Death on a Winter's Day
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- Create Date：2021-11-26 21:21:14
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Verity Bright
- ISBN：B09DD75271
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Robin Loves Reading
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Christmas in Scotland。 In a castle。 It should be rather enjoyable。 Well， when Lady Eleanor Swift finds that her friends' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas， her staff willingly agrees to accompany her to perform duties that should make Christmas enjoyable。 As always， Eleanor's closest comrade is her butler Clifford。 He was her uncle's erstwhile butler， and now he is proving to be quite loyal to her。 Of course， her bulldog Gladstone is along for the trip。At what starts off as a boring dinner e Christmas in Scotland。 In a castle。 It should be rather enjoyable。 Well， when Lady Eleanor Swift finds that her friends' staff refuse to prepare for Christmas， her staff willingly agrees to accompany her to perform duties that should make Christmas enjoyable。 As always， Eleanor's closest comrade is her butler Clifford。 He was her uncle's erstwhile butler， and now he is proving to be quite loyal to her。 Of course， her bulldog Gladstone is along for the trip。At what starts off as a boring dinner early after they arrive， they decide on a party game。 However， things go terribly wrong when a visiting American， Mr。 Eugene Randall， is found dead with a dirk in his back。 Of course， Eleanor not only wants answers， but with the rather inept officers who barely begin the investigation， she relies on her finely honed skills as an amateur detective。 With Clifford by her side， along with his keen sense of observation， Eleanor begins to dig for answers。 Oh do they need answers， because the killer soon strikes again。The facts are fairly clear。 There was a dinner party at the castle。 The baron and his wife， along with their guests， are all suspects。 Eleanor begins looking for clues， and is determined to unmask the killer so that Christmas dinner can take place。What an enjoyable addition to a series that is close to my heart。 I love Eleanor as she has recently stepped into the role of a Lady， and how she defies convention repeatedly， all while Clifford strives to keep her in line。 The time period， 1920s England， is terrific for this lovely series。 Not only does Eleanor prove to be the perfect protagonist for these stories， but I love the slow brewing romance between her and detective chief inspector Seldon and how he makes an appearance in this novel。 I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series， A Royal Murder， set for release in March。Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review。 This is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Vivienne
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My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Death on a Winter’s Day’ by Verity Bright in exchange for an honest review。This is the eighth in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the early 1920s。 I was delighted to have a new Lady Eleanor mystery to settle down with on a winter afternoon。 I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook， narrated by Karen Cass。Winter， 1921。 Lady Eleanor Swift has been invited to spend Christmas in Scotland at the cast My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Death on a Winter’s Day’ by Verity Bright in exchange for an honest review。This is the eighth in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the early 1920s。 I was delighted to have a new Lady Eleanor mystery to settle down with on a winter afternoon。 I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook， narrated by Karen Cass。Winter， 1921。 Lady Eleanor Swift has been invited to spend Christmas in Scotland at the castle of her friends Baron and Baroness Ashley。 She is accompanied by her loyal butler Clifford along with Gladstone the bulldog。 Of course， it wouldn’t be complete without a murder though I won’t reveal the victim’s identity or manner of death in order to avoid spoilers。Castle Ranburgh is located on an island in the middle of the enormous Loch Vale。 It is a sea loch with waters that are treacherous to navigate and a local legend of a monster。 With winter storms raging and no way to leave the island apart from a tiny row boat， it’s a perfect setting for a locked castle mystery。 There are various guests and staff in residence， so there are plenty of suspects。 Naturally Lady Eleanor draws upon her sleuthing skills to assist the local police in identifying whodunnit。Aside from the murder mystery， there were some really delightful folkloric touches to the story and a gripping climax that had me on the edge of my seat， hardly daring to read on。I am a huge fan of this series and eagerly await the publication of each new mystery。 It continues to delight。 Verity Bright always provides details of Lady Eleanor’s wardrobe and the mouthwatering dishes served by Henley Hall’s cook Mrs。 Trotman。 Such attention to detail is important to me and allows me to fully engage with the story。 Here descriptions of the unpalatable first night’s dinner at Castle Ranburgh effectively demonstrated how the family’s cook was using food as a silent protest as she believes celebrating Christmas is sinful。 So， while upstairs there is whisky and murder， downstairs there is a staff war as Lady Eleanor has brought members of her staff to help her friends throw a lavish Christmas celebration。This is a novel and a series that I highly recommend for lovers of historical cosies。 。。。more
Janet
