this is a good series, but this book for me read too convoluted. We still have strife between Clara and her parents (mean mum...) and I felt exhausted reading it with all the conflict and lies between all the characters.

Just too much.

This 4th in the Miss Clara Vale mysteries is more traditionally set than its predecessors, being a murder-at-the-manor mystery. Previous outings have included a vanished fairy godmother from the pantomime and a jaunt to Egypt like Poirot. It's easy to read, excellent on the Art Deco settings beloved of the end of the mad decade, the 1920s, and with nice touches of fashion that show the shifting lines between flapper frivolities and the businesslike austerity of impending WW2 fashions.

Manor mysteries traditionally come with a closed collection of suspects. This one might be said to come with multiples of those: the set of manor residents first listed by Lady Penford in a handy cheat-sheet at Miss Vale's office, then those in residence when she arrives at the manor (some overlap with #1 but includes servants), and then a pre-dinner review of the guests that includes some not earlier listed, and then the next day when more guests arrive. All this before we get to the police personages! As I was reading an e-ARC, I didn't have access to a cast list but if there's one in the finished book I urge you to bookmark it immediately.. It will be of more use to you than the rather crowded map of Northumberland.

That minor quibble aside, the book delves into the tricky business of coal mining in an England tangled in production caps and export regulations, as well as the delicate matter of whether Germany is sneakily using English coal in its even more surreptitious attempt to rebuild its war machine that was outlawed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. There's even a historical personage, Sir Charles Trevelyan, who provides invaluable assistance to Miss Vale via his standing as an MP. His wife is a mere walk-on although in real life her claim to fame was as sister to the famous - some say notorious - explorer/adventurer Gertrude Bell.

So, lots of historical meat to sink your fingers into and it never overpowers the narrative. In fact it helps drive the plot. A worthy weekend read for the mystery lover in your life.

This was probably my favorite in the series so far. I love the fierce independence of both Clara and Bella in the times they live in where they are not given the same respect due to being women. I know I got a little confused by the twists and turns and multiple potential murderers. I always enjoy colorful side characters with strong personalities, which this had. It was interesting to see the interactions between Clara and her parents and realize how much she had to work to succeed on her own. I would have liked to see a bit more of their interactions. I can’t wait to see what Clara & Bella get up to next.

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

Thanks to Embla and Net Galley for this ARC. This is the fourth in the series and is still great. I love the characters, its well written and the plot is suitably twisty.

"It's open season at Penford Manor! But someone has murder in their sights...

At Penford Manor, the guests are arriving to celebrate the start of the grouse-hunting season: lords and ladies, barons and baronesses, a Member of Parliament - and chemistry graduate turned detective, Miss Clara Vale, an old friend of the family. But Clara is no ordinary guest: she's secretly investigating a blackmail plot against Lady Penford herself.

Someone in the house is already up to no good, but when the body of a local trade unionist is found in the grounds, Clara's case gets even more complicated because a clue left by the body links it to the blackmail note.

Who has discovered Lady Penford's secret? Can Clara and her trusted assistant Bella work together to find the murderer? And what do the cornflowers which keep popping up everywhere mean?

Amidst the glittering dresses and sparkling conversation of society, Clara must find the truth - before the killer acts again!

The perfect Golden Age cosy mystery for fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie and Verity Bright won't want to miss this!"

Is it weird that I know none of my local hunting season dates but know when grouse seasons starts in England?

This is the first book I've read by this author, It will not be the last. I love historical mysteries and this one held my interest until the end. I will be looking for more in this series. I truly enjoyed it.

Despite trying to avoid house parties hosted by England’s titled elite, Clara Vale and her assistant, Bella Cuddy, go undercover at Penford Manor during the opening of grouse season to hunt for the person blackmailing Lady Penford and prevent the woman’s secrets from being revealed. While Clara investigates upstairs among the family and guests, Bella works behind the scenes alongside the servants. The discovery of the body of a local trade unionist on the manor grounds gives Clara and Bella another mystery to investigate—one that appears to be connected to the blackmail. Clara and Bella team up with the local detective to investigate both crimes before time runs out and Lady Penford is forced to pay her blackmailer.

I’m a big fan of Clara and Bella. They’re modern women working as private detectives in the early 1930s England. They’re learning as they go. And, while not everyone takes them seriously, they always get the job done. There were plenty of suspects with varying motives for wanting the labor unionist dead and to ruin Lady Penford’s reputation. Throw in a mentally unstable son, spinster women desperate to marry, and a group of men circumventing the law, THE PENFORD MANOR MURDERS makes for a compelling read.

The 4th book in the Clara Vale series and like its predecessors it didn’t disappoint.

Miss Vale is to attend a shooting party in order to investigate blackmail. Her disapproving family are also invited. There are lots more returning characters, but still could be read as a stand alone.

She’s a woman ahead of her time, but her modern outlook doesn’t jar in the period setting.

A great series of books. I look forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

Another great book in this series. I loved the period details, from descriptions of clothes and furnishings to the vocabulary of the time, and the rigid social hierarchy. Only 4 stars because at times I found the large number of characters and the intertwining plots quite complicated to follow! In my head it was visually stunning, with the beautiful clothes and country house setting, I think it would transfer to TV really well.

This is another excellent book in the series. Clara Vale is one more court in the action only this time she is back in England hobnobbing at a country estate. What starts out as a simple blackmail plot turns into something a little bit more sinister as accidents happen. Dan are fired and people go missing. Clara is her usual excellent self caring for others digging into the depths of what is going on behind the scenes and shining light into dark corners. She’s helped by the excellent Bella who just about managers to keep the rough edges hidden as she helps her employer. This is a murder mystery but a cozy one with great characters and a reassuring plot line.

I love a cosy crime novel and this ticks all the boxes.
An ahead-of-her-time heroine shows what a strong woman can achieve in a man's world - though it helps of course that she's highly educated, comes from wealth and status and is independently wealthy herself!
Fun, not remotely testing, a great series.

Miss Clara Vale always gets her man...or woman! The fiercely independent Clara Vale is back again with more mystery and female rebellion! Miss Clara is such an inspiring character well ahead of her time and adore every moment spent with such an intelligent confident woman.

The Penford Manor Murders is slightly complicated with all the titles, British and German, floating around and my brain got a bit distracted with that. Once I decided to ignore that aspect I got on much better! The murder mystery element is complicated enough that it's not straightforward for the reader to preempt the denouement. The characters are an interesting mix with their different motivations and back stories.

I like Clara Vale; she's flawed like all human beings. I like that she makes bad decisions and good decisions that sometimes don't work out. Fiona Veitch Smith is developing this series nicely and I eagerly look forward to the next book.

Clara Vale's latest title is a country house mystery. Clara and her assistant Bella are hired to investigate a blackmail plot at a stately home. Things get out of hand when a body is discovered. Are the two connected? Clara tries to keep up her own investigation and assist with the police one. Things are complicated by the arrival if her parents at brother as guests at the stately home.
A cosy mystery in the style of the golden age of crime with a country house setting.

Clara Vale and her investigative assistant, Bella, go to Northumberland to investigate a bit of blackmail among the upper class. Unfortunately, her parents and brother are going to be there as well. Then comes the murder of a renowned miner followed by several attempted murders and a DI she has had contact with before. Lots of due diligence on everyone's part as the investigation turns into a Gordian knot. Well done!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Embla Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Apr 15, 2025
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