Thanks to author Verity Bright for an advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

The title "Death on a Winter's Day" was irresistible, and I was glad to have the opportunity to read this 1921 British Christmas-time murder mystery taking place in an old stone castle in Scotland.

Lady Eleanor Swift, her faithful butler Clifford as well as her kitchen staff, plus her slobbery bulldog Gladstone are invited to spend Christmas with Eleanor's dear friends Baron and Baroness Ashley at remote Castle Ranburgh. Several other guests are also attending, and during the first formal dinner, while playing a fun party game of "Wink Murder," the lights go out and the most unlikeable of the guests is actually murdered.

The police are called, the guests are haphazardly interviewed, Baron Ashley is arrested without convincing proof, and no one is allowed to leave the castle. Eleanor has a reputation as an amateur sleuth (see books 1-7), so her friend Wilhelmina Ashley begs her to find the real murderer as she is sure her husband is innocent. By the way, the isolated island-based castle can only be accessed by a rowboat piloted by a quirky ferryman. There is rumor of a loch monster in the water, the snow begins to fall, and everyone seems to have a motive to murder the American victim. And then someone else is found dead, having fallen suspiciously from a high balcony. The remaining guests, and household staff, are even more on edge, knowing a murderer is among them.

Eleanor is a sensible, intelligent young woman, who enjoys her independence. She is one reason the novel is a delightful read, with clues sprinkled about so the reader can help solve the murder along with Eleanor. The author has done her research, providing descriptive details of food and clothing of the period, as well as historic facts about gold mining, selkies, and Scottish loch monsters.

Even if this is your introduction to Lady Eleanor Swift, you'll have no trouble enjoying it on its own. This is #8 in the series, but only the second one I've read and it could easily be a stand alone. But be warned, you will most likely want to go back and read the earlier novels. ( )

cosy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, family, family-business, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, murder, murder-investigation, greed, relationships, religious-differences, superstitions, supernatural, suspense, suspicion, law-enforcement, Scotland, island-life, rural*****

Verity thought it sounded interesting when her friend phoned on a bad connection and asked her to come up to Scotland for Christmas despite the local servants having gone on strike. Her household staff wanted to support her and her friend in the hour of need, most especially their Butler, Mr. Clifford. But reality was quite different! The staffing problem had more to do with religious schisms, the place is on an island, the food is truly awful, it is incredibly cold INSIDE, the other guests are basically unfriendly, AND THEN there is a murder while everyone is at table DURING A POWER OUTAGE!
The series began as a farce: presumed orphan from South Africa (and world traveler on the cheap) comes to rural England and finds that she has inherited the title and all that from uncle who is recently deceased. She has little idea of how people are expected to behave in this milieu and is a klutz, to boot. The best part of it all is The Butler Who Knows Everything who helps her with anything, and never treats her like a ninny.
The publisher's blurb is a really good hook and I loved this read!
I requested and received a temporary digital ARC of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ( )

'Well, it's going to be a lot of fun. Up in Scotland. All of us together.'
Clifford gave his customary bow from the shoulders. 'My lady, at the risk of offering a contrary opinion, no - it is going to be woefully disagreeable.'

This time, Eleanor is invited to a big Christmas party in a remote castle in Scotland by her friends Lord and Lady Ashley. Unfortunately for the Ashleys, their castle is in the Presbyterian heartlands where Christmas celebrations are frowned upon and so her staff refuse to work. So Ellie, Clifford and the whole staff are brought up to Scotland to save the day. Hurrah. Of course, this being Ellie Swift, murder is never far away and when the lights go out during dinner and a guest is stabbed in the back she, once again, must set out to find the truth when the local plods arrest the wrong person. And when Clifford invites Hugh Seldon, on rest leave from his detective job, up to help them things get even more complicated as the pair are left having to finally confront their will-they-won't-they romance.

I love this series, which never takes itself too seriously and isn't afraid to be, well let's be honest, more than slightly preposterous. Oddball characters, idiot local policemen, scandalous secrets and, because we are in Scotland, some dodgy Scottish vernacular - everything is here! At its heart, though, is just a sense of fun and warmth, as Ellie - having lost her parents and uncle - now finds a family in her wonderful staff. Perfect reading for a dark winter's night. 4 stars and a mince pie! ( )

This is the eighth book in the Eleanor Swift Mystery series and it is Clever, Clever, Clever. Full of wit, snappy dialog, and the familiar characters of Lady Swift’s entourage make this a fun frolic in a Scottish castle over the Christmas Holidays of 1921. But wait, it is not all roaring fires, glad tidings with old friends, a tipple of this and that, glorious sumptuous meals. The castle staff is in revolt, the guests who are of the Presbyterian faith are grim, the relatives of the hosts are nasty and vocal and there is a MURDER. Lady Eleanor is implored by her hosts with solving it and unmasking the evil person(s) responsible. Oh fun, off they go, Lady Swift and her unflappable Butler Clifford, back and forth across a frothing and dangerous loch, fortifying herself with a “glug of bubbles” to do battle with a nincompoop police inspector.

There are so many small details that pull this very canny and entertaining mystery together. I admit to missing many as I put away my discerning, critical nature as I got lost in the story. Upon rereading portions I realized just how perfectly and tightly the whole plot was woven.

The author is a husband-and-wife writing team. I can almost see and hear them bantering back and forth, getting the dialog and quips just right. The Historical Notes were very informative especially the explanation and incorporation of the Scottish Presbyterian beliefs regarding the celebration of Christmas.

Well written, entertaining and completely enjoyable - Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for a copy. ( )