Must read Historical Mystery

Edwina Davenport gets into reduced circumstances and has to advertise for someone to rent a room from her in Murder in an English Village, set in 1920, by Jessica Ellicott. She is happy when her brash, internationally adventurous famous friend from their youth, Beryll Helliwell, responds to the ad, coming to her rescue both financially and socially. But the same night that Beryll suggests to the local busybody that Edwina has really been serving undercover with Beryll for the king and is setting out to solve some secret case, someone tries to strangle Edwina with her scarf.

The pair think that someone has gotten alarmed at the prospect of having a crime discovered, but no one else in the town of Walmsley Parva will believe them, so the two set out to investigate, starting with the land girls who served nearby during the Great War. Edwina points out that one especially responsible land girl, Agnes, disappeared during her time in the war. Despite Edwina's urging to look into it, the local Constable Gibbs refused to investigate because she saw all the land girls as "loose women." After all, in their work on the farm, they wore pants! Horrors! Now Edwina and Beryll determine to look into Agnes's disappearance, but the war ended over a year before, and the land girls have returned home. The two wildly different friends, one a dignified spinster and the other a flamboyant woman married several times, make an unusual team as they work together and must beat the murderer to the solution before one or both of them gets killed first.

Murder in an English Village caught my attention from the opening chapter and left me raptly listening throughout. The plot took various turns of interest and kept me really fascinated. The characters also were lively and well- rounded. I strongly pictured both Edwina and Beryll and found them an appealing pair. What's more, the secondary characters came to life as well, helping me to stay guessing about the identity of the murderer based upon the individual and not just the person's position in life.

I especially liked the historical portrayals of life immediately following World War I. They can't adjust back to life as usual because too many things have changed in society. The book highlights some of the damages of war, such as men who either turn into extreme drunks or go almost catatonic to cope with the horrors they experienced in the war. It also brings up a feature people today are not commonly aware of, that of metal masks that those with facial disfigurements would have created to wear in order to hide their injuries. Men would wear such masks for the rest of their lives, never able to show facial expressions at all.

We also get a lot of insight into life in the home front during the war, in particular the land girls who committed to spending a year working hard on the farms to take the place of men who were in Europe fighting. We also see the black market that some farmers would participate in by cooking the books of their produce and meat supplies that they gave the government and selling items that didn't exist officially at a large profit to people willing to pay.

The audio edition of this book is performed really strongly by Barbara Rosenblat. I actually came across this book on Audible when looking at books that Rosenblat has narrated because she impresses me so much. And I am so glad that I did find this book. Rosenblat does a fantastic job of making this book come alive, giving believable voices for each character and using effective infections and timing to portray the book.

Murder in an English Village has proven to be a highlight of the nearly two years that I have been reviewing audiobooks for Fangirl Nation Magazine. Given how many books I go through regularly (I reviewed 29 books in just the month of January 2018), this is a significant statement of the quality and my enjoyment of this book. I recommend this book to any mystery lover and to any history lover, but especially to the historical mystery lover. I give the book five stars!

227 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Finally found another clean and well written mystery series!

Very much enjoyed this intriguing mystery, that lacked nasty language and graphic detail that I find unnecessary in a well written story. It was a pleasure to listen to, and barbara Rosenblatt is one of my favorite narrators!

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Can't Wait For Next Book

I chose this book thinking it was part of an older series I had some how missed out on. When I discovered it was recently published, I was amazed. The period details are impeccable, The book reads (listens) as if it were written during the golden age of mystery. Barbara Rosenblatt was perfect as narrator, the story was well plotted with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing but not confused. The characters were well developed and believable and all were multi-dimensional. Can't wait for next one!

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It's OK

It should have been better. Reading the publisher's review, it ticked all the right boxes for this cozy formula. Two women friends, decided to be detectives, etc. It never jelled. The narrator could not bring the two women to life. It was a decent mystery, but none of the characters were likable. I could care less about the next in the series. I do not feel badly about using a credit, just did not love it, but other reviewers gave it five stars. This is one, you read, you decide.

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As good and better than mysteries on the Times!

Wonderful surprise! Really as good and better than mysteries on New York Times reading list!

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Good story, voices too old.

A good mystery with historical background. The narrator did a good job except that all the voices sound too old. they seem like people in their 50 and 60s rather than 30s and 40. it is confusing becuase the ages are important to the understandi ng of the plot.

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Exciting Possibility

If you could sum up Murder in an English Village in three words, what would they be?

Hoping for more.

Did Barbara Rosenblat do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Barbara Rosenblat is one of my favorite narrators (see the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters), but this was not one of her best efforts. At times it sounded as though she was doing the reading cold and was using the wrong voice for the character, leaving me confused. She can be as versatile as they come, so I hope this reading was just an anomaly.

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Humorous cozy mystery

Would you consider the audio edition of Murder in an English Village to be better than the print version?

Did not read print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Murder in an English Village?

The attitudinal differences between the wealth, worldly American and the impoverished, British gentry spinster.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Superb talent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh.,

Any additional comments?

I look forward to volume 2 of the new series.

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A Perfect Cozy Mystery

Barbara Rosenblat brings the story and characters to life. Edwina and Beryl are depicted well; best friends from childhood who have led very different lives. I enjoyed all the different characters, as well as the various mysteries. A satisfying read/listen.

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Absolutely charming

The characters are wonderful. I loved this book from beginning to end and look forward to future adventures involving these two delightful women.

16 les gens ont trouvé cela utile