Murder in an Irish Castle
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- Create Date：2022-11-29 21:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Verity Bright
- ISBN：B0BB76VJDH
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Summary
Irish whiskey， rolling green hills， a traditional Christmas feast and… a murder？ Lady Swift will need the luck of the Irish to survive this holiday season！
Christmas， 1924。 Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny， rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in a castle。 Packing Gladstone the bulldog’s coziest Christmas jumper， they set off to the Emerald Isle with her butler Clifford in tow。
Arriving late at night， Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the snow on the winding country lane outside the estate。 The local constable is immediately suspicious and all but accuses the pair of murder。 This isn’t the warm Irish welcome Eleanor imagined！
Clifford is certain he recognises the poor fellow from the funeral of Eleanor’s uncle – but what was their connection？ Undeterred by the villagers’ lack of gossip on the matter， Eleanor is determined to get justice for the victim。 The man’s pockets are suspiciously empty of personal effects， but closer inspection reveals an old key hidden in the heel of his boot。 Could this unlock more than one mystery for Eleanor？
But when a fire breaks out at the castle on Christmas Eve， an even bigger question looms: is someone out to ensure the family line dies with Lady Swift？ And will Eleanor’s first Irish Christmas be her last？
Christmas， 1924。 Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny， rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in a castle。 Packing Gladstone the bulldog’s coziest Christmas jumper， they set off to the Emerald Isle with her butler Clifford in tow。
Arriving late at night， Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the snow on the winding country lane outside the estate。 The local constable is immediately suspicious and all but accuses the pair of murder。 This isn’t the warm Irish welcome Eleanor imagined！
Clifford is certain he recognises the poor fellow from the funeral of Eleanor’s uncle – but what was their connection？ Undeterred by the villagers’ lack of gossip on the matter， Eleanor is determined to get justice for the victim。 The man’s pockets are suspiciously empty of personal effects， but closer inspection reveals an old key hidden in the heel of his boot。 Could this unlock more than one mystery for Eleanor？
But when a fire breaks out at the castle on Christmas Eve， an even bigger question looms: is someone out to ensure the family line dies with Lady Swift？ And will Eleanor’s first Irish Christmas be her last？
Reviews
Lois King
，
IcecapadesI love the Lady Swift books， especially Clifford。 Such a brilliant character。 It was great to spend Christmas in Ireland with them and the hair raising adventures and scrapes they got into。 I missed Hugh and the ladies， but I'm looking forward to catching up with them in the next book。 We'll done， a brilliant read！ IcecapadesI love the Lady Swift books， especially Clifford。 Such a brilliant character。 It was great to spend Christmas in Ireland with them and the hair raising adventures and scrapes they got into。 I missed Hugh and the ladies， but I'm looking forward to catching up with them in the next book。 We'll done， a brilliant read！ 。。。more
Vintagebooklvr
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3 1/2 stars。 A delightful addition to the Eleanor Swift Mystery series。 Eleanor is all set to enjoy a Christmas for once--hopefully free of murder--in Ireland and learn more about a family branch she knows next nothing about。 Of course， the free of murder part doesn't last long when Eleanor and her butler run into a barely alive man who appears to have be almost drowned though any body of water is miles away。 The man dies but the police and doctor insist that he just suffered a fatal heart attac 3 1/2 stars。 A delightful addition to the Eleanor Swift Mystery series。 Eleanor is all set to enjoy a Christmas for once--hopefully free of murder--in Ireland and learn more about a family branch she knows next nothing about。 Of course， the free of murder part doesn't last long when Eleanor and her butler run into a barely alive man who appears to have be almost drowned though any body of water is miles away。 The man dies but the police and doctor insist that he just suffered a fatal heart attack。 Everyone in the town near the castle she inherited are curiously uncurious about her activities and quick to refuse to answer any question she asks。 Is there a conspiracy or something else going on？ A fire and mysterious attacks bring further questions。 In an isolated village， can Eleanor and Clifford figure out what is going on so they can enjoy a wonderful Irish Christmas？Although， Eleanor and Clifford leave behind the usual cast of characters that add charm to this series in England Gladstone， the older dog with a love for bacon， is along as always to bring love and cheer and some laughs。 He discovers an adorable new friend that soon becomes a constant companion。 The banter between Eleanor and Clifford is entertaining as always。 It is also filled with Christmas cheer and period detail of Irish Christmas celebrations and traditions。 And， of course， there is plenty of description of food。 Some may be a little exotic to modern tastes but most sounded delicious。 The mystery is solid and filled with plenty of twists and turns。 Eleanor finally learns some answers to secrets that have bothered her ever since her uncle died。 A wonderful cozy filled with chills and thrills， Christmas cheer and laughter。 You can't go wrong with this read。 And， why you are at it， read the rest of the series。 You will be delighted with them to。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion。 。。。more
Kirstyn （readwithkirstyn）
，
This cozy mystery was a lot of fun - but the pacing was a little off at points - some slower than others。 I did fall in love with the characters and it made me want to read the other books in the series even more - definitely had me turning pages to find the answers。
Javier
，
