The wedding of the year is finally here: Hugh and Eleanor are getting married! But they have to get through a mass poisoning, deaths and distrust that threatens to tear Eleanor's beloved village apart as the established part are at blows with the new industrial settlement first. Well, marriage is about a partnership and together Eleanor and Hugh are the best ones to find out what is really going on.

This continues to be a strong series and I'm so glad to see that Hugh and Eleanor finally get their sweet wedding. And a strong mystery as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Lady Eleanor Swift is back in her 21st adventure from author Verity Bright. Having travelled around the country and indeed across the world, the newest mystery takes place closer to home.

Partaking in the village's Spring open doors event, sampling foods from different homes, a number of people are subsequently struck down with a bad case of food poisoning. Unfortunately, there's a fatality, and it appears the poisoning may not have been accidental.

Weighed down by planning her upcoming nuptials, Ellie is reluctant to get involved, but things start to get political when there's a further death and the two sides of the village are pitted against each other.

On the one hand there is the old traditional village, the way it's always been, and on the other is the new factory and workers. Industrialisation is coming and bringing with it a change to the way of life the villagers have always known. Can Lady Swift bring them together and solve the case?

Overall, an enjoyable entry into the series, as everything seems to be agai

It's always such a fun time reading a Lady Eleanor Swift book. I tend to read these for palette cleansers after way too much romantasy, and they always end up being such a good time. Do I sometimes figure out the culprit beforehand? Yes, but it's just so cozy and heart-warming that I could devour these books without even blinking an eye.

I'm excited to see where the next book takes us!

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

The day that fans of Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series has finally arrived. Eleanor and Hugh are getting married. But of course, it isn't smooth sailing. A few days before the wedding Eleanor goes to the village's Spring Supper where everyone comes down with food poisoning. When the cater dies, blame flies around the village, and the new families at the mill across the river aren't very welcoming - well Eleanor has to be the Lady of the Manor, or else there may be an all-out riot.

I've been wanting a book that I could be totally absorbed by and I found that with this novel. It was like a comfy sweater that I could snuggle into.

What I love about this series is the interactions between the regular characters and that was fully on display in this novel. The ladies are there, Hugh is there, and even Kofi comes home for the wedding. We even get to see a little of Polly with her beau-to-be Jack - I like that she is getting to be more than just the bumbling maid.

Because so many people in the village are affected by food poisoning we get to see many of the villagers we have met in previous books.

While this is a treat for long-time readers, there is plenty to entertain the new reader as well. If you haven't read this series before, I believe you will find it delightful and have no trouble keeping up with who is who. And who doesn't love a wedding!

If you are looking for a fun novel that will let you escape life for a little while, then this is the book for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/a-recipe-for-murder-by-verity-bright.html

The village of Little Buckford celebrates with a tradition spring festival but the following day most of the village is struck down with food poisoning. With Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon just days away. She’s heartbroken when their caterer Annie Tibetts, is admitted to hospital & then dies of poisoning. And as the doctor confirms her death wasn’t an accident, accusations fly around the whole community. Eleanor must unmask a killer who seems intent on spreading chaos amongst her nearest and dearest. Everyone is accusing their neighbour. When a sample of poisoned wedding cake is delivered anonymously to Hugh, Eleanor must race across the countryside to save her love from certain death.
The twenty first book in the series & it’s still fresh & I’ve loved the whole series & still want more. The slow burn romance between Hugh & Eleanor finally sees them making it to the altar but there’s a murderer lose in the village who needs to ne caught. There are twists & turns, villagers turning against villagers. Plus Eleanor, Clifford & the Aprons are trying to finalise wedding preparations. I actually guessed who the villain was but had no idea as to their motives, so very much a lucky guess. As well as intriguing mysteries this series has also featured the very slow burn romance between Hugh & Eleanor & the chemistry between them has been there from the beginning but it’s deepened & I love how their feelings have grown. The ending was lovely & yes I did shed a tear. I look forward to more in the series
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I read 21 novels in this series and was on 20 blogtour: this means i consider this series a sort of "part of my life" and I'm not sure if I could write a negative review (better: I could but it would mean the author decided to write something very bad).
This was the novel I've been waiting for ages, more or less since the love triangle was no more.
This is a romantic, moving and cute novel but also a twisty, fast paced, and highly entertaining whodunit.
Enemies from the past, betrayal and mistrust. Eleanor should be thinking about her wedding but someone is working hard to create a disaster.
There's lot going, there's our beloved characters, and some very romantic moments.
It made happy the mystery lover and the romantic in me.
Read, have fun
Many thanks to Bookouture for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

The day Lady Eleanor Swift has been dreaming of is almost here...her wedding to the dashing Scotland Yard Detective Hugh Seldon. After attending the traditional Spring celebration of Little Buckford, Ellie becomes sick with food poisoning as does most of the village. Worse yet, the local woman who was going to be doing the catering ends up dead and it appears that the food poisoning was intentional. Can Ellie find the person responsible in time for her Wedding and before she is next on the killer's list?

