The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts

Lord Edgington Investigates #6

by Benedict Brown

A wealthy recluse who’s afraid for his life, a beautiful new bride with a murky past, and three angry heirs out to protect their inheritance. There's something not quite right about the Templeton-Swifts.

England, Summer 1926. When Lord Edgington receives a letter from Hugo Templeton-Swift, a famously rich old man who believes he’s being poisoned, the renowned detective fetches his assistant, his golden retriever, and a full staff of servants and heads off to the countryside to investigate. But when the bodies start falling in the enigmatic manor of Riverside Keep, anyone could be guilty.

Though all fingers point to Hugo’s much younger wife, his three estranged children have their own reasons for wanting their father out of the picture, and even the servants are acting suspiciously. With the aid of his loyal grandson, Lord Edgington must pick through a house filled with secrets in order to catch the killer and solve “The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts”.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2022

About the author

Writing has always been my passion. It was my favourite hour a week at primary school, and I started on my first, truly abysmal book as a teenager. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to study literature at university which led to an MA in Creative Writing. I spent a long time writing kids’ books, including funny fairy tales, dystopic adventures and serious issue-based YA, before switching to murder mysteries last year.

I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.

I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.

Reviews

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you need a ray of sunshine in your life? A gentle smile and a laugh? This book might just might be what the doctor ordered (nurse, doctor's assistant, etc.).

In the best tradition of a manor house golden age mystery, Lord Edgington and his grandson Chrissy are off on another mystery. This time to help a somewhat famous, and definitely rich, older man who claims that he is being poisoned. When they arrive, they find a house filled with a beautiful, much younger wife, alienated heirs, suspicious servants, and a man clearly in declining health and not coherent. Something is strange in the Templeton-Swift household. When the man is murdered in the middle of the night, Edgington, Chrissy, plus his mother--and a whole retinue of servants from Edgington's household because a man must have all his creature comforts--face their most twisty case ever.

This is what a historical mystery and a cozy should be. It filled with characters you get to know over a number of books and, at least, the main characters change and move on with their lives, some gentle humor, an adorable animals, good historical atmosphere and some interesting facts, plus a well-plotted mystery. This one delivered on all accounts. I definitely think it has the most surprise twists of all the series.

If you haven't read the series I would highly recommend it. Plenty of fun and surprises to keep you engaged and entertained.

[Chautona Havig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed yet another wonderful Lord Edgington (and Christopher) mystery. I keep waiting for "genius moments" from Christopher, and thankfully the instant genius isn't happening. While Brown isn't ignoring Christopher he is allowing the boy to grow WITHOUT making him become brilliant overnight. Thank you!

The humor remains, the characters are doing their dastardly deeds--all the stuff. Yes, I guessed stuff pretty early on this one, but then again, I didn't at the same time. You know what is going on but not who or how exactly until suddenly, you do. But that's the great thing about series like this. It's fun to figure stuff out WITH the characters and in this case, ahead of the POV character.

And is it awful of me that I cheered when Lord Edgington got a sound scolding a time or two? Well done!

Drumming my fingers for the next!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fun continues with the Scotland Yard grandfather and his grandson in their attempt to prevent a murder in another grand house where all are suspects. The predictability made for a less interesting episode of these adventures for me, though it was interesting to see some milestones, such as driving for the first time for our young man. Basically, good hearted fun and easy reading.

Kindle Unlimited

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth book in the Lord Edgington mystery series. When Lord Edington receives a letter from a rich man who believes he is being poisoned, he and Christopher head off to prevent the murder. When Hugo Templeton-Swift is actually murdered, the pair must solve the murder they failed to prevent.

[Jayne]

Audiobook

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m continuing to enjoy this series. I especially love Christopher’s enthusiasm for and descriptions of the food that the chef prepares.

[Amanda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great mystery! I was completely blindsided by the murderer in the end! I love whodunnit stories, and Benedict Brown is one of the best. Thanks for another wonderful story!

