Another fab 1920’s #Murder #Mystery – Murder at the Fair by Verity Bright

Title:  Murder at the Fair

Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #6

Author: Verity Bright

Publisher: Bookouture

Published: June 15th, 2021

Pages: 324

Rating:  5* 

My Review:

This is another great murder mystery set in 1921 with Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler, Clifford, as the investigating pair, aided by Gladstone – the bulldog. It is a story in which her relationship with Detective Seldon is put under even more strain as he tells her to stay out of the investigation into the untimely death of the local undertaker, Solemn John. There are plenty of potential suspects, some red herrings, together with spiteful obituaries appearing in the local paper – including one for herself!

I really enjoy the authors’ style of writing, which takes you straight back to the era and into the thick of things. Lady Eleanor is a feisty, independent young lady – well, she’s trying to act like a lady most of the time! Mind you, Clifford certainly seems to be somewhat psychic as he usually has just what Lady Eleanor needs, even before she knows she needs it, and his sense of humour really adds to the story. The community, its characters and activities are brought to life in the story, making you feel part of it all. There are snippets bringing key events from the era – such as the introduction of new devices like a vacuum cleaner and their impact on regular events like the annual spring cleaning.

There are dilemmas to be faced, blackmailers to be thwarted and someone’s good name to be made in this engaging page turner, which is a great addition to the series and a fun mystery, too, with a murderer to be identified before there are more victims….

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

Synopsis:

Summer flowers, warm sunshine, a maypole dance and… is that another murder? A tricky case is afoot for Lady Swift!

Summer, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, the best amateur sleuth in the country, is delighted to be in charge of the prize-giving at her village summer fair. But the traditional homemade raft race takes a tragic turn when the local undertaker, Solemn Jon, turns up dead amongst the ducks. Jon was the life of any party and loved by the entire village. Surely this was simply an awful accident?

But when a spiteful obituary is printed in the local paper, Eleanor realises there may be more to Jon’s death than first thought. Despite handsome Detective Seldon giving her strict instructions not to interfere, Eleanor owes it to Jon’s good name to root out the truth. So with her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, Eleanor starts digging for clues…

When another local dies in a riding accident, the police refuse to believe he was murdered. But a second vindictive death notice convinces Eleanor of foul play. Solemn Jon’s assistant, a bullish banker and a majestic marquess make her suspect list, but it isn’t until she finds a dusty old photograph that she knows the true culprit behind both crimes. Then another obituary appears – her own! Can Eleanor nail the killer before she too turns up dead among the ducks?

An utterly compelling and charming cozy mystery! Pure delight for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

Buy Link: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3prBNUJ

Author Bio:

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity