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.

Leonora Nattrass has written a wonderful standalone novel with such an original plot line. The Bell family are complex, loveable and intriguing. The book contains a cast of characters which would make for a great TV/film adaptation. Susan Bell is a truly unique protagonist who is used cleverly to explore a range of themes and relationships within the novel. The opening of Edward I's tomb is a brilliant starting point for what ends up being a thrilling murder mystery. So far, this is one of my favourite historical fiction books of the year! I hope to see more of Susan Bell!

Susan Bell is the daughter of the Dean of Westminster Abbey. At 23 years old she sees herself as a spinster aunt and lives her live accordingly.

However all that changes one morning with the arrival of Antiquaries who wish to see the tomb of King Edward, known as Longshanks. This begin a series of events which change Susan’s life forever…..

Well written in the first person this is a lively story which I thank NetGalley, the publisher and author for having the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy.

I really enjoyed this entertaining historical crime fiction mystery. It has kings, ghosts, murder, a bit of humour and lots of gumption and that equals a marvellous read!

I particularly loved Cuthbert the parrot who exclaims at the most opportune moments Good God preserve us!
Susan is a great character, she has a good sense of humour and the aforementioned gumption! Her father the Dean, is a very sweet character, he feels a bit like Mr Harding in Trollope’s The Warden who is one of my favourite ever characters in fiction so Nattrass is onto a winner with me! And also a little nod that Susan Bell is in fact a character in one of Trollope’s stories too.

Westminster Abbey itself acts as a main character too; all the details, the nooks and crannies and history of the place are woven with care through the narrative. I had to keep stopping to google!

There are multiple threads to this mystery that Susan narrates for us in the form of her journal and although I thought I had figured it out, I was pleased to be found wrong and the solution to the puzzle was satisfyingly multifaceted and clever to boot!

A really entertaining read!

Well drawn characters and a page turning tale as well. I couldn't ask for anything better than a really engaging book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the novel.