[Min · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was debating between a 3 and 4 star. The main characters are very much in form. I have been reading several mysteries lately and I can see the plot quite early on. And the perpetrators. So a 3-star it is. Overall I still enjoyed the book despite the dismal plot. This book is meant for Brown followers and definitely not for those new to Prentiss and Edgington.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are always very middle of the road for me. They are ostensibly murder mysteries but very little time is spent on the mystery and a lot of time is spent on including interesting historical facts about various events and places and there is always a lengthy description of every meal and tea served. It gets a tad exhausting wading through the prater to get to the investigation. Lord Edgington takes Christopher to a country estate of Lord Templeton-Swift after he receives a letter saying that he is being poisoned to death by his much younger wife. When they arrive, the man looks like he is the victim of a stroke, unable to walk or talk. His wife admits that she gives him a natural remedy from his doctor to help with the pain but that is all. Also staying at the house are his 3 adult children who all have terribly strange names. Suffice to say that there is an older and a younger son and a daughter. They were all against the wedding and this is the first time that they are meeting their stepmother. The only staff in the house are a terrible cook, her gardener husband and maid daughter. When the man is found dead the next morning and his young wife is literally holding the pillow that smothered him, Christopher thinks that it is an open and shut case. But when the daughter also ends up being killed, he has to think again. The last body, found stuffed in a trunk in the attic, is the final clue and the most enlightening. I guessed that the dead man was really the Lord's son and the man staying in the house was an imposter. I was right and it turned out that none of the children in the house were really the Lord's children. One was the son of the cook and gardener, who had been drugging the Lord for years and stealing his money. The other two "children" were just actors and the woman had to be killed when she said that she wasn't going to play the part anymore. The servant's scheme was ruined when the Lord decided to remarry so they had to quickly come up with a new plan to kill him and steal the inheritance by posing as his children. He and his real children had been estranged for decades so it wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize them, especially in his drug-induced stupor. A clever mystery once we got beyond the food and frivolity.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Audible's last big sale they had all of this series for $3-5 each and it was like Christmas for me. I happily bought all of them. My library has them, but each one is always weeks/months out on hold and I get impatient.

Chris and the boundless Lord Edgington are off to solve a mystery - or in this case, prevent one. Lord Edgington received a letter from Lord Templeton-Swift insinuating that someone is trying to kill him and possibly pointing the finger at his new, VERY young wife. When Edgington and his crew arrive they find that TS is barely functioning and has little mental capacity. He has two horrible servants that barely do anything, his worried wife, and three ungrateful children just trying to make sure they don't lose their inheritance.

Chris is trying to study for exams while assisting his grandfather. His mom also came along for the ride and she is disappointed that Chris hasn't been telling her the plans he has. (which is actually no plans at all)

I actually figured out part of this plot fairly early on, which is always surprising for me, but I loved it anyway. Chris's observations crack me up, as do his interactions with his hilarious grandfather. I love Lord Edgington's tendency to bring his whole staff wherever he goes.

Chris actually used a word that really made me laugh. He said something like "the more he went on the more argot slipped into his speech." Several years ago I finally conquered my white whale and finished Les Mis. In that book, one of the sections that is branded into my memory, were the twenty painful pages Hugo spent discussing "argot." I had to look up the definition because Hugo was not good at context clues. It was just one of many horribly boring sections in that tedious novel, but I had such a strong loathing for it, that it was permanently etched into my brain. So when Chris use the word "argot" I was thrilled that my torture payed off. Haha!

Already looking forward to book 7!

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good old fashioned mystery with plenty of humor and classic English country house shenanigans. This time, Lord Edgington has received a couple of letters signed by a wealthy financier and saying the old man is being poisoned. He takes Chrissy with him to try to prevent the murder, which appears to be done by the old man's much younger wife, but of course things are more complicated than they seem. The old man has three children who might be finagling to kill their father and put the blame on their stepmother so they can inherit. All three are at the huge house, together with a bizarrely skimpy staff - a horrible cook, her husband the gardener, and their daughter, the only member of the family who actually does a good job, who serves as the maid and cleaner and who knows what all else.

