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Lady Eleanor Swift #25
A Very Irish Mystery
An utterly binge-worthy Irish cozy murder mystery
Lady Eleanor Swift is having a grand time cosying up with her husband in Dublin’s traditional pubs, eating their fill of Irish stew and soaking up the craic… Until another body ruins all their plans!
Lady Eleanor Swift is visiting Dublin with her husband Hugh Seldon and butler Clifford to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery.
But their taste test of the famous black stout turns deadly when Eleanor spots a body in one of the barrels! The dead man is none other than the owner of the brewery, Fergal Finnegan himself. Sensing a scandal, the head of operations hires The Byron Detective Agency to investigate.
It seems there was no pot of gold at the end of Fergal’s rainbow. Did his debt-ridden younger brother kill him for his inheritance? Did the fact Finnegan wouldn’t leave his wife make his mistress murderous? And was there more to fight about with rival brewer George Gaffney than just profits?
When their chief suspect is found dead only days later and the top-secret formula for a new beer goes missing, the agency is almost thrown off the case. But Eleanor doesn’t give up on justice. Will the luck of the Irish be on her side before the killer catches up with her?
A totally binge-worthy Irish cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Carlene O’Connor!
Lady Eleanor Swift is having a grand time cosying up with her husband in Dublin’s traditional pubs, eating their fill of Irish stew and soaking up the craic… Until another body ruins all their plans!
Lady Eleanor Swift is visiting Dublin with her husband Hugh Seldon and butler Clifford to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery.
But their taste test of the famous black stout turns deadly when Eleanor spots a body in one of the barrels! The dead man is none other than the owner of the brewery, Fergal Finnegan himself. Sensing a scandal, the head of operations hires The Byron Detective Agency to investigate.
It seems there was no pot of gold at the end of Fergal’s rainbow. Did his debt-ridden younger brother kill him for his inheritance? Did the fact Finnegan wouldn’t leave his wife make his mistress murderous? And was there more to fight about with rival brewer George Gaffney than just profits?
When their chief suspect is found dead only days later and the top-secret formula for a new beer goes missing, the agency is almost thrown off the case. But Eleanor doesn’t give up on justice. Will the luck of the Irish be on her side before the killer catches up with her?
A totally binge-worthy Irish cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Carlene O’Connor!
Audible Audio
Published April 10, 2026
About the author
Verity Bright
27 books395 followersVerity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 10, 2026
Lady Eleanor Swift, her husband Hugh Seldon (ex Scotland Yard Inspector) and Clifford, their butler, were in Dublin to meet a man who may be able to give Ellie some answers about her parents' disappearance two decades ago. While enjoying being tourists, they went to Finnegan's Brewery for the tour and tastings. But the discovery of a body in one of the barrels sent alarm bells ringing, and when the head of operations, Dwyer, declined the police being brought in, he hired the Byron Detective Agency to investigate. Once again a murder had interrupted Ellie & Hugh's plans!
As the team investigated, Ellie's intuition seemed to be faltering. But between the three of them, they had a good suspect list, plus others who could answer questions. When another body was discovered, Ellie was distraught. They were racing against the clock with no idea who could be next...
A Very Irish Mystery is the 25th in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright and once again I loved it. I had absolutely NO idea who the culprit was and was shocked when the announcement was made. Set in an area of Dublin which was filled with a mixture of elite and derelict, in the early 1900s, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of it all. As well as the build up to possible answers in the mystery of Ellie's parents, which was well done too. I'm really looking forward to #26 which could be the last in the series. (I hope not though!) Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.
As the team investigated, Ellie's intuition seemed to be faltering. But between the three of them, they had a good suspect list, plus others who could answer questions. When another body was discovered, Ellie was distraught. They were racing against the clock with no idea who could be next...
A Very Irish Mystery is the 25th in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright and once again I loved it. I had absolutely NO idea who the culprit was and was shocked when the announcement was made. Set in an area of Dublin which was filled with a mixture of elite and derelict, in the early 1900s, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of it all. As well as the build up to possible answers in the mystery of Ellie's parents, which was well done too. I'm really looking forward to #26 which could be the last in the series. (I hope not though!) Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.
May 8, 2026
Another wonderful installment in the Lady Eleanor Swift series! I absolutely love spending time with Eleanor, Clifford, and Seldon — they truly feel like old friends at this point. Verity Bright does such a fantastic job blending mystery, humor, and heart, and the Irish setting made this book especially charming and atmospheric.
The mystery itself was engaging and fun to unravel, but honestly, the characters are what keep me coming back to this series. Eleanor’s warmth, determination, and growth throughout the books make her such a lovable heroine. I’m also still deeply invested in the mystery surrounding her parents and really hope Eleanor finally gets all the answers someday - We are getting closer....
A solid 4-star read for me — cozy, clever, and full of the charm that makes this series so addictive.
The mystery itself was engaging and fun to unravel, but honestly, the characters are what keep me coming back to this series. Eleanor’s warmth, determination, and growth throughout the books make her such a lovable heroine. I’m also still deeply invested in the mystery surrounding her parents and really hope Eleanor finally gets all the answers someday - We are getting closer....
A solid 4-star read for me — cozy, clever, and full of the charm that makes this series so addictive.
April 13, 2026
Rating: 4.3 / 5
"The journey wasn't over, but it was almost at its end."
As the last line of this book, is this the author's cryptic way of telling us that the Eleanor Swift series is almost over?
Boy, I hope not! Still so many things unanswered!
_____________________
So, first off, the story: Eleanor, Clifford, and Hugh are all in Dublin, following the lead that they got at the end of the last book regarding Eleanor's parents and what happened to them. This book focuses just on the three of them, sans their ladies at home, but I thought it was a fine change of pace, and just went with it.
The story itself is pretty fast-paced, which works in its favor. They come across a famous brewer, stuffed into one of his very own pint barrels. They are hired in their capacity as the Byron Detective Agency to investigate, and of course they put a lot on the line to getting things done. And when another murder takes place that seems to be connected to the first, of course the stakes are higher than ever!
Now, as always, I'll list the plusses and the minuses, though unfortunately this time around my list of minuses is a bit longer (in terms of my amount of details):
Pros
+ Since the trio are in Ireland right after Ireland's independence, it was fascinating for them to try navigating Dublin as obviously British people, given the upheaval. I don't really know much about Irish history specifically, so it was interesting to learn about it in this book, but in ways that did NOT hold up the plot, thank goodness!
+ Donohoe. I just...loved his character so much, like the Citizen Kane of the underworld or something. I feel like his story kind of Count of Monte Cristo's things or something, but overall just felt that he worked really well as a character!
+ The controlled and focused dynamic of the trio. You can really tell how they've progressed working alongside each other as detectives, and this time around I just felt that they were appropriately professional--i.e. no quips out of nowhere or that went overboard, no doubting or second-guessing each other, nada. They've all just fallen into what I can only describe is a comfortable pattern, and while at times I did find myself missing some of that personal Eleanor-Clifford dynamic just a tad, the plot and the setting both seemed to demand seriousness, so I thought it was fitting. Same goes for the ladies not necessarily being a part of the mystery this time around--I did miss them, but admittedly there wasn't much that they could've contributed this time around, and there wouldn't really have been anything for them to do anyway. So thus, my personal liking for them aside, I did think it was a fitting choice. On this entire point, therefore, I'd just like to compliment the author in that their writing was controlled, and this time around that was a good thing.
Cons
- The...well, I'd say the mismanaging of the plot around Eleanor's parents. Without giving anything away, basically that plot is totally sidelined, but in a way that felt unrealistic. Like...considering that these are Eleanor's parents we're talking about and that the mystery behind their disappearance has been built up so much throughout the series, I felt that even if it wasn't the central focus of this particular mystery, it should and would have been foremost in Eleanor's mind regardless. Like...okay, I get that she has a strong moral character (as has been demonstrated 24 times before when she got involved in investigations and solved murders even though she didn't necessarily have stakes in all the cases), but THIS is legitimately important to her, and so even if Eleanor did agree to take on an additional case, she still would've been thinking about the thing with her parents more than she has. In fact, at one point, when it's a crucial moment, Eleanor actually decides to move past the thing with her parents on the off-chance of protecting one of the new people she's met on this case who is "possibly in danger". That just....felt so off and so wrong and sooooo unrealistic. Because...NO. Eleanor's pretty selfless a lot of the time, but this broke credibility and therefore I couldn't get behind it and was just rolling my eyes at how forced it felt. Eleanor's heroic, I will admit, but this felt almost too stupidly altruistic, and honestly just a contrived way for the author to keep from giving us, as the readers, answers on what happened, and having us settle for crumbs when they promised bread. Which leads me to the second major beef I have with this:
- How much the author is choosing to leave unanswered. Again, that last cryptic line of the book worries me, because there are still a lot of unanswered questions! To be clear, I'm perfectly fine with this series continuing for another 25 books, as long as the authors can make it interesting and keep me guessing for each book what happens next. But, if they're planning on doing that, what they should NOT do is hype up giving up major series reveals in a book, but then backpedal and hold it out of reach. If you do that, then the equation is thus: starving dog + meat just out of reach = dog bites the whole hand. And that's what could happen if this tease keeps going on: readers will lose interest and/or get pissed off. So...basically what I'm saying is deliver on what you promise, or don't make those promises to begin with. You don't need that bait to lure fans into continuing to read the series once you're 25 books in. At this point, whatever readers you have are those who are going to stay with the series, even if you just give them episodic one-off mysteries. Again, if those are done well, then there's no reason for false promises for bigger plot-series reveals.
- And, that being said, my third problem with this book that ultimately has it ranking lower on my list is that...while the mystery itself did include a twist in that I had no idea who the murderer turned out to be...it wasn't a great twist. Again, spoiler-free, but basically the murderer and their motive had nothing to do with most of what the group was investigating throughout the entire book, which basically made me as the reader feel that everything I'd just read through was a waste of time. Like...I was following a false trail (not even a red herring, by the way, but just completely irrelevant) due East, when in fact the murderer was in the South or something. It was...just an..."Oh." moment. Not an "a-ha!" or "that's so clever, I totally didn't see that coming, woah!" moment, but an "Oh." moment. And that's not the reaction you want to get from your readers. Sure, you want to keep the truth hidden from them as much as possible to create suspense, but when playing ball with your readers, you have to play fair. In this case, the breadcrumbs were so miniscule that even with a magnifying glass, it was from hunches and intuition rather than logical conclusions that Eleanor figured out what was going on and got to the location for the final confrontation. And, as if that weren't enough, the motive itself....was just stupid. Again, it had absolutely nothing to do with any of what we've read before or what was established, so that I was just gasping in offended disbelief that this is what the authors chose to go with as opposed to something more consequential.
- Also and lastly, the climax was way too short. Like, considering how the author kept propelling the plot forward towards something for a while and withholding the conclusion, the least they could've done was make it longer so that it'd feel more worth it. Unfortunately, 'twas not the case here.
