Susan Bell is the narrator, her father is the Dean of Westminster Abbey. He worries about his daughter, his stipend is not great, but her late mother has left her money, she will have a modest income to live upon, but he would prefer her to marry her cousin Lindley, he is rich and has an estate in Leicestershire, and Susan is 23 years old, and in 1774, that qualifies her as old enough to be considered “ left on the shelf.”
Susan is content to have no great expectations in life, she loves living in the environs of the great Abbey. All is peaceful and quiet, until The Society of Antiquities arrive with a letter from The King, giving them permission to open the tomb of King Edward the first, AKA The Hammer of the Scots, so they can check the tomb, the embalming process and to check if the original Crown Jewels are hidden there.
The coffin is opened, the body partially examined, then a shout of panic distracts everyone as they run to safety.
The next day, a different, more recent addition is discovered in the tomb and the original occupant has vanished.
What a cracking start to a detective story! A wonderfully researched piece of historical facts combined with fictional events. There are numerous clues for the budding armchair sleuths, and we are bewildered by strange scientific experiments, thieves, traitors, murders, and all mankind is involved.
The expectations placed upon females at that time are now considered extremely dull and condescending, but Susan is a strong lead character, being well educated, practical and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
I have never been to Westminster Abbey, but I was so amazed by the descriptions of the Chapels and the Tombstones, that I fully intend to attempt a trip next year. I learnt so much from this wryly amusing and slightly acerbic novel, lighthearted and serious all in one.
A five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Serpent’s Tail, Viper, Profile Books for my advance review copy, freely given in exchange for my honest opinions. I will leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Lived up to everything it promised: a witty, interesting heroine who Jane Austen would have been proud of, paired with an exciting and brain-scratching mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie. I can't wait to buy a physical copy!

Good to realise that this is partly based around real life events. Not sure it works that well as a novel for me, there is just a disconnect with the whole thing. The characters are reasonably well drawn but the narrative has little flow and is odd. I won't read another by this author but the historical period is interesting.

This follows the story of the Dean of Westminster Abbey and his daughter Susan who are there when one of the old King's tombs is dug up and exhumed. Events that follow embroil them in a murder mystery and grave robbing plot. I found the pacing of the book to be very slow and not much actually happened for most of the story. However the characters were endearing in their own ways and that is what kept me reading. I liked reading about the Abbey but the setting did get a bit repetitive as nothing really happens outside of this world.

This great novel is published in mid October as Halloween beckons and there are some ghostly goings-on within the walls of the majestic Westminster Abbey in the 18th century. In fact his Majesty King George III ('what, what') enjoys the unravelling travails of Dean Bell and his clergy in what was known as his own Royal Peculiar (his own local church) at the time of this tale in 1774.
It was interesting to discovery that in reality the tomb of King Edward I was opened and that Antiquarians were desperate to discover the mummified royal body.. But the author has fictionalised the truth with a mystery murder and the theft of golden royal sceptre and crown.
The characters are brilliant - all names very Dickensian - eg Mr Suckling, Robert Delingpole and the parrot Cuthbert is great fun.
The Dean's daughter Susan is our narrator and within the plot the author of the tale - as NASUS BELL! She is both inquisitive and likeable as well as of the time suffering the attentions of the Deanery who view her spinster status with gossip.
The Abbey is a character in itself and wonderfully described with its soaring architecture. I love a novel about a magnificent religious building! But there is also discussion of science (the new electricity) magic lanterns and with murder- tricks and exorcisms as religion clashes with new ideas.
The 'ragged regiment' of bodies stored in such places - especially at Westminster Abbey is still there for us to see still at the heart of English history. Restoring and recording those statues added to the whole novel - Blake is based on William Blake the poet/artist and is a lovely character but the plot takes many a turn with red herrings until the dramatic reveal of the culprit (s).
Loved it as a read. Leonora has produced another historical gem here and I'm sure readers will delight in entering those lofty heavenly walls of Westminster.

