Lord John and the Private Matter

By: Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

With more than 10 million copies in print worldwide, New York Times best-selling author Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is a global phenomenon. Lord John and the Private Matter, starring one of the most popular Outlander characters, captures all the adventure and magic of the series while delivering a fresh tale that is utterly captivating.

Lord John is in a difficult spot. His cousin Olivia is engaged to marry the Honorable Joseph Trevelyan, but he has just observed something of a rather personal nature that, if confirmed, might put an end to any talk of marital bliss. Determined to investigate further, Lord John is distracted when the Crown calls for his services. A comrade in arms has been slain, and to complicate matters, the victim may have been a traitor. Now Lord John has not one, but two puzzling mysteries to solve.

©2003 Diana Gabaldon (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Gabaldon takes readers for a walk on the wild side....A compelling and unique period mystery for the author's legion of fans." (Kirkus Review)

A Good Mystery, with a little Buggery

I've always loved Diana Gabaldon's books, and still do. If you know anything about John Gray, you know that he's a buggerer, one that secretly enjoys the company of his own sex. With that said, he's still a military man, and one with honor. Diana always puts some sort of mystery in her books, but with John Gray, she puts more mystery and intrigue into them, and I love it! I've always been a fan of mystery, and if you enjoy a good mystery, you might like this series. Jeff Woodman does a great job of narrating, and I can't remember if he does the other Gray books or not. If you choose to read/listen to this one, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Disappointed

After being madly in love with every book in the Outlander series and liking the character of Lord John Grey, this book was a letdown for me. The performance was excellent but I just couldn't follow the story, nor do I guess I cared much.

Hard to follow all the new characters

Struggled to finish. Did not keep my attention.
Disappointed in this book. glad it's over.

Fine storytelling! Two murder mysteries

I continue to be an awe of Gabaldon’s Talent. Her gift of putting you right there, a fly on the wall, and in the minds of her characters is astounding, and greatly appreciated.

Lord, John Gray is a remarkable, complex, and truly delightful character. And I go to the next one in the series.

I loved it!

I like Lord Grey when reading the Outlander series and this book only increased my liking. This genre is different from Outlander as it in NOT a romance novel. However, it sparkles with interesting information about 18th century sexual behavior that surprised me.

Grey Matter

Lord John Grey, a supporting character in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, gets his own series of historical mysteries, starting with The Private Matter. While investigating into the mysterious fiance of his cousin, Lord John is tasked with looking into the murder of a fellow soldier who may have been a spy selling English military secrets at the start of the Seven Years War.

The parallel investigations take Lord John into the extremes of London society in the 18th century, from the seemliest to the seamiest, with quite a bit of overlap between the two worlds. As in the best historical mysteries, the actual history of the era is depicted in the context of a classic mystery, and the mystery incorporates elements of the historical period that would be anachronistic in contemporary stories.

Jeff Woodman's narration is pitch perfect -- he sticks mostly to Lord John's upper class accent and doesn't go overboard when voicing other characters. The variety of characters are well drawn as well. What keeps this from earning five stars? The final reveals -- and there are a number of them -- are confessed in detail by the characters. The "talking villain" convention, long hackneyed -- in this case, talking villains, talking heroes, talking everybody (everybody who is not passed out from illness). Too bad, as everything leading up to those revelations was handled well.

Good but no substitute for Jamie and Claire!

Adequate entertainment but not one of those books that you hate to turn off. I am a fan of Gabaldon's detailed narratives that bring the characters to life. And if you love the characters she creates--there's nothing better. Unfortunately, although I liked Lord John in the Outlander series--I am not a fan of the snarky character the emerges in this series. SO, loved the writing, not a huge fan of the characters or the storyline.

Great listen

More than one would expect .The storyline was captivating. Well done on all accounts. I would recommend it to all.

An Exceptional Book in an Amazing Series!

The Outlander series has captured my attention like no other. It is intriguing, engaging, and well written. It is so easy to let go and see characters play out their stories in my mind. Jeff Woodman is the perfect narrator for this rich tapestry. His insightful interpretations of the characters leads to an immersive listening experience. Perfection! “AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY”

Couldnt stand to listen to this book after an hour

Disappointed with the plot and couldnt listern to the narrator any more after an hour.