So, take it all in all, this book...had its ups, but slightly more downs. Again, the trio themselves and their dynamics was really great, and the setup itself was refreshing and I was engaged with the mystery and the twists-and-turns of the plot. It's just that the problems I've mentioned above are noticeable, hence the downgrade of a star from this final rating. With that being said, let me provide:
_______________
My Updated Ranking of the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries
1. Death on a Winter's Day (Book 8)
2. Murder on a Frosty Night (Book 24)
3. Mystery by the Sea (Book 5)
4. A Midwinter Murder (Book 20)
5. A Very English Murder (Book 1)
6. Death Down the Aisle (Book 11)
7. A Witness to Murder (Book 3)
8. Murder at the Fair (Book 6)
9. Death on Deck (Book 13)
10. The French for Murder (Book 10)
11. Murder in an Irish Castle (Book 12)
12. Murder in Mayfair (Book 18)
13. Murder in the Snow (Book 4)
14. Death at the Dance (Book 2)
15. Death at a Paris Hotel (Book 22)
16. Murder on the Cornish Cliffs (Book 16)
17. A Recipe for Murder (Book 21)
18. Murder in Manhattan (Book 14)
19. A Royal Murder (Book 9)
20. Murder by Invitation (Book 15)
21. A Very Irish Mystery (Book 25)
22. Murder at the Royal Palace (Book 23)
23. Murder on the Nile (Book 19)
24. A Death in Venice (Book 17)
25. A Lesson in Murder (Book 7)
"The journey wasn't over, but it was almost at its end."
As the last line of this book, is this the author's cryptic way of telling us that the Eleanor Swift series is almost over?
Boy, I hope not! Still so many things unanswered!
_____________________
So, first off, the story: Eleanor, Clifford, and Hugh are all in Dublin, following the lead that they got at the end of the last book regarding Eleanor's parents and what happened to them. This book focuses just on the three of them, sans their ladies at home, but I thought it was a fine change of pace, and just went with it.
The story itself is pretty fast-paced, which works in its favor. They come across a famous brewer, stuffed into one of his very own pint barrels. They are hired in their capacity as the Byron Detective Agency to investigate, and of course they put a lot on the line to getting things done. And when another murder takes place that seems to be connected to the first, of course the stakes are higher than ever!
Now, as always, I'll list the plusses and the minuses, though unfortunately this time around my list of minuses is a bit longer (in terms of my amount of details):
Pros
+ Since the trio are in Ireland right after Ireland's independence, it was fascinating for them to try navigating Dublin as obviously British people, given the upheaval. I don't really know much about Irish history specifically, so it was interesting to learn about it in this book, but in ways that did NOT hold up the plot, thank goodness!
+ Donohoe. I just...loved his character so much, like the Citizen Kane of the underworld or something. I feel like his story kind of Count of Monte Cristo's things or something, but overall just felt that he worked really well as a character!
+ The controlled and focused dynamic of the trio. You can really tell how they've progressed working alongside each other as detectives, and this time around I just felt that they were appropriately professional--i.e. no quips out of nowhere or that went overboard, no doubting or second-guessing each other, nada. They've all just fallen into what I can only describe is a comfortable pattern, and while at times I did find myself missing some of that personal Eleanor-Clifford dynamic just a tad, the plot and the setting both seemed to demand seriousness, so I thought it was fitting. Same goes for the ladies not necessarily being a part of the mystery this time around--I did miss them, but admittedly there wasn't much that they could've contributed this time around, and there wouldn't really have been anything for them to do anyway. So thus, my personal liking for them aside, I did think it was a fitting choice. On this entire point, therefore, I'd just like to compliment the author in that their writing was controlled, and this time around that was a good thing.
Cons
- The...well, I'd say the mismanaging of the plot around Eleanor's parents. Without giving anything away, basically that plot is totally sidelined, but in a way that felt unrealistic. Like...considering that these are Eleanor's parents we're talking about and that the mystery behind their disappearance has been built up so much throughout the series, I felt that even if it wasn't the central focus of this particular mystery, it should and would have been foremost in Eleanor's mind regardless. Like...okay, I get that she has a strong moral character (as has been demonstrated 24 times before when she got involved in investigations and solved murders even though she didn't necessarily have stakes in all the cases), but THIS is legitimately important to her, and so even if Eleanor did agree to take on an additional case, she still would've been thinking about the thing with her parents more than she has. In fact, at one point, when it's a crucial moment, Eleanor actually decides to move past the thing with her parents on the off-chance of protecting one of the new people she's met on this case who is "possibly in danger". That just....felt so off and so wrong and sooooo unrealistic. Because...NO. Eleanor's pretty selfless a lot of the time, but this broke credibility and therefore I couldn't get behind it and was just rolling my eyes at how forced it felt. Eleanor's heroic, I will admit, but this felt almost too stupidly altruistic, and honestly just a contrived way for the author to keep from giving us, as the readers, answers on what happened, and having us settle for crumbs when they promised bread. Which leads me to the second major beef I have with this:
- How much the author is choosing to leave unanswered. Again, that last cryptic line of the book worries me, because there are still a lot of unanswered questions! To be clear, I'm perfectly fine with this series continuing for another 25 books, as long as the authors can make it interesting and keep me guessing for each book what happens next. But, if they're planning on doing that, what they should NOT do is hype up giving up major series reveals in a book, but then backpedal and hold it out of reach. If you do that, then the equation is thus: starving dog + meat just out of reach = dog bites the whole hand. And that's what could happen if this tease keeps going on: readers will lose interest and/or get pissed off. So...basically what I'm saying is deliver on what you promise, or don't make those promises to begin with. You don't need that bait to lure fans into continuing to read the series once you're 25 books in. At this point, whatever readers you have are those who are going to stay with the series, even if you just give them episodic one-off mysteries. Again, if those are done well, then there's no reason for false promises for bigger plot-series reveals.
- And, that being said, my third problem with this book that ultimately has it ranking lower on my list is that...while the mystery itself did include a twist in that I had no idea who the murderer turned out to be...it wasn't a great twist. Again, spoiler-free, but basically the murderer and their motive had nothing to do with most of what the group was investigating throughout the entire book, which basically made me as the reader feel that everything I'd just read through was a waste of time. Like...I was following a false trail (not even a red herring, by the way, but just completely irrelevant) due East, when in fact the murderer was in the South or something. It was...just an..."Oh." moment. Not an "a-ha!" or "that's so clever, I totally didn't see that coming, woah!" moment, but an "Oh." moment. And that's not the reaction you want to get from your readers. Sure, you want to keep the truth hidden from them as much as possible to create suspense, but when playing ball with your readers, you have to play fair. In this case, the breadcrumbs were so miniscule that even with a magnifying glass, it was from hunches and intuition rather than logical conclusions that Eleanor figured out what was going on and got to the location for the final confrontation. And, as if that weren't enough, the motive itself....was just stupid. Again, it had absolutely nothing to do with any of what we've read before or what was established, so that I was just gasping in offended disbelief that this is what the authors chose to go with as opposed to something more consequential.
- Also and lastly, the climax was way too short. Like, considering how the author kept propelling the plot forward towards something for a while and withholding the conclusion, the least they could've done was make it longer so that it'd feel more worth it. Unfortunately, 'twas not the case here.
So, take it all in all, this book...had its ups, but slightly more downs. Again, the trio themselves and their dynamics was really great, and the setup itself was refreshing and I was engaged with the mystery and the twists-and-turns of the plot. It's just that the problems I've mentioned above are noticeable, hence the downgrade of a star from this final rating. With that being said, let me provide:
_______________
My Updated Ranking of the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries
1. Death on a Winter's Day (Book 8)
2. Murder on a Frosty Night (Book 24)
3. Mystery by the Sea (Book 5)
4. A Midwinter Murder (Book 20)
5. A Very English Murder (Book 1)
6. Death Down the Aisle (Book 11)
7. A Witness to Murder (Book 3)
8. Murder at the Fair (Book 6)
9. Death on Deck (Book 13)
10. The French for Murder (Book 10)
11. Murder in an Irish Castle (Book 12)
12. Murder in Mayfair (Book 18)
13. Murder in the Snow (Book 4)
14. Death at the Dance (Book 2)
15. Death at a Paris Hotel (Book 22)
16. Murder on the Cornish Cliffs (Book 16)
17. A Recipe for Murder (Book 21)
18. Murder in Manhattan (Book 14)
19. A Royal Murder (Book 9)
20. Murder by Invitation (Book 15)
21. A Very Irish Mystery (Book 25)
22. Murder at the Royal Palace (Book 23)
23. Murder on the Nile (Book 19)
24. A Death in Venice (Book 17)
25. A Lesson in Murder (Book 7)
April 11, 2026
3.5 stars
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the free advanced reading copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
The Byron Detective Agency members (Eleanor, Clifford and Hugh) are in Dublin for a bit of sightseeing and to meet a man who may have answers about what happened to Ellie's parents all those years ago. While visiting Finnegan's brewery, Ellie gets lost on the way to the restroom and overhears an argument between the brewery owner and a woman. Later, on the tour, just as the guests are about to taste a sample of Finnegan's famous brew, the tour guide opens the barrel and the very dead body of company owner, Fergal Finnegan, falls out. The company Head of Operations hires the Agency to investigate discreetly without alerting the Garda, the Irish police. They must delve deep into company business, family drama and politics to untangle this complicated murder. In the meantime, their contact person, Samuel O'Sullivan, is a no show. Will Ellie ever get answers to the mystery of her parents' disappearance?
This trip to Dublin didn't appeal to me as much as the trip to Venice. The characters don't get in any real sightseeing and the travelogue consists of them walking around the city and investigating at a brewery. I don't drink beer so the setting didn't interest me at all. I did enjoy learning the history of Ireland in the 1920s though. The mystery was way too complicated. There was a lot going on and I never guessed any of it. Some of it was guessable but not all of it. The Byron Detective Agency is back to making lists of their suspects and motives on page and it slowed down the mystery a bit.
I really read these books for the characters. Ellie surprised me a bit by being the tough one on the case. She endears herself to the Irish people by having an Irish title, enjoying the local simple pub food and not being a snooty English Lady. In her search for answers about her parents, she shows more emotions. That subplot ends of a cliffhanger and I NEED to know what happened!
Hugh also surprised me by being the emotional one in the group. Now he's no longer a police officer, he can reveal his private, personal feelings on certain situations. It's obvious how much he loves Ellie and wants to protect her but knows he loves her because she is who she is. He's devoted to her and will follow her and try his best to assist her investigations and keep her safe without wrapping her up in cotton wool. Clifford does way too much unnecessary explaining in this story. I would think many readers are familiar with Dublin and those who aren't could look up the places mentioned. The mystery is long enough without adding info dumping.
Gladstone is adorable as always. He makes a new friend, Alma, the Glen of Imal Terrier. I was picturing a Yorkie, or worse a Teacup Yorkie when Alma first appeared on the scene. The Glen of Imal, like Gladstone, is low to the ground but solid/heavy. I don't think I've seen one in real life but I can tell from the TV and photos they're larger/longer than the Scottish varieties of terrier you see more often in the U.S. I don't think they're small and light enough to climb up a lady's legs and dress. Alma is very sweet and very un-terrier like. I was happy to see Gladstone make a new friend. The two are just so CUTE together!
None of the new human characters are particularly likable. Ellie's first new friend is Mrs. Cullen. I admire her stance on women's rights and she seems to have risen from the working class which is wonderful, but... she's scary! She's formidable and seems to like to have things her way. Mrs. Cullen has the blood of Celtic warrior women running through her veins and seems to fancy herself a modern day version. She doesn't often let anyone else speak much and she just commands. She's friendly though and not necessarily a bad person but I don't quite like the way she talks about her sons. The eldest was the apple of her eye and she dotes on him and he cares for her back. Yet everyone else says she spoiled her youngest and made him what he is so I blame her for what happens with him.
