This has to be a gentle, cosy mystery which, I'm afraid, I found rather shallow. Eleanor (Ellie), the heroine is a strong minded young woman of the early 1920s who has spent much of her life travelling, exploring and generally doing things not approved of for young ladies. Her uncle dies and she finds herself the new lady of the manor complete with servants and expectations of society. She sees a murder on a dark and stormy afternoon but, when following this up, there's no body and no evidence of foul play. The police don't believe her so she sets out to solve the case of course, this time ably supported by the faithful butler - the best character of the book but then, think Jeeves. They have plenty of suspects and then there's another murder and her car brakes are tampered with leaving more suspicion in the wake. We do get her frustration at the rigours of polite society, a male dominated police and at her discomfort of being her ladyship. She does develop a strong relationship with the elderly butler, who is not quite just as he seems, as well as with the rest of the staff; but that with the exceedingly annoying young man about town just seems off to me - for a woman of her worldy experience what on earth does she see in him? The characterisations are good, however, and that's why it got 4 stars, the story line rather less so, shallow as I said. There is potential for further stories but, if they are to continue along the detecting line, need a bit more meat and bite to them. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

In the first book of a new series, set in 1920, world traveler and adventurer, Eleanor Swift has inherited the estate of her late uncle. On her first night walk she’s caught in a thunderstorm, gets turned around and finds herself on the edge of a quarry, where she witnesses the murder of a man through a cabin window. When the police finally come to investigate the next day, the body is missing, and the officer treats her like a mixed up helpless female.
What’s she to do but solve the murder herself. A heroine who’s filled with gumption and brains, it was fun getting to know Eleanor Swift. She puts me in mind of Miss Fishers murder mysteries, and I’m looking forward to the next installment. And how can any book go wrong with an English bulldog as one of,the characters!

A "classic" whodunit placed in the 20s, in a small town in Wales. lady Swift has just arrived to inherit the household from her uncle. She witnesses a murder and starts to investigate it, despite all the difficulties.

I liked the setting and the atmosphere of the book. The butler, Clifford, seems copied from any British aristocratic comedy but he's more than it seems in the first place. The other characters, such as Lancelot the pilot, the police officers and the mayor are less crafted but still very believable.

There are many mannerisms in the dialogue, reflecting the way of speaking in 1920s England. Nothing difficult, but I had to take a peek or two in the dictionary (English is not my native language).

Overall, a great murder mystery novel best described as "Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey". I give it 4 stars out of 5 because of the aforementioned characters and the plot, which is gripping until the climax where somehow the suspense didn't work that well for me. However, your experience may vary.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC.
It's 1920 and Eleanor Swift has come back from her worldwide wanderings after her uncle, Lord Henley, died and left her Henley Hall. She's now Lady Eleanor, something she's not entirely comfortable with. The butler, Clifford, doesn't seem overly happy to see her and after her lonely childhood, she's not sure she made the right choice to come back to the Hall. At least Gladstone, the bulldog, is overjoyed to see her and becomes her faithful shadow. I loved Gladstone and his ferocious kisses!
When she sees a man shot, she goes to the police, but there's no body and they quickly decide she's imagining things. She's determined to find the truth, though and eventually Clifford lends a helping hand and the two of them become a sleuthing duo.
There were times I was reminded of The Thin Man series and the Jeeves and Wooster books, which created a nice feeling of nostalgia. I liked Eleanor a lot, she's feisty and sweet and has a wonderful relationship with the staff of the Manor. The ending had me a little teary, because she's finally come home. The mystery was fun, but the best part of the book was (after reading quite a few dark mysteries) that it made me feel cosy and warm. Looking forward to the next book! Highly recommended.