A Killer in King’s Cove

A Lane Winslow Mystery, Book 1

By: Iona Whishaw

Narrated by: Marilla Wex

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A smart and enchanting postwar mystery that will appeal to fans of the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.

It is 1946, and war-weary young ex-intelligence officer Lane Winslow leaves London to look for a fresh start. When she finds herself happily settled into a sleepy hamlet in the interior of British Columbia surrounded by a suitably eclectic cast of small-town characters, she feels like she may finally be able to put her past to rest.

But then a body is discovered, the victim of murder, and although she works alongside the town's Inspectors Darling and Ames to discover who might have possibly have motivation to kill, she unknowingly casts doubt on herself. As the investigation reveals facts that she has desperately tried to keep a secret, it threatens to pull her into a vortex of even greater losses than the ones she has already endured.

A clever postwar mystery that will appeal to fans the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear or the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd.

©2016 Iona Whishaw (P)2020 TouchWood Editions

Critic reviews

“The 'find of the year', Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow series is a real treat. Set after WWII, Lane has left England for Canada...settling in the small village of King’s Cove. With a quaint cast of characters and the feel of Louise Penny’s Three Pines, the independence and quick wit of Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher and the intelligence of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, this mystery series has it all!” (Murder by the Book, Houston, TX)

“A good historical mystery with a cast of characters that will provide plot lines for the series to come. Iona Whishaw is a writer to watch.” (Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail)

“Move over, Mr. Darcy! Inspector Darling and Lane Winslow join the ranks of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane in this exquisitely written, psychologically deft postwar mystery. I couldn’t put it down. If you miss Mary Stewart’s sleuthing heroines, if you loved Broadchurch and its village of suspects, settle in, turn off the phone, and enjoy!” (Linda Svendsen, author of Sussex Drive and Marine Life)

Great Listen!

So glad to discover a new-to-me series! Look forward to the next one.

What a terrific series!

This series is fantastic, book after book. Well-developed characters, interesting historical insights, good plots. I highly recommend starting with this book and binging on the whole series!

Historical Mystery Set in Post-war BC

In the spring of 1946, British agent Lane Winslow retires to the wilderness of British Columbia, Canada, to forget about the war and the great love she has lost. When she finds the body of a stranger in the creek that supplies her water, she calls the police from near-by Nelson to investigate. But soon, every clue about this murder points to her. Hampered by the Official Secrets Act, there is only so much that Lane can tell handsome Detective Darling about her past.

Hauntingly beautiful settings, a strong sense of historical place and time, and a well-told story with a hint of romance, make this book a great choice. Nicely narrated by Marilla Wex, I highly recommend this audio book.

Clever and Comfortable

I really enjoyed this series opener. It wasn’t too suspenseful or tricky, but I found the storytelling style clever and fresh. It felt comfortable without needing too much time to get used to the characters or setting. I like that it went beyond a typical cozy mystery by adding some serious historical and social elements, but it doesn’t have the depth of trauma or the hard edges of Bess Crawford or Maisie Dobbs. I am looking for something lighter and so I appreciate the balance found here.
They performance was perfectly fine for me. I generally prefer British narration because it is not what I hear every day in the Southeastern USA. That means I don’t judge it as harshly as I would an attempted Southern accent. The Canadian accent was fine as well. I don’t know how someone who is more familiar with these regional dialogues might feel. I like that the same narrator continues with the other books in the series. I am moving on to the next one!

I've Listened to Them All Twice...

...And I've just pre-ordered the last three.
Iona Wishaw is a crafty writer, and Marilla Wex is the perfect narrator. Absolutely lovely scenery, believable neighborhood characters, proper mysteries and a cute side romance- what's not to love? I have something like 300 audiobooks in my library, but I've chosen to listen to this series more than once.

All over the place

There is too much to follow here. Conceptually it was great but it becomes far too complicated to follow so many story lines in different time periods for an audiobook

Unlistenable

Story was boring and difficult to follow. Not enjoyable. Couldn’t finish listening to this one.

Summary

This book was not that interesting. At times it was a little flat. Not sure if I will continue the series.