I love the Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries, and Murder in Mayfair was no exception.

This time, Eleanor is trying to solve a murder and a burglary at the same time. I really enjoyed being along for the ride as she frantically tries to find the truth.

Eleanor is a favourite character, I love her forthrightness and the way she never gives up. She’s also kind and compassionate. I loved the way that she, Clifford, and Hugh worked together on this case.

The mysteries themselves were intriguing, and I enjoyed the way finding out new facts gradually revealed what had actually happened. And I was still surprised at the reveal!

As always, I enjoyed the historical notes at the end.

Overall, this was another excellent mystery from a favourite author.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Another triumphant outing for Lady Eleanor Swift, her detective fiancé and her happy band of staff, who are on this outing are in Mayfair posing as servants, attempting to solve a murder and robbery, witnessed by Lady Eleanor as she was in a hot air balloon.

Fabulous writing, witty and entertaining with the characters shining out from the pages. From our heroine all the way to her pet companions, the story encompasses beautiful characterisations and an entertaining plot.

Looking forward to the next escapade.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Eleanor Swift is in London to view the British Empire Exhibition, and hopefully get some time with her fiancé DCI Sheldon. While on a hot air balloon ride over the exhibit, she witnesses a murder and is asked to come to the aid of an acquaintance and her missing necklace. Are they connected? Ellie and her devoted butler Clifford will try to get to the bottom of these events.

This is the 18th book of this series, and it is my favorite! It was so very good. I kept turning pages and being sucked into the story. It has so many twists and turns and will make you not want to put it down. It was so nice to get a little more history of Clifford and Ellie's Uncle, see Hugh be more emotional, have a mystery character and an absolute stellar mystery. I always enjoy the ladies of the household staff; they always add comic relief and also was pleased to see Gladstone and Tomkins make an appearance and get into their normal canine/feline mischief.

This is one series that just seems to get better and better with each installment. I can't wait for the next adventure of Lady Swift!

Thank you NetGalley and Bo0kouture for the chance to read this book.

This is a cosy crime historical story and once I had read the first few chapters, I realised it was not my vibe.

Riding in a hot air balloon, Lady Eleanor Swift witnesses a murder on the ground below. But when she returns to the scene, the body is gone. Meanwhile, her friend Lady Philomena Chadwick’s priceless pearl necklace is stolen. Eleanor goes undercover as a governess at Chadwick House to investigate, uncovering a web of secrets, a hidden love affair, and a gang of jewel thieves. Can Eleanor find the missing body and the stolen necklace before it’s too late?

This historical mystery is fun, fast-paced, and clever. The characters are likeable and unique. This is the first book I’ve read in the series, and I didn’t have any trouble following the story.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Whilst visiting the new exhibition in London, Lady Swift is once again involved in a murder that she has witnessed from a run away hot air balloon, but when she is finally able to investigate, there is no body to be found!

Simultaneously, Lady Swift bumps into and old friend Lady Chadwick, who asks for her help to find her stolen pearls joining her household as governess for her children as a cover.

Are the staff involved in the theft? Are these events somehow connected?

Once again Lady Swift, Clifford and Detective Hugh Seldon join forces to find out the truth!

Another wonderful read in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series!

Lady Eleanor Swift is at Empire Exposition with 56 colonies, dominions and protectorites of Great Britain. She sees Lady Philomena Chadwick who asks her to have tea and help her find a stolen necklace. After visiting several pavillions, Ellie goes up in a balloon. When the balloon is having trouble landing, Ellie volunteers to go down a rope. While descending, she sees an unfinished area in which it appears one man is shooting another. By the time she is on the ground, there is nothing to see in the area and she is told to leave.

At tea with Lady Chadwick, Ellie agrees to go under cover as the new governess. The two children find Ellie much more fun than their previous governess. The Gold Coast exhibit has an 11 year old boy Kofi, who appears to be disciplined a little too much by the man running it, and Clifford manages to get him away (and later agrees to adopt him). Meanwhile Ellie doesn't make much headway finding the necklace, although she does see a lot of strange activities and finds out Lady Chadwick's brother is always out of money and drunk.

