Death at the Dance (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #2) by Verity Bright

Death at the Dance

(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #2)

by Verity Bright

Kindle Edition, 290 pages

Published July 8th 2020 by Bookouture

Goodreads synopsis: 

England, 1920. Lady Eleanor Swift, adventurer extraordinaire and reluctant amateur detective, is taking a break from sleuthing. She’s got much bigger problems: Eleanor has two left feet, nothing to wear and she’s expected at the masked ball at the local manor. Her new beau Lance Langham is the host, so she needs to dazzle.

Surrounded by partygoers with painted faces, pirates, priests and enough feathers to drown an ostrich, Eleanor searches for a familiar face. As she follows a familiar pair of long legs up a grand staircase, she’s sure she’s on Lance’s trail. But she opens the door on a dreadful scene: Lance standing over a dead Colonel Puddifoot, brandishing a silver candlestick, the family safe wide open and empty.

Moments later, the police burst in and arrest Lance for murder, diamond theft and a spate of similar burglaries. But Eleanor is convinced her love didn’t do it, and with him locked up in prison, she knows she needs to clear his name.

Something Lance lets slip about his pals convinces Eleanor the answer lies close to home. Accompanied by her faithful sidekick Gladstone the bulldog, she begins with Lance’s friends – a set of fast driving, even faster drinking, high-society types with a taste for mischief. But after they start getting picked off in circumstances that look a lot like murder, Eleanor is in a race against time to clear Lance’s name and avoid another brush with death…

***

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Lady Eleanor Swift mystery series by Verity Bright.

I have to say right off the bat that I was not sad that Lance Langham had to spend most of the book in jai. Truthfully, he seems like more of a sidekick character than a love interest. I sam surely rooting for DCI Seldon to fill that true love slot. Definitely on Team Seldon. That part at the end where he warns her and then lets her go, I think my heart just squeezed for his pain. And Eleanor just seemed so oblivious to it. I am not certain what she sees in Lance. I mean, seriously!

I love the character of the butler Clifford. He is just the best and probably a better sidekick than  Lance would ever be. I guess I would put Lance as the comedy relief since that is all he really is for me.

Lance is caught red handed as he attempts to steal his parent’s jewels and blame a thief that has been frequenting the same parties as he and his Bright Young Things group. His parents are in dire financial straights and need the insurance money. I am not sure why the dunderhead just didn’t sell his pretty expensive plane to get the money instead of turning to a life of crime. Anyway, he gets framed for murder while trying to steal the jewels and is sent straight to jail much to DCI Seldon’s pleasure.

I like that Eleanor stand up for her friends and goes to great lengths to prove their innocence but I still have a hard time buying a love story between these two.

Overall, a great read. The mystery is spot on with lots of twists and turns and the characters are ones you look forward to knowing about.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.