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4。5 StarsWinter， 1921 & Lady Eleanor Swift has been invited to spend Christmas at Ranburgh Castle in Scotland， by her dear friends Clarence & Wilhelmina， Baron and Baroness Ashley。 Following a crackly telephone conversation all of Ellie’s staff are needed to save to day as the Ashleys' staff have left on mass or so Ellie believes。 There's a mix of guests， the Laird & his son， the local doctor， cousins of Clarence & Mr Eugene Randall the third。 Things are tense between the guests but during a gam 4。5 StarsWinter， 1921 & Lady Eleanor Swift has been invited to spend Christmas at Ranburgh Castle in Scotland， by her dear friends Clarence & Wilhelmina， Baron and Baroness Ashley。 Following a crackly telephone conversation all of Ellie’s staff are needed to save to day as the Ashleys' staff have left on mass or so Ellie believes。 There's a mix of guests， the Laird & his son， the local doctor， cousins of Clarence & Mr Eugene Randall the third。 Things are tense between the guests but during a game of wink murder the lights suddenly fail & when they come back on Mr Eugene Randall is found stabbed。 The killer must be in the castle… and when Clarence is arrested， Mina begs Eleanor to investigate。 Determined not to let her friend down， Eleanor sets about questioning the remaining partygoers。 Then someone else dies。 This is the eighth book in the series & it could easily be read on its own。 I’ve loved the whole series & this is a lovely seasonal addition。 Once again Ellie is intrepid whilst being added by the ever faithful Clifford & High arrives to help also。 There are plenty of red herrings & twists & turns before the villain is revealed。 Ellie also discovers more about her parents as well as Scottish folklore & her nursing skills are needed when the killer tries to take another life。 I love how we are gradually finding out more about Ellie’s past & I love the relationship with Hugh A well written engrossing cosy mystery， which I thoroughly enjoyed。 I had two unanswered questions what was in the satchel & how does the Rolls get back to Henley Hall？My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Anne
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Death on a Winter's Day by Verity Bright is another Lady Eleanor Swift mystery starring Eleanor， herself， along with her highly effective butler， Clifford。 Since Ellie grew up in very different circumstances， she has a difficult time conforming to society's rules， one of which is maintaining distance between her and her staff。 That Clifford is her mentor and guardian angel there is no doubt， but she sees the others on her staff as family and doesn't hesitate to show them， despite any discomfort Death on a Winter's Day by Verity Bright is another Lady Eleanor Swift mystery starring Eleanor， herself， along with her highly effective butler， Clifford。 Since Ellie grew up in very different circumstances， she has a difficult time conforming to society's rules， one of which is maintaining distance between her and her staff。 That Clifford is her mentor and guardian angel there is no doubt， but she sees the others on her staff as family and doesn't hesitate to show them， despite any discomfort she may cause。 In this case， she wishes them to come to Scotland with her for Christmas。 Presbyterian Scotland does not celebrate Christmas and so most of the servants of her friends; Lord and Lady Ashley have left the castle in protest。 Of course， they agree， only to arrive in Scotland to a most unusual situation。 Downstairs， several of the servants stayed and are highly displeased with the new arrivals and ward breaks out。 Upstairs， there is a variety of odd guests and s new coldness between Lord and Lad Ashley。 Then， at an absolutely ghastly Christmas Eve dinner， one of the guests is killed。 Of course， Eleanor and Clifford are on it。The characters in this book are well rounded and clever。 They all have their own strong points and they meld together nicely。 It is a traditional English mystery， with benefits。 Clifford is the quintessential butler and more: her appears to be a mind-reader as no matter what it is that is needed， her has it at hand。 He saves Eleanor on a regular basis， most often from herself。 Ellie is bright， and cheerful， and doesn't always think before she acts。 She is highly entertaining and always a good sport。 Her ersatz beau， DCI Hugh Selden， is strong and intelligent and has all the traits necessary to make him an excellent detective。 The mystery is a good one， full of misdirection and confusion。 Ellie has a chance to meet the "ghost" of her mother， which fill a hole she hadn't been aware was empty。 All in all， it is， as always， an outstanding read。 I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Death on a Winter's Day by Book outré， through Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions are mine。 #netgalley #bookoutre #veritybright #deathonawintersday 。。。more
Donna Huber
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I love Christmas books and when one of my favorite cozy mystery series does one it's like a double helping of fun。 It is a great book。 I love these characters more and more。 The mystery was a good one - lots of suspects with unknown motives。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 I love Christmas books and when one of my favorite cozy mystery series does one it's like a double helping of fun。 It is a great book。 I love these characters more and more。 The mystery was a good one - lots of suspects with unknown motives。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 。。。more
Moriah
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I received an ARC from the publisher， but all opinions are my own。 Death on a Winter's day is the eighth title featuring Lady Eleanor Swift; this outing finds Ellie traveling to rural Scotland to attend a house party hosted by the Ashley's over the holidays。 When informed that the couple 8s having issues with their staff， her loyal servants agree to accompany her and assist during the party。 In addition to Ellie， the party includes the Laird （a neighbor of the Ashley's）， his grown son， the local I received an ARC from the publisher， but all opinions are my own。 Death on a Winter's day is the eighth title featuring Lady Eleanor Swift; this outing finds Ellie traveling to rural Scotland to attend a house party hosted by the Ashley's over the holidays。 When informed that the couple 8s having issues with their staff， her loyal servants agree to accompany her and assist during the party。 In addition to Ellie， the party includes the Laird （a neighbor of the Ashley's）， his grown son， the local doctor， a drunken American business man Mr Randall， and Baron Ashley's cousins the Fortesques。 When the unlikable Mr Randall is stabbed to death during a game of wink murder， Eleanor and her devoted butler Clifford find themselves in a race to unmask the killer to clear an innocent man an prevent the murderer from striking again。 I thought the mystery was well done and the characters as engaging as always。 There was progress on the personal front with Ellie and a special someone that series readers will appreciate。 I'm curious what role the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Ellie's parents may lay in upcoming titles （if any） given the increased mentions of them in the last few titles。 I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series。 。。。more