This series has become one of my favorites and I always look forward to the next installment. I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the chance to read this book and give my opinion.

I enjoyed this 21st book as much as the first one. Ellie and her posse, Clifford, her staff of Ladies, Hugh and of course, the mischievous two (Tomkins and Gladstone) have become old friends who I can't wait to visit. The mystery was good and kept me guess. I am so glad the author brought us along as guests at Hugh and Ellie's wedding. This series while being a very good cozy mystery, also has a lot of heart and will always leaving you smiling and wanting more of these great characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Verity Bright's 'A Recipe for Murder (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 21).

I love this cozy mystery series. Verity Bright has succeeded in creating a cast of characters who exude personality and good humour, Whilst obviously the quality of the mystery is central to the book, I find I most enjoy the character interactions and the blurring of the upstairs downstairs division. Lady Swift and her butler Clifford have a delightful repartee that is sparkling, fresh, and humorous to the point where I find myself chuckling. This series is perfect for those sleepy weekends where you can cozy up with a cup of tea and a scone and just exist in the world created by Bright.

I look forward to the next instalment.

It was a fun book and the murder part was good, I just didn’t knew it was already part of a series so I think I would have enjoyed it more because of that.
It was fun and short

Finally Lady Eleanor and her beloved Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon are walking down the aisle but there's just the pesky matter of a murder or two to solve before they can say their 'I do's'.

I love this series but I especially enjoy when the gang are together and close to home. This time the village as a whole is affected when a mass food poisoning outbreak turns out to be a very deliberate act resulting in the death of Ellie's wedding caterer. Along with incidents relating to the wedding, Ellie begins to wonder if she may be a target too. Along the way we are introduced to the community on 'the other side of the bridge' which gives us a much more working class and industrial angle to the usual idyllic country life. With a larger pool of suspects than usual and red herrings abound there is plenty of investigating for Ellie and co to dive into all set against the ticking clock of the imminent wedding day.

I always love the mysteries on offer in this series but a lot of the joy I get comes from the characters and the relationships that have been built up over the course of the series. I'm so happy Ellie and Hugh have finally taken the next step and that we've had the Henley Hall crew be so instrumental in the action of this book. Looking forward as always to the next instalment - romance and murder in Paris will make for a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy of "A Recipe for Murder " in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Once again, Verity Bright has produced a perfectly pitched 'cosy crime' novel that ticks all the right boxes and is utterly enjoyable to read. Eleanor Swift, unorthodox lady of a 1920s manor, is preparing to get married in a week's time. But she's distracted by a mass food poisoning in the village, against the backdrop of increasing tension between the longstanding residents and recently arrived workers at the new factory across the river. With both communities suspecting the other, it seems only a matter of time before violence breaks out - unless Eleanor and her finance can find the culprit first.

These books are such great fun to read, I save them for a treat when I want a book I can be confident I'll enjoy and that will not be difficult to read. They are the literary equivalent of comfort food, to such an extent that I'm sure it's not a coincidence. The author must have studied every element that makes a story pleasurable to read and put it in. It is full of warm, loveable characters, plenty of descriptions of delicious food, gentle humour, and a cute bulldog. The mysteries aren't bad either - it's not always obvious who the culprit is and there are enough twists and turns along the way to keep a reader well amused from start to finish. Of course, it's not remotely plausible that any 'ordinary' person would be involved in so many crimes - Eleanor can barely leave the house without tripping over a corpse - but somehow I don't care about that. It's not meant to be realistic, it's meant to be fun.

If you enjoy cosy crime this series is a very worthy addition to your reading list. It would be better to read them in order, but it's not essential - I haven't, and it's not a big problem. You will get some spoilers, more about the trajectory of the characters (e.g. who Eleanor is marrying) than the villains in previous mysteries. I haven't found that a problem myself though and I still expect to read and enjoy the earlier books that I've not got round to yet.

