Book Review: A Lesson in Murder by Verity Bright

Karren’s Review:

I wasn’t quite sure where this story was going to go. Ellie is invited to be a guest speaker at her old school. A school she had mixed feelings about. How was it all going to play out? There was obviously going to be a murder. There was obviously going to be an investigation that included Ellie, and Clifford with the trusty bulldog, Gladstone, vying for attention, but there was so much more to it than that. Despite the red herrings, I was once again close but then there was that final twist that caught me out.

The stay at the boarding school that both she and her mother attended added a great context to the investigation it meant the reader got to learn a lot more about her past. Not just about her mother but also the choices her uncle made.

I did miss Henley Hall, the village and the neighbours so perhaps they’ll be back in the next one? Also the cliffhanger in the romance department is killing me and I’m hoping we will be able to see just what’s developing really soon.

I really enjoyed the previous books in this series and Book 7 certainly kept my attention so I’m really looking forward to Book 8. Well done Verity Bright, five out of five!

Kel’s Review:

With trepidation, Lady Eleanor Swift begins her next adventure… guest speaking at her old school. “A Lesson in Murder”, by Verity Bright, wastes no time and soon Ellie is in the midst of an investigation…again, and much to the disgruntlement of Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon. To protect the reputation of the school, it becomes apparent that Ellie will have to go under cover, this places a number of children in her care… thank goodness for Gladstone and Clifford.

A suspicious death isn’t all that’s happened at the school and Ellie finds many a thread to unravel from the arts department to the library, from sports to maintenance, around every corner there is something to investigate. With Hugh guiding her, she pieces together the landscape narrowing down the suspects whilst also learning more about her mother and herself. The children add a delightful element as does the repartee between Hugh and Ellie. Once again, I’m left wanting more and having thoroughly enjoyed the treat!

It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended!

We received complimentary copies of the book from Bookouture through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in these reviews are completely our own.

From the back cover:

When Lady Swift is invited to her old school, she walks through familiar classrooms, finds her favourite books in the library… and surely that’s not a body? Time for a lesson in murder!

Autumn, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to her old school, St Mary’s, as a guest speaker. Her favourite teacher, Mrs Wadsworth, has asked that Eleanor talk about her intrepid travels around the globe – travelling the Silk Road by bicycle, crossing the Himalayas and even befriending the Maharaja of India. But in the circumstances, perhaps it would have been a good idea to talk about her career as a daring detective…

Because no sooner has Eleanor brushed up on her times tables then she is greeted by terrible news: Mrs Wadsworth has been murdered. Eleanor is utterly devastated but she owes it to her dearest teacher to find out who killed her and why. So, alongside Gladstone the bulldog, it’s best paw forward to track down a villain.

But when the art teacher is also found dead, Eleanor is sure someone is trying to do away with the people who taught her everything. As Eleanor delves into possible motives, she discovers a clue in the most unlikely place: her mother’s old school diary. Does the route to the murderer lie within a secret passageway her mother uncovered? Can Eleanor nail the culprit in time or is the killer coming for her next?