The Trust is a brilliant new cozy mystery from M.H. Eccleston and launches the Astrid Swift (I love that name!) mystery series. I was drawn into this new series set in Dorset by it’s beautiful cover, the main character’s quirky name and the intriguing book blurb.
Title: The Trust
Author: M.H. Eccleston
Series: Astrid Swift #1
First Published: February 3, 2022
Publisher: Head of Zeus – an Aries Book
Genres: Mystery,
Acquired: from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Head of Zeus – an Aries Book, for inviting me to this blog tour and providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
Ever so wholesome.
Ever so deadly…
When a local man is found murdered in an English Trust stately home, the community is shaken to its core.
None more so than newcomer Astrid Swift, who finds the body. When she moved from London to the sleepy Dorset village and got a job at the house as an art restorer, she thought she was heading for a quieter life.
Far from it. Because it turns out that rather than being the genteel organisation it seems on the surface, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As Astrid’s new friend Kath from the village says: ‘It’s like the mafia, but with scones.’
As the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Astrid must use every gadget in her restorer’s toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation – and maybe even her life.
Meeting Astrid Swift – art restorer and amateur sleuth
Our main character, Astrid, is living the ‘perfect’ life in London. She lives in an expensive flat, wears a designer wardrobe (there’s a lot of label-name dropping), and a wonderful marriage to the director of the National Gallery (where she works as a conservator). But her great life comes crashing to a halt when she discovers that her husband has been cheating on her… with her best friend.
With her life in shambles, Astrid tries to start over and the perfect excuse comes in the form of an inheritance – apparently her Uncle Henry has left her his property in Dorset. Astrid remembers a nice country house and decides to pack up and begin a new life in Dorset. The only problem is when she arrives – the property turns out to be a houseboat… one that is badly in need of repairs.
Not to be deterred, Astrid finds a job in Dorset with the English Trust – restoring paintings at Sherborne Hall. However, on her first day at work, she not only discovers a valuable painting, she discovers a dead body.
I loved seeing Astrid develop as a character in this book. She starts off as this perfect city girl, moves to a small village and becomes a bit of a snob, and then slowly becomes one of the locals. At the start I wasn’t sure that I would like her as a main character but she really grew on me. I liked that she was plucky and adapted to her new life rather than just give up and wallow in her bad fortune.
“It’s like the mafia with cream teas.” ~ Kath describing the English Trust
Aside from Astrid, I really enjoyed travelling to Dorset and meeting some great new supporting characters, including Astrid’s new best friend, Kath, and the boat restorer Cobb (future love interest?). These new friends become quite loyal to Astrid pretty quickly and it’s obvious that her new life is much more fulfilling than her previous one.
One of the things I enjoy most about cozy mysteries is that they aren’t as dark and gritty as regular murder mysteries or crime thrillers. Sometimes I just want to relax with a good whodunnit and The Trust definitely fits that bill.
The pacing is pretty even throughout the book and kept me turning the pages while the murder mystery itself is believable. As a series starter (Book 2, Death on the Isle, has already been announced for later this year), The Trust does a great job of introducing us to Astrid and her friends while making sure the mystery keeps the action moving along. It’s always a lot of information dumping in the first book but I never felt overwhelmed with info and had a very easy time keeping track of all the new characters I was meeting.
There is a bit of light-hearted humour sprinkled throughout the book, which I also appreciated. It takes a very deft hand to inject laughter into the middle of a mystery story and I always enjoy a cozy mystery more when it’s able to do that in a way that doesn’t seem forced (or turn it into a comedy book).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Trust and I’m very much looking forward to the next adventure with Astrid Swift.
About the Author, M.H. Eccleston
M.H. Eccleston has had a fairly meandering career – starting out as a radio presenter for the BBC, then staying at the Beeb as a journalist and producer for six years. After that, it’s a bit of a blur – he spent a couple of decades, at least, freelancing as a foreign correspondent, TV presenter, voice-over artist and film critic. For the last few years he’s been a full-time screenwriter and now novelist, with some wildlife gardening in the summer to keep himself sane and pay the bills.
You can follow M.H. Eccleston on Twitter @MarkEccleston1
Quote from The Trust
Blog Tour Schedule
I’m not keen on thrillers, but a good cosy mystery can be fun. This one sounds particularly inviting, because I love Dorset. And cream teas. Thanks for the review.
I’m not a fan of thrillers either – but I enjoy cosy mysteries a lot. The familiarity of the characters in a series and, even though there’s usually a murder (or two), it’s never too gory. If you enjoy Dorset, then I hope you’ll give this one a chance!
Had this bought for my birthday 2 days ago. Couldn’t put it down. Thoroughly enjoyable
I’m so glad to hear that enjoyed it Kathleen! I’m really looking forward to the sequel, which comes out in early July!