Chrissy is eighteen and getting ready to take his final exams at school. He's trying to figure out what to do next - everyone expects him to follow his brother to university, but he doesn't feel suited for it and doubts he could get in. His grandfather teaches him to drive in an extended very funny scene on their way to the country house. Chrissy's mother has a more active part in this story, being deputized to worm her way into the stepmother's confidence and help figure out if she really is the femme fatale she's made out to be.

Although I didn't figure out all the details, I did have a couple of nice aha moments when I figured out parts of the mystery before Chrissy knew what was happening. I was invested enough in the story to do the rewinding needed to catch all the bits I missed by getting distracted or falling asleep. Everything wrapped up in a most satisfactory way.

[Ka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing to read this series! I'm glad I stuck with it after the first few were only so-so, as the characters have grown on me over time. A weird thing I enjoy about these books is the author's little notes after the end of the book where he talks about his inspirations, neat facts he learned while doing research for the book, and other random nonsense. (I'm listening to the audiobooks but I assume these notes are also in the print versions.)

In this book, Christopher and his grandfather head over to the home of a rich old man who wrote Lord Edgington a letter saying that he thinks someone is trying to kill him. Despite the fact that the guy's still alive when they get there, they somehow fail to prevent his murder despite actually being in the house. Why on earth they didn't mount a guard or something is totally beyond me.

This is one of the few murder mysteries where I actually picked up most of the clues and figured out a bunch of things. Usually I'm just as clueless as Chrissy. However, some of these seemed so obvious that I wanted to shake Christopher and yell "dude, I KNOW you noticed these things because this is your point of view, so how could someone like me put them together but not you??" Like for example, when the 2nd body is discovered, I thought it was instantly obvious who it had to be, especially given all the stuff Chrissy had JUST observed literally within the previous hour. We the readers don't have ALL the info we'd need to solve the mystery since Chrissy doesn't see all the same things Lord Edgington does, but we still have enough to figure out SOME stuff. Come on, man.

Overall I enjoyed this one and will go on to the next!

[John Presler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington quietly calls Christopher out of class, as he has a new case to be investigated. Lord Edgington has received a letter from Hugo Templeton-Swift, who fears he is being poisoned. The handwriting is almost illegible, but when a second letter arrives, it is much clearer. After having been a widower for many years, he had recently married a woman many years younger than him.

Before heading to Riverside Keep, the home of Templeton-Swift, Lord Edgington pays a visit to Lady Vivian Highley-Summers, who knows Christabel Quintin, the lady Hugo married. Upon their arrival at Riverside Keep, Lord Edgington finds that Hugo is in even worse shape than originally feared.

In addition to Christabel, Hugo's three children, Tiffin, Lettice, and Devyn, are also at the house when Lord Edgington arrives. Shortly after their arrival, a scream shatters the quiet. Christabel is seen in Hugo's room with a pillow in her hands and Hugo is dead. Despite her claims of innocence, the children insist that Christabel killed their father.

Who killed Hugo? Why was he killed? Was he killed for the inheritance? Will there be more deaths? Can Lord Edgington unravel the mystery?

Benedict Brown has another wonderful story with plenty of suspense and humor. The characters and situations are very realistic. There are plenty of twists, turns and surprises to keep the reader engaged clear to the very end.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light cozy mystery series and always presents a reasonably complex mystery where the solution follows logically. The main investigator is Lord Edgington, retired DCI; the time is the 1920s. He's shadowed by his 'Watson' Christopher, his grandson -- just 18 at this point in the series. Christopher isn't the shiniest penny in the purse but he's earnest and loyal. We get the whole story from his point of view with tangents into the food served and the prettiness of any young women involved. He's neither athlete nor scholar but his grandfather is determined to help him cultivate common sense and a knack for observation.

In this case, they're meant, originally, to prevent the murder of an old man who's recently married a much younger wife. The man's children have come home to make sure they stay in his will. Edgington figures just him being there will be enough to deter any nastiness but, alas, the old man is found dead the next morning, with his young wife holding his pillow and a vial of morphine found in the sheets. Suddenly, it's a real murder investigation.

There's lots of humor throughout. Christopher can be infuriating, but he gets more endearing the longer the series goes on and, in this case, his efforts are certainly of value, even if he doesn't exactly know why.

