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A Lesson in Dying
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 1
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
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Murder in My Backyard
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 2
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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No one in Heppleburn has a bad word to say about Alice Parry...but here she is, murdered in her own backyard on a bitter St. David’s Eve. When detective Stephen Ramsay starts asking questions in the village, a more ambiguous picture begins to emerge. Yes, old Mrs. Parry was loved by everyone, but sometimes her kindness had caused trouble. Yes, her two nephews were devoted to her, but they didn’t really want her interfering in their rather complicated personal lives.
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Inspector Ramsay is intriguing
- By Jennifer on 2023-11-02
Written by: Ann Cleeves
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A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy
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- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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For Dorothea Cassidy Thursdays were special. But one Thursday in June was to be more special than any other. It was the day that Dorothea Cassidy was strangled. As the small town of Otterbridge prepares for its summer carnival, Inspector Stephen Ramsay begins a painstaking reconstruction of Dorothea’s last hours. He soon discovers that she had taken on a number of deserving cases – a sick and lonely old woman, a disturbed adolescent, a compulsive gambler, a single mother with a violent boyfriend and a child in care – and even her close family have their secrets to hide.
Written by: Ann Cleeves
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Killjoy
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The youth theatre cast are in their places but Gus Lynch’s female lead is missing, that is, until she’s found in the boot of his car. Detective Inspector Stephen Ramsay and Sergeant Gordon Hunter are assigned to head the murder enquiry, meanwhile violence is escalating on the Starling Farm Estate as police battle to contain the latest outbreak of joyriding. Is the death of Gabriella connected to the events at Starling Farm? When another death occurs, investigations suggest a possible link, and Ramsay realizes what could have provoked someone to kill...and kill again.
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The Baby-Snatcher
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Fifteen year old Marilyn turns up alone and frightened on Inspector Ramsay’s doorstep so he takes the young girl home to the isolated coastal community known as the Headland. And in the Howes’ dark and cluttered kitchen they find Kathleen safe and apparently well, though acting rather mysteriously. Six months later, Ramsay has more or less forgotten the strange incident, busy as he is on the trail of a local child abductor. Until he receives news that Mrs Howe has disappeared once more.
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Great listen!
- By Teresa on 2023-06-26
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Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.
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Three very different women come together at an isolated cottage on the North Pennines to complete an environmental survey. Three women who each know the meaning of betrayal. Rachael is the first to arrive at the cottage, but when she gets there she is shocked to discover an apparent suicide. But then another death occurs, and a fourth woman enters the picture – the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women’s tangled lives.
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Impeccable performance
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Written by: Ann Cleeves
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Murder in My Backyard
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 2
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one in Heppleburn has a bad word to say about Alice Parry...but here she is, murdered in her own backyard on a bitter St. David’s Eve. When detective Stephen Ramsay starts asking questions in the village, a more ambiguous picture begins to emerge. Yes, old Mrs. Parry was loved by everyone, but sometimes her kindness had caused trouble. Yes, her two nephews were devoted to her, but they didn’t really want her interfering in their rather complicated personal lives.
-
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Inspector Ramsay is intriguing
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Written by: Ann Cleeves
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A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 3
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
For Dorothea Cassidy Thursdays were special. But one Thursday in June was to be more special than any other. It was the day that Dorothea Cassidy was strangled. As the small town of Otterbridge prepares for its summer carnival, Inspector Stephen Ramsay begins a painstaking reconstruction of Dorothea’s last hours. He soon discovers that she had taken on a number of deserving cases – a sick and lonely old woman, a disturbed adolescent, a compulsive gambler, a single mother with a violent boyfriend and a child in care – and even her close family have their secrets to hide.
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The youth theatre cast are in their places but Gus Lynch’s female lead is missing, that is, until she’s found in the boot of his car. Detective Inspector Stephen Ramsay and Sergeant Gordon Hunter are assigned to head the murder enquiry, meanwhile violence is escalating on the Starling Farm Estate as police battle to contain the latest outbreak of joyriding. Is the death of Gabriella connected to the events at Starling Farm? When another death occurs, investigations suggest a possible link, and Ramsay realizes what could have provoked someone to kill...and kill again.