Book Review: A Recipe for Murder by Verity Bright

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alright, let’s dive into A Recipe for Murder by Verity Bright! I honestly can’t say enough good things about this cozy mystery series. Every time I pick up one of these books, I know I’m in for a delightful read, and this one was no exception!

So, here’s the scoop: Lady Eleanor Swift is on cloud nine, just days away from tying the knot with her charming fiancé, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. She’s juggling wedding plans like a pro, from picking the dress to sorting out the all-important menu. But hold onto your hats, because things take a dark turn when their wedding chef, Annie Tibetts, suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances. What was supposed to be a joyous time turns into a whirlwind of chaos as everyone in the village starts pointing fingers.

As more people fall victim to the mysterious poison, Eleanor finds herself in a bit of a pickle. Not only is she dealing with wedding seating arrangements gone haywire, but she’s also racing against time to clear her name and save Hugh when an ominous delivery of poisoned wedding cake lands at his station. Talk about pressure! It’s a thrilling ride as Eleanor races across the countryside trying to piece together who’s behind this dastardly plot.

Now, let me just take a moment to gush over the cover of this book—it is absolutely charming! I am running out of words to describe how much I adore this series. Each mystery is well-crafted, and the setting is so inviting that you can almost smell the cream cakes and cucumber sandwiches wafting through the air.

And can we talk about Eleanor and Hugh finally getting hitched? I was practically bouncing in my seat! Their chemistry is just delightful, and I can’t wait to see what adventures await them on their honeymoon.

In short, A Recipe for Murder is a gripping and twisty tale that kept me on my toes while also warming my heart. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with lovable characters and a dash of romance, this book is definitely worth picking up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find out what happens next in Lady Swift’s adventures!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Finally, we get to see Eleanor and Hugh get married! I loved how the whole household came together to get things ready to add Hugh to the household. It was interesting to start to see more of what Eleanor’s role is as the Lady of the village (and across the bridge) and what her obligations are. I don’t remember if it was mentioned in the last book that the mill was being built and why. I can see that it is likely to play a bigger part in future books as the operation feels sketchy, and Eleanor is probably going to want to investigate it. I always enjoy the playful dynamic between Hugh and Clifford, and I can see that being even more fun when they are sharing a residence. It’s hard to keep a storyline fresh after 20+ books, but I think this one is still going strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

A Recipe for Murder, the 21 book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, sees a figure, clad in black, creep down an alleyway as dawn is breaking, mixing something from a container into a sack of flour just delivered, before turning and walking away.

Chaos is reigning in what is normally the well run and an orderly Henley Hall, as preparations are underway for the long awaited wedding of Lady Eleanor Swift to the handsome Hugh Seldon, the love of her life.

The annual Spring Supper is being celebrated in Little Buckford and despite her misgivings, Lady Eleanor has allowed Clifford to talk her into attending this year’s event. The morning after the Spring Supper a woman is found dead, another in hospital and Ellie is feeling somewhat terrible with an upset stomach. The ladies of the Hall are also indisposed.

Feeling somewhat frazzled by recent events and the list of tasks, set by Clifford still to complete, when she is asked to assist the local Constabulary she realises she has little choice, as accusations fly thick and fast with people’s livelihoods becoming endangered.

As the days rapidly draw closer to her wedding, the culprit is still at large and Ellie wonders if they will strike again, as there have been several more cases of what appear to be food poisoning and another death.  She and Hugh are also now being directly targeted, which is causing serious concern, as the attacks are subtle but deadly in intent.

With the return of Clifford from London and Hugh’s expertise, they believe, with the use of some carefully thought through strategies, they know who the killer is and how to catch them.

A Recipe for Murder is fast paced, full of the unexpected and ends with a wonderful, teary and romantic wedding – at last!

What next for the wedded couple is yet to be discovered, so look out for the next book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series from Verity Bright.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own. A Recipe for Murder finds Eleanor in the final stretch before her wedding to Hugh is to finally take place. With lots of stuff to do, Eleanor is grateful for Clifford and the ladies to help ensure it all gets done and that her day will go smoothly. Unfortunately, the local woman who was to cater the wedding dies after the local village held the Spring Supper, which featured everyone opening up their homes and serving food to all the villages to help ensure a prosperous season. Many villagers, including Eleanor, come down with food poisoning and everyone assumes it was a tragic accident. Two people end up in the hospital and unfortunately Annie dies. Eleanor has a feeling that this is no simple accident and instead someone poisoned them on purposes, but isn't sure if there was any one intended victim. To add make things more difficult, a mill across the river from the village was just re-opened and the villagers are up in arms and distrustful of the workers. Tensions between the villagers and the mill workers escalate when it is discovered for sure that someone purposely made people sick. Eleanor has to work quickly to not only solve the murder, but also prevent the two sides from coming to blows. I liked the mystery in this one, but I felt that it was difficult if not impossible for the reader to figure out the why behind everything until the end. I am looking forward to seeing how Eleanor and Hugh move forward as a married couple.