Fergal was a businessman and a successful one but there is a hint, early on, that he did something questionable, not quite ethical, to achieve his success. Surely someone hated him for some reason to want to kill him! Way too many people actually... He enjoyed thumbing his nose at Society yet he wanted to be rich. He did a lot of things that were not so great just to spite random people who don't matter. As long as people love his product it shouldn't matter to him what they think of HIM. Yet he was very good to his mother and seemed to love her or maybe he understood her money would flow more freely if he showed her attention and kindness.
Mary O'Leary, Mr. Finnegan's secretary is a sharp woman. She's outspoken and wants to help find Mr. Finnegan's killer. She seems to have a history with one or both of the Finnegan brothers though. It might be past or present and could provide her with a motive for murder.
Fergal's brother Liam is spoiled, lazy and nowhere near as driven as his brother. Liam just wants money so he can live the life of a gentleman. He's not even second generation removed from the fortune let alone third so no go Liam. He comes across as entitled and whiny and I wouldn't put it past him to have argued with his brother, accidentally killed Fergal and then covered it up to save his own skin. He should have been man enough to pick up where his brother left off and run Finnegan's easily. He simply doesn't want to put in the work Fergal did to achieve success. He's far more lazy than Fergal. His wife is a much stronger personality. Ellie overhears her arguing with Fergal in his office just before Fergal's body was discovered. This woman is a gold digger, obviously, and gold digging on behalf of her husband.
Brídín is a force of nature but different from her mother-in-law. More... a piece of work! Brídín is selfish. She goes to bat for her husband when they want money but belittles and mocks him every chance she gets at home. Why does she show such contempt for her husband? He actually deserves her derision but there are ways to express it without mocking in front of strangers! Her actions and words make Liam out to be a suspect in Fergal's murder! I think Liam is too weak to murder someone but if he did kill his brother accidentally, he would call Brídín to help and she would take care of the problem. I don't think she'd be so dumb as to hide the body in a keg for all to see though. No, not unless she wanted to frame her husband. She's contemptuous of the sleuths as well, seeming to think she's more clever and better because she's Irish and they're English. (Well, clearly Ellie has some Irish heritage!) Liam and Brídín are incredibly snobby and rude as well.
Mr. Dwyer, Head of Operations seems like a weasel to me. While he hires The Agency to investigate Mr. Finnegan's murder, he seems to think they're only in it for the money and he also seems to be pushing them along to finish up the investigation. There are also certain places he doesn't seem to want them to go or people to talk to. He's a shady character for sure and he's near the top of my suspect list. If he's not the murderer, he's up to something and it's not good.
Mr. Canavan, the head cooper, had beef with Mr. Finnegan and was overheard threatening him. Mr. Canavan had means and opportunity but what was his motive? Even when we learn that, I can't see murder as the solution. He seems more like the type to strike out with his fists and have a good fight rather than resort to murder. Plus it would be too obvious given the murder weapon and where the body was found. Canavan strikes me as smarter than that.
George Gaffney, a rival brewer is a person of a lot of bluster, swagger and ego but inferior product. He SAYS he doesn't care and provides a good reason for him NOT to have killed Fergal. Plus how would he get on the property without anyone knowing about it? I'm not so sure he can be trusted but I'm also not sure he's the murderer. Mrs. Cullen seems to think he's so cutthroat he would murder a rival but there's personal feelings involved there. He seems sincere to me at least as much as he's capable of. His secretary, Orla, is pretty scary. She's efficient, highly capable of anything and
willing to get her hands dirty if necessary. Hmm? Maybe SHE offed Fergal somehow on behalf of her employer?
Isabel, Fergal's wife, is English. She's suspicious merely because she's English and married Fergal for his money. I don't believe she killed her husband but he doesn't seem like a lovable man. Being English at this time, she probably wasn't a very good trophy wife with anti-English sentiment running high. I don't think divorce was legal in Ireland at that time either so she's stuck, unless she just leaves quietly and Fergal doesn't strike me as the sort of man who would allow her to leave. She says they ended up falling in love and seems sincerely sad he's dead and Ellie believes her so put her near the bottom of the list too. Hugh believes she truly does want the killer caught and hanged but he's cautious about WHY she wants that. She seems to loathe Liam and his wife. Could Isabel be the murderer and framing Liam?
Nora is a tough character to like. She's sympathetic but she's made some questionable choices in life. Of course she was stuck between a rock and a hard place and made those choices out of necessity but when it becomes a matter of murder, the sleuths and the reader have to wonder if she was involved. How far would she go to protect one she loved? That would mean we're looking at two different murderers though. I think Nora has an idea who did it but she doesn't think the suspect everyone else thinks did it could have done it. Most of the suspects did not have a motive to kill the second victim - unless the second victim knew who the real killer was.
Enter a brand new suspect, Irish mob boss, Daniel Donohue. Donohue is a Robin Hood figure to some and an evil extortionist to others. People love him or hate him - no in between. They fear him and he makes certain people have a reason to do what he wants when he wants. However, Fergal was worth more to Donohue alive than dead. Maybe Donohue sent a goon to teach Fergal a lesson and the situation got out of hand and the goon went overboard? Donohue is a scary dude and I'm certain people have died because of him. Conor McCloskey is another complicated figure. How is he connected to Finnegan's and Fergal's murder? WHO is telling the truth? Or are they all lying?
Pat Byrne, the security guard, is the only likable new friend. He and his wife anyway. Pat is helpful in assisting the sleuths with their investigation. He's not blindly loyal to Finnegan's and willing to look the other way to see justice done because he WAS loyal to his old friend Finnegan. His wife, Kathleen, also wants to see justice done but a new law in Ireland has changed jury duty for women from mandatory to optional so that no women will OPT to sit on a jury. With Mrs. Cullen, Kathleen and her suffragist friends, I think The Byron Detective Agency could muster an auxiliary branch in Ireland easily enough!
Fitz, Mrs. Cullen's driver, is a teetotaler of all things. Jobs are hard to come by in Ireland at this time so he needs the job. Fitz isn't very friendly and seems to resent sweet Alma. HE wasn't willing to risk his life to rescue her. Liam borrowed Fitz to drive him around and pick him up from a trip out of town on that fateful day. As Ellie moves through the city, she spies a shadowy figure lurking around. Could Fitz have seen him too? Could Fitz hold the key to the mystery? He doesn't seem to care one way or the other that his boss's son is dead. He's not an agreeable person and doesn't get involved in helping to try to solve the mystery. Perhaps he hated Fergal for rising to the top when Fitz and many others are struggling to get by and if so, he doesn't want Fergal's killer brought to justice? He's not a well-developed character and this is all speculation on my part.
Ellie is in Ireland to meet with Samuel O'Sullivan to learn more about her parents' fate but he's a no show. Where is he? What does he know? WHO is he? His name seems to be familiar to people in Dublin but elicits a strange reaction. He was an Irish Civil Rights activist so the people should like him.
While I didn't love this story as much as some of the others, I am grateful to Mark and Bookouture for honoring Laura's hard work and publishing the book posthumously. Laura will be much missed because of her talent in creating wonderful, lovable characters who get into some incredible adventures! I wish this series could go on forever!
This review will be posted to my blog on April 16.
https://bluestockingmusings.blogspot....
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the free advanced reading copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
The Byron Detective Agency members (Eleanor, Clifford and Hugh) are in Dublin for a bit of sightseeing and to meet a man who may have answers about what happened to Ellie's parents all those years ago. While visiting Finnegan's brewery, Ellie gets lost on the way to the restroom and overhears an argument between the brewery owner and a woman. Later, on the tour, just as the guests are about to taste a sample of Finnegan's famous brew, the tour guide opens the barrel and the very dead body of company owner, Fergal Finnegan, falls out. The company Head of Operations hires the Agency to investigate discreetly without alerting the Garda, the Irish police. They must delve deep into company business, family drama and politics to untangle this complicated murder. In the meantime, their contact person, Samuel O'Sullivan, is a no show. Will Ellie ever get answers to the mystery of her parents' disappearance?
This trip to Dublin didn't appeal to me as much as the trip to Venice. The characters don't get in any real sightseeing and the travelogue consists of them walking around the city and investigating at a brewery. I don't drink beer so the setting didn't interest me at all. I did enjoy learning the history of Ireland in the 1920s though. The mystery was way too complicated. There was a lot going on and I never guessed any of it. Some of it was guessable but not all of it. The Byron Detective Agency is back to making lists of their suspects and motives on page and it slowed down the mystery a bit.
I really read these books for the characters. Ellie surprised me a bit by being the tough one on the case. She endears herself to the Irish people by having an Irish title, enjoying the local simple pub food and not being a snooty English Lady. In her search for answers about her parents, she shows more emotions. That subplot ends of a cliffhanger and I NEED to know what happened!
Hugh also surprised me by being the emotional one in the group. Now he's no longer a police officer, he can reveal his private, personal feelings on certain situations. It's obvious how much he loves Ellie and wants to protect her but knows he loves her because she is who she is. He's devoted to her and will follow her and try his best to assist her investigations and keep her safe without wrapping her up in cotton wool. Clifford does way too much unnecessary explaining in this story. I would think many readers are familiar with Dublin and those who aren't could look up the places mentioned. The mystery is long enough without adding info dumping.
Gladstone is adorable as always. He makes a new friend, Alma, the Glen of Imal Terrier. I was picturing a Yorkie, or worse a Teacup Yorkie when Alma first appeared on the scene. The Glen of Imal, like Gladstone, is low to the ground but solid/heavy. I don't think I've seen one in real life but I can tell from the TV and photos they're larger/longer than the Scottish varieties of terrier you see more often in the U.S. I don't think they're small and light enough to climb up a lady's legs and dress. Alma is very sweet and very un-terrier like. I was happy to see Gladstone make a new friend. The two are just so CUTE together!
None of the new human characters are particularly likable. Ellie's first new friend is Mrs. Cullen. I admire her stance on women's rights and she seems to have risen from the working class which is wonderful, but... she's scary! She's formidable and seems to like to have things her way. Mrs. Cullen has the blood of Celtic warrior women running through her veins and seems to fancy herself a modern day version. She doesn't often let anyone else speak much and she just commands. She's friendly though and not necessarily a bad person but I don't quite like the way she talks about her sons. The eldest was the apple of her eye and she dotes on him and he cares for her back. Yet everyone else says she spoiled her youngest and made him what he is so I blame her for what happens with him.
Fergal was a businessman and a successful one but there is a hint, early on, that he did something questionable, not quite ethical, to achieve his success. Surely someone hated him for some reason to want to kill him! Way too many people actually... He enjoyed thumbing his nose at Society yet he wanted to be rich. He did a lot of things that were not so great just to spite random people who don't matter. As long as people love his product it shouldn't matter to him what they think of HIM. Yet he was very good to his mother and seemed to love her or maybe he understood her money would flow more freely if he showed her attention and kindness.
Mary O'Leary, Mr. Finnegan's secretary is a sharp woman. She's outspoken and wants to help find Mr. Finnegan's killer. She seems to have a history with one or both of the Finnegan brothers though. It might be past or present and could provide her with a motive for murder.
Fergal's brother Liam is spoiled, lazy and nowhere near as driven as his brother. Liam just wants money so he can live the life of a gentleman. He's not even second generation removed from the fortune let alone third so no go Liam. He comes across as entitled and whiny and I wouldn't put it past him to have argued with his brother, accidentally killed Fergal and then covered it up to save his own skin. He should have been man enough to pick up where his brother left off and run Finnegan's easily. He simply doesn't want to put in the work Fergal did to achieve success. He's far more lazy than Fergal. His wife is a much stronger personality. Ellie overhears her arguing with Fergal in his office just before Fergal's body was discovered. This woman is a gold digger, obviously, and gold digging on behalf of her husband.