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The Baby-Snatcher
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-
Great listen!
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Written by: Ann Cleeves
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Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.
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Impeccable performance
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The Dark Yorkshire Series - fast-paced crime fiction stories featuring DI Nathaniel Caslin. The first three full-length books in this best-selling series are brought together for the first time in this great value set.
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Publisher's Summary
Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again
A Lesson in Dying is the first mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.
Who hung the headmaster in the playground on the night of the school Halloween Party?
Almost everyone in Heppleburn either hated or feared the viper-tongued Harold Medburn. Inspector Ramsay is convinced it was the headmaster’s enigmatic wife but Jack Robson, school governor and caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence.
With the help of his restless daughter Patty, Jack digs into the secrets of Heppleburn, and uncovers a cesspit of lies, adultery, blackmail and madness . . .
Continue the detective series with Murder in My Backyard.
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What listeners say about A Lesson in Dying
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jennifer
- 2023-06-18
Loved it
Inspector Ramsay is a realistically realized character. The plot was interesting and our villain quite believable.
Simon Mattacks’ interpretation added to the story in a very controlled way.
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- Jacqueline Ciancone
- 2023-05-17
Might take a second book to really like
I’ve loved Vera and Shetland so thought I’d give this a try. I find the voices sound very much the same and I’m not really enamoured of Inspector Ramsey but then Vera’s first book she was not very appealing and now I love her. So I will give book two a chance
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- Eveline Howells
- 2023-03-21
excellent
Anne Cleeves what a story teller.
now a great new series. I can't wait to hear of inspector Ramses next case.
The narrator Simon Mattacks did a grand job of reading this story.
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- Franki
- 2022-08-05
Ann Cleeves LoversBeware
Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite writers and I was so happy to see her old books come up on Audible. Big mistake! This book is so far below the quality of her more recent works that it’s hard to believe she wrote it.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Standing Stones
- 2023-04-08
Don’t want to be mean, but…
…this was one of the worst audible books I’ve ever listened to. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to the trouble to post a negative review prior to this. I am a huge fan of Vera and Shetland, but I can not even believe this was written by the same author.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Pam W
- 2022-10-16
An earlier work
Just ok, Cleeves certainly gets better. A short listen and don’t expect to grow any attachments to these characters, seems to be a straightforward narrative, with dull personas.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-04-08
Her writing certainly got better since this book.
It’s hard to believe that this book was written by Ann Cleeves. If you’ve read all of the Shetland, Vera and other great books that she wrote and decide to try some of her earlier works, don’t. Characters are either completely underdeveloped or run the gamut of all the usual stereotypes.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Cackie
- 2023-04-04
Disappointed read
I was happy to hear that this was one of Ann Cleaves’ first books…she definitely got better as I love her books and just assumed I would love this as well… but not so much.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-02-28
Disappointed
The plot was convoluted and badly planned. There are no credible detective procedures. Suspects, initially closed and aggressive, then sprout out private details to complete strangers.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Rebecca S Hoffmann
- 2023-02-10
Underwhelmed
Not as good as I’d hoped. I’m a fan of Ann Cleeves, but not this time.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Glenda
- 2023-01-15
Fantastic read
It has been awhile since I have read an Ann Cleeves, one of the best crime novelists of our time.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nancy
- 2023-09-20
Disappointed !
Does not even resemble Ann Cleeves writing skills. The plot dragged on with unnecessary details. The characters were not likable. The narrator gave a choppy reading which necessitated changing the narration speed throughout the entire book. I kept reading to the end because I kept thinking that “ this is an Ann Cleeves book, something has to improve.” But, it did not ! ☹️
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- gingerlady87
- 2023-06-15
Not up to Ann Cleves’s usual standard
Perhaps the fumbling detective is the disappointment. I found none of the characters appealing. Still, worth an afternoon’s reading.
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