I’ve been a fan of the Lady Eleanor Swift series since the very first book, so I was excited to be asked to review the latest instalment, A Recipe for Murder.

Although I enjoyed this book overall, I didn’t enjoy the nastiness going on between the two halves of the village, and the individuals in the village as well.

However, it was still a joy to spend time with Eleanor, Clifford, Hugh, and the ladies. Not forgetting about Gladstone and Tomkins, of course. They did a great job of solving a particularly tricky and nasty mystery. Thankfully there were also the usual lighthearted moments to lift the mood, often perpetrated by the terrible two!

The last chapter was the fulfilment of hopes started many, many books ago. It made me very happy. I can’t say more without spoilers!

Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was an excellent mystery, full of interesting clues and characters, as well as my old friends from the series.

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

<b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for this free e-arc in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.</b></i>

It's only days before Ellie is set to walk down the aisle with her beloved Hugh (WOOO! FINALLY!) and there's much to do at Henley Hall to prepare a celebration for the villagers. Before the big day, Ellie must make herself available as the lady of the manor and attend the Spring Supper in the village, a pot luck event to celebrate spring and ensure good luck for the coming growing season. While visiting the homes of the villagers and mingling with them, Ellie devours the local foods and drinks and partakes a little too much. That night she is sick to her stomach and soon discovers the ladies were as well. Clifford, not having eaten anything in the presence of his lady, was fine and has a remedy ready to hand. It wasn't just Henley Hall affected, the milkman brings news of a widespread outbreak of food poisoning in the village. Ellie's wedding caterer, Annie Tibbets, is so gravely ill, she is in the hospital. Even Constable Fry is down with food poisoning and can't begin to investigate the source. When Annie Tibbets dies, the village is in an uproar. While Ellie and co. were absent traveling, a new mill opened up on the other side of the village. The mill has a self-contained mill village and the mill villagers are not welcome in Little Buckford. A full scale war is about to break out with both sides blaming the other. Ellie feels responsible for the rift, after all, as Lady Eleanor Swift, she's the lady of the manor and should have made the mill workers feel welcome upon their arrival. Without Constable Fry and with Hugh busy working right up until the wedding, it's up to Ellie, with the help of Clifford to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, wedding preparations can't seem to go right. Is someone trying to sabotage the wedding? Who on earth could it be? Can Ellie figure out the answers to the two mysteries before anyone else dies and in time for her big day?

This is another great mystery! We're back in Little Buckford and Ellie and Hugh are FINALLY going to tie the knot! wooohoo! It's been 5 years since their first dance in Brighton! The mystery is a little slow and confusing at first but then it gets going once Ellie begins her investigation. Then Hugh joins in, in a surprise visit to Henley Hall, to assist Ellie. The furry "terrible twosome" add some levity and humor to the story. Gladstone gets his moment to assist in the action though and I never knew the old fellow had it in him. The murderer turned out not to be who I expected nor was the motive. It turns out Ellie had the answer the whole time, she just didn't know she had it. I wasn't crazy about that twist because I really didn't think it was that character and liked that character.

The history is much better in this one than some of the previous books. However, the timeline of the 1920s does NOT equal the Edwardian era as the author's note keeps stating. The Edwardian era was Ellie's childhood,1901-1910 (sometimes scholars push it to 1912 or 1914). I work WITH industrial collections and am well aware of the mill system and the way the workers were treated. I would have expected a better system already after WWI with more worker protections and unions but I know some mill owners ignored the laws and the workers were too poor and desperate to do anything. The mill owner also owns the workers, paying in tokens rather than cash. The workers redeem the tokens for food in the mill village store. I can see how Little Buckford, an agrarian economy, would look down on these rough industrial types. It made me upset how little empathy anyone had for the unfortunate mill workers who are so desperate for food they'd come and join the festivities of the Spring Supper.

