Murder in Mayfair (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery)
Lady Eleanor Swift is cheerfully hovering above London in a hot air balloon when she catches sight of a murder taking place. However, once back on terra firma she can’t locate any trace of a body. It’s the mid-1920s, set during the British Empire Exhibition—a sprawling display in Wembley Park meant to strengthen bonds within the empire and promote trade. But some underhanded business is going on at the exhibition. Which is where Eleanor happens to find the fragment of a pearl necklace that looks suspiciously similar to one Lady Chadwick claims was stolen. Lady Eleanor goes undercover as a governess at the Chadwicks’ mansion to get to the bottom of things.
Book 18 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series serves up a tangle of clues, deception and red herrings for the intrepid lady sleuth as she takes on another perplexing case, this time in Mayfair. The authors (a husband-and-wife writing team) establish a fairly traditional upstairs/downstairs feel to Chadwick House, then keep readers guessing with false leads that involve, well, everyone in the household. And how did a dead body wind up in the dumbwaiter? Several scenes do not seem to move the story along or add suspense, but likeable, nicely developed main characters carry the day, and Eleanor’s musings to herself often made me smile. Most of the loose ends in the plot get tied up by the last page, and there are lots of twists and turns along the way, so cozy mystery lovers might find this a pleasant read on a wintry afternoon.
