Lady Eleanor is enjoying a holiday in Egypt and is travelling down the Nile with her steadfast butler Clifford when a death occurs on board. The captain believes it was a suicide but Ellie is certain there is a murderer on the boat…
Murder on the Nile is the 19th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of cosy historical murder mysteries.
Ellie had booked hersef onto a bit of a ramshackle boat and Clifford is unimpressed. The situation further deteriorates when they meet the other passengers and then one of them ends up dead. The suicide note doesn;t fool Eleanor for a second and she is instantly convinced that the death was murder. The captain and chief of police are more skeptical and she needs to prove to them that there is a killer on board.
As usual in this series, there are plenty of antics, escapades and outright danger for Ellie to navigate. Luckily she has the ever brilliant Clifford by her side. Unfortunately, her fiance Hugh does not feature at all in this book and there are only a few chapters with the wonderful ladies and pets.
The historical and geographical research for this book brings the plot to life effectively. I particularly enjoyed the archaeology fever described as well as the political situation which added authenticity. Ellie subverts gender and class norms to forge ahead with life, seizing every moment. She has great respect for everyone irrespective of their social status, and this is hugely endearing.
Murder on the Nile is an enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery. Obviously the title and scenerio are reminiscent of the legendary Christie and this book is a great addition to the Lady Swift series.
Book Description:
A cruise down the Nile, a camel ride around the pyramids, lunch in the shadow of the Sphinx… And a very dead body!
1924. Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford are touring the great, ancient sights of Egypt on a much-anticipated extended vacation. But when the pair arrive at the docks in Cairo expecting to board the luxurious paddle steamer advertised in their brochure, they are baffled by the crumbling old cruiser waiting for them. And things only go from bad to worse as death stalks the decks of the SS Cleopatra…
Two days into the trip one of their fellow passengers, Lieutenant Baxter, is found shot dead in his locked cabin. Immediately suspicious and desperate to see justice done, Eleanor discovers a half-finished note addressed to her hidden in Baxter’s travelling trunk. In it he asks her to deliver a vitally important letter to the authorities at their next stop down river: a priceless treasure worthy of a king has been stolen and an innocent man’s life hangs in the balance.
But before the sands of time wipe away all evidence on board, Eleanor must uncover who among the other travellers wanted Baxter dead. Was it the anxious archaeologist who doesn’t have an alibi, the reptile expert with a passion for the murderous Nile crocodile or the art dealer with a devious secret?
With the killer readying to strike again much closer to home, can Eleanor dig up the truth before she’s trapped in a tomb under the pyramids forever?
A gripping and twisty 1920s murder mystery set in Egypt, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!
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.
A young woman’s body is discovered early one morning. The race to find the killer intensifies when another woman is reported missing…
Her Last Walk Home is the 14th book in the DI Lottie Parker series of police procedurals set in Ireland. There are no spoilers about Lottie’s past cases but her personal circumstances have developed over the series.
A young woman goes out for a date but never returns home. Her body is found and a murder investigation launched but another young woman is already missing. There are interesting juxtapositions with Lottie and her own family circumstances which makes the case more personal for her. Lottie and her lover Boyd have some personal issues to resolve. They want to progress with their relationship but their family situations make it tricky. Then they find another body!
The majority of the book focuses on Lottie and her investigation. But some chapters show the victim and perpetrator, both of which adds significantly to the tension. We also see the victims’ families and there is a subplot about child neglect which is highly emotive. I found the ending a little confusing as a lots of strands seem to pull together at once.
I actually listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the experience. The narrator does a good job with bringing the text to life and I liked the Irish accent.
Her Last Walk Home is an enjoyable police procedural and I like the development of the characters over the series.
Book Description:
Her shoes pinched as she shivered in the cold night air. She just wanted to get home. A taxi slowed to a halt next to her, and as she buckled her seat belt, she noticed the child’s seat next to her and felt safe. But when she saw his eyes in the mirror, a shiver of terror shook her to her core…
When a young woman’s body is found on a patch of wet grass in the early hours of the morning, Detective Lottie Parker mourns the young life so brutally snatched away. Looking at the victim’s flimsy strappy top, damp from the dew and soaked with blood, it is clear that this young girl never came home from a night out. Lottie’s heart breaks as she thinks of the girl’s parents finding their daughter’s empty bed and she vows to catch the murderer.
The young woman is soon identified as Laura Nolan, and Lottie watches the blood drain from her mother Diana’s face when she tells her the terrible news. Diana reveals that Laura was on a date the night she was killed, but she doesn’t know who with… and Laura’s empty bedroom with make-up scattered across her dressing table offers no clues.