Unusual and quirky 'Whodunnit'. Centred in Westminster Abbey 1774 our Narrator, Susan Bell the 23 year old unmarried daughter of the Dean is compiling her journal with a view to publishing it under a male pseudonym. She writes while quietly observing all that goes on within her enclosed world of the Abbey, her presence unseen and unnoted most of the time.
An antiquarian society gets permission from the King George IV himself to exhume Edward 'Longshanks'' tomb with a view to seeing if he was indeed mummified and discover which if any, Crown jewels he is buried with; much to the Deans discomfort. Will they find Edward the Confessor's crown and sceptre there, having been hidden from Cromwell? But then there's an accident. A body is discovered, and worse!
The King decides the Dean is to furnish the explanation! Luckily it becomes a joint effort and the sources they have to draw on are basic and few and far between, but it is enchanting how they put things together.
There's lots of interesting locations, tombs, people (and a wonderful parrot), chapels, balconies, monks' resting paces and architectural details and it is superbly evocative of the huge, dark Abbey of the 18th Century. Including the 'Ragged Regiment' of past royalty. Also some wonderful early scientific experiments and equipment demonstrated and explained by Susan's cousin Lindley, just returned from Europe and his Grand Tour.
My reason for deducting a star is that in places it is incredibly 'wordy' - mainly due to the 'chatty' nature of Susan's journal which at times was quite hard going. (Plus the king saying 'What, what' after EVERYTHING was so irritating). But overall a fun, unusual read which definitely brought the historical Abbey to life. I enjoyed the author's notes at the end, too.

Loosely based on the true event of the opening of Edward Longshank’s tomb in Westminster Abbey in the late 1700s, this book follows Susan Bell, the Dean’s daughter, telling about her life in the Abbey: “What with the vergers and the clergymen, the sweepers and the gardeners – along with the abbey watchman, the searcher of the sanctuary and the army of workmen who keep the ancient fabric from falling on our heads – Father has the care of what amounts to a large and thriving village.”
The vast cast of characters can sometimes become confusing, but a gentle humour and mild suspense is prevailing and the reader will learn a lot about the many cogs needed to make the abbey’s days run smoothly.
Throw in a mysterious death, a disappearing mummy and the squabbling between the various authorities responsible for the abbey, this is an engaging story with a naïve charm, reminiscent of the old TV series “All Gas and Gaiters”.

There is a good cast of characters which provides possible suspects and motives and there is humour.. The story is atmospheric and has a few unexpected moments but doesn’t fully keep the reader’s attention.
This is a historical novel set in 1774 and a fictionalised version of some events which did take place at Westminster Abbey. The Bells refer to Susan Bell and her father the Dean of Westminster. She is a young woman with a sense of humour whose life exists mainly in the confines of the Abbey but it becomes more exciting for her upon the arrival of her cousin Lindley , a would-be scientist and possible marriage prospect, and members of the Society of Antiquaries. The Antiquaries wish to open the tomb of Edward I to inspect the contents but this leads to murder.

I would recommend this as a cosy historical crime and would like to thank the publishers for the ARC.

This is a historical novel set in 1774 and a fictionalised version of some events which did take place at Westminster Abbey. The Bells refer to Susan Bell and her father the Dean ofWestminster. She is a young woman with a sense of humour whose life exists mainly in the confines of the Abbey but it becomes more exciting for her upon the arrival of her cousin Lindley , a would-be scientist and possible marriage prospect, and members of the Society of Antiquaries. The Antiquaries wish to open the tomb of Edward I to inspect the contents but this leads to murder.

There is a good cast of characters which provides possible suspects and motives and there is humour in Susan’s asides and Cuthbert the talking parrot. The story is atmospheric and has a few unexpected moments but doesn’t fully keep the reader’s attention. The plot is somewhat convoluted and relies on Susan as an amateur sleuth remembering and reminding the reader of things which may be clues as to what happened. The dénouement is such a lengthy explanation of the events that have taken place that it becomes uninteresting.

I would recommend this as a cosy historical crime and would like to thank the publishers for the ARC.

I really enjoyed "The Bells of Westminster" by Leonora Nattrass which is her take about what happened when Edward I's coffin was opened in Westminster Abbey in the 1700s. We read about the goings-on and the life of Susan Bell through her diary. Not much goes on but she is quite happy to stay within the confines of Westminster Abbey with her father, the Dean, her cousin and her rather fabulous parrot. Life gets more exciting when the coffin is opened and then there are dead bodies, ghosts and missing items. Fun.

Really beautifully written language wise but to be extremely blunt, it is profoundly boring. I love historial fiction, especially one that revolves around a murder and while the characters were exceptionally well written, the story did not hold my interest.

There is no ‘murder’ until a quarter of the way through, the scenes are largely drawn out and then all of the excitement happens within the last quarter, cobbled together with confusing cross stories from the characters and over-explanations to try and seal the story up. I feel there was no need for the ending to be so convoluted and I looked forward to reaching the end.