Brídín is a force of nature but different from her mother-in-law. More... a piece of work! Brídín is selfish. She goes to bat for her husband when they want money but belittles and mocks him every chance she gets at home. Why does she show such contempt for her husband? He actually deserves her derision but there are ways to express it without mocking in front of strangers! Her actions and words make Liam out to be a suspect in Fergal's murder! I think Liam is too weak to murder someone but if he did kill his brother accidentally, he would call Brídín to help and she would take care of the problem. I don't think she'd be so dumb as to hide the body in a keg for all to see though. No, not unless she wanted to frame her husband. She's contemptuous of the sleuths as well, seeming to think she's more clever and better because she's Irish and they're English. (Well, clearly Ellie has some Irish heritage!) Liam and Brídín are incredibly snobby and rude as well.
Mr. Dwyer, Head of Operations seems like a weasel to me. While he hires The Agency to investigate Mr. Finnegan's murder, he seems to think they're only in it for the money and he also seems to be pushing them along to finish up the investigation. There are also certain places he doesn't seem to want them to go or people to talk to. He's a shady character for sure and he's near the top of my suspect list. If he's not the murderer, he's up to something and it's not good.
Mr. Canavan, the head cooper, had beef with Mr. Finnegan and was overheard threatening him. Mr. Canavan had means and opportunity but what was his motive? Even when we learn that, I can't see murder as the solution. He seems more like the type to strike out with his fists and have a good fight rather than resort to murder. Plus it would be too obvious given the murder weapon and where the body was found. Canavan strikes me as smarter than that.
George Gaffney, a rival brewer is a person of a lot of bluster, swagger and ego but inferior product. He SAYS he doesn't care and provides a good reason for him NOT to have killed Fergal. Plus how would he get on the property without anyone knowing about it? I'm not so sure he can be trusted but I'm also not sure he's the murderer. Mrs. Cullen seems to think he's so cutthroat he would murder a rival but there's personal feelings involved there. He seems sincere to me at least as much as he's capable of. His secretary, Orla, is pretty scary. She's efficient, highly capable of anything and
willing to get her hands dirty if necessary. Hmm? Maybe SHE offed Fergal somehow on behalf of her employer?
Isabel, Fergal's wife, is English. She's suspicious merely because she's English and married Fergal for his money. I don't believe she killed her husband but he doesn't seem like a lovable man. Being English at this time, she probably wasn't a very good trophy wife with anti-English sentiment running high. I don't think divorce was legal in Ireland at that time either so she's stuck, unless she just leaves quietly and Fergal doesn't strike me as the sort of man who would allow her to leave. She says they ended up falling in love and seems sincerely sad he's dead and Ellie believes her so put her near the bottom of the list too. Hugh believes she truly does want the killer caught and hanged but he's cautious about WHY she wants that. She seems to loathe Liam and his wife. Could Isabel be the murderer and framing Liam?
Nora is a tough character to like. She's sympathetic but she's made some questionable choices in life. Of course she was stuck between a rock and a hard place and made those choices out of necessity but when it becomes a matter of murder, the sleuths and the reader have to wonder if she was involved. How far would she go to protect one she loved? That would mean we're looking at two different murderers though. I think Nora has an idea who did it but she doesn't think the suspect everyone else thinks did it could have done it. Most of the suspects did not have a motive to kill the second victim - unless the second victim knew who the real killer was.
Enter a brand new suspect, Irish mob boss, Daniel Donohue. Donohue is a Robin Hood figure to some and an evil extortionist to others. People love him or hate him - no in between. They fear him and he makes certain people have a reason to do what he wants when he wants. However, Fergal was worth more to Donohue alive than dead. Maybe Donohue sent a goon to teach Fergal a lesson and the situation got out of hand and the goon went overboard? Donohue is a scary dude and I'm certain people have died because of him. Conor McCloskey is another complicated figure. How is he connected to Finnegan's and Fergal's murder? WHO is telling the truth? Or are they all lying?
Pat Byrne, the security guard, is the only likable new friend. He and his wife anyway. Pat is helpful in assisting the sleuths with their investigation. He's not blindly loyal to Finnegan's and willing to look the other way to see justice done because he WAS loyal to his old friend Finnegan. His wife, Kathleen, also wants to see justice done but a new law in Ireland has changed jury duty for women from mandatory to optional so that no women will OPT to sit on a jury. With Mrs. Cullen, Kathleen and her suffragist friends, I think The Byron Detective Agency could muster an auxiliary branch in Ireland easily enough!
Fitz, Mrs. Cullen's driver, is a teetotaler of all things. Jobs are hard to come by in Ireland at this time so he needs the job. Fitz isn't very friendly and seems to resent sweet Alma. HE wasn't willing to risk his life to rescue her. Liam borrowed Fitz to drive him around and pick him up from a trip out of town on that fateful day. As Ellie moves through the city, she spies a shadowy figure lurking around. Could Fitz have seen him too? Could Fitz hold the key to the mystery? He doesn't seem to care one way or the other that his boss's son is dead. He's not an agreeable person and doesn't get involved in helping to try to solve the mystery. Perhaps he hated Fergal for rising to the top when Fitz and many others are struggling to get by and if so, he doesn't want Fergal's killer brought to justice? He's not a well-developed character and this is all speculation on my part.
Ellie is in Ireland to meet with Samuel O'Sullivan to learn more about her parents' fate but he's a no show. Where is he? What does he know? WHO is he? His name seems to be familiar to people in Dublin but elicits a strange reaction. He was an Irish Civil Rights activist so the people should like him.
While I didn't love this story as much as some of the others, I am grateful to Mark and Bookouture for honoring Laura's hard work and publishing the book posthumously. Laura will be much missed because of her talent in creating wonderful, lovable characters who get into some incredible adventures! I wish this series could go on forever!
This review will be posted to my blog on April 16.
https://bluestockingmusings.blogspot....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2026
A Very Irish Mystery is the 25th book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. Eleanor is still trying to find out what happened to her parents and want to speak with Samuel O'Sullivan, someone that may have information. She, her husband Sir Hugh Seldon, and butler, Clifford are visiting Dublin for a meeting with him. While there, they plan to explore the city. They have a chance to visit the world famous Finnegan's brewery, and they head over ready for a tour. While they are waiting, Eleanor gets lost while looking for the ladies room and overhears a heated conversation between a woman and gentleman. A security guard ushers her back to the tour area. The tour ends with a tasting, and when the barrel of black stout is opened, the is a body inside. The dead man is Fergal Finnegan, the owner of the brewery and the man that Eleanor had seen earlier arguing with a woman in his office. Earlier in the day, the group had accidentally met Fergal's mother and rescued her dog. She convinces Mr. Dwyer, the manager of the brewery to hire the Byron Detective Agency to investigate Fergal's death, even though he wanted to keep it quiet. As they begin to investigate they have several suspects. Was it Liam, his younger brother who will inherit everything? Was it Dwyer himself? What about his wife, isn't the spouse always the first suspect? Or maybe it was a disgruntled employee? With a rival brewer, George Gaffney wanting to become more profitable, could he have taken him out? When another body is found, killed in the same way as Fergal, the plot thickens. All this is going on, and Eleanor still hasn't met with O'Sullivan.
This was another enjoyable addition to the series. Each book in the series can easily be read as a standalone, as all crimes are solved within the cover, but you will miss out on some great historical mysteries if you don't read them all. In this book, Eleanor's "ladies" aren't with them, and I do miss their antics. Eleanor is a Lady, but a very unconventional one. I love how she uses her title when she becomes indignant with someone. Clifford is the best butler ever and I love how he seems to have an endless knowledge about almost everything, and it always comes in handy. Seldon is the quiet one in the trio. He puts up with his wife's antics, yet is normally the calm, cool one in the bunch. He was a well decorated police officer until he quit when he married Eleanor and they opened their detective agency. This was an interesting mystery and I had no idea who the culprit was. Dublin in the 1900s was an interesting place, with the elite on one side of the Liffey River, and the docks where some questionable people lived, and the everyday workers and slums as well. It was a hard time and quitting or be fired from a job meant you couldn't feed yourself or your family. The story is set right after independence and there are many that look down on the trio because they are English. Ellie has an Irish title, so gets a bit more respect. Of course, Gladstone, her bulldog is with her and makes a wonderful friend when they rescue Mrs. Cullen's dog. As always there is a twist in the story and the reveal was a bit surprising. All the investigating they did, and the killer didn't really fit with all they had discovered, but I still enjoyed it. We still don't know what had happened to Eleanor's parents, and the reason they went to Dublin in the first place was sidelined. Are we nearing the end of the series? The ending gave that hint, but I sure hope not. I enjoyed this addition to the series, but hope that we see more of the ladies in the next book.
This was another enjoyable addition to the series. Each book in the series can easily be read as a standalone, as all crimes are solved within the cover, but you will miss out on some great historical mysteries if you don't read them all. In this book, Eleanor's "ladies" aren't with them, and I do miss their antics. Eleanor is a Lady, but a very unconventional one. I love how she uses her title when she becomes indignant with someone. Clifford is the best butler ever and I love how he seems to have an endless knowledge about almost everything, and it always comes in handy. Seldon is the quiet one in the trio. He puts up with his wife's antics, yet is normally the calm, cool one in the bunch. He was a well decorated police officer until he quit when he married Eleanor and they opened their detective agency. This was an interesting mystery and I had no idea who the culprit was. Dublin in the 1900s was an interesting place, with the elite on one side of the Liffey River, and the docks where some questionable people lived, and the everyday workers and slums as well. It was a hard time and quitting or be fired from a job meant you couldn't feed yourself or your family. The story is set right after independence and there are many that look down on the trio because they are English. Ellie has an Irish title, so gets a bit more respect. Of course, Gladstone, her bulldog is with her and makes a wonderful friend when they rescue Mrs. Cullen's dog. As always there is a twist in the story and the reveal was a bit surprising. All the investigating they did, and the killer didn't really fit with all they had discovered, but I still enjoyed it. We still don't know what had happened to Eleanor's parents, and the reason they went to Dublin in the first place was sidelined. Are we nearing the end of the series? The ending gave that hint, but I sure hope not. I enjoyed this addition to the series, but hope that we see more of the ladies in the next book.
March 27, 2026
I’ve not read any of the previous, 24, books in this series and yet I could follow it without difficulty. I’m guessing you would get more from it if you have read the earlier books but it was still very enjoyable.
It’s a historical book with the protagonist and her husband and ex butler going to Ireland, Dublin, in order to try to find answers about her missing parents. They have set up a detective agency and the dynamic reminds me a bit of Hart to Hart, a tv show from the 70s, 80s. This is a historical book with some extra information at the back which was interesting.
There are some action scenes, lots of questioning witnesses and some nice historical moments that don’t feel laboured. I enjoyed the writing, it’s easy to read, at times I got a bit lost and I’m not sure I could have seen who was the culprit in the clues. I read it quickly and didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoyed and liked the main female character I think the male characters, at times, felt felt 2 dimensional but I think that makes a change and I wonder if I knew more of their backstory if that would help.
I think if you like a murder mystery then you should enjoy this, I’m not well read in this area but I did find it as enjoyable as Agatha Christie and Richard Osmond. I’m not sure I will go back and read the past books, unless I hit a drought, but I am going to follow the author and would want to read her future books.