Lata
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Christmas is cancelled！！ Or so Lady Eleanor Swift is told by Baron and Baroness Ashley when their plans to host friends at their Scottish castle for Christmas are scuttled by their Scottish staff。 Thinking quickly， Eleanor drafts her own staff to step in。 After arrival， Eleanor discovers that not only are three of the Ashley's Scottish servants still there， and pretty pissed off about the Christmas festivities， but the Ashley's guests are not particularly happy with the Ashleys either。 After a g Christmas is cancelled！！ Or so Lady Eleanor Swift is told by Baron and Baroness Ashley when their plans to host friends at their Scottish castle for Christmas are scuttled by their Scottish staff。 Thinking quickly， Eleanor drafts her own staff to step in。 After arrival， Eleanor discovers that not only are three of the Ashley's Scottish servants still there， and pretty pissed off about the Christmas festivities， but the Ashley's guests are not particularly happy with the Ashleys either。 After a game of the bizarre "wink murder"， one of the guests， with connections to the Baron Ashley's business hopes， ends up dead。 Eleanor has some experience poking her nose into other people's business when murder is involved （this is her eighth outing）， and between her and her immensely talented butler， Clifford， they ask uncomfortable questions， with more murders and revelations occurring。 Eleanor Swift has a lot of pluck and spunk。 Her unconventional upbringing and experience leaves her fitting in better with her staff than her social equals。 In fact， one of the best scenes in this fun and light mystery has her partying Christmas night in the kitchen with her tipsy staff。 There's so much joy and humour and respect amongst the bunch， things that are missing amongst the gentry guests， where people are losing it on each other， and pretty much all the clues point to the Baron as the culprit。 Eleanor， or course， feels obligated to keep pushing to find the truth。This was light and the mystery was pretty easy to figure out， but the story was still enjoyable。 The one little thing that did detract from my enjoyment was the way the author showed us Eleanor's thoughts; her constant use of a diminutive of her name actually had me irritated the longer I read。 Other than that， a fun mystery， and Clifford is the best！Thank you to Netgalley and to Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Javier
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Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。Christmas is canceled！ Not if Lady Eleanor Swift has a say on it！ Death on a winter’s day is book 8 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series and it’s still as fresh as book 1！Lady Eleanor， Clifford and all the Henley Hall staff travel to a remote castle in Scotland to spend the holidays with some friends， but after an innocent game of Wink turns deadly with a real corpse， things will go rather unchristmassy quite fast。 Will Ellie and C Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。Christmas is canceled！ Not if Lady Eleanor Swift has a say on it！ Death on a winter’s day is book 8 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series and it’s still as fresh as book 1！Lady Eleanor， Clifford and all the Henley Hall staff travel to a remote castle in Scotland to spend the holidays with some friends， but after an innocent game of Wink turns deadly with a real corpse， things will go rather unchristmassy quite fast。 Will Ellie and Clifford uncover the murderer this time？You betcha！ There has come a point in this series in which I just consider the murder mystery a secondary element of the story。 Once again， the real appeal of the book to me is in its characters。 Ellie， Clifford， Seldon…I would gladly read pages and pages of Lady Eleanor having secret celebrations with all the members of her household。 I love how they feel like a family， and it’s always a delight to spend time with them。Ellie is as quirky and free spirited as usual and Clifford kept imparting small doses of wisdom laced with dry humor that I always find so funny。Ellie’s personal storyline has moved forward significantly and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for her in future installments。 I’m curious to see if this new situation will affect somehow her relationship with Clifford。It’s always nice to see these characters out of Henley Hall。 I’ve never been to Scotland but after reading some of the descriptions and tales described here I would fly there in a moment’s time。 The mystery was good and the resolution had more action than usual and it included some ties with Ellie’s parents’ story。Perfect story for Christmas to read beside a cozy fire and a cup of hot chocolate （with a splash of whisky。 We’re in Scotland， after all！）。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brenda
