Murder on a Frosty Night

A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery, Book 24

By: Verity Bright

Narrated by: Karen Cass

A gripping and addictive historical cozy murder mystery

Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up!

Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job.

After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted!

There is very little festive goodwill to go around, as it seems half the village had a grudge against the rich man. Was it one of the Frisham sisters, owners of the tavern and rumoured to be in a love triangle with Unwin? Or perhaps his maid, who never had a nice thing to say about him?

When another body is found in the ruins of the castle overlooking the town, Eleanor is baffled. Clearly there’s more to this nightmare before Christmas than the gang first thought…

A totally gripping historical murder mystery set in an English village at Christmas, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles!

©2025 Verity Bright (P)2025 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Still a great series! This was a good one!

I have this entire series and have enjoyed them all, most a great deal and only a very few at the medium level. This was one of the "a great deal" ones, although it lacked some of the "girlie" details, which is no big deal, just something I noticed. The mystery story part is more complex than in some of the others, which adds interest and detail. These are multi-layered stories. Engaging characters that show development and growth, adding in a few new characters off and on. New slant blending high level police skills, logical insight, a little bit of rational intuition, good detection skills, and hard work. No overnight miraculous solving of the crime, but highly satisfactory conclusions. Nor are the crimes straightforward murder, 1,2,3 easy solution, which can get a bit predictive/boring. They are listed as a cozy, and I suppose they are, but they have depth and an edge to them. Some humor. Adult characters with maturity and ethics. Nothing fluffy. No overt sex but there is a low key thread of romance. Good history of the times. Interesting locations and their history. Includes animals which is always a plus, but they are ordinary house pets not amateur detectives. I will continue to read this series.

Wonderful cozy mystery series

A perfect balance of suspense and humor. Full of a cast of well crafted characters and an engaging plot. Hours of listening pleasure. Leaves this listener with a warm and satisfying feeling of time well spent. Thank you!

Another fantastic addition!!

Even though one of the authors tragically passed away before the completion of this volume, the continuity of the story and characters is superb! Verity Bright lives on through Lady Eleanor Swift! ❤️

Still Enjoyable but a little different

I am not exactly sure what was missing in this novel, but it felt slightly off. I think because there was no personal connection between Eleanor and the victim. Also I wish Coffi hadn’t been in the book as such an afterthought. Most of the time I forgot he was there. I would rather his presence be meaningful. Still enjoyable just not quite on the same level as previous books.

Vicarious travel

Great description of people and places, so I felt like I could be there myself.