Mystery by the Sea by Verity Bright is a fun addition to the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in 1921. Eleanor decides to take a seaside vacation at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. When she gets to the Grand, she is just in time to see the EMTs carry out a body. Then the sheet slips off the body, and Eleanor faints. The body belongs to her husband, Hilary Eden, who was supposed to have died in front of a firing squad six years earlier during the Great War for selling arms to the enemy.
The rest of the book follows Eleanor and her butler, Clifford, as they try to track down the truth while a wide range of criminals chases after them, in the belief that Hilary gave Eleanor some unspecified treasure that they all want.
This series is a true delight and wittier than many of the recent historical mysteries set in the Roaring ’20s. This era seems to be the trend for recent historical mysteries, and many have sacrificed quality for the chance to jump on this bandwagon. The Lady Eleanor Swift series does not do that, being witty and full of fun. I have two favorite characters. First is Clifford, the staid butler, who acts so proper yet secretly has a sense of humor and abets Eleanor’s schemes while appearing to oppose them. My second favorite character is Gladstone, the old bulldog whom Eleanor has inherited from her late great-uncle. He is always full of mischief and is good for a great laugh. One other detail that provides joy is that Eleanor actually pays to bring her staff to Brighton with her, something unheard of. The cook, housekeeper, and 15-year-old ladies’ maid, who is nothing but thumbs, have a delightful time and let down their hair in some terrific scenes of comic relief.
I enjoy the audiobook performance of Karen Cass, who is well suited to read this book. She does good voices and good accents.
I had a truly delightful time listening to this audiobook and award it five stars.