Murder In An Irish Castle is #12 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries and a great addition to the series。 The change of scenery has done Ellie and Clifford good as， in this new installment， they must face one of the most puzzling mysteries in the series so far。It is Christmas and Lady Swift has been invited to the Irish hamlet of Derrydee， in the west of Ireland， for their Christmas party。 She can’t wait to explore the castle she inherited from her uncle， so to Ireland she goes along with her tru Murder In An Irish Castle is #12 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries and a great addition to the series。 The change of scenery has done Ellie and Clifford good as， in this new installment， they must face one of the most puzzling mysteries in the series so far。It is Christmas and Lady Swift has been invited to the Irish hamlet of Derrydee， in the west of Ireland， for their Christmas party。 She can’t wait to explore the castle she inherited from her uncle， so to Ireland she goes along with her trusted butler Clifford and her beloved bulldog， Gladstone。 What she didn’t count on was finding a body outside her estate on her first night there。 A suspicious ruling of natural death and the weird behavior of the villagers will be more than enough to put our favorite pair of amateur sleuths on the case。It’s always great when Ellie travels around as the story offers lots of interesting facts about her destination。 This time it was fantastic getting to know so many compelling details about Irish foods， traditions and celebrations。 I really felt I was partying along Ellie， Clifford and the villagers。It’s so nice to see how much Ellie has grown throughout the series。 She’s fierce， humble， compassionate， unafraid and always willing to get her hands dirty in pursuit of justice （much to Clifford’s chagrin）。 I love how he acts as her protector but also as a father figure。 He is so prim and proper that their interactions are always so much fun to read。 This time I missed DI Seldon and the ladies， but there were lots of new characters to make up for their absence。 There was even a new friend for Gladstone！ Master Tomkins！ What’s better than a book with a dog？ A book with a dog and a cat acting as best friends！The mystery touched upon Ellie’s personal life very closely and I liked how the resolution offered some long awaited insight into events from her past。Another fun historical cozy mystery with a really lovable pair of main characters I can’t get enough of。 The summary of book 13 sounds promising and I can’t wait to join Ellie and Clifford on their next adventure。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Phrynne
，
This is one of my favourite cosy series and as usual the author delivers a beauty。 It is unusual in that Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler， Clifford， and her dog， Gladstone， depart to spend Christmas on Ellie's other estate in Ireland， and they leave all our regular favourite characters behind。 This includes Ellie's beaux， Hugh， so there is very little romance replaced by lots of danger and scary moments。The excitement begins as soon as the book opens when Clifford almost runs over a body in the ro This is one of my favourite cosy series and as usual the author delivers a beauty。 It is unusual in that Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler， Clifford， and her dog， Gladstone， depart to spend Christmas on Ellie's other estate in Ireland， and they leave all our regular favourite characters behind。 This includes Ellie's beaux， Hugh， so there is very little romance replaced by lots of danger and scary moments。The excitement begins as soon as the book opens when Clifford almost runs over a body in the road。 It continues when they find the estate deserted except for one old retainer in the gate house。 It deepens when they find many of the villagers unfriendly and unhelpful。 It becomes really dangerous when both their lives are threatened。Through all this Ellie and Clifford keep up their usual banter， Gladstone suffers a shortage of sausages but makes a new friend and Ellie discovers more about her family and their past。 The book is extremely well written and the characters jump off the page。 I loved it and I am already looking forward to next book。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Louise
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This time Lady Eleanor and Clifford are in IrelandI think I understand why but I am not sure that matters。As usual her kindness and his attention to detail allow our sleuths to uncover what terrible things are happening in the village close to her ancestral home。Highly recommend
Annarella
，
It’s not easy write something original after having read and reviewed 12 books unless you want to analyze the specific plot。 Each book in this series is better than the previous and all are very entertaining and well plotted。This is no exception and I liked it even if I missed Hugh and the lady of Henley Hall。 The Irish setting is interesting and the different type of characters， liked the doctor or the abbess， make us discover new sides of the investigating couple。 Eleanor and Clifford are at t It’s not easy write something original after having read and reviewed 12 books unless you want to analyze the specific plot。 Each book in this series is better than the previous and all are very entertaining and well plotted。This is no exception and I liked it even if I missed Hugh and the lady of Henley Hall。 The Irish setting is interesting and the different type of characters， liked the doctor or the abbess， make us discover new sides of the investigating couple。 Eleanor and Clifford are at their best in this unusual and troubled place。 A place full of secrets and where people do not seem to be ready to gossip or reveal anything。Gladstone is as lovely as usual and I have great expectations for Tomkin the cat。It’s an unusual， gripping， solid， and complex mystery I read in one afternoon。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s highly recommended。Many thanks to Bookouture for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Elaine
，
