A Man of Some Repute

A Very English Mystery, Book 1

By: Elizabeth Edmondson

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Truth is rarely pure and never simple...

Selchester Castle in 1953 sits quiet and near-empty, its corridors echoing with glories of the past.

Or so it seems to intelligence officer Hugo Hawksworth, wounded on a secret mission and now reluctantly assuming an altogether less perilous role at Selchester.

The Castle's faded grandeur hides a web of secrets and scandals - the Earl has been missing for seven years, lost without a trace since the night he left his guests and walked out into a blizzard.

When a skeleton is uncovered beneath the flagstones of the Old Chapel, the police produce a suspect and declare the case closed.

Hugo is not convinced. With the help of the spirited Freya Wryton, the Earl's niece, he is drawn back into active service, and the ancient town of Selchester is dragged into the intrigues and conspiracies of the Cold War era.

With a touch of Downton Abbey, a whisper of Agatha Christie and a nod to Le Carré, A Man of Some Repute is the first book in this delightfully classic and witty murder mystery series.

©2015 Elizabeth Edmondson (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Agatha Lives!

A period piece of the first order. For those who love the English style that Agatha perfected, this is a wonderful return. So far there are two books for the continued story. The entire production is grand, but the performance is outstanding.

Delightful

Solid mystery that doesn't insult the reader's (listening audience's ) intelligence. I had to get used to the narrator but once I did I liked him!

I am glad this was part of a buy one get one free

The plot was weak and the characters were stereotypes. The performance was also weak, but in fairness, the narrator hadn't much to work with.

England 1953

Interesting characters and happy endings
Fun cozy mystery and sad there were only two books so far

An Interesting Beginning

Mystery could have been developed better... Motives were mostly stumbled upon rather than discovered. Still... good characters and superb setting

The best! Great characters

A well done post war British mystery. Believable people and actions although dramatic. Glad it is the beginning of a series.

Best British who done it!

Very enjoyable with British wit, engrossing dialogue, believable characters, and scenes of English castles and country side that take the reader away. So refreshing to listen to a beautifully done, expressive voice with no need for the foul language that predominates much of the writing of today. Highly recommended for the mystery novel connoisseur.

Excellent story!!!!

Great reader with excellent voice changes for characters!! Great story with details leading to mystery! Great historical fiction!! Loved this book!!

Interesting but Slow to Develop

I would describe this as a "cozy" mystery. Good vocal characterizations. Interesting characters and setting. I thought the plot was slow to develop but it held my attention.

Stiff Upper Lip

What made the experience of listening to A Man of Some Repute the most enjoyable?

This novel clearly settled into the English countryside. Somewhat because of this, it was slow moving. The reader had the feeling that the mystery would never be solved by British police methods and so, the disguised investigator was obviously sorely needed. The plot held together well and that was the strength of the novel

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

For Baldachi fans, the plot was slow to develop and the reader could be easily distracted by details seemingly serving only to enrich the setting of the story and yet a clear picture of the characters was never accomplished.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a book that will not provide motivation to force yourself to remain on the treadmill but would be a relaxing listen for quiet walks, time on a balcony by the sea, or on a shaded patio where it could be digested slowly.