Lottie and her team rush to trace Laura’s last moments. But hope at a potential breakthrough turns to horror for Lottie when another young woman, Shannon Kenny is reported missing, last seen climbing into a taxi with a broken light, close to the same bar.
But then, Lottie discovers a connection between Laura and Shannon that totally overturns everything she thought she knew. The killer didn’t stalk these two young women at random. He knew exactly who they were and where they would be. But can Lottie stop him before he strikes again?
A completely compelling page-turner from bestselling author Patricia Gibney. If you like Rachel McLean, Kendra Elliott and Robert Dugoni, Her Last Walk Home will have you hooked.
Author Bio:
Patricia is the million-copy bestselling author of the DI Lottie Parker series. She yearned to be a writer after reading Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene and even wanted to be Nancy Drew when she grew up. She has now grown up (she thinks) but the closest she’s come to Nancy Drew is writing crime!
In 2009, after her husband died, she retired from her job and started writing seriously. Fascinated by people and their quirky characteristics, she always carries a notebook to scribble down observations.
Patricia also loves to paint in watercolour and lives in the Irish midlands with her children.
Oh my goodness, how did Anya turn 12 this week! She is so grown up.
In other news this week… Matthew acted as a guide for the Year 6s as part of his prefect role and also moved up to stage 3 swimming. Zach managed to injure his forehead so that will look fab in the school phtotos taken the next day. He also lost 2 teeth this week!
It has been glorious sunshine all week until the storm Friday lunchtime and the rain all weekend. Just a few miles away Aldershot enjoyed an actual tornado! Our whole house shook with the thunder. But I’m firmly in the festive mood with mince pies and brandy cream. For breakfast. In September. Oh yeah!
Emily and James are having a rare night out, leaving their baby daughter Daisy with Emily’s little sister Jess. But they arrive home to find Jess unconscious on the floor after a medical episode and Daisy has vanished…
Little Sister is a psychological thriller set on the Isle of Wight about the abduction of a baby.
Emily and Jess have had a fraught relationship in the past and were estranged until they were reunited at their mother’s funeral. Now Jess is living with Emily and her husband, acting as childcare so both can work. The household is completed with James’ 15 year old daughter Chloe from his first marriage. One night Daisy goes missing and relationships are stretched to breaking point.
The book is written from the alternating perspectives of Jess and Emily in the first and third person respectively. This allows us to feel closer to Jess as we see her emotions more personally even though Emily has more trauma as it is her child missing.
It soon becomes clear that there have been major issues between the sisters in the past which led to the estrangement. We as readers are drip-fed incidents as they reflect on the past, and there is a growing tension and unease which develops. There are other secrets and lies revealed as the plot progresses and it is enjoyable to surmise how these might be connected to the disappearance of Daisy.
Little Sister is an emotionally charged and tense psychological thriller.
Book blurb
After sixteen years apart sisters Jessica and Emily are reunited. With the past now behind them, the warmth they once shared quickly returns and before long Jess has moved into Emily’s comfortable island home. Life couldn’t be better. But when baby Daisy disappears while in Jess’s care, the perfect life Emily has so carefully built starts to fall apart.
Was Emily right to trust her sister after everything that happened before?
1916, Hannah travels to her sister’s home of Midwinter Manor with Aunt Violet to spend Christmas. But it isn’t the relaxing family Christmas they were expecting as one guest dies and a priceless ruby goes missing…
Murder at Midwinter Manor is the 3rd book to feature bookshop owners Hannah and Violet as they act as amateur sleuths during WW1.
As well as the usual stresses caused by a family gathering, Hannah is anxious to save her sister’s Christmas by finding the killer and the ruby. She is ably assisted as usual by her beau Darius, delightfully obtuse aunt Violet, and of course Bartleby the cat. The snowed in country house means that there is a limited number of suspects, motives and opportunities. Hannah needs to investigate to uncover links between the two crimes in order to solve them.
The family dynamic was enjoyable, however I was a little overwhelmed by the number of guests and their relationships, and felt that this could have been reduced slightly. The historical elements had been well researched and I liked the references to the war, suffragettes and fashion which all added an authenticity to the plot and characters. There is also commentary on social, class and gender norms of the era, adding depth to the narrative. I enjoyed the romantic threads for both Hannah and Violet, possibly because they are such fantastic characters that I want them to be happy!
Murder at Midwinter Manor is an enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery.
Murder at Midwinter Manor
Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…
1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.
The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.
But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.
Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?
A totally unforgettable Golden Age, country house, cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, and Agatha Christie.
