Today I am delighted to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour Blog Tour for the latest in The Lady Eleanor Swift series by husband and wife team, Verity Bright. I have been with this series since Book Two and just love each and every instalment. They put the ‘cosy’ into cosy crime with the sumptuous settings, food and friendships that have developed over the years, but more than that, they help me travel back in time to the roaring twenties. I feel very much at home there now as I journey alongside Eleanor, Clifford, Hugh and the rest of the Byron Detective Agency. These stories are gentle, humorous and full of interesting tit bits of historical information. If you are a regular reader of my little blog, then it will come as no surprise that I love a good murder mystery. Agatha Christie is one of my favourite authors. I wouldn’t describe her as ‘cosy crime’ exactly but perhaps ‘domestic’ crimes would fit her stories. Money, passion or jealousy being the general motives but of course there is always more to it than that. I enjoy watching the mysteries unfold and trying to find the clues amongst the red herrings.

Now, The Lady Swift Mysteries don’t have quite the same darkness that a Christie novel has. There is a great deal of kindness in them. Eleanor herself, always feels an emotional connection with the victim and is determined, no matter how little she actually knew them – indeed they are often complete strangers – to make sure that justice is served. Eleanor herself is surrounded my love and good fortune and she doesn’t take that for granted for one minute. She is warm, funny and eager to do the right thing (or at times, whatever it takes) to find the culprit. It is this, alongside the relationships she forges along the way that take away the coldness of the murder. I never feel trauma when reading these stories but they can be moving as there is a tenderness to them too. I think that is one of the things I love most about this series. Returning to it feels like going to stay with a good friend. It is comforting. I always know the killer will be found and that there will be a layer of joy throughout the story. I feel safe reading these books. The festive editions are especially delightful and I love curling up with them. If you too enjoy some light reading and escapism to add a little light in a dark world, then I would recommend this series.

‘Rest in peace, unmet friend. May you be forever among people who love you.’

Murder on a Frosty Night by Verity Bright.

About the book

Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up!

Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job.

After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted!

There is very little festive goodwill to go around, as it seems half the village had a grudge against the rich man. Was it one of the Frisham sisters, owners of the tavern and rumoured to be in a love triangle with Unwin? Or perhaps his maid, who never had a nice thing to say about him?

When another body is found in the ruins of the castle overlooking the town, Eleanor is baffled. Clearly there’s more to this nightmare before Christmas than the gang first thought…

A totally unputdownable historical murder mystery set in an English village at Christmas, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles!

About 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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Thank you for visiting Tales Before Bedtime today. I do hope you’ll pop back again soon.