Poor Ellie is wracked with guilt she hasn't been able to be lady of the manor recently. I feel bad she feels guilty. She's so sweet and caring. It's been lovely to watch her blossom and find family with Clifford and the ladies. They could not be more dear to her than if they were related by blood. Little Polly has grown up so much she even has a young man who is interested in her! Having Lizzie there has helped Polly grow a lot and of course Ellie's empathy, because she's clumsy and awkward at times herself. Polly's mind has grown as well and now she's figuring out clues Ellie and Hugh hadn't thought of. Go Polly! Mrs. Trotters and Mrs. Butters are a hoot and excited to have Hugh move in. Poor Hugh LOL! They'll do anything for Ellie, even if it means more work and less recreation time. How old IS Mrs. Trotters supposed to be? She learned to cook in the Victorian era which ended a good 25 years earlier. I guess she could be in her 50s? What can I say about Clifford? He loves Ellie like the daughter he never had. He loved Uncle Byron for giving him a second chance and helping him become the man he is today and that love and loyalty has extended to Ellie. Now he loves her for herself and has young Kofi to love as a son. Kofi is highly intelligent and perceptive. When he enters the story, things start to click into place for our sleuths. Hugh is a romantic at heart! When he's not working, he's not a curmudgeon. He eats well at Henley Hall, relaxes playing ball with Gladstone and watching Gladstone and Tompkins's antics. He's SOOOO swoony and romantic! He says he has a surprise for Ellie but he really has more than one and I would be so moved and touched. One thing he does is very sweet and unexpected. We never did get to hear their discussion about what they wanted from married life but they seem to have worked it out or Hugh knows what Ellie wants and needs. Realistically, there's not much she can compromise on since she IS Lady Swift. She can't abandon Henley Hall and her family there or the villagers nor would she want to. Hugh knows this and he doesn't even think about asking her to move to Oxford. I don't know how they're going to work out his work schedule and commute but they'll figure it out.


I was so happy to be back in Little Buckford. The villagers are so quirky and fun. The Spring Supper sounds like a madhouse but fun. There are any number of suspects and trying to figure out which one was the murderer was nearly impossible. Turns out a couple people were lying about their history with Annie. Annie Tibbets is the estranged wife of the pub owner. She's a talented cook and happy to cater such a large affair as a wedding. Everyone loves Annie - or so Ellie thinks. Who would want to kill this lovely woman? Well, for starters, there's Hester Hopcroft who is another local cook. She turned down the chance to cater the wedding fearing it was too big for her to manage by herself. Is she having regrets now? Did she kill Annie to get the catering contract back? It seems like a plausible motive. That or revenge. Maybe she expected Annie to demure or to ask her for help.

Then there's "Milky" Wilkes, the milkman. He claims he was seeing Annie but she was interested in other men! He's quick to bring news of the good poisoning and he isn't affected himself. I don't think he's the poisoner because his business is affected. Wilkes blames Giggs, the fishmonger. Yes that makes sense TOO but again his business is affected. Turns out Giggs was the other man Annie was seeing and the milkman and fishmonger have always had a friendly rivalry and fighting over Annie ended up NOT so friendly for any of them. Did one of the men kill her? Annie was once married to Mr. Stokes, the publican. She left him a few years ago and they've been estranged ever since. Mr. Stokes claimed they had a huge fight right before the Spring Supper and Annie was greedy and trying to get money from him. That doesn't sound like the Annie everyone else knew. Was there another reason they fought?

I feel uneasy about Annie's neighbor, Phyllis Ingleby. She's super nosy and loves to gossip. She's quick to share anything she knows about Annie, which is quite a lot, and claims to have nursed Annie through her illness. Did she ingratiate herself with her neighbor to get something in return? She seems to have a serious case of envy and I think she wants Annie's house- fully furnished. I get the impression the spinster doesn't have much money and isn't clever or talented like Annie was. I feel bad for her but she's such an annoying person that I don't! She has motive, means and opportunity!

Sergeant Brice from the Chipstone Constabulary fills in for Constable Fry. Sgt. Brice is overzealous, not very bright and isn't part of the fabric of village life in Little Buckford. He's an outsider and that should be an asset in solving the poisoning case but it's actually a liability. Brice is unable to deal with the locals easily and they resent him as an outsider. He even gets Ellie into trouble with her own villagers. Brice accuses Mr. Shackley, the baker, of having poisoned the village with his flour. That doesn't make ANY sense whatsoever. He's losing business because people are suspicious. Why would he poison the entire village on purpose? If not for what the police found, I'd say maybe the flour was adulterated or not cooked enough and people got sick. Mr. Shackley is furious and so is his wife. They're both usually so lovely, he's affable and peaceable, whenever Ellie is around anyway. I don't see a strong motive here for Mr. Shackley.