There was hints of, not as far as magic I’m not sure I can even say spirituality but a sense of the protagonist being led by an unseen, positive force. I found it interesting and would be happy if this increased in future books.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion.
It’s a historical book with the protagonist and her husband and ex butler going to Ireland, Dublin, in order to try to find answers about her missing parents. They have set up a detective agency and the dynamic reminds me a bit of Hart to Hart, a tv show from the 70s, 80s. This is a historical book with some extra information at the back which was interesting.
There are some action scenes, lots of questioning witnesses and some nice historical moments that don’t feel laboured. I enjoyed the writing, it’s easy to read, at times I got a bit lost and I’m not sure I could have seen who was the culprit in the clues. I read it quickly and didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoyed and liked the main female character I think the male characters, at times, felt felt 2 dimensional but I think that makes a change and I wonder if I knew more of their backstory if that would help.
I think if you like a murder mystery then you should enjoy this, I’m not well read in this area but I did find it as enjoyable as Agatha Christie and Richard Osmond. I’m not sure I will go back and read the past books, unless I hit a drought, but I am going to follow the author and would want to read her future books.
There was hints of, not as far as magic I’m not sure I can even say spirituality but a sense of the protagonist being led by an unseen, positive force. I found it interesting and would be happy if this increased in future books.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion.
April 14, 2026
A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright is another adventure with the Byron Detective Agency: Clifford, Ellie, and Hugh. They were in Dublin after a visit to Ellie’s Irish estate, Hennelly Towers, to meet a man called Samuel O’Sullivan who had been with Ellie’s parents when they disappeared and might be able to fill in blanks for her. When he missed their appointment, of course, they went looking for him. And got into the middle of a murder investigation. The only people missing were the ladies, whom they had left at home this time.
The three of them are a powerful group, although sometimes I almost feel the two men are picking on Ellie. It is true, she does have some quirks. It is also true that they both care for her, so it is probably me. Ellie is not one to hold back; she always jumps in with both feet. Hugh is lightening up with his departure from Scotland Yard. He has also come to rely on Clifford and his never ending well of miscellaneous knowledge. This are three of the best characters in all of cozy mystery. The mystery was a good one, multi-faceted, and they made some amazing discoveries along the way. This is such an enjoyable series. This book, in particular, visits high points in Dublin as they search for answers.
I was invited to read A Very Irish Mystery by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #VerityBright #AVeryIrishMystery
The three of them are a powerful group, although sometimes I almost feel the two men are picking on Ellie. It is true, she does have some quirks. It is also true that they both care for her, so it is probably me. Ellie is not one to hold back; she always jumps in with both feet. Hugh is lightening up with his departure from Scotland Yard. He has also come to rely on Clifford and his never ending well of miscellaneous knowledge. This are three of the best characters in all of cozy mystery. The mystery was a good one, multi-faceted, and they made some amazing discoveries along the way. This is such an enjoyable series. This book, in particular, visits high points in Dublin as they search for answers.
I was invited to read A Very Irish Mystery by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #VerityBright #AVeryIrishMystery
April 20, 2026
Another nice entry in this historical mystery series. This time Ellie, Hugh, and Clifford are in Dublin searching for information about what happened to Ellie's parents when she was a child. Or I should say that's why they're there. Because almost immediately they get hired to investigate a murder. The murder leads them to all kinds of secrets with people involved in a local brewery.
I liked the mystery, as well as some of the people we met in this mystery. Ellie's "ladies" (the servants who work at her home and are her friends) did not make an appearance this time. I'm curious to see what happens with the little snippet we were given at the end regarding Ellie's parents. Hopefully we'll learn more in the next book.
I liked the mystery, as well as some of the people we met in this mystery. Ellie's "ladies" (the servants who work at her home and are her friends) did not make an appearance this time. I'm curious to see what happens with the little snippet we were given at the end regarding Ellie's parents. Hopefully we'll learn more in the next book.
April 3, 2026
In this Dublin‑set instalment, Lady Eleanor Swift, Hugh and the ever‑reliable Clifford head to Ireland hoping for answers about Eleanor’s parents. Naturally, their plans are derailed the moment a body turns up—this time in a brewery barrel, no less—and the Byron Detective Agency is pulled into another lively investigation.
As always, the charm of this series lies in its familiar rhythm: the cosy settings, the light mystery, the humour, and the characters you’ve come to know over 25 books. You don’t go into these expecting a long, intricate plot or anything too twisty, but there’s something undeniably gripping about the world itself. The Dublin backdrop adds a nice change of scenery, and the ongoing threads that run through the series keep it engaging.
A comfortable, entertaining addition to a series that’s become reliably enjoyable. A steady 3/5.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As usual, it's the characters who keep drawing me back to this series over and over again. From the curious and unstoppable Lady Eleanor Swift, who wasn't raised to be a lady, to husband Hugh and butler/friend/master of....whatever is needed Clifford, they are a delight to spend time with. And, of course, I can't forget Gladstone, Eleanor's trusty canine. The frequently humorous give-and-take between Eleanor and Clifford has always been a highlight of the historical fiction series for me, so it was great to see it front and center. Hugh, as the Scotland Yard officer, has always seemed a bit left out of that fun but he seems to be slowly settling into his retired cop, now detective role and showing a bit more of his human side this go-round. As he notes at one point, probably a bit bemused, as a cop he used to be the one chasing the culprit but now seems to be running from the law as often as not in partnership with the often impulsive Eleanor and Clifford who always seems to have her back and know what she needs or wants before she does. Definitely an interesting trio of detectives.
In this go-round, they find themselves in Dublin. They're planning to connect with a man who claims to be able to tell her something about how long missing parents. Eleanor has never quite solved the one mystery of a personal nature, why her parents abandoned her the night of their disappearance two decades ago. Well, they do ultimately meet him but there's a whole other matter that draws them before, the murder of brewery owner Fergal Finnegan. Eleanor discovers the body, no shock to long time readers, but, oh, my, what a place to find it. Nope, not telling. You're going to have to read the book. It goes without saying that they become absorbed with this case after being hired by the brewery's suddenly new manager but, in the meantime, we meet up with suffragettes, tour some of the backstreets of the Dublin of the day, find out Hugh isn't much of a sailor, and learn a bit about, uh, the oldest profession. Again, nope, not telling, you'll just have to read the book. And what's with all the rival breweries? Could one of them have killed Finnegan? How about the women, yes, plural, in his life? Oh, what a twisted web our trio has to unravel. All while, of course, awaiting the delayed arrival of the mystery man who may know something about Eleanor's parent's fate. Let's just say, that wasn't how they expected that discussion to go.
But, more than enough teasers. Obviously, I adore this series. I like the characters and they seem to wind up in some of the most fascinating places. We also learn lots about the setting of each adventure, not to mention a great deal of the history of the time. Do be sure to read the Historical Notes at the end. they touch of that subject, adding more to the story. Thanks #Bookouture and #NetGalley for letting me time travel backwards once again for an early peek at all that is going on in Lady Eleanor's life. I did miss "the ladies" this go round but, hey, one can't be unhappy with a cozy mystery that manages to work in a Machiavelli quote seamlessly.
In this go-round, they find themselves in Dublin. They're planning to connect with a man who claims to be able to tell her something about how long missing parents. Eleanor has never quite solved the one mystery of a personal nature, why her parents abandoned her the night of their disappearance two decades ago. Well, they do ultimately meet him but there's a whole other matter that draws them before, the murder of brewery owner Fergal Finnegan. Eleanor discovers the body, no shock to long time readers, but, oh, my, what a place to find it. Nope, not telling. You're going to have to read the book. It goes without saying that they become absorbed with this case after being hired by the brewery's suddenly new manager but, in the meantime, we meet up with suffragettes, tour some of the backstreets of the Dublin of the day, find out Hugh isn't much of a sailor, and learn a bit about, uh, the oldest profession. Again, nope, not telling, you'll just have to read the book. And what's with all the rival breweries? Could one of them have killed Finnegan? How about the women, yes, plural, in his life? Oh, what a twisted web our trio has to unravel. All while, of course, awaiting the delayed arrival of the mystery man who may know something about Eleanor's parent's fate. Let's just say, that wasn't how they expected that discussion to go.
But, more than enough teasers. Obviously, I adore this series. I like the characters and they seem to wind up in some of the most fascinating places. We also learn lots about the setting of each adventure, not to mention a great deal of the history of the time. Do be sure to read the Historical Notes at the end. they touch of that subject, adding more to the story. Thanks #Bookouture and #NetGalley for letting me time travel backwards once again for an early peek at all that is going on in Lady Eleanor's life. I did miss "the ladies" this go round but, hey, one can't be unhappy with a cozy mystery that manages to work in a Machiavelli quote seamlessly.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Title: A Very Irish Murder
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #25
Author: Verity Bright
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction
Pub Date: April 10, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 335
I have enjoyed this series from Book #1 “A Very English Murder”. Lady Eleanor Swift: is a very distinguished adventurer, dog lover, dignified lady… and yes a daring detective!
Story takes place in England during the 1920’s.
In Book #24 Murder on “ A Frosty Night” we learn that Lady Eleanor Swift’ and love interest dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon got married.
This story begins with Lady Eleanor Swift with her husband Hugh Seldona as well as her bulldog Gladstone, and their butler Clifford are visiting Dublin. They are enjoying the traditional pubs, eating their fill of Irish stew and soaking up the atmosphere and meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, however, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery.
The story is both interesting and enjoyable.
Since this is a Historical Fiction, the Author goes into details “with Historical Notes’. I must admit it is always something I look forward to as well as love!
We are given detailed info on places and traditions- in this case there is no mention of any ‘creative adjustments’ that are typically made but what was different is the recipe for Coddle – A Warm Hug in a Bowl. Which takes several pages.
Love this series and yes - love this author.
About the Author ~~~ Verity Bright
I was saddened that on June 29, 2025 — ... Laura Tong, one half of the husband-and-wife cozy crime writing partnership Verity Bright. Was tragically killed and her husband Mark was seriously injured.
Their writing spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery.
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-Galley.
Publishing. Release Date scheduled for April 10, 2026.
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #25
Author: Verity Bright
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction
Pub Date: April 10, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 335
I have enjoyed this series from Book #1 “A Very English Murder”. Lady Eleanor Swift: is a very distinguished adventurer, dog lover, dignified lady… and yes a daring detective!
Story takes place in England during the 1920’s.
In Book #24 Murder on “ A Frosty Night” we learn that Lady Eleanor Swift’ and love interest dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon got married.
This story begins with Lady Eleanor Swift with her husband Hugh Seldona as well as her bulldog Gladstone, and their butler Clifford are visiting Dublin. They are enjoying the traditional pubs, eating their fill of Irish stew and soaking up the atmosphere and meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, however, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery.
The story is both interesting and enjoyable.
Since this is a Historical Fiction, the Author goes into details “with Historical Notes’. I must admit it is always something I look forward to as well as love!
We are given detailed info on places and traditions- in this case there is no mention of any ‘creative adjustments’ that are typically made but what was different is the recipe for Coddle – A Warm Hug in a Bowl. Which takes several pages.
Love this series and yes - love this author.
About the Author ~~~ Verity Bright
I was saddened that on June 29, 2025 — ... Laura Tong, one half of the husband-and-wife cozy crime writing partnership Verity Bright. Was tragically killed and her husband Mark was seriously injured.
Their writing spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery.
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-Galley.