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The winter of 1921， in Scotland， in a drafty old castle， was freezing！ Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler Clifford and Gladstone the dog， plus all the Henley Hall staff travelled to spend Christmas with Baron and Baroness Ashley， Clarence and Wilhelmina。 There were other guests as well， but the atmosphere was almost a chilly as it was outside the castle。 One of the guests， a disagreeable American， who continued to imbibe heavily was suddenly found dead at the dining table。 But the local police weren The winter of 1921， in Scotland， in a drafty old castle， was freezing！ Lady Eleanor Swift， her butler Clifford and Gladstone the dog， plus all the Henley Hall staff travelled to spend Christmas with Baron and Baroness Ashley， Clarence and Wilhelmina。 There were other guests as well， but the atmosphere was almost a chilly as it was outside the castle。 One of the guests， a disagreeable American， who continued to imbibe heavily was suddenly found dead at the dining table。 But the local police weren’t particularly interested and when Baron Ashley was arrested， the Baroness begged Eleanor to find the real killer。When another body was discovered in the freezing snow， Eleanor and Clifford knew they had a race on their hands。 Could they find the evildoer who was obviously in the castle with them all， before he murdered again？ Was this the worst Christmas Ellie had ever known？Oh I do love this series！ Death on a Winter’s Day is the 8th in A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series by Verity Bright， and I thoroughly enjoy the interactions between Ellie and Clifford as well as the staff。 I’d very much like to visit Henley Hall to meet them all， even the slobbery Gladstone！ Such a fun series with plenty of laugh out loud moments。 Highly recommended。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Monika Armet
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Lady Eleanor Swift heads up to Scotland with all of her staff。 She received an invitation from her friends， Baron and Baroness Ashley to spend Christmas with them at their recently purchased Scottish castle。 When she arrives on Christmas Eve， it appears that Eleanor is not the only guest: she meets a pompous American Eugene Randall the Third， and overhears him arguing with the host， Clarence Ashley。 She also meets Clarence’s cousin Lady Fortesque and her husband Sir Edward。 Both of them appear j Lady Eleanor Swift heads up to Scotland with all of her staff。 She received an invitation from her friends， Baron and Baroness Ashley to spend Christmas with them at their recently purchased Scottish castle。 When she arrives on Christmas Eve， it appears that Eleanor is not the only guest: she meets a pompous American Eugene Randall the Third， and overhears him arguing with the host， Clarence Ashley。 She also meets Clarence’s cousin Lady Fortesque and her husband Sir Edward。 Both of them appear judgemental and think they are better than everyone else， including Eleanor。The Ashleys invited some locals to Christmas Eve dinner， too: Robert Cameron， Laird of Dunburgh and his son Gordon， as well as Doctor Connell。 During dinner Eleanor finds the local guests pleasant， apart from Gordon， who sneers at the Christmas tradition。As the night progresses， Eugene gets more and more drunk， and becomes unbearable。 To lighten the mood， one of the guests suggests a game of wink murder。During the game， the lights temporarily go out。 When power is restored， the guests uncover than Eugene has been fatally stabbed in the back。 The police are called in and each of the guests is questioned。 Eleanor finds the Inspector Lockhart disengaged and single minded。She and Clifford， her butler， begin an investigation of their own。 It soon appears that Clifford is a man of knowledge and invaluable to their case。 Then， a second body is found… Eleanor and Clifford are convinced that the killer is one of the guests。 Who is it？ Will they be able to uncover the perpetrator？I really enjoyed this book。 I found Eleanor quirky and independent， a woman of vision who was ahead of her time。 I loved the relationship she had with all of her staff， she treated them like people and didn’t look down on them。 My favourite character was Clifford， his stoicism and wisdom stood out throughout this book。This is a perfect Christmas read， so curl up with your favourite drink and get cosy。 If you fancy a ‘whodunnit’ in a cold and draughty Scottish castle， then this book is definitely for you。 。。。more
Kim
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This is the eighth book in the Eleanor Swift Mystery series and it is Clever， Clever， Clever。 Full of wit， snappy dialog， and the familiar characters of Lady Swift’s entourage make this a fun frolic in a Scottish castle over the Christmas Holidays of 1921。 But wait， it is not all roaring fires， glad tidings with old friends， a tipple of this and that， glorious sumptuous meals。 The castle staff is in revolt， the guests who are of the Presbyterian faith are grim， the relatives of the hosts are nas This is the eighth book in the Eleanor Swift Mystery series and it is Clever， Clever， Clever。 Full of wit， snappy dialog， and the familiar characters of Lady Swift’s entourage make this a fun frolic in a Scottish castle over the Christmas Holidays of 1921。 But wait， it is not all roaring fires， glad tidings with old friends， a tipple of this and that， glorious sumptuous meals。 The castle staff is in revolt， the guests who are of the Presbyterian faith are grim， the relatives of the hosts are nasty and vocal and there is a MURDER。 Lady Eleanor is implored by her hosts with solving it and unmasking the evil person（s） responsible。 Oh fun， off they go， Lady Swift and her unflappable Butler Clifford， back and forth across a frothing and dangerous loch， fortifying herself with a “glug of bubbles” to do battle with a nincompoop police inspector。 There are so many small details that pull this very canny and entertaining mystery together。 I admit to missing many as I put away my discerning， critical nature as I got lost in the story。 Upon rereading portions I realized just how perfectly and tightly the whole plot was woven。 The author is a husband-and-wife writing team。 I can almost see and hear them bantering back and forth， getting the dialog and quips just right。 The Historical Notes were very informative especially the explanation and incorporation of the Scottish Presbyterian beliefs regarding the celebration of Christmas。 Well written， entertaining and completely enjoyable - Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for a copy。 。。。more
Scilla