Miss Joyce Dunne is Hester's new friend. Miss Dunn lives in the mill village and is the schoolteacher for those youngsters able to attend. She is no nonsense, sensible, practical and rather hard. A spinster who probably rose above circumstances, she seems to want to befriend a more educated class of people and eager for female friendship. Miss Dunne attends the spring supper with Hester. Could they be behind the poisonings? Maybe Miss Dunne poisoned Annie out of misguided friendship loyalty or knows Hester did it and is covering for her? Maybe it was something that got out of a hand, an attempt to get the two sides of the village to come together against a common enemy? Miss Dunne seems too practical for that sort of thing. I like her a lot. She was very ill too and in the hospital.

The wedding florist, Lucetta Moore is also under suspicion. The poison that killed Annie was a plant and where can you find dried plants in the village? Hmm. I'm beginning to think the murderer might be jealous of single career women! Mrs. Moore seems nice and knowledgeable about plants. I believe her when she claims she would never have any poisonous plants lying around. Her son Alvan is a hothead known for getting into trouble. He's disrespectful to his mother when she's conducting business with the lady of the manor. Ellie believes he's a good hearted lad but I suspect he's spoiled and has a chip on his shoulder from growing up without a dad. I can't see him as a poisoner though. What motive would he have?

On the other side of the bridge is the mill and mill village. They're not very friendly and the manager is a bully who doesn't treat his workers well. I guess they pick up on his attitude and do what he says or risk losing their jobs. However, Nathan Kemp and Lewis Villin attended the Spring Supper and started a fight with the Little Buckfordians. They don't seem remorseful or respectful of the deceased and are certainly not respectful of Lady Swift's position. I think they're up to no good and could have poisoned the village just to make trouble. Perhaps the fight was a diversion? Natty seems a little nicer and more willing to talk than his friend. They claim they simply wanted hot, tasty food which is unavailable in their store. Mr. Oxdale, the manager, is a giant bully. He's a tyrant who runs the mill with an iron fist and doesn't take opposition. He doesn't know Ellie or care to know her, doesn't believe in her friendly neighborliness and insists her day is done. The day of Little Buckford is coming to an end and they'll soon be redundant. Of that I have no doubt because that's "progress" in the Industrial era but it sounds like a direct threat that's going to happen if she keeps poking her nose where it's not wanted.

The author's note includes a recipe for a Victorian era wedding cake. It's not one I'd want to try and I'd be wary about eating a cake that lasts YEARS! This type of brandy-soaked cake was still all the rage for weddings in the 1920s and even into the 1980s.

I enjoyed catching up with everyone in Little Buckford and Henley Hall. I hope there are more adventures in store for Ellie and the gang AFTER her honeymoon! I

A special spring celebration was about to be held in Little Buckford, where residents moved from one house to the next, sampling the food prepared by the household. But when Lady Eleanor Swift, all her staff, and most of the village were struck down with food poisoning, it was thought to be an unfortunate accident. Until one resident died - and it was discovered she had been murdered. Who had tampered with the food for the village, and how had it been done?

Eleanor's wedding to Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon was fast approaching, and Eleanor needed to discover the culprit before the wedding. With wedding preparations still happening, Hugh with Eleanor as much as he could, and the local police deferring to Eleanor, the pressure was on. Would they discover the murderer, and the reason for what had happened, before more died?

A Recipe for Murder is #21 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright and it was another exceptional read! With our usual characters - Clifford, Gladstone, Tomkins, the aprons and Kofi - added to Eleanor and Hugh's entourage, I'm really looking forward to #22; I'm guessing when our happy couple will be on their honeymoon :) Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.

Lady Swift (Ellie) is up to her chin in misadventures during A Recipe for Murder, the latest installment in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries. Multi-layered and dense as a Victorian wedding cake (learned a lot about flowers and food this book!), A Recipe for Murder is an insightful glimpse into conflict resolution, boundaries, and revenge. A story very well-told, as I've come to expect from Verity Bright, and I can't wait for the next.

Without spoiling the story, I will say there were moments that brought me to (happy) tears and I couldn't wait for the resolution, even as I didn't want the story to end.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Verity Bright for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Recipe for Murder coming out March 31, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read all of the books in the series, but I’ve read since 17 and I love it! This is definitely one of my favorite historical cozy series! Eleanor definitely had a lot going on in this book! I think the mystery took a backseat to the wedding preparations, but I loved it! Hopefully the next book has a lot of happy times for Hugh and Eleanor!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!