• The Cryptic Lines

  • By: Richard Storry
  • Narrated by: Jake Urry
  • Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (241 ratings)

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The Cryptic Lines  By  cover art

The Cryptic Lines

By: Richard Storry
Narrated by: Jake Urry
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Publisher's summary

Set in a sprawling gothic mansion in a remote coastal location, somewhere in the British Isles, the elderly recluse Lord Alfred Willoughby is deciding what is to become of his vast fortune after his death. Whilst his head is telling him to leave nothing at all to his wastrel son, Matthew, his heart is speaking differently. After much deliberation, in a last-ditch attempt to try and show to his son the importance of applying himself to a task and staying with it to the end, he devises a series of enigmatic puzzles cunningly concealed within the lines of a poem - the cryptic lines. If he completes the task successfully and solves the puzzles he will inherit the entire estate; but if he fails he will receive nothing. However, from Lord Alfred's will it emerges that Matthew is not the only interested party. The mysterious old house holds many secrets, and nothing is as it first appears....

©2015 Richard Alan Storry (P)2016 Richard Alan Storry

What listeners say about The Cryptic Lines

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This was an all-around solid, enjoyable audiobook

Wealthy Lord Alfred Willoughby is worried about what will happen to his estate when he dies. Strictly speaking, his son Matthew should inherit the fortune. But the boy has become a reckless squanderer. Quite cunningly, Lord Alfred decides to teach Matthew the value of gaining something through effort and perseverance. He devises a kind of treasure hunt and to make it even more enticing he involves another totally unassuming competitor in the pursuit of the fortune.Set in an expansive, traditional manor house in Britain, Richard Storry skillfully created the fitting atmosphere and provided vivid descriptions for this charming cozy mystery. The plot becomes far more complex than you would initially expect, and there were some great twists and turns with some revelations at the end that were totally unexpected. The premise is a bit different from the usual murder mysteries and was a lovely change. With its subtle humor and well-written prose, it was an immensely enjoyable and engaging listen.

Set in an expansive, traditional manor house in Britain, Richard Storry skillfully created the fitting atmosphere and provided vivid descriptions for this charming cozy mystery. The plot becomes far more complex than you would initially expect, and there were some great twists and turns with some revelations at the end that were totally unexpected. The premise is a bit different from the usual murder mysteries and was a lovely change. With its subtle humor and well-written prose, it was an immensely enjoyable and engaging listen.

Jake Urry proved to be exactly the right narrator for this story. His rhythm and pacing followed the plot appropriately, switching to a wonderfully ominous tone in the right places. James, the butler, was my favorite character in this story and Jake portrayed him brilliantly, exactly as you would imagine a traditional British butler. He also managed to perform the voices of two elderly female characters with a believable, fitting pitch. There were no issues with the quality of the production at all.

This was an all-around solid, enjoyable audiobook that I would highly recommend to anybody who likes cozy mysteries, British mysteries, mysteries without the standard hunt for murderers. Great entertainment!

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book – Mystery in a Billionaire Mansion

This was a really enjoyable book, and was just the right length for the story. It reminded me a little of the Robert Langdon Books by Dan Brown. There were all kinds of complex puzzles and clues that left paths of messages and more clues. The author didn’t give quite as complex and detailed of a backstory as Brown, but it was still a very well written story.

The main character is a solicitor (lawyer) who is responsible for the will of a billionaire businessman. After visiting him on a rainy night, the old man dies right after changing his will rather dramatically. The old man’s estranged and disreputable son arrives shortly after his death.

A film left behind by the billionaire states how he is disappointed and ashamed of his son and that he has created a contest for his son and his long-time loyal solicitor. He gives them hints to where an old piece of jewelry is hidden on the vast property. With the item are instructions for transferring all of his assets into the winner’s name. However, the contest ends in only a few weeks, and if it is not found by then it all be donated to charities. With time running out the solicitor and the son join forces to solve the puzzle and split the vast fortune.

However, all may not be as it seems on the sprawling grounds of the mansion. There are many more secrets than the location of a billionaire’s treasure to be known, and far more truths to discover.

This book was just the right length and was a very good listen. I listened to the entire book in one day. Great mystery and suspense. There are several twists that the reader doesn’t see coming, especially at the very end. The narration on this book was also very good. 5 stars!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

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15 people found this helpful

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Great atmosphere

I really enjoyed this book. Its a mystery centered around finding a hidden treasure that is part of an inheritance. Hidden treasure, creepy house with hidden rooms - what's not to like? I loved the clues given to find the treasured item, and I loved that "booby prizes" were placed in every place where the characters initially looked, which only pointed out that the "seekers" weren't as clever as they thought, and nothing is what it appears to be. I listened to the Audible audio version narrated by Jake Urry, and I LOVED his narration. His voice really added to the atmosphere of the story. All his character voices were really good, he did great on female voices (which is a big test for me), and really everything about his narration was superb. I don't think I've ever listened to him before, but I can't wait to check out more stuff that he has done, along with Richard Storry and any more books he has written.

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6 people found this helpful

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Mysterious treasure hunt!

Lord Alfred Willoughby is dying! He has written multiple wills but with the way his son Matthew is, he decides to write on last one. In it he stipulates that he will leave his faithful Butler 5 million, and the rest of his sizable fortune would be left to either of two contenders. But, nothing is ever easy and Lord Alfred sets a treasure hunt in place. The first to solve the clues and find a certain object, will inherit everything. All they have to do is solve The Cryptic Lines!