This is another murder mystery， set back in time in 1923Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to the hamlet of DerrydeeTo celebrate Christmas and her inherited Irish castle to see。She， Clifford and Gladstone hope it will be murder free！Someone lying in the road as they travel thereThey have to stop to show some care。They carefully load him into their carTo take to the abbey that isn't too far。The doctor， police constable and abbess， too，Seem suspicious， not revealing just whoThis man they found really i This is another murder mystery， set back in time in 1923Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to the hamlet of DerrydeeTo celebrate Christmas and her inherited Irish castle to see。She， Clifford and Gladstone hope it will be murder free！Someone lying in the road as they travel thereThey have to stop to show some care。They carefully load him into their carTo take to the abbey that isn't too far。The doctor， police constable and abbess， too，Seem suspicious， not revealing just whoThis man they found really is or whyThey claim he's a stranger - why should they lie？This story is filled with revelations and moreSecrets to uncover as the duo start to explore。No questions asked， it makes such a change，But after their start， all seems so strange。A story of community， filled with troubles and dangerWhere Eleanor and Clifford are both a stranger。What's going on in this community， it isn't clear，But something is - or why would there be so much fear？Another investigation by this unlikely duo again，Involving murder， treasure， mystery and pain。Will they escape to return home safely once more？Or will they find more than they were looking for？For my complementary copy of this book， I say thank you，It's an intriguing historical cosy mystery and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Janet
，
Christmas， 1923。 Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny， rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in Henelly Castle。 Arriving late at night， Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the country lane near the estate。 They take the unconscious man to the nearby convent & await the doct Christmas， 1923。 Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny， rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in Henelly Castle。 Arriving late at night， Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the country lane near the estate。 They take the unconscious man to the nearby convent & await the doctor， unfortunately the man dies。 Eleanor is determined to get justice for the victim。 But the Rools is tampered with & then a fire breaks out at the castle gatehouse， an even bigger question looms: is someone out to ensure the family line dies with Lady Swift？ The twelfth outing for Ellie， her butler Clifford & adorable bulldog Gladstone， I love this series， yes each book could easily be read on its own but I love the relationship between Ellie & Clifford & how it’s grown throughout the series & how they both rely on each other。 It's a fun， entertaining， humorous read， which also highlights but doesn’t labour the plight of the villagers of Derrydee。 There were twists & turns， many of which I didn't see coming as well as lots of red herrings。 However Ellie doesn’t shrink from solving a mystery which threatens her。 Hugh & the ladies of Henley Hall don't appear in this book but it's still an engrossing read， which I recommend & look forward to Ellie’s next caseMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Moriah
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I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own。 Murder in an Irish Castle is the 12th title in the long running series featuring Lady Eleanor Swift and her faithful butler， Clifford。 This time， Eleanor is traveling to Ireland during the holiday season to visit a property she inherited from her uncle along with her title and English property。 Arriving in less than ideal weather， the duo find a dying man in the roadway and bring him to a local ab I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own。 Murder in an Irish Castle is the 12th title in the long running series featuring Lady Eleanor Swift and her faithful butler， Clifford。 This time， Eleanor is traveling to Ireland during the holiday season to visit a property she inherited from her uncle along with her title and English property。 Arriving in less than ideal weather， the duo find a dying man in the roadway and bring him to a local abbey in an attempt to find help。 Unfortunately， the man dies and Eleanor begins to suspect that the locals may have been involved in the mysterious death。 As she begins to learn about the occupants of the area， the more questions she has about who sent her the letter inviting her to visit and what exactly everyone is covering up。 Will Eleanor and Clifford figure out who the dead man was and how he died before it is too late？ I really enjoyed this story which had some very nice twists and turns。 As always， I enjoyed the relationship between Eleanor and Clifford as well as the holiday setting。 I did miss some of the secondary characters like the ladies at Henley Hall and her sort-of beau， Hugh。 I look forward to the next story in the series and hope that there are some developments in the relationship department for Eleanor and Hugh。 。。。more
Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews
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For a cozy mystery， there’s surprising depth in the writing。 I’m guessing that’s because Verity Bright has lived with these characters for 12 books。 But don’t be deterred by the fact that this book is one in a series。 Even if you haven’t read the other books in the Eleanor Swift series， you’ll get by just fine in this book。 There was only one time when I did a “HUH？” and that was about half-way through the book when Eleanor mentions her beau， Hugh， who isn’t in this story。 So if you’re looking f For a cozy mystery， there’s surprising depth in the writing。 I’m guessing that’s because Verity Bright has lived with these characters for 12 books。 But don’t be deterred by the fact that this book is one in a series。 Even if you haven’t read the other books in the Eleanor Swift series， you’ll get by just fine in this book。 There was only one time when I did a “HUH？” and that was about half-way through the book when Eleanor mentions her beau， Hugh， who isn’t in this story。 So if you’re looking for the slow burn of a romance in your cozy mystery， this isn’t it。The castle Eleanor inherits is in a quaint little town in the Irish countryside。 It’s a world completely different than today’s: using peat for firewood， still using cart and wagon， the largely agrarian society is suspicious of Eleanor and her butler， Clifford， and no one takes kindly to strangers sticking their nose into things。 