuteness level of all the characters just keeps growing and growing. Ellie and Clifford are a fantastic duo of amateur sleuths; it was so much fun reading about the household women having the time of their lives (much to Clifford's chagrin), and I'm so curious to see how this new relationship with Inspector Seldon develops.
Suspects were aplenty and this time the culprit didn't even cross my mind once. The whole story had a locked room mystery feel that I loved.
Fun historical cozy mystery with doses of humour and a set of characters you'll love from the start.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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