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.
