Lady Eleanor Swift, her staff and her pets are enjoying the sights of Venice when she witnesses a murder. Could a family feud have been reignited and is Ellie safe?
A Death In Venice is the 17th book in the Lady Swift series of historical cosy murder mysteries.
Ellie is spellbound by the beauty of Venice but she finds herself in the midst of a centuries old family feud and a murder investigation. Following an accidental collision with another woman, Ellie is left holding a glass heart and wants to track down the true owner who promptly vanished. But the murder and the heirloom could be connected and Ellie herself is placed in danger.
The lighthearted tone softens the drama and murder elements of the book. Once again Ellie has brought butler Clifford and ‘the ladies’ of her staff along and this adds opportunities for humour. Gladstone the dog and Tomkins the cats are also travelling with Ellie and add to the melee! We are also introduced to a range of other characters with comedic effect, for example Kip who wants to replicate Byron’s escapades. Poor Hugh, Ellie’s fiance, is stuck at home at the other end of an intermittent telephone connection and feeling very jealous.
The murder and heirloom mystery start early on and then retreats a little as the focus stays on Ellie’s experiences while she makes connections between events and enjoys the scenic beauty of the city. Her title offers her opportunities but she is constrained by being a woman. The history and geography of the setting underpin the plot and characters and have been well researched.
A Death In Venice is an enjoyable murder mystery.
Book Description:
Stunning views across the Grand Canal and a hotel suite fit for royalty… Lady Eleanor Swift is having a jolly good time on her Italian vacation, until a gondola ride is cut murderously short!
1924. Lady Eleanor Swift has been on a grand tour around Italy for a month with her butler Clifford. Finally arriving in Venice, she’s thrilled to be attending the famous carnival: all that’s needed is the perfect bejewelled costume for her faithful bulldog, Gladstone. But on her first gondola ride to take in the sights, a passenger collapses into the canal with a knife sticking out of his back.
Eleanor saw an argument break out between the gondolier and the victim, Councillor Benetto Vendelini, and it turns out they’re rivals from the city’s two great families. Vendelini’s murder is sure to reignite their centuries-long feud. While attending a glitzy ball that night, Eleanor learns of a plot to steal a precious family heirloom from the Vendelini household. Is the stolen item the key to solving this baffling murder?
In this floating city of tiny winding alleyways, Eleanor traces the missing heirloom to an antiques dealer in a far-flung corner of town. But when her handbag is snatched by a cloaked thief, she realises the murderer is dangerously close. Can Eleanor unmask this most cunning of killers, before she joins the other victim at the bottom of the Grand Canal?
An utterly gripping historical murder mystery set in Italy, full of intrigue and charming characters. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Agatha Christie and Catherine Coles will be totally hooked by A Death in Venice!
Author Bio:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
Harriet ‘Harry’ White is demoted to a role in the post room where she has to respond to letters addressedto Sherlock Holmes. Most letters are met with polite declines of further involvement but one catches Harry’s eye and she decides to investigate…
The Missing Maid is the first book in a new series of amateur sleuth mysteries set in the 1930s.
Mildred Longstaff’s family are concerned when she is accused of theft and dismissed from her position as a maid with a prominent London family. Now she is missing and Harry accepts the request for Sherlock Holmes to investigate. Except Sherlock is a fictional character so she is the one investigating!
Poor Harry is sexually harrassed by her boss and then demoted when she refuses his advances. She comes from a good family so has many opportunities in life and this is demonstrated when she decides to investigate the maid’s disappearance. Harry is smart and resourceful with quite a modern outlook on life.
I liked the premise of this book and the 1930s class and gender details that constrain the characters felt authentic and well researched. The pace of the mystery was just right in balance with the introduction to Harriet and there is a light tone despite some big topics being covered (e.g. sexual harrassment, shoplifting).
The Missing Maid is an enjoyable mystery with an easy to like main character and I look forward to seeing what happens to Harry next.
The Missing Maid
A GLORIOUS SHERLOCK HOLMES-INSPIRED MYSTERY FOR FANS OF NITA PROSE AND JANICE HALLETT
London, 1932.
When Harriet White rebuffs the advances of her boss at the Baker Street building society where she works, she finds herself demoted to a new position… a very unusual position. Deep in the postal department beneath the bank, she is tasked with working her way through a mountain of correspondence addressed to Baker Street’s most famous resident: Mr Sherlock Holmes.
Seemingly undeterred by the fact that Sherlock Holmes doesn’t exist, letter after letter arrives, beseeching him to help solve mysteries, and Harry diligently replies to each writer with the same response: Mr Holmes has retired from detective work and now lives in Sussex, keeping bees.
Until one entreaty catches her eye. It’s from a village around five miles from Harry’s family estate, about a young woman who went to London to work as a domestic, then disappeared soon afterwards in strange circumstances. Intrigued, Harry decides, just this once, to take matters into her own hands.
