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.