Trying to get answers from the townspeople is difficult， but that doesn’t stop Eleanor。The manner of death of the stranger in the road is an unusual one， and one that leaves the reader wondering how it could have happened。 Then there’s the house fire on the castle estate which takes the life of the caretaker which adds to the mystery。 The fact that all the house help has been scared away by ghosts， leaving Eleanor and Clifford alone in the castle， adds to the mystery even more。The culprit isn’t one you’d expect， simply because you’re not introduced to them until later in the story。 The mystery itself was wrapped up about 80% into the book， but the murderer needed to be apprehended， and Eleanor needed to experience more of the Christmas holiday in Ireland before returning to England。For Eleanor Swift fans， have no fear， Gladstone the bulldog makes the trip and provides comic relief。 I’m not much of a dog person but the pup’s behavior was certainly endearing。I enjoyed reading about the traditional Irish Christmas traditions as my husband is Irish。 I can’t say I’ll be serving some of the meals described， but I’ll certainly be telling Dave and the kids about it。 。。。more
Clare Chase
，
It was so good to catch up with Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler Clifford and the trusty bulldog Gladstone！ I love Ellie’s effervescent style， Clifford’s droll humour and good old Gladstone’s solid presence。 In this book， the three head to Ireland over Christmas to visit the castle Ellie has inherited。 Known by the locals as the House of Towers， it and the nearby Ballykieran Abbey are both fabulously imposing and full of a feeling of threat。 This is the perfect mystery for long winter evenings， fu It was so good to catch up with Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler Clifford and the trusty bulldog Gladstone！ I love Ellie’s effervescent style， Clifford’s droll humour and good old Gladstone’s solid presence。 In this book， the three head to Ireland over Christmas to visit the castle Ellie has inherited。 Known by the locals as the House of Towers， it and the nearby Ballykieran Abbey are both fabulously imposing and full of a feeling of threat。 This is the perfect mystery for long winter evenings， full of atmospheric descriptions， by turns festive and distinctly creepy！ There are twists and turns aplenty and many breath-holding moments as the intrepid trio work out who killed the mysterious stranger they found at death’s door on their way into town。 First class， as always！ 。。。more
Donna Huber
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I think this is my favorite book in the series so far。 Even though I missed the ladies and Seldon it was good to see Clifford relaxing more around Eleanor。 The Irish Christmas festivities were great and the mystery definitely stumped me。 Full review soon。
Lori D
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What is better than Christmas in Ireland？ Following Eleanor and Clifford's adventure as they try to solve a murder！I have not read this series completely yet， but it is exactly what I adore in British historical mysteries！The murder， the clues， the red herrings and of course the banter and characters！Throw in a new cat and I am hooked！ I was intrigued from beginning to end and cannot wait for more！ What is better than Christmas in Ireland？ Following Eleanor and Clifford's adventure as they try to solve a murder！I have not read this series completely yet， but it is exactly what I adore in British historical mysteries！The murder， the clues， the red herrings and of course the banter and characters！Throw in a new cat and I am hooked！ I was intrigued from beginning to end and cannot wait for more！ 。。。more
Anne
，
Murder in An Irish Castle by Verity Bright takes us on another adventure with Lady Eleanor Swift， and her butler extraordinaire， Clifford， and of course， the dog， Gladstone。 They are in the middle of a journey in the Rolls that will end at Henelly Castle in Ireland。 It is part of her uncle’s estate that she wasn’t really aware of， but they are journeying there now because of an invitation which had arrived inviting them for Christmas。 Clifford， of course， had been in touch by letter with the sta Murder in An Irish Castle by Verity Bright takes us on another adventure with Lady Eleanor Swift， and her butler extraordinaire， Clifford， and of course， the dog， Gladstone。 They are in the middle of a journey in the Rolls that will end at Henelly Castle in Ireland。 It is part of her uncle’s estate that she wasn’t really aware of， but they are journeying there now because of an invitation which had arrived inviting them for Christmas。 Clifford， of course， had been in touch by letter with the staff， full of instructions。 Now， they were late and had barely stopped in time to avoid running over a man lying in the roadway。 They determined that they must try to save him， and ventured back down the road to a convent， where the Mother Superior offered them succor and called a doctor， the constable， and a priest。 Sadly， the unnamed man died anyway。 As always the duo tried to reason out what had happened。 They had come to no conclusion when they reached the castle， only to find out that most of the staff had fled， the reason supposedly being a ghost。 Ellie had trouble with that explanation， but had no other。 She and Clifford pieced together some food and a place to sleep and got up a few hours later to go into town。 Everyone here seemed strange， but the food in the pub was good and people started warming up to them。 Lady Swift is a wonderful character who is struggling to become an English lady in the early 20th century。 She is forever making mistakes。 Clifford is struggling just as much to help her become the lady she is meant to be。 Since she had never been to Ireland before， nor had he， they had no explanation for how odd everything was。 They continued to explore and investigate。 It was quite the mystery， very convoluted， but， compelling。 It took both of them， with a little help to eventually figure it out。 Bright writes a wonderful book encompassing interesting characters， new vocabulary， and a terrific and mystifying mystery， very satisfying at its completion。 I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder in An Irish Castle by Bookoutre， through Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 #Netgalley #Bookoutre #VerityBright #MurderAtAnIrishCastle 。。。more