Holly Hepburn has wanted to write books for as long she can remember but she was too scared to try. One day she decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic fiction with her first novella, Cupidity, and she’s never looked back. She often tries to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. Her favourite things are making people smile and Aidan Turner.
She’s tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and she even had a brief flirtation with modelling. These days she is mostly found writing.
She lives near London with her grey tabby cat, Portia. They both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.
Jeanie is on her hen night and her biggest worry is her My Little Pony outfit and her fiance’s increasing emotional distance. Until the hens happen upon a dead body in the nightclub and decide to find the killer…
Murder on the Dancefloor is the second book in a series of murder mysteries. I have not read the first book and there are several mentions to events in the last book but no major spoilers.
Jeanie is on her hen night with her mum, 4 sisters and 2 best friends. She argues with a young woman and later Talia is found dead. The women decide to find out the truth and catch the killer following their success with a previous murder case.
I had not read the first book so I felt a little overwhelmed by the range of main characters at first. The plot direction helped to fix the characters in my mind and allowed me to enjoy the book more as it progressed.
As well as the murder mystery, there is Jeanie’s exploration of Tan’s odd behaviour which make threaten their wedding. She also needs to locate lost wedding rings which is a hugely emotional element as they were her late father’s.
I really enjoyed the lighthearted tone and comedic elements to the narrative. The relationships had nuances which made the characters shine from the pages, adding an authenticity and relatability to them.
Murder on the Dancefloor is an enjoyable murder mystery and I want to catch up with the first book.
Murder on the Dancefloor
They DID promise her a killer hen weekend…
Jeanie’s getting married, and – despite her completely impossible four sisters – her best friends Clio and Amber are determined to give her a bachelorette weekend to remember. They’re in matching pink T-shirts and the drinks are flowing…
But the night turns out to be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons when a girl turns up dead on the dancefloor. And – even though she’s a stranger – she is wearing one of Jeanie’s hen T-shirts.
Who is she? And why are the police convinced that the hens are involved? Can the newly-formed Bad Girls Detective Agency solve the murder? And in time to get Jeanie up the aisle?
Unputdownable mystery set on the English coast – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Bad Sisters and How to Kill Your Family.
Katie wrote romantic fiction before turning to crime. Her debut novel was a World Book Night pick and her books are published in ten languages.
She lives in the English countryside and loves strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of her children. ‘How Not to Murder your Ex’, the first in her Bad Girls Detective Agency series is out now, published by Boldwood Books. The next instalment, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor,’ follows in March 2024.
I have been incredibly proud this week. Zach has been battling a cold and has been exhausted but soldiered on. Matthew went to Southampton to represent his school in a science and computing event. Anya won an award for working hard to prepare for her SATs.
And now we have reached the weekend and the Easter holidays. I can’t wait to spend some time recharging our batteries and enjoying time together as a family.
Molly is a long distance runner, trying to recover from an injury and qualify for the Olympics. Her final hurdle is to complete the London Marathon but her mind isn’t focussed due to a stalker…
Every Step You Take is a psychological thriller set in London.
Molly is fighting for her place in the Olympic team and this is her last chance to prove herself. She has battled to get herself fit again after a back injury. But on the morning of the race, she receives flowers and a note that she believes has come from her stalker. Otto is locked up in prison but Molly fears he has found a way to get to her. She frantically looks around herself as she runs, searching for a malevolent presence and trying to get help from her coach and the lead detective.
The book is written in Molly’s first person present day timeline which shows us effectively how her concentration is being threatened by the distraction of fear. It felt very natural and authentic and brought Molly’s character to life. Other chapters are written in the third person in the recent past to show how the stalker began his obsession. I really liked the style of the book and felt immersed in Molly’s race. My only quibble is how much talking and fiddling with her electronics she does whilst running and I’m not capable of either when I run!
Every Step You Take is an engaging and authentically voiced psychological thriller.
Every Step You Take
Run for your life…
This year’s London Marathon is my last chance to win the final place on the Olympic team. The months of rehabilitation after my injury will feel worth it to cross that line.
But I wasn’t expecting the man who’s been making my life a living hell to be there. Last I knew, my stalker was behind bars, but he says he’s going to be at the race watching.
I have 26 miles to figure out whether it’s him, and what he wants, or I could lose more than just the race.
A taut psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, TM Logan and Daniel Hirst.
M.A. Hunter is the bestselling author of psychological and crime thrillers, including Adrift, and The Trail. Born in the north-east of England, he now lives in Southampton where many of his stories are set, allowing him to use his insider knowledge to deliver realistic and unsettling suspense on every page.
Away from writing, M.A. loves to read anything that will keep him awake at night. He’s also a passionate advocate for contemporary cinema and binge-watching the latest offerings from streaming services. He is married with a son and a daughter, and two dogs.