[Julie Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 6 in the series but they seem to not have to be read in order as each story can stand alone. I didn't feel like I was coming into the middle or anything and a small background was given so I didn't feel like I had missed anything in the character development of Christopher and his famous grandfather Lord Edgington.

Lord Edgington kidnaps his grandson from his school and they are off to solve another mystery. Lord Edgington has received a plea to come help an elderly man who thinks someone in his family is trying to kill him. Could it be his new much younger wife? Or could it be his staff? Or could it be one of his 3 children? Unfortunately neither Christopher nor his grandfather are able to prevent the dastardly deed from happening, so now they truly do have a murder to solve!

I enjoyed the book and I will eventually go back and start at the beginning to see where it all started. Again, I didn't feel like I missed anything, but normally I like to start at the beginning of a series. I liked the humor that was dispersed throughout the story and I enjoyed the characters. The mystery kept me guessing for awhile and that was fun. A quick read that keeps the reader involved and entertained.

[Mark Lucas-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington Investigates-Bk 6

This is the 6th (7th if one counts the novella Death in the Clouds) in which Christopher is called upon to assist his celebrated grandfather, formerly of Scotland Yard, Lord Edgington.
The redoubtable Lord has received not one but two letters purportedly written by the elderly magnate Hugo Templeton-Swift claiming that he is to be the victim of a murder.
What I like about these cozy mysteries is they show character development, especially in young Chrissy, as the series has evolved. I recommend these books to anyone with a liking for this type of period drama. They evoke feelings of nostalgia for the years between the two World Wars, cucumber sandwiches on the lawn, charming country houses, idle pursuits, cocktails before dinner et al.
I somehow missed the release of this sixth book and only realised when I received notification of Book 7 which I will start reading as soon as I’ve posted this review.
You can’t get a better recommendation than that.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book in this Benjamin Brown series & i loved it! So much so I’ve just started anther book! The author mixes his perfectly developed cast of characters against extremely clever crimes that are impossible to predict.
It also made me wonder what fates awaited them after the coming years. That’s how much I connected with key characters. I read a lot from this era & never before have I worried about their futures. Nor have I appreciated how lives were lived in a world that was about to expire.
The unique English countryside of rolling hills & flowers of the early ‘30 is beautifully captured.
The cleverest decision the author made was to have a series without any need to read consequence novels. Read one & you’ll understand!

[Glenn Younger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t see it coming…

The best compliment you can give a whodunit writer is to say, “I didn’t see that coming…” Then, when it’s all spelled out for you, you follow with, “Of COURSE!”

That’s what happened to me in this 6th installment of Lord Edgington of Scotland Yard fame and his grandson Christoper, of cakes and crumpets fame. In a country Keep, an old man dies leaving his young wife and three children as primary suspects. But when two more murders are discovered, the clues become more convoluted and the food worse than ever. Fortunately, Lord E has it staff on the ready and help from Christopher and his mother Violet.

Even if you do have a ‘superior analytical mind’ (as Christopher might day) then mine, it’s still good fun!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW Benedict Brown has done it once again taking grandfather and grandson into an intriguing mystery this time before a death occurs becoming enthralled from the begin with colorful characters brought to life. Complicated family drama mysterious servants lacking educates of the time, and who keeps a cook that can't serve edible food. The plot becomes complicated but clear, the end completely astounding the perfect climactic twist to this writers genius mysterious challenges given throughout. Acquire " The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts " for hours of intriguing and exciting entertainment. 😀 Kat

[Anne Kavcic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Lord Edgington and his nephew Chrissy are at it again! Lord E. receives a note from an old friend declaring that his young wife is poisoning him, and the two set off to solve a crime which has not yet been committed. Hints abound, as does the wit and good writing I love these books for. Chrissy – now almost 18 and nearing the end of school– is maturing in this book and also better (well, a bit) at helping to solve the crime (which is committed soon after their arrival). His mother, too, reveals her colors as her father's apt pupil. The plot twists and winds and the ending is very satisfactory! - I received an advance copy and freely leave this honest review.