Avril Hemingway
，
Another great read in this fab series。 The plot was a good one， and I found it difficult to work out who was trying to help them， and who wished to harm them as this from the start was different in that there were not the usual character's helping out just Eleanor and Clifford and of course Gladstone。 I was enthralled to the last。as usual。Overall， though a little darker， this was another excellent and compelling murder mystery， with humour and fun， though not my favourite of the series。。 I recei Another great read in this fab series。 The plot was a good one， and I found it difficult to work out who was trying to help them， and who wished to harm them as this from the start was different in that there were not the usual character's helping out just Eleanor and Clifford and of course Gladstone。 I was enthralled to the last。as usual。Overall， though a little darker， this was another excellent and compelling murder mystery， with humour and fun， though not my favourite of the series。。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Mystica
，
The series is whimsical。 A bit unusual too。 Lady Eleanor Swift has a penchant for ferretingout a murder。 wherever she goes murder seems to follow her like a magnet。 She has her faithful， and resourceful butler and the podgy bulldog GladstoneLady Eleanor receives an invitation for a Christmas celebration in the remote village， whereshe has inherited a castle which she has never visited and has forgotten about。 Deciding thatthis is as good a time as any to look around her inheritance， the three of The series is whimsical。 A bit unusual too。 Lady Eleanor Swift has a penchant for ferretingout a murder。 wherever she goes murder seems to follow her like a magnet。 She has her faithful， and resourceful butler and the podgy bulldog GladstoneLady Eleanor receives an invitation for a Christmas celebration in the remote village， whereshe has inherited a castle which she has never visited and has forgotten about。 Deciding thatthis is as good a time as any to look around her inheritance， the three of tgem set outon this adventure。Terrible weather， even worse road conditions， a body on the road （almost dead）， a perilous journey to the nearest abode which turns out to be a convent， inhabited by almost hostile nunsnot wanting to show much hospitality in such a terrible weather and then the local priest， doctor， policeman and undertaker all denying any knowledge of who the man could be and closingup to even the simplest of questions。we have villains aplenty， almost a local mafia which has kept the locals under their controland attempt upon attempt to get rid of Lady Eleanor。 The tables are turned of course， motivesare discovered， everything is sorted out and all ends well。Very good vintage detective reading 。。。more
Scilla
，
Eleanor Swift and her butler， Clifford， head to the Irish Castle she inherited from her uncle for Christmas。 Neither she or her uncle had ever seen it， as he inherited it not too long before he died。 She has been invited to come by Miss Winnifred Breen， the village teacher and the head of the Derrydee Village Committee。 As they get close to the castle， Clifford suddenly slams on the brakes， as there is a man lying on the road。 They manage to get him in the car and go back a short distance to the Eleanor Swift and her butler， Clifford， head to the Irish Castle she inherited from her uncle for Christmas。 Neither she or her uncle had ever seen it， as he inherited it not too long before he died。 She has been invited to come by Miss Winnifred Breen， the village teacher and the head of the Derrydee Village Committee。 As they get close to the castle， Clifford suddenly slams on the brakes， as there is a man lying on the road。 They manage to get him in the car and go back a short distance to the Ballykieran Abbey。 The Mother Superior summons the Priest， Father Quinn， Dr。 O'Sullivan， and the village policeman， Constable Doyle。 The man dies， and none of those present want to talk。 Everyone they have met seems very unfriendly and strange。When they finally get to the castle， Hennelly Towers， there is no one inside。 All the staff has left except for Corcoran who lives in the gatehouse。 They go to the pub in the village the next morning to get something to eat， and meet the owner， Murphy who is friendly。 When they see two men run away from the Rolls， they quickly find that the car has been disabled。 Car parts and mechanics are few and far between， and Eleanor and Clifford soon realize this is not the wonderful vacation Christmas they had imagined。 When the gatehouse is burned down on Christmas Eve， they get help from Murphy and Smithie。 By then， they realize there is a real problem in Derrydee， and they are determined to find out who is causing fear in all the residents。 Will they be able to figure out the problems and fix them before their Christmas holiday has ended？ Will they still be alive on Christmas night？ 。。。more
Brenda
，
As Lady Eleanor Swift travelled in their Rolls with Clifford and Gladstone， to Ireland's Derrydee and the castle which she had inherited after her Uncle Byron's death， the discovery of a body on the road saw them stopping to render aid。 With only a faint pulse， they headed to the nearby convent in search of a doctor。 After the man's death， both Ellie and Clifford were suspicious of how and why the man died。 So together they began an investigation which would see them in grave danger on several o As Lady Eleanor Swift travelled in their Rolls with Clifford and Gladstone， to Ireland's Derrydee and the castle which she had inherited after her Uncle Byron's death， the discovery of a body on the road saw them stopping to render aid。 With only a faint pulse， they headed to the nearby convent in search of a doctor。 After the man's death， both Ellie and Clifford were suspicious of how and why the man died。 So together they began an investigation which would see them in grave danger on several occasions。The folk of Derrydee were friendly， inviting them to the Christmas celebrations the town traditionally held。 The children of the local school sang sweetly， while the alcohol and laughter ran freely。 But the danger was still there， and Ellie and Clifford were frustrated by their lack of answers。。。Murder in an Irish Castle is #12 in A Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright and I loved it， just like the previous eleven！ A fabulous， fun and entertaining cozy series with characters that always make me laugh。 Gladstone has fans wherever they go， and in this one the castle's cat becomes his best friend。 The stiff upper lip of Clifford struggles to remain that way and Ellie's sharp brain keeps up with Clifford's - mostly。 I'm looking forward to the next in the series！ Highly recommended。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Roberta