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It's 1921， and Ellie has been invited to the Castle on a Scotland island to celebrate Christmas with her friends who own it， Baron Clarence and Baroness Wilhelmina Ashley。 Of course， her butler Clifford， dog， and four members of her kitchen staff go as well。 Also there are neighboring family， the Laird Robert， his son Gordon Cameran， Sir Edward and Lady Fortesque， Doctor Connell， and an American who is drunk most of the time， Mr。 Randall。 Christmas gets off to a bad start when the local and that It's 1921， and Ellie has been invited to the Castle on a Scotland island to celebrate Christmas with her friends who own it， Baron Clarence and Baroness Wilhelmina Ashley。 Of course， her butler Clifford， dog， and four members of her kitchen staff go as well。 Also there are neighboring family， the Laird Robert， his son Gordon Cameran， Sir Edward and Lady Fortesque， Doctor Connell， and an American who is drunk most of the time， Mr。 Randall。 Christmas gets off to a bad start when the local and that from Henley Hall do not get along together。 However， Clifford does the best he can to keep things going。 After a lousy Christmas Eve dinner， they decide to play wink murder。 Shortly into the game， the lights all go out， and when they come back， Randall is dead with a knife in his back。 When Inspector Lockhart decides that the host， Clarence， is the killer because his finger prints are on the knife （which came from his weapons room）， his wife Wilhelmina asks Ellie to investigate。 She is not making a lot of headway when she goes for a walk and finds a missing document， but progress seems slow。 Fortunately， the local cook quits and the meals improve immensely。 She calls her friend， Detective Chief Inspector Seldon at Scotland Yard and gets him to find some background information。 Then， Clifford asks Seldon to come to the castle to help。 Things get pretty dicey as there appears to be another murder （although Inspector Lockhart has called it an accident。 However， with a lot of danger and excitement， things are sorted out eventually， and things are warming up between Ellie and Seldon。 A clever British cozy mystery。 。。。more
Nancy
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Bright has conjured up one of the most delightful detective duos imaginable。 Her juxtaposition of opposite personalities gives the book both heart and humor。 The mystery definitely plays second fiddle to the characters in her delightful light mystery novels。This was perhaps my third or fourth adventure with this detective team and I enjoyed the holiday journey to the wilds of Scotland and the introduction of some magical Scottish folk lore。 It was an entertaining book with a satisfactory resolut Bright has conjured up one of the most delightful detective duos imaginable。 Her juxtaposition of opposite personalities gives the book both heart and humor。 The mystery definitely plays second fiddle to the characters in her delightful light mystery novels。This was perhaps my third or fourth adventure with this detective team and I enjoyed the holiday journey to the wilds of Scotland and the introduction of some magical Scottish folk lore。 It was an entertaining book with a satisfactory resolution to the mystery。Netgalkey provided mecwith a complimentary egalley in return for a candid review。 。。。more
Phrynne
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Christmas in a castle in Scotland sounds wonderful but ends up being quite a disaster for Lady Eleanor and her team， although I think Gladstone enjoys himself。 A Christmas game called Wink ends up being more like Murder in the Dark with a real corpse。Again the real draw of this book for me is the wonderful relationship between Eleanor and Clifford and their delightful repartee。 After eight books all the characters are like friends and it is a real pleasure to spend time with them。 Further develo Christmas in a castle in Scotland sounds wonderful but ends up being quite a disaster for Lady Eleanor and her team， although I think Gladstone enjoys himself。 A Christmas game called Wink ends up being more like Murder in the Dark with a real corpse。Again the real draw of this book for me is the wonderful relationship between Eleanor and Clifford and their delightful repartee。 After eight books all the characters are like friends and it is a real pleasure to spend time with them。 Further developments regarding Hugh are fun too but I hope the authors do not make him any more of a duffer than he is in this book。 Ellie needs an equal partner in her relationships and at the moment he is appearing rather weak！ A great book though and I am always ready for the next one！My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Death on a Winter’s Day， the eighth novel to feature Lady Eleanor Swift， set in 1921。Ellie， as she’s known， has been invited to spend Christmas at a castle in the Highlands by her friends， Baron and Baroness Ashley。 It is not all plain sailing with the local staff refusing to work and Ellie’s staff filling the void and an obnoxious guest getting murdered on Christmas Eve。 It’s only when Baron Ashley is arrested that she and he I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Death on a Winter’s Day， the eighth novel to feature Lady Eleanor Swift， set in 1921。Ellie， as she’s known， has been invited to spend Christmas at a castle in the Highlands by her friends， Baron and Baroness Ashley。 It is not all plain sailing with the local staff refusing to work and Ellie’s staff filling the void and an obnoxious guest getting murdered on Christmas Eve。 It’s only when Baron Ashley is arrested that she and her butler， Clifford start investigating seriously and they soon realise that there is more to the story。I thoroughly enjoyed Death on a Winter’s Day， which is a fun read with a relatively convoluted solution。 It’s not difficult to follow， simply that there is an ingenuity to who did what and why。 There is also a hint of the supernatural in the tale， is this due to the romantic setting of the mystical Highlands or is it going to be a feature of the series？ I hope it’s the former as I don’t have much time for it。I had no idea of the killer’s identity or the motive。 My prime suspect may have had a motive and suspicious behaviour， but it wasn’t to be。 I must admit that I was surprised by the unveiling， which is clever and quite audacious in view of the previous misdirection。 It turned what I thought I knew on its head too。 Throughout the novel Ellie and Clifford joust verbally and support each other in their sleuthing。 Their banter makes it a fun read， especially with Clifford trying to promote a relationship between her and Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon。 This takes a step forward by the end of the novel， but we readers have seen this before， so who knows？Death on a Winter’s Day is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Anna