This is a fun historical British mystery with an untraditional Lady. I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC so I could read the book before publication.

I love this series I can't believe we are at number 18 already. This is another fun mystery and one of the best in the series I feel. The setting is at the British Empire Exhibition which is described in such details you could almost be there. Also there are multiple twisty mysteries with the murder Lady Eleanor witnesses being the first then the missing necklace she is asked to look into and finally the thefts from the Exhibition she helps Hugh with. Lots of action and adventure as usual making this a favourite of the series. Highly recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow book 18 in this amazing series…..
Loved this one, can’t get enough roll on book 19. A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book

This story was so good! I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was there in 1920s London at the Exposition taking in the sights, traveling in a hot air balloon and learning about how the government wanted the British Empire to be portrayed vs. how it actually was. I studied these human zoos for a graduate school paper and this book doesn't even cover half of how demeaning and horrific these exhibitions actually were. I liked learning about the new household inventions that would make life easier for the ladies downstairs. That was a lot of fun but for some readers, it may be too much info dump. I liked how it was worked into the story though and not just a list of new inventions. The mysteries were both excellent. I figured out some of the mystery of the necklace but not much. There was a late twist to the plot I didn't see coming. I feel the ending veered off into fantasy territory a little too much for me. While I love some of the stories that may have inspired this one, the ending didn't fit the beginning.

Ellie is such a great character. She's sweet, loyal, caring and holds very modern views on people from other nations. She's great with kids and her education plan is amazing and the way school SHOULD be taught. However, Ellie is also impetuous and heedless. She goes haring off without thinking and sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong. The murder was none of her business after Hugh explained it was government business. The mystery of the missing necklace should have been easy for Ellie but it ended up being fairly complicated. I appreciate how she went to Clifford and Hugh with her concerns and her clues and they pieced the mystery together and came up with a plan together. That made a nice change from Ellie going off alone with Clifford at her back. The last adventure in Venice was pretty hair raising so I think she learned her lesson. We learn a bit more about Uncle Byron and Clifford's past. Just a hint at something that happened, a hint of an inside joke and a new ally who knew Uncle Byron and Clifford back in the day. Uncle Byron's death affected a lot of people but Ellie seems to be doing a great job following in his footsteps.

Clifford is clever and devious as usual. He's also Ellie's governess and bodyguard and always a true friend. He never fails to surprise me with what he knows and who he knows. He's overcome a lot and apparently owes Uncle Byron his loyalties even after death. Hugh is much improved. He's still overworked but that's not his fault. The Metropolitan Police force is understaffed and Hugh doesn't have the resources to investigate every crime that comes his way. At first it seems like he's just another government puppet, doing what he can to please his superiors but soon he realizes what is important. It's what draws him to Ellie. They both have huge hearts and want to see justice done. Hugh groans about Ellie's impetuousness but he trusts her and listens when she tells him things. They're on the way to becoming great partners. I did not appreciate Hugh's "great man!" comment. That was out of character for a policeman. As always Gladstone and Tompkins are on hand to charm and lighten the mood. They're oh so adorable! How can anyone not smile at their antics?

Lady Chadwick is a mere acquaintance of Ellie's. Not even that as they only met once at a charity luncheon. Lady Chadwick has heard of Ellie's unconventionality and how she's solved a couple of crimes. Lady Chadwick is not hoity-toity but rather distracted and flighty. She never quite comes out and states what she wants or means. She's evasive in her answers and may even be flat out lying. I think she's lying big time. Reading between the lines, I think her necklace got lost when she went up to her room with her lover and he took the necklace off and put it down somewhere. I also think her husband wants it reevaluated not for insurance purposes but to sell. They seem to be short of funds. He can't sell it if it's already fake and I suspect it is OR Lady Chadwick is about to pawn it or have it faked. She states her husband treats her like a child. She isn't allowed any independence. She fears the butler is spying on her on Sir Reginald Chadwick's behalf and she feels intense pressure to look a certain way and be a certain way for her husband. She ignores her children except to be tough on them when she does notice them. At least at first. Her husband sounds like a monster! Lady Chadwick describes his temper, being fearful of him, how controlling he is. Yikes lady! It's the 1920s. Is abuse still legal? I feel sorry for her because she can't really divorce him. She has no money and nowhere to go. Yet she isn't entirely honest with Ellie and may be hiding things even when a second murder occurs.