Publishing. Release Date scheduled for April 10, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Once again, the intrepid trio of Lady Eleanor Swift, her handsome husband Huge Seldon and Clifford, her major-domo extraordinaire, along with Gladstone have found a simple trip to Ireland to follow a lead to the disappearance of her parents many years ago, has turned into something vastly different and very troubling.
A Very Irish Murder sees them plunged into a world they had no idea existed, one that is filled with danger and mystery at a time when the Suffragette movement was commencing in Ireland. Ellie finds she inadvertently gets swept up in a march on their way back to their Hotel, after having spent a fruitless time waiting to meet a man who apparently knew her parents and what happened to them; one Samuel O’Sullivan.
On and innocent tour of the local Brewery, Colcannon’s, the body of the owner is discovered stuffed in a barrel; obviously struck dead by a vicious blow to the back of the head. As the Byron Detective Agency, they, due to Ellie’s sense of outrage, see them become involved in helping solve what appears to be a senseless murder.
But is it, as a second murder occurs and the information they have uncovered is beginning to seem like someone believes killing will hide shady business dealings in which they are deeply involved. So many suspects with so few clues is not making bringing a killer to justice easy!
As they continue to try and discover the whereabouts of O’Sullivan, they find so many of the incidents occurring lead them to the Mondo, a part of town known for its poverty and kip-houses. It soon becomes apparent that the two events, the missing O’Sullivan and the murders, are somehow related; but how is the real question.
With a killer on the loose, a missing woman who may hold vital information and a massive storm brewing they must make a decision that could end in tragedy.
Book 25 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series, A Very Irish Murder has a slightly different nuance to previous books which is interesting and to be expected. There is also a hint that Ellie’s search for her parents may be drawing to a close in the most unexpected of ways. We will undoubtedly see what does indeed come next in Book 26, whatever that may be…..
A Very Irish Murder sees them plunged into a world they had no idea existed, one that is filled with danger and mystery at a time when the Suffragette movement was commencing in Ireland. Ellie finds she inadvertently gets swept up in a march on their way back to their Hotel, after having spent a fruitless time waiting to meet a man who apparently knew her parents and what happened to them; one Samuel O’Sullivan.
On and innocent tour of the local Brewery, Colcannon’s, the body of the owner is discovered stuffed in a barrel; obviously struck dead by a vicious blow to the back of the head. As the Byron Detective Agency, they, due to Ellie’s sense of outrage, see them become involved in helping solve what appears to be a senseless murder.
But is it, as a second murder occurs and the information they have uncovered is beginning to seem like someone believes killing will hide shady business dealings in which they are deeply involved. So many suspects with so few clues is not making bringing a killer to justice easy!
As they continue to try and discover the whereabouts of O’Sullivan, they find so many of the incidents occurring lead them to the Mondo, a part of town known for its poverty and kip-houses. It soon becomes apparent that the two events, the missing O’Sullivan and the murders, are somehow related; but how is the real question.
With a killer on the loose, a missing woman who may hold vital information and a massive storm brewing they must make a decision that could end in tragedy.
Book 25 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series, A Very Irish Murder has a slightly different nuance to previous books which is interesting and to be expected. There is also a hint that Ellie’s search for her parents may be drawing to a close in the most unexpected of ways. We will undoubtedly see what does indeed come next in Book 26, whatever that may be…..
April 11, 2026
Book Review: A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright
Rating: 4 Stars
I recently finished A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright, and I have to say, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that earned a solid four stars from me. The story follows Lady Eleanor Swift as she visits Dublin with her husband Hugh and their butler Clifford. Their trip, meant to be a relaxing jaunt filled with traditional Irish pub visits and hearty stews, takes a sharp turn when a dead body is found in a barrel at Finnegan’s brewery. The victim? None other than the brewery’s owner, Fergal Finnegan.
What starts as a mystery surrounding Fergal’s sudden death quickly deepens into a tangled web of family drama, secret motives, and brewing rivalries. Eleanor and the Byron Detective Agency dive into questions about inheritance disputes, jealous mistresses, and business conflicts. Just when they think they’re making progress, another murder shakes things up and the coveted secret beer recipe disappears — all adding layers to an already complex case. Eleanor’s determination to uncover the truth despite the dangers makes for a compelling protagonist in this cozy mystery.
One of the highlights for me was the rich Irish setting—the author really brings Dublin to life with its pubs, local culture, and the history threaded throughout the narrative. It felt like a genuine mini-tour of Ireland’s traditions and atmosphere. The book’s cover is absolutely charming too; it caught my eye immediately and fits perfectly with the tone of the series.
While I missed some of the other female characters (the ladies) from previous books in the series, it wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment. The focus on Eleanor’s character still delivered plenty of engaging moments and clever sleuthing. Overall, this installment kept me hooked from start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to what Verity Bright has in store next.
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with a strong sense of place and warm, witty characters, A Very Irish Mystery is definitely worth picking up.
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Rating: 4 Stars
I recently finished A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright, and I have to say, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that earned a solid four stars from me. The story follows Lady Eleanor Swift as she visits Dublin with her husband Hugh and their butler Clifford. Their trip, meant to be a relaxing jaunt filled with traditional Irish pub visits and hearty stews, takes a sharp turn when a dead body is found in a barrel at Finnegan’s brewery. The victim? None other than the brewery’s owner, Fergal Finnegan.
What starts as a mystery surrounding Fergal’s sudden death quickly deepens into a tangled web of family drama, secret motives, and brewing rivalries. Eleanor and the Byron Detective Agency dive into questions about inheritance disputes, jealous mistresses, and business conflicts. Just when they think they’re making progress, another murder shakes things up and the coveted secret beer recipe disappears — all adding layers to an already complex case. Eleanor’s determination to uncover the truth despite the dangers makes for a compelling protagonist in this cozy mystery.
One of the highlights for me was the rich Irish setting—the author really brings Dublin to life with its pubs, local culture, and the history threaded throughout the narrative. It felt like a genuine mini-tour of Ireland’s traditions and atmosphere. The book’s cover is absolutely charming too; it caught my eye immediately and fits perfectly with the tone of the series.
While I missed some of the other female characters (the ladies) from previous books in the series, it wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment. The focus on Eleanor’s character still delivered plenty of engaging moments and clever sleuthing. Overall, this installment kept me hooked from start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to what Verity Bright has in store next.
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with a strong sense of place and warm, witty characters, A Very Irish Mystery is definitely worth picking up.
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
April 10, 2026
I have mixed feelings about Verity Bright’s new Lady Eleanor Swift book, A Very Irish Mystery. The book starts with Ellie; her husband, Hugh; and her butler, Clifford, waiting to meet Samuel O’Sullivan off a boat from the US. O’Sullivan should have information about what happened to Ellie’s parents. They wander down to the docks, seeking information about O’Sullivan’s boat; and then we’re off with a bang as the three save a lady’s dog from drowning in the Liffey. After donning dry clothing, they join a tour of Finnegan’s Brewery to fill time. Unfortunately, the dead body of the owner is discovered in one of his barrels mid-tour and, naturally, the Byron Detective Agency is hired to solve the murder.
I felt the pacing is good; the characters are skilfully depicted; the basis for the plot is good; and I loved the way the Irish aspects (people, phrases, place & culture) are woven into the book. Who can the agency trust? People aren’t always who they appear to be – this uncertainty about motives, alibis and tales told means the reader should be alert and sceptical.
However, I also felt there were some inconsistencies that a stronger edit should have dealt with. A few examples: “it was getting dark” in Chapter 2 – yet Ellie has only just had breakfast. If the darkness was caused by the weather, a nudge to that effect would avoid confusion. How could anyone have known Samuel O’Sullivan would be on the boat from the US, given what we learn about him later in the book? And surely even Eleanor can’t want to eat again only an hour after dinner with Kathleen? Even in the notes, the author writes “A hundred years before Eleanor…” – well, that will make it the 1820s, but it was actually in 1912, only a decade earlier (although a hundred years before this book was written). These are very minor quibbles and I unreservedly recommend A Very Irish Mystery as a highly enjoyable read, but I find such points impinge upon my absorption in the book and I wish they weren’t there.
#AVeryIrishMystery #NetGalley
I felt the pacing is good; the characters are skilfully depicted; the basis for the plot is good; and I loved the way the Irish aspects (people, phrases, place & culture) are woven into the book. Who can the agency trust? People aren’t always who they appear to be – this uncertainty about motives, alibis and tales told means the reader should be alert and sceptical.
However, I also felt there were some inconsistencies that a stronger edit should have dealt with. A few examples: “it was getting dark” in Chapter 2 – yet Ellie has only just had breakfast. If the darkness was caused by the weather, a nudge to that effect would avoid confusion. How could anyone have known Samuel O’Sullivan would be on the boat from the US, given what we learn about him later in the book? And surely even Eleanor can’t want to eat again only an hour after dinner with Kathleen? Even in the notes, the author writes “A hundred years before Eleanor…” – well, that will make it the 1820s, but it was actually in 1912, only a decade earlier (although a hundred years before this book was written). These are very minor quibbles and I unreservedly recommend A Very Irish Mystery as a highly enjoyable read, but I find such points impinge upon my absorption in the book and I wish they weren’t there.
#AVeryIrishMystery #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Verity Bright’s Lady Eleanor Swift series has always been a delight, and
A Very Irish Mystery
proves that the charm is still going strong. In this installment, Eleanor and her husband, Hugh Seldon, set off for Dublin, ready to enjoy a change of scenery. But their trip has a deeper purpose. Ever since the mysterious disappearance of her parents left her orphaned, Eleanor has longed for answers. Now, a man named Samuel O’Sullivan claims to have information that could finally shed light on her past.
Traveling with their ever-reliable butler, Clifford, the trio takes in the sights, and this includes a visit to a world-famous brewery. What begins as a pleasant outing quickly turns grim when Eleanor discovers the body of the brewery’s owner, Fergal Finnegan, hidden in one of the barrels. With their experience running the Byron Detective Agency, Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford are more than willing to assist in uncovering the truth.
Eleanor is no stranger to asking questions, but having an official reason to investigate doesn’t make things any easier. As they dig deeper, a web of family drama begins to unravel. Fergal’s brother is struggling financially, and Fergal himself was involved in an affair. These are easily both strong motives for murder. Could his brother or his wife be responsible? While these possibilities seem promising at first, new revelations soon complicate the case and force Eleanor to reconsider her assumptions.
Bright once again excels in delivering a captivating mystery. The intrigue begins immediately, and the rich historical backdrop adds depth and atmosphere, perfectly complementing the cozy tone of the series. This latest installment not only keeps readers guessing but also continues to develop Eleanor’s personal journey, making it a thoroughly engaging and satisfying read.
Thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Traveling with their ever-reliable butler, Clifford, the trio takes in the sights, and this includes a visit to a world-famous brewery. What begins as a pleasant outing quickly turns grim when Eleanor discovers the body of the brewery’s owner, Fergal Finnegan, hidden in one of the barrels. With their experience running the Byron Detective Agency, Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford are more than willing to assist in uncovering the truth.
Eleanor is no stranger to asking questions, but having an official reason to investigate doesn’t make things any easier. As they dig deeper, a web of family drama begins to unravel. Fergal’s brother is struggling financially, and Fergal himself was involved in an affair. These are easily both strong motives for murder. Could his brother or his wife be responsible? While these possibilities seem promising at first, new revelations soon complicate the case and force Eleanor to reconsider her assumptions.