[Ann Gillaspie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington and Christopher

I love the self deprecating manner of our young hero Christopher. He is always trying to get one step ahead of his grandfather in solving mysteries and ends up being an assistant who unwittingly discovers pertinent clues to the case while having no idea of the importance of this same evidence! In this story the question is, ‘do you accuse the obvious suspect or is there some more dastardly plot afoot?’ This book is from Christopher’s point of view which makes it very endearing and at times very comical. If you enjoy historical cozy mysteries, you will definitely enjoy the books authored by Benedict Brown.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington has received not one but two letters from a wealthy recluse asking for his help. He's in danger of being murdered by HER. That's not a verbatim, but the gist of what kicks off this mystery. A wealthy man with a new, young bride and recent decline in health, a house full of children recently returned home, all of them concerned their stepmother is killing their father. It's up to Lord Edgington and Chrissy to discern what is actually happening there before the clock ticks down on the man's life.

I love these. I'm with Chrissy. I never have the right answer, or if I do, it's for a completely wrong reason.

[peg craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington takes us on another mystical tour

Once again we meet characters whose behaviour can be infuriating, confusing and bewildering. A new ‘assistant’ is reluctantly invited to go along when he investigates the threat of murder of a famous man. As the tale progresses, the intriguing and dangerous events invite the fascinated reader to tryto solve this vey strange problem. As always, the author provides us with incredibly detailed and interesting facts about the relevant period which add to the pleasure gained as we read.

[SD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each book gets better and better. In this one we learn more about Lord Edgington's time as a cop. It was nice to have Mom along, although she was much more involved in earlier stories. Thoroughly enjoyed this story, following along so much didn't try to figure out who did it.

We start to see Christopher's maturity hinted at before start to bloom.

Not sure I fully agree with the reason behind the murders but the writing and the characters were well done. Very glad that Lord Edgington continued on despite early setbacks.

Another good outing in the series.

Happy Reading!

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you. Such is the case for Hugo Templeton-Swift who believes that he is being poisoned. When he is murdered, all evidence seems to point to his much younger wife. However, his three children are also visiting and have their own reasons for wanting to see Templeton-Swift dead.
I hope we get to see more of Christopher's mother in subsequent books, she really is quite marvelous. Got to see Christopher grow a little more in this book though he still verges on tiresome at points.

[Susan A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery in a fascinating historical setting

I love this series that continues the travels and investigations of Lord Edgington and his grandson. Traveling into the Cotswolds to help a damsel in distress, they and ultimately most of Lord Edgington’s household solve three murders and an an attempt to swindle a young widow out of her inheritance. Very engaging and kept this reader guessing.

[Mary Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my weaknesses is a love of mysteries. I currently am enjoying mysteries set in the 1920s. I admit to being remiss in writing reviews but I am a fan of Mr.Brown's novels and have read them all to date. Well, there is one Novello awaiting me in my queue. I particularly enjoy Lord Edgington and his teenaged grandson Chrissy. Lord Edgington has really helped Chrissy grow and learn. I look forward to more by this author.

[Deirdre E Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great weather means picnics… so Lord E, Chrissy in the Aston Martin, Violet, Delilah along with Todd in the Rolls Royce, and Halfpenny and Doris following them.
With eating al-fresco comes visiting along the way, and with embarrassing regularity we find the body count rising.
Laugh out loud humour, back chat, guffaws and titters always makes for a rollicking read, thank you Benedict Brown, much appreciated. :-)

[Donna Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A other fun period .mystery

Teenager Christopher Prentiss accompanies his grandfather, a former Scotland Yard detective, to an old friend's estate to solve his prophesied murder. As usual with this author, the culprit is far from obvious and there are additional murders. I always enjoy the background Information about 1920s England, a period about which I know relatively little.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was less enjoyable for me. The character’s wealth is always stated in the series; however, it was heavily involved to drive this storyline. Elite young adults, who probably live off family money, participate in wild scavenger style hunts & visit a popular club. This pointed most strongly to the elitist’s attitudes, which left me with a somewhat negative attitude. I must clarify that Lord E stayed true and did not carry those beliefs.