The children are charming. They're close in age and almost like twins. Octavia is almost 8 and she's very sweet. Herbert, at 7, is still a little boy trying to be a man. I'm not sure why he's not in school yet but there's a hint that he is struggling with multiplication so perhaps home schooling works better for him - if they can keep a governess. No one really knows why the previous governess left.

Sir Reginald Chadwick is confusing. When he shows up in the story, Ellie sees him as cold and is scared of him at first but when the second murder happens in his home, he doesn't seem guilty. He seems surprised and confused, even willing to call the police. I don't get the impression he killed the second person. He may just be a bully. He's a government man so he may have secrets and be a good actor. He's a complicated person.

The Chadwick servants are pretty awful. The butler, MISTER Withers acts all high in the instep. His formality is worse than Clifford's, yet, he snoops, spies and eavesdrops. Is he spying on Lady Chadwick for Sir Reginald, or is he up to no good? He's up to something I'd say, maybe both for Sir Reginald and for himself. Is he an accomplice in the rash of thefts in the neighborhood lately? What if he stole Lady Chadwick's necklace? Lady C's maid, Grace, was in the room when Lady C. locked the necklace in the drawer. Servants aren't dumb. I doubt she stole the necklace. It would not only be the end of her career, it would be the end of her life! Yet Ellie notes signs Grace has had a really hard life and is more careworn than a young woman her age should be. Perhaps she did steal the necklace because she was desperate. Mrs. Hawkins, the housekeeper, rules the servants with an iron fist. She is not friendly, warm or welcoming to Ellie or anyone else. She does seem to be fond of Withers. Cut from the same cloth, I expect. She may be a little mentally unstable and some signs point to her possibly having a darker side. (Cue subplot borrowed from Downton Abbey.)

Tateham, the footman, is cheeky and tries to flirt with Ellie. He's also flirting with a maid so I don't find him trustworthy. He hasn't been there very long yet he expects to advance in his career quickly. He may have dirt on Withers and plans to oust the butler so he can have the position. It doesn't quite work that way now does it? He has to work long and hard and earn the Chadwicks' trust first. He seems an impatient young man. He says he needs money quickly so possibly he's in trouble of some sort. I don't think he's ever going to make butler!

The stereotypes of the female servants bothered me. Of course the cook, Mrs. Rudge, is short and puddingish with round cheeks. Hannah, the head housemaid, has curves and acts saucy. She's self-aware and probably would sleep her way to the top if she had the opportunity. Alice, the other maid, has a sweet, round face to go with her sweet personality and big heart. She also has a "dumping-shaped" body so Verity Bright be prepared for accusations of fat shaming and some negative reviews. Alice doesn't sound educated at all and is probably quite young. She has a lot of duties as assigned and no one has any empathy for her situation. I like her a lot and I think Ellie likes her but Alice reveals something to Ellie that causes Ellie to make a snap judgment and act impetuously. She could have gotten Alice into a lot of trouble and gotten herself, Clifford and Hugh killed.

John Clemthorpe, the murder victim, didn't deserve to be murdered. He deserved another fate for sure but I don't want to spoil the plot by saying much. He was a government employee in the same department as Chadwick. The body disappeared and the government is hushing up the scandal. Is Clemthorpe's murder a government conspiracy? Was he a victim of political intrigue? Ellie runs afoul of a man in colorful robes early on at the fair. He also got Hugh into trouble with the ambassador and was chasing a child menacingly. The man is spotted lurking at the fair around the closed pavilion where Clemthorpe was shot. Is this man involved in some way? He's a nasty sort I wouldn't want to cross. I'm sure he's involved in the murder somehow. YET I do have some sympathy for him. The hard-nosed Englishman is also a villain. What is he up to and what does he want with Lady Chadwick? There's something shady going on in the Chadwick household and also at the closed pavilion at the Exhibition. All these men must be involved in something, somehow that links the two crimes.

One last new character late in the book is Kofi Oppong, a boy from the Gold Coast. He is educated and longs to further his education so he can help his people. Kofi is an orphan placed in the care of a guardian who doesn't care about Kofi and apprenticed the boy to a bad man. Kofi's story reminds me of David's in the Amelia Peabody series. Kofi takes the place of the urchins Ellie abandoned after the first book! He's funny and quite a charming little lad. Kofi proves Clifford loves children and is great with them. Ellie knew that but Clifford tries to pretend he's a stern, stuffy old man.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can't wait to see what Ellie and Co. get up to next. Will she and Hugh ever walk down the aisle?

Verity Bright’s Murder in Mayfair is the eighteenth book in her Lady Eleanor Swift series. The 1924 British Empire Exhibition is in full swing at Wembley and Ellie takes a balloon ride above it, from which she sees a man being shot. However, as always in such books, the body has disappeared by the time she returns to the scene. Another plot strand involves Ellie joining an upper-class household as governess in order to investigate the theft of a necklace.

I always enjoy Verity Bright’s novels with the witty banter between Ellie and her butler, Clifford and the rustic chorus of her female staff. Ellie also rescues a young Ghanian lad, Kofi, from his horrible guardian. It’s funny and heartwarming to watch Kofi emulating Clifford’s solemnity. However, I admit to getting confused with this one. Ellie’s acquaintance, Lady Chadwick, tells Ellie that her necklace has been stolen and persuades Ellie to pose as a temporary governess in the Chadwick household and find out which member of staff took it. The few episodes where Ellie really does tutor the children are delightful. However, Lady Chadwick fails to tell Ellie the whole truth. That’s fine, it’s essential to the plot and is quite believable; but, by the time we got to the denouement, I was quite bewildered as who was supposed to have done what.

There is one howler in the review copy that I do hope is remedied for the final published version. Ellie and team hop on a boat at Westminster Pier and are told they need to visit Rotten Row, so they take the boat to St Katherine’s Dock. However, the Rotten Row that we all know is (and always has been) a track along which horses are exercised in Hyde Park, due west of Westminster Pier; and St Katherine’s Dock is well to the east. While the author may claim they have discovered a long-gone street in the East End, also called Rotten Row, I’m afraid everyone will think of the Hyde Park bridleway and think, “Well, that’s wrong!”. The author really, really, needs to use a different street name.

On the whole, this is another highly enjoyable whodunnit. There is comment upon the social mores of the time, but it’s not done in a lecturing manner. As always, there is a section at the end, explaining the historic context of various aspects, such as the Never-Stop Railway at the Empire Exhibition. I’d never heard of this before, but have now spent several minutes watching 100-year old film clips on Youtube. Thank you, Verity Bright, for the gentle history lesson – I always learn something from your books, as well as enjoying the mystery!

#MurderinMayfair #NetGalley

The eighteenth book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and I thought it was one of the best of them all.

The scene is set in London where Ellie, Clifford and the ladies are visiting the British Empire Exhibition to see all the sights of the colonial world. Ellie is lucky enough to go up in a hot air balloon from where she witnesses a murder below. Unfortunately there is no physical evidence of anything having taken place at all but Clifford and Hugh (who just happens to be working there) stand by her word and the investigation begins.

I always enjoy these books but this one had everything. The historical aspect was fascinating and sent me off to Google to find out more about the Exhibition. All of the characters were there right down to Gladstone and Tomkins. An interesting new character was added to the team. The mystery was intriguing. Ellie was in top form. Hugh got really sentimental. All that and an exciting and dangerous finale. Loved it!

If you are a fan of cozy, romantic period mysteries, this series is for you.
It is filled with adventure, humor and light romance.
Plus, perky pets.
And, an intrepid heroine.
What more could you desire on a warm summer day?

