annieb123
Written on Jun 1, 2022
A Lesson in Murder is the 7th Lady Eleanor Swift cozy mystery by pseudonymous writing duo Verity Bright. Released 14th Sept 2021, it's 266 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the rest of the series) are currently included in the KU library to borrow and read for free.
This is such a lightly humorous and refreshing read. The entire series is just perfect for lifting the spirits and being entertaining. The style is reminiscent of earlier golden age inter-war drawing room mysteries. It's irreverent, with an appealing ensemble cast of amateur society sleuth Lady Eleanor and her butler/dogsbody Clifford whom she inherited along with her title from her late uncle as well as assorted society friends and servants. Gladstone the elderly bulldog also makes an appearance in this installment, despite much of the plot revolving around Lady Eleanor's investigation into murder at her old school, St. Mary's.
It's a fast and undemanding cozy; the language is clean, the crimes are not written violently or explicitly and the denouement is satisfying. For readers looking for verisimilitude in dialogue and action, be warned, this series is full of modern vernacular and sensibilities. Eleanor fraternizes with the servants and runs a shockingly lax estate.
Four stars, a decidedly exuberant and whimsical romp. There are now 10 books extant in the series, with the 11th due out in August 2022. This is a prime candidate for binge reading. Although each of the books is self contained, I recommend reading them in order (though it's not absolutely necessary).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.