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A Quiet Life in the Country

A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1

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A Quiet Life in the Country

Written by: T E Kinsey
Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
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About this listen

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.

But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There’s a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...

As Lady Hardcastle and Flo delve deeper into rural rivalries and resentment, they uncover a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the village. With almost no one free from suspicion, they can be certain of only one fact: there is no such thing as a quiet life in the country.

Revised edition: This edition of A Quiet Life In The Country includes editorial revisions.

©2016 T E Kinsey (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Amateur Sleuth Cozy Detective Fiction Historical Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Village Feel-Good Crime Sports Funny Mystery
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loved it, well-written with witty dialogue superbly read. This was my idea of an old-fashioned English mystery. It had me grinning at the humour and even laughing out loud once or twice. Enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with each other.

delightful story

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rather boring. at one point I found myself counting how many times the phrase 'my lady' was used rather than listening. I was glad when it was over.

had a rough time keeping my interest

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One's enjoyment of this novel is largely dependent on one's sense of humor. I'm not a fan of "snark," so I just found the comic parts annoying and kind of rude.
That said, apart from the reliance on sarcasm, it was a solid cozy mystery. The characters were reasonably well developed, the plot was interesting and the writing accomplished.
I only picked this up because it was a daily deal on Audible. It was ok, but just not for me.

not for me

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Light, fun and entretaining if you like stories about women sleuths. Likeable characters and good story.

Quite entretaining

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This was a fun book to listen to - - an interesting mystery with plenty of humour and characters with personality.

The narration by Elizabeth Knowelden is spot on.

Very nice cozy mystery

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I picked this one up at random (on sale, maybe?), listened to all Lady Hardcastle mysteries since then, and can’t wait for more. The narrator is perfect. I felt lifted out of my reality and transported to the quiet and peaceful English countryside. I listened to this while running and walking, and the book is perfect for that — the story is moving slowly, so if you miss a few seconds, there is no need to rewind. Yet, it’s pure joy and delight to listen to.

Cozy English countryside mystery

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Very charming and well written enjoyed it that’s why all the 5’s will pick up others in the series

My review

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I would consider this book as a light read. The narration is easy to listen to, and the plot is fun. It's not a complicated read.

cute story

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A fantastic little cozy mystery which takes place in the English countryside. Well rounded characters, fantastic storyline and on point accents make this a wonderful little fluff ride through mystery-town.
I look forward to reading more of these, sort of a Miss Marple mystery.. or think Angela Landsbury.

Fun Little Mystery, Complete with Accents!

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The narrator was phenomenal, and the story was fun and kept you guessing - I’m surprised it hasn’t made it to television yet

A fun cozy murder

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