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Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Death on a Winter's Day" in exchange for my honest review。A new Lady Eleanor Swift book is always a cause for celebration。 This was our 8th visit with Ellie and her staff。 Clifford - her butler， Mrs。 Butters - her housekeeper， Mrs。 Trotman - cook extraordinaire， Polly - her maid and my favourite character， as always - Master Gladstone - the bulldog。 This time Ellie and her staff have travelled to Scotland to help her friends Lord & Lady Ashley at Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Death on a Winter's Day" in exchange for my honest review。A new Lady Eleanor Swift book is always a cause for celebration。 This was our 8th visit with Ellie and her staff。 Clifford - her butler， Mrs。 Butters - her housekeeper， Mrs。 Trotman - cook extraordinaire， Polly - her maid and my favourite character， as always - Master Gladstone - the bulldog。 This time Ellie and her staff have travelled to Scotland to help her friends Lord & Lady Ashley at Castle Ranburgh after a bad phone line conversation had Ellie thinking they needed help。 Christmas at this point in time was not celebrated in Scotland and their staff have all left the castle expect for a footman， a cranky cook and a young maid。 An interesting group of people have gathered at the Castle to celebrate this forbidden holiday。 And if Ellie is there， then there is sure to be a murder or two。 The police seem to have little or no interest in investigating what happened at the Castle so Clifford brings in DCI Seldon （Hugh） to help them out。 While the entire book was exciting the last few chapters were thrilling and suspenseful。 Definitely a wonderful addition to the series。 Ellie also ends up with a new maid - Lizzie whom they return to Henley Hall with。 We also learn a lot more about Ellie and Hugh。 As always， I'm already awaiting the next installment in this brilliant series。 。。。more
Michelle Debnam
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When Lady Swift is invited to spend Christmas in an isolated castle she takes her entire faithful staff to spend the time and help out with the festivities， as per the norm a guest is killed and due to the weather and sparse location it is left to Lady Eleanor and her faithful butler to oust the murderer and save an innocent man from the nooseThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
Nolwenn
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I'm a huge fan of this series and this latest adventure is amazing！ The story is set in an old Scottish castle at Christmas which is one of my favourite settings :-） I love the characters and am so happy how things between Eleanor and Hugh evolve， I've been waiting for this since book 1。Absolutely one of my favourite series ever and an auto-buy。 This series is my comfort blanket and always gets me out of a reading slump or a sad phase。 Absolutely can't wait for book 9！Wholeheartedly recommend th I'm a huge fan of this series and this latest adventure is amazing！ The story is set in an old Scottish castle at Christmas which is one of my favourite settings :-） I love the characters and am so happy how things between Eleanor and Hugh evolve， I've been waiting for this since book 1。Absolutely one of my favourite series ever and an auto-buy。 This series is my comfort blanket and always gets me out of a reading slump or a sad phase。 Absolutely can't wait for book 9！Wholeheartedly recommend this book and the 7 before to anyone who enjoys Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey。Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
marita lazarus
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How could I have not heard of this series nor these authors。 I had such a good time reading this cozy。 I love my new favorite heroine， and amateur detective， Lady Eleanor （Ellie） and her faithful butler， Clifford。 If you are looking for a book to make you enjoy a good cozy mystery this is it。 To the point， I know have to read the previous 7 books in the series。 This is book 8 and yes def a stand alone。Lady Eleanor is invited to the Scottish highlands to celebrate Christmas and all hell breaks lo How could I have not heard of this series nor these authors。 I had such a good time reading this cozy。 I love my new favorite heroine， and amateur detective， Lady Eleanor （Ellie） and her faithful butler， Clifford。 If you are looking for a book to make you enjoy a good cozy mystery this is it。 To the point， I know have to read the previous 7 books in the series。 This is book 8 and yes def a stand alone。Lady Eleanor is invited to the Scottish highlands to celebrate Christmas and all hell breaks loose。 She hasn't left yet， when their is a crisis， the very Protestant highlands DO NOT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS， in fact it is a normal work day， except for attending mass。 The staff at the Castle Ranburgh except for 3 members， have said they will not work， so Lady Eleanor asks her staff to step in - which they gladly do。 On Christmas Eve， there is a murder and it's up to Lady Eleanor and Clifford to discover who the culprit is and why。 The Scottish detective who is investigating is extremely biased and from the start arrests Lord Ashley。 I loved how DCI Hugh comes in to help Lady Eleanor and how the relationship progresses。 I def finished this book with that happy feeling you get when you read a book you have enjoyed。 I can't wait to read the other books， and now I can't wait to read book 9。 Thank you NetGalley！！！！！！ 。。。more
Mystica