，
The Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries are a favourite series， and we’re already on book 12。 I have loved every single one， including Murder in an Irish Castle。This time， Eleanor and Clifford have travelled to Ireland， where they’ve been invited to spend Christmas at the estate she inherited there from her uncle。 When they arrive， they discover that all is not as it should be at the estate， and in the village。 They obviously then investigate！This book felt more sinister than any of the previous storie The Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries are a favourite series， and we’re already on book 12。 I have loved every single one， including Murder in an Irish Castle。This time， Eleanor and Clifford have travelled to Ireland， where they’ve been invited to spend Christmas at the estate she inherited there from her uncle。 When they arrive， they discover that all is not as it should be at the estate， and in the village。 They obviously then investigate！This book felt more sinister than any of the previous stories。 I think perhaps because Eleanor was cut off from all her usual resources （except for Clifford）， and there seemed to be some sort of conspiracy going on。 However， there was still plenty of banter between the two， and other funny moments。 It was interesting to see them manage both the mystery， and the day to day chores etc， without the usual backup。 Luckily they are both very intrepid and resourceful， after all their adventures （both in the book series and before）。The plot was a good one - like Eleanor， I found it difficult to work out who was trying to help them， and who wished to harm them。Overall， though a little darker， this was another excellent and compelling murder mystery， with humour and much loved characters。 I was given a copy of this book， my opinions are my own。 。。。more
marita lazarus
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Lady Eleanor Swift never disappoints when it comes to adventure - this book however was not my favorite in the series。Lady Swift and her Steadfast loyal Butler along with Master Gladstone - the Bulldog are off to Ireland - at the invitation of the city committee to celebrate Christmas。 What can go wrong？ALOTFirst they find an almost dead body on the road on the way to the family seat in Ireland。 Then they stop at an Abbey with Benedictine nuns， who are somewhat standoffishThey meet the local con Lady Eleanor Swift never disappoints when it comes to adventure - this book however was not my favorite in the series。Lady Swift and her Steadfast loyal Butler along with Master Gladstone - the Bulldog are off to Ireland - at the invitation of the city committee to celebrate Christmas。 What can go wrong？ALOTFirst they find an almost dead body on the road on the way to the family seat in Ireland。 Then they stop at an Abbey with Benedictine nuns， who are somewhat standoffishThey meet the local constabulary and doctor and it's less than a welcoming meeting。There is more to this town than meets the eye， with lots of turns and twists。 It takes getting to the end to find out what is going on。 The ending， however， is sweet。These books are fun to read， I wish this one had more of the characters we have come to love in it。I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kate Merson
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Lots of local colour， intelligent application in working out of the mystery - which grew roots and branched out into a satisfyingly complex story。 And I love Clifford's precision of language。 I received this book as a complimentary review copy from the author via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review。 Lots of local colour， intelligent application in working out of the mystery - which grew roots and branched out into a satisfyingly complex story。 And I love Clifford's precision of language。 I received this book as a complimentary review copy from the author via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Murder in an Irish Castle， the twelfth novel to feature Lady Eleanor Swift， set in 1923。Lady Eleanor is thrilled to receive an invitation to the Christmas party held by the the village of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 She has inherited an estate there from her late uncle and is excited to see it and explore her Irish roots， but she is shocked， when arriving late at night， to find a body in the road outside the estate。 Despi I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Murder in an Irish Castle， the twelfth novel to feature Lady Eleanor Swift， set in 1923。Lady Eleanor is thrilled to receive an invitation to the Christmas party held by the the village of Derrydee in the west of Ireland。 She has inherited an estate there from her late uncle and is excited to see it and explore her Irish roots， but she is shocked， when arriving late at night， to find a body in the road outside the estate。 Despite a lack of interest from the villagers she is determined to find out what happened and why， aided naturally by her butler， Clifford who thinks he remembers the man lurking at her uncle’s funeral。I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in an Irish Castle， which is a fun read with a whoppingly outrageous plot that just adds to the humour。 It is told from Eleanor’s point of view and as she attacks life with gusto and a certain naïveté the novel is full of verve and joy。I don’t even know where to start with the plot as it mostly consists of Eleanor asking questions and not getting any answers from a village unwilling to discuss recent events， especially when it becomes apparent that someone wishes to do her harm or at least drive her out。 The denouement is delightfully silly with both perpetrator and motive well disguised and an answer to one unexplained event in her past。 Satisfying， if not remotely sensible。The real core of the novel， however， is the relationship between Eleanor and Clifford。 She is the impulsive madcap， he is the one trying to instil decorum and a sense of position and yet he not only indulges her investigations， he ably assists。 They always make me laugh。 In this novel they are on their own， so the usual supporting cast of the staff at Henley Hall and her beau， Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon are missing and missed。Murder in an Irish Castle is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Holly Reynolds
