Murder at Archly Manor

Olive Belgrave is in search of a job in London in 1923, but she is having little luck: she is both too well-educated and too unskilled for any employer looking to hire a young single woman. Although her family is modest, she has been friends with her titled relatives since childhood, and they offer her an entrance into high society. As it happens, the younger daughter in that family, Violet, has contracted an engagement with a highly suspicious (because unknown) man, Alfred Eton, and Violet’s mother engages Olive to learn what she can about Alfred with a view to preventing the marriage. When Alfred is killed in the middle of a high society party and Violet is naturally suspected of the murder, it is up to Olive to uncover the truth show more about Alfred - if the real murderer doesn’t do her in first…. This is the first in the “High Society Lady Detective” series by Sara Rosett, and it’s quite a fun cozy. Olive is an engaging amateur detective, with plenty of energy and courage, although not always the most level-headed of creatures, and her friends and companions are also entertaining to know. I bought the e-book on a whim, because I craved a cozy set in 1920s Britain, and this does the trick admirably. I’ll definitely be reading more, and not just because I impulsively bought all six (so far) at once! Recommended. show less

Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett is the first book in A High Society Lady Detective series. Olive Belgrave has left her family home and struck out on her own to live in London. She has been unsuccessful at finding a position despite her education. She gets a desperate telegram from her cousin, Gwen Stone asking her to visit their home, Parkview. Gwen’s flighty sister, Irene has gotten herself engaged to Alfred Eton. Violet’s mother, Caroline and Gwen are not fans of the man, and he has provided few details on his background. Caroline wants to hire a private investigator, but she does not wish to associate with any unsavory types. Olive volunteers to dig into Alfred’s history and the family insists on paying her. Sebastian show more Blakely, society photographer and Alfred’s godfather, is hosting a weekend party which allow Olive to ask subtle questions. The party is off to roaring start until one of the guests ends up dead and Violet is the prime suspect. Olive must expose the killer before her cousin is hauled off to the hoosegow.

Murder at Archly Manor gives us a lively main character in Olive. Her father recently remarried a woman who prefers Olive to be out of the house and keeps pushing her to marry the local curate (he is odious). Olive was attending college in America until her father lost her college fund on a scheme. Olive is smart, pretty and fashionable which is the last thing a woman of the house wants in a governess. I found Murder at Archly Manor easy to read thanks to the authors breezy writing style and steady pacing. Sara Rosett captured the era with the hairstyles, attitudes, language (slang) and fashions. I wish the author had provided more background information on Olive and key details on other characters (last names for example). The murder takes place around the thirty percent mark which I felt was a little late in the story. There are several suspects, a red herring and good clues to aid readers in solving the whodunit. Murder at Archly Manor is a light, humorous historical cozy mystery that will transport you back to the roaring 20s. The next novel in A High Society Lady Detective series is Murder at Blackburn Hall. show less

Having read this (Book 1), after reading a few later Olive Belgrave mysteries, I was enchanted by the introduction to Olive's life and her choices to become a 'lady detective'. The story was rather similar to the Murder in Black Tie cozy mystery although I found this Archly Manor novel more engaging. Jasper, a co-protagonist, is a great character and adds hugely to the saga. My one niggle with Rosett's writing is that it is often uneven and the pace moving the story forward falters here and there. Despite that caveat, I do recommend this story for readers of the the cozy-mystery genre.

Olive Belgrave does not want to move back in with her parents, but if she does not find a job soon, she'll need to do so. Olive has always been good at figuring things out so her aunt hires her to look into the background of Roger Eton. Olive's cousin Violet has been dating him and is engaged, but neither the aunt nor Violet's sister like him. Olive hasn't been having a lot of success, and when Roger is murdered at a country estate party, Violet becomes the top suspect. The local officials really think it is an open and shut case. Fortunately the Scotland yard investigator is not as quick to judgment, providing Olive with more time to try to find others with motives. She discovers he had been blackmailing others who attended the party. show more Olive must find the culprit before Violet is arrested. Once she succeeds, she sets up her own detective agency. I listened to this one and found it to be a better first-in-series installment than many. show less

I was looking for something to listen to after I had finished The Four Winds, and I wanted something light, so I looked in Hoopla to see what I could find. I found this little gem. I really enjoyed the book, and liked Olive who is the main character. Olive is a young woman who has been forced out of her home by a stepmother (I know that sounds cliche), but she's trying to make her way in London. She needs a job and is not having much luck in her search for a reporter job. And then her friend asks her to check into the background of her younger sister's new fiancé. When Gwen offers to pay Olive for searching, she eagerly agrees. As she investigates she can find nothing out about Alfred. Olive realizes that Alfred is not all he seems, show more and is most likely dishonest, When Alfred dies suddenly, Olive is asked by her friend Gwen to try to figure out who killed him.. After much digging Olive finds out lots about Alfred, and does eventually figure out who the killer was. The book is light and funny, and Ms. Rosett has done her research for the era that she had chosen (1923). It was fun listening to the book in the audio format and Elizabeth Klett does a great job of reading it. This is the first in a series, so I definitely will be listening to others. show less

Olive is a poor aristocrat trying to find employment in London without success. She visits with her relatives who want her to look into the fiance of their daughter and are willing to pay her to do it. Beginning of life as a detective. She goes along to a house party with the sophisticated set to gain more information on Alfred who later is murdered and of course his fiance is suspected. She wants to clear her cousin of the murder and interfers in the police investigation. I hope we find out what her knowledgeable friend Jasper's position is in the next book.

This is such a fun mystery. I love the era. Olive is down on her luck and might have to move back to live with her father and step-mother. When her cousin contacts her and asks to see her, she is very ready to go. One cousin has just gotten engaged and her other cousin and aunt are not very sure about the fiancee. They ask Olive to look into his background. To do that, they go to a house party. During the house party, the fiancee is murdered and Olive's cousin is blamed. Can Olive figure out who really killed the fiancee before her cousin is put in jail? There are plenty of suspects and Olive will have to be very clever.