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Though part of a series， this does well as a stand alone though the major characters of Lady Eleanorthe inimitable butler， the kitchen staff and the mutt all star in all the books。Lady Eleanor has decided to spent Christmas in Scotland。 In a remote castle。 Her friends the beleagured Baron andBaroness Ashley are left without any domestic help as the Presbytarian Church has apparently cancelled Christmas。 The staff are angry and annoyed and obstructive when Lady Eleanor descends on them with Cliff Though part of a series， this does well as a stand alone though the major characters of Lady Eleanorthe inimitable butler， the kitchen staff and the mutt all star in all the books。Lady Eleanor has decided to spent Christmas in Scotland。 In a remote castle。 Her friends the beleagured Baron andBaroness Ashley are left without any domestic help as the Presbytarian Church has apparently cancelled Christmas。 The staff are angry and annoyed and obstructive when Lady Eleanor descends on them with Clifford in charge of the domestic arrangements to take over and present a pleasing Christmas for all。When one of their number is found murdered， and only Clifford keeping the peace and protective of Lady Eleanor because so many hidden currents of animosity exist between the guests that it is decided that an investigation privately has to be undertaken because the Baron is taken into custody as a prime suspect in the murder。 When victim Number Two falls from a balcony or was she pushed， the search is a bit more frantic and Lady Eleanor herself is in danger from a most cunning murderer。Very enjoyable writing， in the spirit of Christmas despite the murders， Lady Eleanor and her cast keep the reader very amused and moving along very well。A lovely start for December。 。。。more
Clare Chase
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Eerie， atmospheric and action packed – this is a hugely enjoyable read。 I love the entire series but Death on a Winter’s Day is probably my favourite so far。 The setting – an isolated castle in Scotland – adds to the sense of drama and threat， and it’s great that Ellie is there with her entire household， so I got all my favourite characters into the bargain。 A certain police detective makes an appearance too！ As for the denouement， talk about tense！ It was perfectly done。
Paromjit
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This is the latest from the authors behind Verity Bright， having heard good things about this series， I decided to read this historical crime series featuring Lady Eleanor Swift who has inherited Henley Hall and the wonderful staff that go with it。 There is the gem that is the butler Clifford， housekeeper Mrs Butters， the marvellous cook Mrs Trotman and young maid Polly。 It is 1921 and in a broken telephone conversations with her friends， Baron Clarence Ashley and his wife， artist Wilhelmina， El This is the latest from the authors behind Verity Bright， having heard good things about this series， I decided to read this historical crime series featuring Lady Eleanor Swift who has inherited Henley Hall and the wonderful staff that go with it。 There is the gem that is the butler Clifford， housekeeper Mrs Butters， the marvellous cook Mrs Trotman and young maid Polly。 It is 1921 and in a broken telephone conversations with her friends， Baron Clarence Ashley and his wife， artist Wilhelmina， Eleanor learns that Christmas at their Ranburgh Castle has been cancelled as the Presbyterian Church has banned Christmas in Scotland。 Their staff are refusing to work over the festive period， so after consulting with her staff， they， Eleanor and her bulldog， Gladstone， are all going to Scotland to support the Ashleys， particularly as their marriage had been a lovematch that had not gone down well in society。Driving up to Scotland in her Rolls， Eleanor arrives completely soaked at the Castle in the middle of a loch， the weather is atrocious and matters are about to get much worse。 There is discord between the staff and there is a tense atmosphere amongst the guests， which include Sir Edward and his wife， Lady Fortesque， relatives of Clarence， Dr Connell， Robert Cameron， the Laird of Dunburgh and his son， Gordon， and the unpleasant American Eugene Randall。 After dinner on Christmas Eve， everyone is playing the game wink murder when the lights go out， when they come back on there is there horrifying sight of Randall who has been stabbed to death。 The local police prove to problematic， and when Clarence is arrested for murder， Wilhelmina asks Eleanor to investigate， which she does with the help of the reliable and knowledgeable Clifford。 As they look into all the guests， the killer has to be one of them， there is another murder and an under the weather DCI Hugh Seldon of Scotland Yard arrives to help。This is a fun and entertaining murder mystery， set in a time of rigid social and class structures， and the social niceties and aristcratic etiquette are a challenge for the free spirit that is Eleanor， who grew up abroad and has little knowledge of what is expected of her。 Having lost her parents when she was young， Eleanor is surprised to learn that they had honeymooned in Scotland， close to where she is staying。 She becomes more familiar with Scottish folklore and legends of selkies as she seeks to discover more about her mother。 Eleanor finds herself having to use her nursing skills when events take a deadly turn in this engaging seasonal historical crime read which I think many readers will enjoy。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Meredith
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I so enjoy Lady Eleanor Swift and her adventures！ In Death on a Winter's Day， she and her staff spend Christmas at her friends' castle in Scotland。 It becomes immediately clear that her hosts are having financial difficulties。 Unfortunately， the very unpleasant person they are counting on to help turn things around is killed during a game of 。。。 Murder。 It is up to Eleanor to find the culprit！ A surprise guest arrives in the nick of time to help。 All of Lady Swift's stories are fun and engaging I so enjoy Lady Eleanor Swift and her adventures！ In Death on a Winter's Day， she and her staff spend Christmas at her friends' castle in Scotland。 It becomes immediately clear that her hosts are having financial difficulties。 Unfortunately， the very unpleasant person they are counting on to help turn things around is killed during a game of 。。。 Murder。 It is up to Eleanor to find the culprit！ A surprise guest arrives in the nick of time to help。 All of Lady Swift's stories are fun and engaging quick reads。 If you enjoy Beth Byers， T。E。 Kinsey or Helena Dixon， you will love Verity Bright's Lady Eleanor！ Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #DeathonaWintersDay！ 。。。more
Tracy Wood
