Murder on the Cornish Cliffs by Verity Bright
A festive invitation from an old family friend, the promise of gingerbread at the village inn, snowy walks on the Cornish coast with Gladstone the bulldog… But wait, is that a body on the beach?
Winter, 1923. It’s nearly Christmas and Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather strange letter from an old friend of her uncle. Mr Godfrey Cunliffe has asked her to stay in Cornwall for the holidays – but only because he believes his gardener is trying to poison him! With not a moment to waste Eleanor hurries down to his picturesque manor house with her butler Clifford and handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon. But they arrive too late to stop the crime…
Lying dead at the bottom of the steep cliffs, however, is not Mr Cunliffe, but the gardener himself. And his plans for restoring the gardens to their former glory are missing. Jerome St Clair has gone from suspect to victim. This certainly puts a twist in the tinsel!
As snow begins to fall, Eleanor quizzes the family. Mr Cunliffe’s alibi is as fragile as the glass baubles hanging from his towering Christmas tree. Eleanor quickly realises everyone from the handyman to the housekeeper is keeping secrets, and she’s convinced that Mr Cunliffe is still scared for his life.
When Gladstone the bulldog pulls a charred corner of the missing garden plans from a fireplace festooned with a gold-ribboned garland, Eleanor thinks the clue she needs is hiding out in the grounds. But when someone tries to run her over with the huge lawnmower, she knows she must wrap up the mystery fast before her Christmas is cancelled for good…
Murder on the Cornish Cliffs is a fun, twisty and absolutely gripping historical English cozy mystery, perfect for fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and Agatha Christie.
About the author
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
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Verity Bright here: https://www.bookouture.com/verity-bright
Review
‘Murder on the Cornish Cliffs’ was a fun, big house-type mystery that kept me guessing right until the very end! This is the 16th book in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone mystery. I do recommend reading the series though as it has been a joy to read about Lady Swift and her merry band of helpers!
Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford are making their way to spend some time in Cornwall. They received a letter from an old family friend Mr Cunliffe who needs their help on an investigation, he fears for his life. When they arrive at his estate, they are meet by the police as the estate’s gardner Jerome St Clair has been found death at the bottom of the cliffs! Of course, Ellie and Clifford jump into investigative mode and starts to quiz the staff and residents of the house. Mr Cunliffe thinks it was a case of mistaken identity and that he was meant to be the victim. Will Ellie manage to find out who the killer is before they strike again?
I loved this book! I like it when Ellie goes on her adventures. It brings some freshness into the series with the change of location. Once again it had all the hallmarks of what makes this series great in my eyes - fun, brilliant characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing. Lady Eleanor Swift is one of my favourite characters as she is very quirky and not really of her time. She is fun and feisty, loves a mystery and a good scran! She is loving and kind and doesn't think in the way most aristocrats of her age do! I love her relationship with Clifford, her butler. To me that is the true love story that runs through this series.
This was a great mystery and I definitely did not guess who the bad guy was at all! I thought the resolution to part of the mystery was very poignant and it tugged at my heartstrings. Oh, the crazy Aunts were brilliant as well, I could very easily picture them and they were a hoot to read about. I flew through this in one sitting and the pacing and atmosphere of the book were brilliant. The tension ramped up to a great conclusion and I loved all the references to the snow and Christmas! Once again it was a brilliant read and a great addition to the series.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