It was complicated without being interesting and so I really would not recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A historical fiction book set in 1774 and which takes place in Westminster Abbey. All this seemed to be the setting for an enjoyable read. There were murders and ghosts. However, it was not for me, just a bit odd.
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Told in the format of a diary by the daughter of the Dean of Westminster. and only the humour kept me going.

Thanks to Serpents Tail/Viper for the chance to read and review.

A cosy 18th century crime thriller here centered around Westminster Abbey. It involves a great cast of characters including the Dean and his daughter, The ghost of Edward the first (Longshanks), a particularly talkative parrot science and a murder. Well written and hugely enjoyable this is a cut above the norm from a seriously talented author. I would like to thank the publisher Viper books, the author and Netgalley for the chance to read and enjoy

The Bells of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass

The Book that has it all , well done to the author . Set around true events in 1775 , and the bell family .
The story is told through Susan Bell ( get it ! ) who is the dean's daughter. I loved the fact that Susan wasn't typically the type of women you'd expect to live in that era .
Strange things begin to happen and all is not as it seems.
Well written and engaging.

This book is an absolute triumph. It’s irreverent, funny, creepy, packed with characters and on the face of it, utterly implausible, but it works. It’s based on a real event, but Nattrass, with a keen eye for historical detail, has created a real drama from the opening of a sarcophagus. Events are ably narrated by Susan Bell, the daughter of the Dean of Westminster and right from the start, it’s easy to find clever humour. Even Cuthbert the parrot has a role. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this title, but it’s priced a delight from start to finish. Original and memorable.

The play on words of the title sums up the gentle humour enjoyed throughout this book.
The eponymous Bell family consist of father who is the Dean of Westminster and Susan whose journal forms the basis of the story. I thought it was a nice mix of murder, exhumations, missing jewels, ghosts and cutting edge science all in an hisorical setting. Throw into the mix plenty of intersting characters including the King who gets involved in the investigations and it makes a very enjoyable read. Very steady paced until the end when several revelations border on the farcical.
The first book i have read by this author and i will certainly look to read more.
Thanks to NetGalley , Viper, Serpent’s Tail and Profile for the ARC

An enjoyable book inspired by actual event in 1775. The story is set in Westminster Abbey and is told be Susan Bell the Dean's daughter. Having open King Edward's sarcophagus ghosts appear as well as dead bodies. Although most characters are stereo types, Susan stands out as a free-thinking woman battling men's attitudes to women at that time. Her parrot, Cuthbert adds a bit of humour.

A rather unusual book inspired, apparently, by the opening of the tomb of Edward I in Westminster Abbey by the Society of Antiquaries in 1774. Susan Bell, her father the Dean and her cousin Lindley were part of the group who witnessed the opening, but some very strange occurences were taking place around them, leading to a sudden death.

The story is told by Susan, in the form of a diary, and she has a very dry sense of humour, able to poke fun at the restricted demands on womenfolk at that time. She is not seeking a husband, although she does keep an eye open for any likely candidates. And she has an amusing parrot called Cuthbert. Add in the monarch making spot visits and a rich dowager with designs on the Dean, and there is the recipe for an interesting and amusing tale.

I enjoyed it, particularly the forthright character of Susan. Thank you to NetGalley, Serpent's Tail, Viper and Profile Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bells of Westminster is an immersive historical fiction set in 1774 and takes place in the Abbey when the Society of Antiquaries has permission from King George III to open King Edward I's tomb.
The story is narrated by Susan Bell, the daughter of the Dean of Westminster.
There's a murder, a theft, and sightings of Longshanks ghost with a cast of characters that are a mixture of real life and fictional.
I really enjoyed this. There's a few twists and turns that I never saw coming. It's well written, and Susan adds a bit of humour through her narrative.
Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.

Another triumph from Leonora Nattrass who, in my humble opinion, is fast becoming a master (or mistress, if you prefer) of historic fiction. Perfect immersion in time and place, and not one anachronism in sight, neither in speech, attitudes or mores of the characters. The story was interesting, and definitely kept me guessing until the very end.

The characters were well fleshed out, and Susan Bell was quite a fun character, whose dry wit did seem a bit YA after a while. Susan does tend to make a point of her secondary position in society as a woman, but far from kicking against the traces, her willing and almost enthusiastic capitulation makes a joke of the whole thing and exposes the folly of such conventional restrictions much more than anger and rebellion ever could.

Being acquainted with one of the Honourary Stewards of Westminster Abbey and knowing something of its inner workings, it is difficult to credit the casual way in which the excavation of the various tombs was described as being executed, but a modicum of poetic license can be allowed in the name of fiction.

All in all, a very enjoyable book.