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Another fabulous book featuring Ellie， Clifford， and Master Gladstone。。。 and this one has the added bonus of having a festive feel to it， albeit it a festive season filled with a number of dead bodies！With this book being set in Ireland， it was interesting to learn about the different customs and traditions， but also to see that Ellie and Clifford are a formidable detective duo， even when out of their own familiar surroundings。Filled with humour， as always， I just find myself getting such joy ou Another fabulous book featuring Ellie， Clifford， and Master Gladstone。。。 and this one has the added bonus of having a festive feel to it， albeit it a festive season filled with a number of dead bodies！With this book being set in Ireland， it was interesting to learn about the different customs and traditions， but also to see that Ellie and Clifford are a formidable detective duo， even when out of their own familiar surroundings。Filled with humour， as always， I just find myself getting such joy out of this series， and this book is a great addition to it。 。。。more
K McKenzie
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I have enjoyed this series from the start。 This book has Ellie and her butler/friend/advisor traveling to Ireland to investigate some family matters。 Ellie finally gets some answers to family mysteries and of course solves another real crime。 As always， the mystery itself is well plotted and engaging， and it’s always good to see regular characters。 I felt with this one， though， that a few elements started to feel almost formulaic， and I was a little disappointed that there is no Hugh in this boo I have enjoyed this series from the start。 This book has Ellie and her butler/friend/advisor traveling to Ireland to investigate some family matters。 Ellie finally gets some answers to family mysteries and of course solves another real crime。 As always， the mystery itself is well plotted and engaging， and it’s always good to see regular characters。 I felt with this one， though， that a few elements started to feel almost formulaic， and I was a little disappointed that there is no Hugh in this book。 I’m all for a slow burn romance， but this is dragging on a bit。 。。。more
Aria Harlow
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A quick， easy and cosy read that is well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters all in a incredible setting。 I loved the inclusion of Irish traditions/culture too。
Emma Rose Ribbons
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This reminded me so much of the Lady Hardcastle books！ Lady Eleanor is invited to spend Christmas in an Irish castle so off she goes along with her butler Clifford and dog。 She ends up in a sleepy little village and finds a body right outside the castle grounds。 This has got clergy content， lots of Irish flavour and family secrets and the relationship between Lady Eleanor and Clifford is great fun。 I'd completely consider reading the rest of the series， this was really enjoyable。A thousand thank This reminded me so much of the Lady Hardcastle books！ Lady Eleanor is invited to spend Christmas in an Irish castle so off she goes along with her butler Clifford and dog。 She ends up in a sleepy little village and finds a body right outside the castle grounds。 This has got clergy content， lots of Irish flavour and family secrets and the relationship between Lady Eleanor and Clifford is great fun。 I'd completely consider reading the rest of the series， this was really enjoyable。A thousand thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book。 。。。more
QNPoohBear
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I recieved a free e-ARC from NetGalley。 All opinions in this review are my own and not affected by the giveway。Lady Eleanor Swift and her ever faithful butler/bodyguard Clifford （and Gladstone， the bulldog） have been invited to Ireland for the holidays。 Leaving the ladies behind， Clifford drives through the nasty weather to the castle Ellie inherited from her uncle。 Before they even arrive at their destination， the Rolls nearly runs over a man lying in the road。 Mercifully he's not quite dead bu I recieved a free e-ARC from NetGalley。 All opinions in this review are my own and not affected by the giveway。Lady Eleanor Swift and her ever faithful butler/bodyguard Clifford （and Gladstone， the bulldog） have been invited to Ireland for the holidays。 Leaving the ladies behind， Clifford drives through the nasty weather to the castle Ellie inherited from her uncle。 Before they even arrive at their destination， the Rolls nearly runs over a man lying in the road。 Mercifully he's not quite dead but it's cold and wet outside and if Clifford and Ellie can't find help， he will die。 Fortunately， they discover an abbey nearby where the Mother Superior is reluctant to take in the unknown man。 She knows her duty， however， even if he is a man， and whisks Ellie and Clifford off to get warm while they wait for the doctor。 Ellie believes she sees a man behind a stained glass window but the doctor has not yet arrived。 When he does， the poor man expires from his injuries。 Ellie is saddened and concerned for the unknown man。 She worries he did not die from natural causes but who tried to kill the man and why？ Lord Henley never visited the Irish property and Clifford is horrified to find only one old retainer who won't set foot inside。 All the other servants have fled over some nonsense about ghosts。 The villagers don't seem to know or want to say who the man was and what may have happened。 The schoolteacher who invited Ellie to Ireland claims she did no such thing。 Who is telling the truth and who is lying？ This book is good to read about now at the end of the year。 It features murder and a possible ghost for Halloween and plenty of Christmas cheer。 