London is abuzz with excitement as the British Empire Exhibition opens in Wembley in the Spring of 1924. Lady Eleanor Swift, her butler, Clifford, and the four ladies who make up her beloved staff are soon enjoying exhibits from all across the globe. Having always been an intrepid traveller, Eleanor is very keen to take a trip aboard a tethered hot air balloon enabling her to see everything from above including, to her horror, a murder!

After being waylaid by a recent acquaintance, Eleanor agrees to go undercover in Mayfair as governess to two young children while looking for the person responsible for the theft of a priceless pearl necklace. Desperate to also discover the killer’s identity she, Clifford, and her fiance, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, find themselves working tirelessly to capture the killer, but danger is never far away and they need to identify those responsible before its too late for all of them.

Having been a little disappointed in the previous book in such a wonderful series I was a tad anxious as I began this, but needn't have been; I loved every word. The exhibition was described in such a way that it was easy to picture Eleanor and her staff's excitement and the dangers of the investigations which were quite complicated but never muddled. As is usual with this series, it was a pleasure to read.

I received an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. I love reading about Lady Eleanor Swift, her staff, and their adventures. Long may they continue. Recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "Murder in Mayfair" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 18th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and it's just as exciting as the first book was. The stories and characters have been developing through the series and the reader feels like they are friends or family as we peek in on their lives through the various adventures they have.

Ellie and Clifford are visiting the British Empire Exhibition in London. Lady Chadwick rushes over to great Ellie but then is almost reluctant to speak to her.

Though they play small roles in this story Mrs. Butter - the housekeeper, Mrs. Trotman - the cook and the maids Polly and Lizzie also visit the Exhibition. As they return to Henley Hall, Clifford and Ellie stay on to search for Lady Chadwick's stolen pearl necklace before her husband finds out it's missing. She insists that a member of her staff stole it and wants Ellie to arrive at Chadwick House as the new governess.

When Ellie decides to take look at a hot air balloon, what could go wrong? Rampaging elephants send the balloon on an unscheduled flight and Ellies sees someone get shot...when she finally gets out of the balloon (which was absolutely brilliant), there is no body to be found.

Chief Inspector Seldon is the head of security for the Empire Exhibition and is also Ellie's fiancé. He can't find a body, there is no one in the hospitals who had been wounded, no one in the morgue. No one believes what she saw, even when they find a bullet.

Mr. Withers the butler treats Ellie with contempt. The staff are constantly bickering and Withers spends his time informing Lord Chadwick when his wife leaves the house late at night when he isn't around.

We learn that the dead man was John Clemthorpe but why is there a cover-up? Who shot him and why? Then there is another body, that they were trying ingeniously to hide in the dumbwaiter.

The story of when the necklace was actually stolen gets more and more confusing - was it stolen during Lady Chadwick's latest soiree or when Withers was killed? The pieces of the puzzle all come together in the end. Ellie meets the mysterious Lord X who owes a favour to her late uncle and provides the final pieces for Ellie and the others to solve this complex mystery.

Ellie promises more ladylike behaviour but how long will that last? Ellie is perfect just the way she is.

4.5 rounded to 5 star.

Lady Eleanor Swift strikes again! These books always have a way of transporting me to another world and I always enjoy the banter between the characters. It was strange not to have Clifford with Lady Swift most of the time, and I did miss Gladstone and Tomkins, but the plot was nonetheless intriguing and had me gripped.
I am also glad Lady Siwft didn't land in a dangerous predicament as she tends to do, it was a welcoming change to the story.
Addicting plot, amazing characters and mouth-watering food combinations that made me reach for snacks most of the time.

*Thank you to Bookotoure and NetGalley for sending me an ARC for my honest review*

Another fun cozy mystery but the series. When Lady Eleanor is attending a fair showing countries around the world that England used to own, she takes a balloon ride over the exhibit and sees a murder. With her trusty butler and her hunky police detective she sets out to solve the murder. When a fellow acquaintance asks for help she takes on the disguise of a nanny to help find a missing necklace. Lots of twists and turns and all are connected. Good story, and one I highly recommend.