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  • A Very English Murder

  • A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery, Book 1
  • Written by: Verity Bright
  • Narrated by: Karen Cass
  • Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)

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A Very English Murder

Written by: Verity Bright
Narrated by: Karen Cass
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Publisher's Summary

An absolutely gripping cozy murder mystery

Move over Miss Marple, there’s a new sleuth in town! Meet Eleanor Swift: distinguished adventurer, dog lover, dignified lady…daring detective? 

England, 1920. Eleanor Swift has spent the last few years travelling the world: taking tea in China, tasting alligators in Peru, escaping bandits in Persia and she has just arrived in England after a chaotic 45-day flight from South Africa. Chipstone is about the sleepiest town you could have the misfortune to meet. And to add to these indignities - she’s now a Lady. 

Lady Eleanor, as she would prefer not to be known, reluctantly returns to her uncle’s home, Henley Hall. Now Lord Henley is gone, she is the owner of the cold and musty manor. What’s a girl to do? Well, befriend the household dog, Gladstone, for a start, and head straight out for a walk in the English countryside, even though a storm is brewing....

But then, from the edge of a quarry, through the driving rain, Eleanor is shocked to see a man shot and killed in the distance. Before she can climb down to the spot, the villain is gone and the body has vanished. With no victim and the local police convinced she’s stirring up trouble, Eleanor vows to solve this affair by herself. And when her brakes are mysteriously cut, one thing seems sure: someone in this quiet country town has Lady Eleanor Swift in their murderous sights....

If you enjoy witty dialogue, glamorous intrigue, and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Verity Bright’s whodunit, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey, and Downton Abbey!

©2020 Verity Bright (P)2020 Bookouture

What listeners say about A Very English Murder

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

English Lady

Many words-eloquent. Takes a North American (being Canadian) to be patient in picking up the flow —good though.

1 person found this helpful

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So disappointing I couldn’t finish it!

I enjoy cozy mysteries set in the 20s and 30s but this one, set in 1920, was so poor I gave up on it. The writing was filled with modern expressions, apparently little or no research of the era was done, no understanding of British titles, strangely enough the heroine had spent years travelling the world (on a bike?) yet there were four years of the Great War (WW1) not mentioned at all, and I couldn’t like the heroine. I could only suspend disbelief so far then gave up. The narrator was excellent and that’s the only good thing.

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  • BossyFatBabe
  • 2020-06-23

I wanted to like this so much.

As a big fan of 1920 murders mysteries, this should be right up my alley. However, I found the main character Eleanor really really frustrating, to the point that sometimes the second-hand embarrassment I experienced while listening was so intense that I had to turn it off. It’s one thing to be take charge and direct, it’s another thing to be childishly impulsive with no plan and just a lot of unfounded smack talk. Illinois did not feel at all like a grown woman who had experienced a lot in her life, she felt like a clueless teenager trying to pretend she was an adult

88 people found this helpful

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  • Luisa G
  • 2020-08-15

Not for the purist

The first hour or so of this book is okay-- I listen to historical cozies to relax, not to be challenged, so the setting and typical main character (plucky young woman with a task to take care of) were... fine. But as the story progresses, the book falls apart a bit-- the author makes no attempt to match the dialog to the time period-- "Oh, snap," and "No way," appear in the same paragraph, for example. If the author doesn't bother to evoke the era in which the book is set, there doesn't seem to be much point, and if the book's editors can't correct the misplaced modifiers that pull the book's tone even lower, then it's hardly worth reading. Additionally, the protagonist's feelings for and interactions with the other characters seem forced, sometimes existing with no other reason than to wrestle the plot in the right direction. This story is proof that writing a "cozy" -- even a formulaic one-- isn't as easy as some might think. As for the narrator, she speaks with a sibilant "s," so if you have to turn up your volume to overcome any low-level noise, you might have a hard time with the high-pitched hiss.

68 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-03-03

Lady Swift made me cringe so often

It was a cute, cozy mystery, but Lady Eleanor was a just a little stupid, running around telling all that she knew when they could have been involved in the crime. get extra credits audibledealsdotkom The story was a true mystery, and kept you guessing throughout. The main character was flighty, immature and yet supposedly very well traveled and wise. It stretched credulity.

47 people found this helpful

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  • prc
  • 2020-05-16

Total Tripe

it has always been my intention to finish every book I start. And while I did that with this particular book it was an excruciating experience. it was the first book in a series and the last book I will ever read from this author. it just isn't worth the time going into any detail.

41 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Kelly
  • 2020-04-25

weak

the main character is difficult to like. she acts hastily and unwisely and justifies her actions as some kind of womens lib.

28 people found this helpful

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  • Gail N.
  • 2020-06-04

Lady Eleanor is not an appealing heroine

Lady Eleanor, the 29 year old lead character, spent the first four chapters whining about the inheritance of her uncle's estate including his mansion. Boohoo. I have decided I have better ways to spend my time and returned this irritating book.

24 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Amanda_Anne
  • 2020-09-20

Hard to like the Main Character

It took me awhile to finish this book, which is unusual for me and a murder mystery, usually it takes a few days, this one took a few months because I just did not like the main character. She came off as entitled and arrogant. It was very difficult to find anything really likeable about her, only pity for certain elements of her life.

However the performance was great and finally at the very end of the book you began to crack through the "superhero feminist" bravado and find an almost relatable person there. So I will listen to the other books in the series. Hopefully they won't be as much of a trial as the first book was.

12 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Linda
  • 2020-06-26

Mediocre at best

The only positive portion of this audiobook is the performance by the reader. We will not be listening to my more of this author’s work.

10 people found this helpful

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  • christine boardman
  • 2020-04-30

A British mystery at it's best

Excellent story. Well read and easy to follow.
Characters are all very entertaining ..hope the next book comes along soon !

8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Catherine M Pousson
  • 2020-05-06

Witty mystery with depth

I loved this mystery!! Great characters, witty dialogue and fast moving story. Highly recommended.

7 people found this helpful