Henelley Towers is creepy enough for Halloween。 I bet it IS haunted but not by the ghost that caused the servants to flee。 Derrydee is a charming village。 I really liked all the color color worked into the story and learning about Irish food and Irish Christmas celebrations。 It's a huge difference from last Christmas in Scotland！ The characters in this series are so lifelike。 I love Ellie and how much she's grown in the last few years。 I suspect the villagers are anti-English but if they take the time to get to know her， they'll see she's not the usual sort of English noblewoman。 Ellie takes in everything with wide-eyed delight， like a child。 The food of rural Ireland is humble peasant food but she loves it。 （Granted， Ellie has traveled to the remotest parts of the world and sampled the most unusual of foods， so she's not fussy）。 Clifford acts like he's suffering but he's devoted to Ellie and not just for Uncle Byron's sake。 They truly are friends。 Clifford is more than a friend- he's the uncle figure in Ellie's life since Uncle Byron was murdered。 He's her bodyguard， her sleuthing partner and devoted servant too。 Clifford is so prim and proper at times， it is very amusing。 I missed the ladies and his interactions with them。 Gladstone comes along for the trip but he doesn't have much to do。 He's adorable as always and makes a new friend， Tomkins， the kitten。 They're very sweet together。 There's a new animal sidekick， a very stubborn mule only Clifford can manage。At Ballykieran Abbey we meet the Mother Superior who is very tough and devout。 She's reluctant to allow men in her abbey， even half dead ones and servants。 From her reaction to the man Ellie brings in， I suspect she knows who he is but she won't say！ Father Quinn isn't talking either and Ellie finds him a bit suspicious。 He's new to the area but he IS a priest so if he knows something， he's not allowed to tell and if he's up to something bad， well， he IS a priest！ This series is pretty cozy so I doubt Father Quinn is a bad person。 Maybe just crusty。 Doctor O'Sullivan is a bit gruff too。 He isn't forthcoming about his patient and he is seen skulking around the village。 Ellie suspects Dr。 O'Sullivan might know a little something about what happened the the dead man。 Constable Doyle is irascible， doesn't like women and seems suspicious of Ellie and Clifford。 It would be easy to pin a murder charge on them because they're the only people around with a car and they're new。 Yet， she's the Lady of Hennelly Towers so I'm not sure he can arrest her easily。 Murphy， the publican and undertaker， is lively and welcoming but also not forthcoming about the dead body in his cellar。 At the Towers， there's only Cocoroan， a faithful old servant。 He's cheeky and not in a good way。 I suspect he's either a leprechaun or a villain。 He seems suspicious to me。 Ghost stories？ Not setting foot in the house？ He is not a good servant。 Ellie should have brought the ladies！Miss Breen is a no-nonsense headmistress/teacher。 She's tough on the kids but only because they're very poor and need learning to get ahead。 She seems a bit confused though and not all together with it。 Unless she's lying。 Murphy's daughter Kathleen is a lot of fun。 She's the cook in the pub and keeps her dad on his toes。 They have a close relationship but I don't think so close that he has involved in her whatever he's mixed up in。 Mr。 Sheeply Walsh is an old school farmer。 He's chatty enough but doesn't involve himself in village affairs - or so he says。 I strongly suspect they ALL are involved in SOMETHING up to their necks and I think that something has to do with the "troubles。" The villain was kind of obvious but the reveal was a shock。 I wasn't expecting that and it was a little too dark for me。 The motive was rather lame。 Doesn't everyone else have the same motive？ The secondary villains are rather cartoonish goons who threaten and laugh meanly but don't have enough brains to do anything on their own。 Otherwise， the residents of the village and town are enjoyable， well-drawn characters。 I missed the ladies and Hugh though。 。。。more
April Brown
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Christmas in Ireland being used as the setting for a cozy mystery。 I had to read it！ This is the 12th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series but is the very first one I have read。 It won't be my last！！I had no trouble jumping into the story and it definitely can be read as a standalone。 I love the author's descriptive way of telling the story。 I can really picture it in my mind and be transported to an Irish castle and village in 1923。 I enjoyed the banter between Ellie and Clifford。 He may be he Christmas in Ireland being used as the setting for a cozy mystery。 I had to read it！ This is the 12th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series but is the very first one I have read。 It won't be my last！！I had no trouble jumping into the story and it definitely can be read as a standalone。 I love the author's descriptive way of telling the story。 I can really picture it in my mind and be transported to an Irish castle and village in 1923。 I enjoyed the banter between Ellie and Clifford。 He may be her butler/companion， but he is also her crime solving partner。 It was a refreshing change to see the heroine solving a crime where her police detective beau is not involved or even there for this one。Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler， Clifford， are off to Ireland to spend Christmas in the Castle left to her by her Uncle Byron who recently was murdered。 First thing they come upon is a man lying the road near death。 They are able to get him to a nearby Abby， but he dies。 Now who is the man no one claims to know。 Ellie and Clifford find themselves with more questions than answers。 The village has some interesting folks who are not being honest with our duo。 They suffer a car mishap， a fire and some physical threats from the village bullies。 This is a story that will keep you reading into late in the night until you finish。 I also have a soft spot with stories that have pets in them。 Gladstone and Tomkins have captured my heart and I hope to see them again in another edition of this series。 I will be anxiously waiting on the next installment。 。。。more
Pratikshya Mishra
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