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Lady Eleanor Swift is rather partial to Christmas and is looking forward to spending it in a snow covered Scottish castle owned by her friends the Ashleys。 Unfortunately things don't go quite as planned， the weather is awful， the staff are rebellious， and the trip includes a perilous boat journey！ Add to that a strained Christmas Eve dinner， an obvious murder， and the arrival of a police officer far less efficient than her own DCI Seldon and Eleanor knows it's up to her and the indefatigable Cl Lady Eleanor Swift is rather partial to Christmas and is looking forward to spending it in a snow covered Scottish castle owned by her friends the Ashleys。 Unfortunately things don't go quite as planned， the weather is awful， the staff are rebellious， and the trip includes a perilous boat journey！ Add to that a strained Christmas Eve dinner， an obvious murder， and the arrival of a police officer far less efficient than her own DCI Seldon and Eleanor knows it's up to her and the indefatigable Clifford to sort everything。 Although a limited number of suspects， numerous reasons for the death of an unpleasant person， and a location new to them both， means Ellie and Clifford know solving this case won't be easy they still don't hesitate to leap right in。 As the weather worsens and someone close to her is put in mortal danger， Eleanor knows she must swallow her fears， live up to her reputation， find the killer， and save those dearest to her if she is to prevent everyone's Christmases being cancelled forever。 This has become one of my favourite cosy historical crime series and improves with every new book。 Once again Eleanor and Clifford are on top form although the ever patient butler is tested from all sides keeping him ever more vigilant and efficient。 The setting and subsequent descriptions and explanations in the author's notes add another dimension to a series I thoroughly enjoy。 My one bugbear was Ellie's internal musings which seemed more intrusive than previously but not to a degree which spoilt anything。 The final chapters added a jeopardy which had me trying to read faster while not wanting the story to end which， to my mind， is an ideal scenario。 I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own。 The previously mentioned author's notes also indicate more to come for Lady Swift and I couldn't be happier; this is a brilliant addition to an excellent series and is highly recommended。 。。。more
Betsy
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An enjoyable cozy mystery set in 1920's England。 I've enjoyed the series immensely and while it can certainly be read as a stand along it would be nice to have some background on the characters。 I recommend especially if you enjoy murders at a house party。Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to a Christmas house party in the Scottish Highlands。 It is the first house party held by her friend Wilhelmina and since both families disapproved of the marriage between an Older Baron and woman who comes from tr An enjoyable cozy mystery set in 1920's England。 I've enjoyed the series immensely and while it can certainly be read as a stand along it would be nice to have some background on the characters。 I recommend especially if you enjoy murders at a house party。Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to a Christmas house party in the Scottish Highlands。 It is the first house party held by her friend Wilhelmina and since both families disapproved of the marriage between an Older Baron and woman who comes from trade， Ellie really feels she needs to provide support。 Ellie gets a call from them cancelling Christmas because their staff are devout Presbyterians and frown on celebrating Christmas。Ellie asks her staff is they're willing to pitch in and of course， they are。 They all head up to snowy， cold Scotland。They meet the other guests， the local laird and his son， the local doctor， an American financier， and the Baron's cousin and her husband。 Three of the servants have remained as well。After dinner that night， the party plays Wink Murder。 The lights go out and when they go back on they discover one of the guests has been stabbed to death。 When the Baron is arrested， his wife asks Ellie to investigate。The victim was very unpopular and many had scores to settle with the unpleasant man。 The identity of the murderer was a complete surprise even as we follow along as Ellie investigates。I received an ARC from the publisher via net galley but the opinion expressed is entirely my own。 。。。more
Shelley
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A thoroughly enjoyable read。 Loving this series。
Roberta
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The Lady Eleanor Swift series is a favourite for fun and cosy crime， so I was pleased to receive an ARC of Death on a Winter’s Day。I really enjoyed reading this book。 I love this collection of characters， so it’s always a welcome return。 This time， they’re off to an isolated castle in Scotland， where （as usual） Eleanor gets entangled with dead bodies。This story was a lot of fun。 Eleanor and Clifford have a more difficult time of it， as they are so isolated from sources of information。 The conclu The Lady Eleanor Swift series is a favourite for fun and cosy crime， so I was pleased to receive an ARC of Death on a Winter’s Day。I really enjoyed reading this book。 I love this collection of characters， so it’s always a welcome return。 This time， they’re off to an isolated castle in Scotland， where （as usual） Eleanor gets entangled with dead bodies。This story was a lot of fun。 Eleanor and Clifford have a more difficult time of it， as they are so isolated from sources of information。 The conclusion was quite dramatic， and there’s a slight touch of fantasy in parts， but I really enjoyed it。 I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series。Overall， this was a fun and exciting cosy crime。 Perfect for happily whiling away a few hours。I was given a free copy of this book， my opinions are my own。 。。。more
Carol Bellamy
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An amusing and entertaining read with a returning cast of interesting characters。 A little intrigue， a little romance， a little sarcasm - what could be better ？
Yvonne （Fiction Books）
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