Bright once again excels in delivering a captivating mystery. The intrigue begins immediately, and the rich historical backdrop adds depth and atmosphere, perfectly complementing the cozy tone of the series. This latest installment not only keeps readers guessing but also continues to develop Eleanor’s personal journey, making it a thoroughly engaging and satisfying read.
Thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
April 24, 2026
‘A Very Irish Murder’ is the 25th book in this fabulous series and sees Lady Swift and her new husband in Dublin. It can easily be read as a stand-alone, though. There is the continuation of an ongoing plot in regard to Eleanor’s missing parents, but the author gives you all the pertinent facts. I do recommend reading the whole series, though, as they are fabulous reads full of love, humour, and dastardly deeds.
Lady Eleanor Swift and her new husband, Sir Hugh Seldon, are in Dublin, along with their butler, Clifford, and, of course, Gladstone, their hilarious sausage stealer, aka dog! They are due to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, who may be able to shine some light on the disappearance of Eleanor’s parents. They went missing in Sri Lanka when Eleanor was just eight years old. This has been a long-awaited advancement of this strand of the story, and despite the promise of answers, we still have more questions! But that is not all they have to contend with, as whilst on the tour of a local brewery, they come across a body and are engaged by the company to find the killer.
I really enjoyed this outing— it was an engaging mystery, full of misdirections and gradual revelations. I particularly enjoyed the opening scenes where Eleanor meets the matriarch of a local family. This series is such a joy to read. Every time you pick up these books, it feels like you are returning to meet up with very dear friends. The book was fast-paced, and this worked very well, as there were plenty of plot points to get into the narrative. The insight into the history of Ireland and its independence movement was fascinating, especially so soon after the events of 1919-1921.
Once again, this was a brilliant read! Let me know if you pick this one up!
April 14, 2026
Historical cozy mystery in the golden age of detective fiction.
In this 25th installment of the series, we travel to Dublin along with Lady Eleanor Swift,
her husband, Hugh, and their butler, Clifford. This is no ordinary vacation, however, as she and Hugh have come to meet a man who holds the key to her parents' disappearance. While waiting to connect with him, they decide to visit the legendary Finnegan's Brewery only to discover the owner, Fergal Finnegan, murdered. The head of operations immediately hires the Byron Detective Agency to help solve the case before the police get involved and the brewery's reputation is ruined.
This was a classic whodunit with lots of suspects. The 1920s Dublin backdrop provides atmosphere and a history lesson. Of course the emotional weight that Eleanor carries about what happened to her parents infused the narrative and provided some new information for her which I hope will be resolved sooner rather than later has this has drug on long enough. The team enjoys their usual repartee and points of peril in their usual fashion.
I like this series and it's one of the few I continue to read because I've stuck with them since the beginning. I feel that most of the installments don't work well as standalones as there is a ton of backstory. Although the new agency is in its infancy, I do long for that team to stay back home at Henley Hall in Little Buckford as I miss the manor life and the details as well as the ladies who work the house.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Book Blog Tour 4-14-26
In this 25th installment of the series, we travel to Dublin along with Lady Eleanor Swift,
her husband, Hugh, and their butler, Clifford. This is no ordinary vacation, however, as she and Hugh have come to meet a man who holds the key to her parents' disappearance. While waiting to connect with him, they decide to visit the legendary Finnegan's Brewery only to discover the owner, Fergal Finnegan, murdered. The head of operations immediately hires the Byron Detective Agency to help solve the case before the police get involved and the brewery's reputation is ruined.
This was a classic whodunit with lots of suspects. The 1920s Dublin backdrop provides atmosphere and a history lesson. Of course the emotional weight that Eleanor carries about what happened to her parents infused the narrative and provided some new information for her which I hope will be resolved sooner rather than later has this has drug on long enough. The team enjoys their usual repartee and points of peril in their usual fashion.
I like this series and it's one of the few I continue to read because I've stuck with them since the beginning. I feel that most of the installments don't work well as standalones as there is a ton of backstory. Although the new agency is in its infancy, I do long for that team to stay back home at Henley Hall in Little Buckford as I miss the manor life and the details as well as the ladies who work the house.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Book Blog Tour 4-14-26
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read "A Very Irish Mystery" in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the twenty-fifth adventure in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and the stories and character development get better and better with each book. This time Ellie, Hugh, Clifford and Master Gladstone are in Dublin, Ireland. They've travelled there to get information on the disappearance of Ellie's parents 25 years ago. They're waiting for a man name Samuel O'Sullivan who is supposed to have information for them. Ellie's Bohemian parents brought her up on a yacht and it was that yacht they disappeared from when she was 9. Their housekeeper insisting that they had not left voluntarily. They were introduced to Samuel on 17 October 1900, the night before they disappeared, he was an Irish civil rights activist.
Of course, where Ellie goes, trouble usually follows. First she saves a pup from drowning in the Liffey. Mrs. Cullen whom Alma belongs too is convinced that Ellie saved her Alma from the Selkies. Next while on a tour of Finnegan's they stumble upon a murder that no one wants reported to the Garda. The Byron Detective Agency takes on the case and unravels many family connections and secrets.
Ellie receives news at the end of the story and hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next book to find out what she'll do with the news she was given.
This is the twenty-fifth adventure in the Lady Eleanor Swift series and the stories and character development get better and better with each book. This time Ellie, Hugh, Clifford and Master Gladstone are in Dublin, Ireland. They've travelled there to get information on the disappearance of Ellie's parents 25 years ago. They're waiting for a man name Samuel O'Sullivan who is supposed to have information for them. Ellie's Bohemian parents brought her up on a yacht and it was that yacht they disappeared from when she was 9. Their housekeeper insisting that they had not left voluntarily. They were introduced to Samuel on 17 October 1900, the night before they disappeared, he was an Irish civil rights activist.
Of course, where Ellie goes, trouble usually follows. First she saves a pup from drowning in the Liffey. Mrs. Cullen whom Alma belongs too is convinced that Ellie saved her Alma from the Selkies. Next while on a tour of Finnegan's they stumble upon a murder that no one wants reported to the Garda. The Byron Detective Agency takes on the case and unravels many family connections and secrets.
Ellie receives news at the end of the story and hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next book to find out what she'll do with the news she was given.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 Stars
Lady Eleanor Swift is visiting Dublin with her husband Hugh Seldon and butler Clifford to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery. But their taste test of the famous black stout turns deadly when Eleanor spots a body in one of the barrels! The dead man is none other than the owner of the brewery, Fergal Finnegan himself. Sensing a scandal, the head of operations hires The Byron Detective Agency to investigate. When their chief suspect is found dead only days later and the top-secret formula for a new beer goes missing, the agency is almost thrown off the case. But Eleanor doesn’t give up on justice.
The twenty fifth book in the series & whilst it could be read on its own, I’ve loved getting to know Eleanor, Hugh, Clifford & ‘The Aprons’. Now Hugh has left the police force & the intrepid trio have formed a detective agency. The case is intriguing & there are twists, turns, red herrings as well as secrets. I didn’t work out who the villain was but looking back all the clues were there. In addition Eleanor learns more about her parent’s disappearance & is a step closer to all being revealed. A well written engrossing cosy mystery with lovely characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
Lady Eleanor Swift is visiting Dublin with her husband Hugh Seldon and butler Clifford to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery. But their taste test of the famous black stout turns deadly when Eleanor spots a body in one of the barrels! The dead man is none other than the owner of the brewery, Fergal Finnegan himself. Sensing a scandal, the head of operations hires The Byron Detective Agency to investigate. When their chief suspect is found dead only days later and the top-secret formula for a new beer goes missing, the agency is almost thrown off the case. But Eleanor doesn’t give up on justice.
The twenty fifth book in the series & whilst it could be read on its own, I’ve loved getting to know Eleanor, Hugh, Clifford & ‘The Aprons’. Now Hugh has left the police force & the intrepid trio have formed a detective agency. The case is intriguing & there are twists, turns, red herrings as well as secrets. I didn’t work out who the villain was but looking back all the clues were there. In addition Eleanor learns more about her parent’s disappearance & is a step closer to all being revealed. A well written engrossing cosy mystery with lovely characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
April 16, 2026
While visiting a brewery on their trip to Ireland, Eleanor and crew discover a body a barrel of ale. The Byron Detective Agency is hired to find out who the killer is. There are plenty of suspects and twists to keep a reader glued to the pages to the end.
All the historical information was interesting and added to the story not hindering the flow. It was particularly interesting to see how people in Ireland reacted to Eleanor and party because this was set a few years after their independence. Emphasis was made on the royal family and royal history was England's royal family or Eleanor's royal family, not theirs. A clear distinction was made between British history and Irish history.
The only thing that felt off was the delay in getting information from a man who might have information about the fate of Eleanor's parents who disappeared two decades before. It felt contrived. Eleanor's reaction seemed off too.
Otherwise, this was a solid book in the series. There were faint indications that the end of the series may be coming soon. If so, I hope they wrap up the mystery of Eleanor's parents disappearance. It is a fun series and fans of English 1920s cozies should definitely give it a try.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
All the historical information was interesting and added to the story not hindering the flow. It was particularly interesting to see how people in Ireland reacted to Eleanor and party because this was set a few years after their independence. Emphasis was made on the royal family and royal history was England's royal family or Eleanor's royal family, not theirs. A clear distinction was made between British history and Irish history.
The only thing that felt off was the delay in getting information from a man who might have information about the fate of Eleanor's parents who disappeared two decades before. It felt contrived. Eleanor's reaction seemed off too.
Otherwise, this was a solid book in the series. There were faint indications that the end of the series may be coming soon. If so, I hope they wrap up the mystery of Eleanor's parents disappearance. It is a fun series and fans of English 1920s cozies should definitely give it a try.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lady Eleanor Swift, her husband, Hugh Seldon, butler Clifford and bulldog Gladstone are visiting Dublin in order to discover more information about her parents who disappeared when she was a child. As her contact, Samuel O’Sullivan, has been delayed they decide to learn more about their temporary home. Joining a tour of the Finnegan Brewery the trio are on hand when a body is discovered and before they know it The Byron Detective Agency has been hired to find out what happened, without tarnishing the company's reputation. A second killing throws them off course a little but they are determined to solve the case and prevent anyone else becoming a victim all of which needs to be done alongside Ellie finding out everything she can about what happened to her parents!
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. This was brilliant storytelling, atmospheric and evocative of a bygone age. Once again the banter between Ellie, Seldon, and Clifford added a lightness to the more tense parts of the story and I loved the prospect of finding out something more about Ellie's parents. Once again there are historical notes at the end and even a recipe! Highly recommended, I loved it.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, but the opinions expressed are my own. This was brilliant storytelling, atmospheric and evocative of a bygone age. Once again the banter between Ellie, Seldon, and Clifford added a lightness to the more tense parts of the story and I loved the prospect of finding out something more about Ellie's parents. Once again there are historical notes at the end and even a recipe! Highly recommended, I loved it.
March 29, 2026
The latest in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright, book #25 brings us ever closer to finding out what happened to Lady Eleanor's parents. This story, set in Ireland, sees the Byron Detective Agency faced with the murder of a prominent brewery owner. Uncovering a wide range of suspects with motives including bribery, marital disharmony, revenge and greed, the team must work quickly to unmasked the culprit.
