MURDER IN AN IRISH CASTLE

SYNOPSIS

Christmas, 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny, rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland. Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in a castle. Packing Gladstone the bulldog’s coziest Christmas jumper, they set off to the Emerald Isle with her butler Clifford in tow.

Arriving late at night, Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the snow on the winding country lane outside the estate. The local constable is immediately suspicious and all but accuses the pair of murder. This isn’t the warm Irish welcome Eleanor imagined!

Clifford is certain he recognises the poor fellow from the funeral of Eleanor’s uncle – but what was their connection? Undeterred by the villagers’ lack of gossip on the matter, Eleanor is determined to get justice for the victim. The man’s pockets are suspiciously empty of personal effects, but closer inspection reveals an old key hidden in the heel of his boot. Could this unlock more than one mystery for Eleanor?

But when a fire breaks out at the castle on Christmas Eve, an even bigger question looms: is someone out to ensure the family line dies with Lady Swift? And will Eleanor’s first Irish Christmas be her last?

Title: Murder in an Irish castle

Author: Verity Bright

Series: Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries #12

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: November 28, 2022

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.

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

https://www.bookouture.com/verity-bright/

Buy Link

https://geni.us/B0BB76VJDHsocial

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Murder In An Irish Castle is #12 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries and a great addition to the series. The change of scenery has done Ellie and Clifford good as, in this new installment, they must face one of the most puzzling mysteries in the series so far.

It is Christmas and Lady Swift has been invited to the Irish hamlet of Derrydee, in the west of Ireland, for their Christmas party. She can’t wait to explore the castle she inherited from her uncle, so to Ireland she goes along with her trusted butler Clifford and her beloved bulldog, Gladstone. What she didn’t count on was finding a body outside her estate on her first night there. A suspicious ruling of natural death and the weird behavior of the villagers will be more than enough to put our favorite pair of amateur sleuths on the case.

It’s always great when Ellie travels around as the story offers lots of interesting facts about her destination. This time it was fantastic getting to know so many compelling details about Irish foods, traditions and celebrations. I really felt I was partying along Ellie, Clifford and the villagers.

It’s so nice to see how much Ellie has grown throughout the series. She’s fierce, humble, compassionate, unafraid and always willing to get her hands dirty in pursuit of justice (much to Clifford’s chagrin). I love how he acts as her protector but also as a father figure. He is so prim and proper that their interactions are always so much fun to read. This time I missed DI Seldon and the ladies, but there were lots of new characters to make up for their absence. There was even a new friend for Gladstone! Master Tomkins! What’s better than a book with a dog? A book with a dog and a cat acting as best friends!

The mystery touched upon Ellie’s personal life very closely and I liked how the resolution offered some long awaited insight into events from her past.

Another fun historical cozy mystery with a really lovable pair of main characters I can’t get enough of. The summary of book 13 sounds promising and I can’t wait to join Ellie and Clifford on their next adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.