Bats in the Belfry

A London Mystery

By: E.C.R. Lorac

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Bruce Attleton dazzled London’s literary scene with his first two novels, but his early promise did not bear fruit. His wife, Sybilla, is a glittering actress, unforgiving of Bruce’s failure, and the couple lead separate lives in their house at Regent’s Park.

When Bruce is called away on a sudden trip to Paris, he vanishes completely until his suitcase and passport are found in a sinister artist’s studio, the Belfry, in a crumbling house in Notting Hill, and Inspector Macdonald must uncover Bruce’s secrets.

This intricate mystery from a classic writer is set in a superbly evoked London of the 1930s.

©2018 Estate of E.C.R. Lorac (P)2018 Isis Publishing Ltd

another good one from ERC Lorac

it was complicated and had lots of threads. inspector McDonald tied them up nearly at the end

David Thorpe makes it!

This book is silly and contrived, but thanks to wonderful narration it was good listening anyway!

Plot twist. Of course.

Well written and engrossing - until the end when you throw the book at the wall. Author cobbles up convoluted, 'hidden motive' resolution simply to play gotcha.

Could have been excellent study of disfunctional mind in the syle of Columbo - all clues pointed that way. But instead reader is supposed to believe way too many machinations when simple murder would do.

Conclusion: read for the fun of it. Plot moves along swiftly, with minimum of 'who was where when'. Just don't expect a satisfying ending.

Glad I Didn’t Judge Lorac by That One Short Story

The second edition of “Bodies from the Library” includes “Chance is a Great Thing”, to my mind one of the several disappointments of that collection. It must have been written on one of Lorac's bad days, because here we have an absolute classic of the genre: a chilling mystery with a cast of plausible suspects, a variety of motives, and a generous dollop of sardonic humor. The standard features, you might say, of any self-respecting Golden Age mystery. But wait, there’s more: Helpful signposts.

Most chapters end with a character pondering the events and revelations in that chapter—and possible interpretations of those events and revelations. These prove invaluable when, after an 8- to 10- hour day of remote office work, one pours a drink and puts in the earbuds, eager to pick up the trail again; a mere few minutes of rewinding puts you au courant.

David Thorpe turns in his usual masterful performance.

Another great story!

Kept me guessing up until the reporter was moshed at the docks. I’m so glad you introduced me to this writer.

Enjoyable and interesting

One thing these semi golden age authors never did was write crap or write too far down for their audience. That these accomplished authors are no longer with us except in these reinvigorations is a real pity but perhaps their audience is also no longer with us which is a greater pity. If you want relief from the swamp just start downloading these fine novels and enjoy.

Great Detective Story

This is an outstanding murder mystery with any number of twists and turns. A real winner that you don't want to miss.

Wild Ride

A Tantalizing tale with many twists and turns. You know the obvious criminal is probably not the real culprit but it is hard to see how your own suspect could be guilty. Terrific performance by David Thorpe.

Pretty good story, almost good narrator

E.C.R. Lorac's books are a recent and delightful discovery. This story is layered enough, pretty well crafted. A few of the characters are one-dimensional, but a few are interesting and almost believable. Chief Inspector MacDonald is a joy, and I appreciate his even temper, empathy, and that we don't ever find out many personal details about him. I know there is a lot of love for stories where the detective is battling their own demons while hunting down society's, but I really do enjoy the process of careful thinking and unraveling crimes without additional angst.

David Thorpe is always a bit unpredictable as a narrator, and I've heard at least 20 books by him. I love most of his different voices, even though some are exaggerated. I do find that after a deep voice, the next one is always a bit high and screechy. He also pauses for too long after sentences, even during a dialogue. Sometimes I'll check my Audible app to see if it's stopped itself. Overall, I'll listen to all the E.C.R. Lorac books I can find.

Deftly woven, Perfectly narrated

ECR Lorac has written a mystery as intricately twisted around itself as any I have ever read. All the clues are in the hands of the reader but they are obscured by a blizzard of other possibilities. I was deeply invested, throughout, in trying to avoid the many logical yet false trails presented. Lorac kept me guessing and I prize that in a mystery writer.

David Thorpe’s narration was appropriate throughout. He was subtle and prioritized first rate storytelling over an unnecessarily dramatic reading. His choice was perfect for this book.