I'm often find myself in two minds about this series. I enjoy the cozy nature of the book, the camaraderie between the main characters, and the fact that each book is set in a new location. What I dislike - and this is very much to personal taste - are the asides made by Lady Eleanor. The book is already set in her perspective/voice, it feels completely unnecessary to include self-directed thoughts from the main character in every single chapter. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find myself thinking 'gosh darn it Rebecca, that clue slipped between my fingers, I need to be more careful next time.' Also, as other readers have pointed out, this book felt a bit too longer. Some of the rehashing of what the characters have just learnt could be cut out. I am paying attention to what is happening, I don't always need to be reminded.
Regardless of the above, I do enjoy these books. They are cozy and comforting.
I'm often find myself in two minds about this series. I enjoy the cozy nature of the book, the camaraderie between the main characters, and the fact that each book is set in a new location. What I dislike - and this is very much to personal taste - are the asides made by Lady Eleanor. The book is already set in her perspective/voice, it feels completely unnecessary to include self-directed thoughts from the main character in every single chapter. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find myself thinking 'gosh darn it Rebecca, that clue slipped between my fingers, I need to be more careful next time.' Also, as other readers have pointed out, this book felt a bit too longer. Some of the rehashing of what the characters have just learnt could be cut out. I am paying attention to what is happening, I don't always need to be reminded.
Regardless of the above, I do enjoy these books. They are cozy and comforting.
May 5, 2026
Lady Eleanor and husband Hugh are on a trip to Ireland. Clifford and Gladstone are also part of the entourage. Enjoying the delights of gastronomic Ireland is one of their favourite activities and doing a tour of Finnegans, the most famous brewery was also on the agenda. Also meeting Samuel with an idea of finding out about Lady Eleanor’s parents was an important part of the trip. Finding the owner of Finnegans, murdered and dumped in one of his own barrels was definitely not on the agenda.
Taking the story forward from that, the detection proceeds dramatically. With turbulent Irish history in the making, the antagonism and dislike that the Irish seemed to have towards the English, the story gave one a very good insight into the relationship between the two countries, whilst finding out why a man was murdered and finding a very divided family only keen to get their hands on the money. Getting justice for the dead was not going to be easy with this backdrop. Set in the 1900s this was atmospheric as well. Lady Eleanor and Hugh and Clifford had their hands much fuller than expected.
The book had a lot of twists and turns delving into the family shenanigans of the Finnegan clan but it was the turbulent history of the time that caught my interest.
Taking the story forward from that, the detection proceeds dramatically. With turbulent Irish history in the making, the antagonism and dislike that the Irish seemed to have towards the English, the story gave one a very good insight into the relationship between the two countries, whilst finding out why a man was murdered and finding a very divided family only keen to get their hands on the money. Getting justice for the dead was not going to be easy with this backdrop. Set in the 1900s this was atmospheric as well. Lady Eleanor and Hugh and Clifford had their hands much fuller than expected.
The book had a lot of twists and turns delving into the family shenanigans of the Finnegan clan but it was the turbulent history of the time that caught my interest.
May 14, 2026
Eleanor Swift is at it again!
As ever, this is a reliably entertaining mystery. This time, we are in Dublin, following the trail of Eleanor's parents and the mystery of their disappearance. It doesn't take long however, for our heroes to stumble upon another body.
It's a fairly dramatic case too, a body brutally beaten and stuffed inside a barrel of booze. It'll put someone off drinking for a while, and I'm not surprised that the characters avoid the alcohol for a while. That sight is going to linger.
It's a delightful mystery, and one that will keep you turning the page. And it doesn't take long for things to get darker, blooder and just plain entertaining.
The list of suspects never gets too overwhelming, although if I had a minor compliant it was I found the wives a little interchangeable and forgettable. Plus, there was one semi suspect we never actually saw on page!
Thanks to the hard work of the trio however, the case is wrapped up and not only that, but major steps are taken in the overarching mystery. I was starting to worry that it had been dragging on for too long but the heat has 100 hundred percent turned up now. I can't wait to see where it takes them next.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
As ever, this is a reliably entertaining mystery. This time, we are in Dublin, following the trail of Eleanor's parents and the mystery of their disappearance. It doesn't take long however, for our heroes to stumble upon another body.
It's a fairly dramatic case too, a body brutally beaten and stuffed inside a barrel of booze. It'll put someone off drinking for a while, and I'm not surprised that the characters avoid the alcohol for a while. That sight is going to linger.
It's a delightful mystery, and one that will keep you turning the page. And it doesn't take long for things to get darker, blooder and just plain entertaining.
The list of suspects never gets too overwhelming, although if I had a minor compliant it was I found the wives a little interchangeable and forgettable. Plus, there was one semi suspect we never actually saw on page!
Thanks to the hard work of the trio however, the case is wrapped up and not only that, but major steps are taken in the overarching mystery. I was starting to worry that it had been dragging on for too long but the heat has 100 hundred percent turned up now. I can't wait to see where it takes them next.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clifford, Hugh and Lady Eleanor arrive in Ireland. They hope to find Samuel O'Sullivan who might be able to tell Eleanor what happened to her parents. They don't find him until almost the end of the book. However, they manage to keep very busy. On a walk, they see a dog splashing out on the river, and Eleanor jumps in and saves the dog. The anxious owner, Mrs. Cullun, invites them to lunch at her shop the next day or dinner at her home or both. Meanwhile, Mrs. Cullun's son runs Finagan's Brewery, and they go there for a tour. At the end of the tour is a tasting. However, a barrel is brought in with a dead man who turns out to be Gergal Finnigan, the owner of the brewery! Mrs. Cullin tells the second in command, Mr. Dwyer, that she wants the Byran Detective Agency (Clifford, Hugh, and Eleanor) hired to investigate. There is soon another killing. By the end of the book we have discovered who was responsible for the deaths and something about Eleanor's parents.
This is a fun book to read, and I thank Netgalley and Bookoutour for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.
This is a fun book to read, and I thank Netgalley and Bookoutour for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In the next book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series, A VERY IRISH MYSTERY by Verity Bright, Eleanor is the protagonist. Eleanor, Hugh (her husband), and Clifford (her butler) are having breakfast in a cafe in Dublin, Ireland, while awaiting the arrival of Samuel O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan is the person who might have information about the mystery of Eleanor’s missing parents. I want to know what happens.
This book can be read as a stand-alone despite being book 25 in the series. I feel this novel is longer than necessary, but I still enjoy the story. I especially like the three main series’ characters. Having Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford run the Byron Detective Agency works well. The addition of an Irish recipe is appreciated. I look forward to reading future books in the Eleanor Swift series. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A VERY IRISH MYSTERY.
This book can be read as a stand-alone despite being book 25 in the series. I feel this novel is longer than necessary, but I still enjoy the story. I especially like the three main series’ characters. Having Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford run the Byron Detective Agency works well. The addition of an Irish recipe is appreciated. I look forward to reading future books in the Eleanor Swift series. Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A VERY IRISH MYSTERY.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m a big fan of the Lady Eleanor Swift series, so I was thrilled to get my hands on A Very Irish Mystery, the latest instalment.
Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford are in Ireland again, chasing down a lead on her parent’s disappearance, and of course things are interrupted by a corpse.
I very much enjoyed this book. It’s wonderful to see the members of the Byron Detective Agency working so smoothly together.
The mystery was a puzzling one. Every time it seemed someone might be guilty, things turned in another direction. It was very satisfying to finally find out who was the culprit.
I also very much liked the setting, with lots of interesting places, and the women fighting for their rights. The descriptions of various delicious sounding food were also enjoyable.
Overall, this was an excellent mystery, with favourite characters, and a great setting.
I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.
Eleanor, Hugh, and Clifford are in Ireland again, chasing down a lead on her parent’s disappearance, and of course things are interrupted by a corpse.
I very much enjoyed this book. It’s wonderful to see the members of the Byron Detective Agency working so smoothly together.
The mystery was a puzzling one. Every time it seemed someone might be guilty, things turned in another direction. It was very satisfying to finally find out who was the culprit.
I also very much liked the setting, with lots of interesting places, and the women fighting for their rights. The descriptions of various delicious sounding food were also enjoyable.
Overall, this was an excellent mystery, with favourite characters, and a great setting.
I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.
April 27, 2026
Seeking to discover what happened to her parents in the past
Lady Eleanor Swift has found clues at last.
Travelling to Dublin to seek someone who lives there now
Who was connected to her parents somehow.
But filling in the time til they can meet with the man
Has the team sightseeing, not following a plan.
A tour of Finnegan's brewery brings shocks as they discover
A body in a barrel - its the owner, no other!
Get ready for some craic, black stout and stew
As Eleanor, Hugh and Clifford seek every clue.
Can they discover the killer and their motive, too,
How many more will die before they're through?
Another brilliant read with twists galore
No wonder this is a series that I adore!
A look at Irish history during this historic era, too,
Make this a great read I highly recommend to you.
For my copy of this brilliant book, I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.
Lady Eleanor Swift has found clues at last.
Travelling to Dublin to seek someone who lives there now
Who was connected to her parents somehow.
But filling in the time til they can meet with the man
Has the team sightseeing, not following a plan.
A tour of Finnegan's brewery brings shocks as they discover
A body in a barrel - its the owner, no other!
Get ready for some craic, black stout and stew
As Eleanor, Hugh and Clifford seek every clue.
Can they discover the killer and their motive, too,
How many more will die before they're through?
Another brilliant read with twists galore
No wonder this is a series that I adore!
A look at Irish history during this historic era, too,
Make this a great read I highly recommend to you.
For my copy of this brilliant book, I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Loved the adventure in Dublin! What a treat to go with Ellie, Hugh, Clifford (and Gladstone) to such a storied city.
The reader is swept up into the history and adventure of this particular story within the first few pages. One of the things I really enjoy about Verity Bright's books is the weaving of actual history in with the fiction of the mystery. A Very Irish Mystery is no exception. Loads of history that is engaging and seamlessly joined to the mystery that the Byron Detective Agency seeks to solve.
The stakes are higher than ever for them, as they are hired in a neighboring country, which translates into needing to follow the laws instead of bend them or rely on friends to assist. It takes some time to determine who is trustworthy and who is a very talented liar.
Excellently presented; highly recommended.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
The reader is swept up into the history and adventure of this particular story within the first few pages. One of the things I really enjoy about Verity Bright's books is the weaving of actual history in with the fiction of the mystery. A Very Irish Mystery is no exception. Loads of history that is engaging and seamlessly joined to the mystery that the Byron Detective Agency seeks to solve.
The stakes are higher than ever for them, as they are hired in a neighboring country, which translates into needing to follow the laws instead of bend them or rely on friends to assist. It takes some time to determine who is trustworthy and who is a very talented liar.
Excellently presented; highly recommended.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The 25th book in this series takes place in Dublin, Ireland. Lady Eleanor, husband Hugh, butler Clifford, and trusty hound Gladstone are there to meet someone who knows what happened to Ellie's parents who disappeared when she was a child. Then they are drawn into investigating a murder and Ellie has to set her personal issues aside.
This book gave us lots of historical information to learn about Dublin, the suffragette movement, distilleries, Irish food and more. It was all very interesting but the book really takes off in the last half when the search for the murderer gathers pace. There were also a few hints dropped about Ellie's parents and maybe there will be a 26th book where this comes to a conclusion. I really hope so. Five stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book gave us lots of historical information to learn about Dublin, the suffragette movement, distilleries, Irish food and more. It was all very interesting but the book really takes off in the last half when the search for the murderer gathers pace. There were also a few hints dropped about Ellie's parents and maybe there will be a 26th book where this comes to a conclusion. I really hope so. Five stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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