I absolutely flew through this suspenseful mystery! The authors descriptive writing really brought the scenery and atmosphere to life. You could just imagine the big sprawling manor house that they are searching, as well as the amazing land it's on! I also loved the whole treasure hunt and mysterious clues thing. It was awesome figuring things out along with the characters and trying to see was I right! You think you know what's going to happen but the author throws in twist after twist and the ending was brilliant!!

Character wise, their are only a few, but all were extremely well written and developed. James, the butler, was a typical English butler you see on the TV. The attorney was another awesome character. Such a nice person. Matthew is a money hungry man, who only wants his fathers vast fortune and will stop at nothing to get it. All of these, as well as the other characters, added up to a really enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining listen!

In all, this was a quick, fast paced, entertaining and suspenseful read.

Jake Urry was the perfect choice for this. He had an array of tones and cadences that really suited the feel of this story. He portrayed James and Lord Alfred perfectly with a really posh English voice and even did a perfect Matthew! He really brought this book to life and made it 10 times more enjoyable! I went looking for information on Jake Urry to see what else he has narrated and was shocked to see that he is so young!! I thought he was an older gentleman with the way he read this book!!! Brilliant narrator.

*I received this via Audiobook Boom but voluntarily reviewed it. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.*

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Loved it

Brilliantly done mystery. The writing style is very old-school, reminded me of some of those classic mystery novels. Dark and creepy. It had a dry sort of humor I really enjoyed. The old mansion, cryptic messages left by a dead millionaire and the narrator gave a great ambiance to the story. Loved the ending!

The narrator was perfect for this story. Wonderful performance.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A book with a great ending!

I had nearly turned off this book more than half way through because I found it to be rather boring, but I stuck it out until the end- and I am so glad that I did! The Cryptic lines starts off really slow, but it has a wonderful ending. This book made it onto my “listen again” list (which does not happen often for me) because I did not expect the ending; secrets are revealed which change the whole dynamic of the story line, so much so that the book begs to be read a second time.

The narration by Jake Urry is magnificent! He performs each character’s distinct personality, and he recites poetry beautifully too. My favourite character is James, the butler, but every character came to life by this talented narrator.

I highly recommend this book to fans of cozy mystery stories and for those that love a good ending!

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

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Absolutely Fantastic

Any additional comments?

"The Cryptic Lines" is my favorite book I've listened to recently. Expertly crafted, absolutely masterful narration and a surprise ending make for a truly satisfying experience. Rarely do I intend on listening to a book twice, but this story had so much intricate nuance throughout that was only revealed at the end, that I just might have to listen again. This is a story about an old man and his jerk of an adopted son. Normally, this isn't a story line I would be even vaguely interested in but somehow Storry grabbed me by my eardrums and didn't let me go until the story ended. It was suspenseful, thrilling, mysterious, alluring, touching and unique. I would recommend this story to literally anyone who enjoys a good book. And Jake Urry is the best voice actor on Audible!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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Atmospheric, timeless tale of mystery and suspense

“The Cryptic Lines”, is a mystery tale and a treasure hunt, set in an isolated, old, spooky house. It’s also an excellent example of an audiobook where the author and the narrator make a perfect pair, and the book is strengthened by the narrator’s voice. As it began I was reminded of John Houseman’s foreboding campfire ghost story at the beginning of John Carpenter’s film “The Fog”. And despite this book having no supernatural elements, there was an atmosphere straight out of an old haunted house film, or an old late night radio show, the entire time I listened to it. It also has a great timelessness to it; the number of references to anything that even remotely dates when this takes place, are decidedly few - a fact that I think strengthens the story.
I know some people go into a mystery expecting the author to somehow top every ending of every previous mystery in existence, and then grumble when it doesn’t meet that impossible goal. The ending here is nothing earth-shattering, but it neatly and satisfactorily ties up a clever, twist-filled puzzle of a tale that I enjoyed from beginning to end.
I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for this honest, unbiased review.

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Scavenger Hunts have NEVER been this fun!

I LOVED this audiobook so much!!! Jake Urry shines and I just LOVE his voice.

The story was amazing. It was a quick listen and I was entranced by the plot.

It’s a story of a wealthy man who leaves behind a fortune. But instead of giving it to his a-hole son just because, he decides to make his son work for the fortune. If he doesn’t solve the puzzle/scavenger hunt, then he doesn’t get the fortune.

I just really loved how the author wrapped the storyline up in the end. My heart and my mind were like “oh no he didn’t!” It was such a thrill!

I received this book for free from Jake Urry, and I swear to you that because I got this book for free, it in NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM changed my perception of this book. This was an honest review! Yasssss Jake, WERKKKK!!

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A good, cozy mystery with plenty of suspense

If you could sum up The Cryptic Lines in three words, what would they be?

Suspenseful cozy mystery

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed that there weren’t an overwhelming number of characters to keep track of—a mistake many authors make in shorter tales. Mr. Storry presented us with a small handful who were nicely developed. They all stayed true to their motivations and personalities; no one suddenly took a left turn to Albuquerque just because the plot/author suddenly demanded it of them. James the Butler was probably my favorite and what we find out about him in the end is just heart-breaking. I didn’t see it coming and I imagine other readers won’t either. The surprise was refreshing.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last two or three chapters, especially the events in the crypt, were the best.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

You have to read between the cryptic lines

Any additional comments?

Jake Urry was the best possible choice as narrator. In fact, I’m pretty sure he was born to read books like this (I’d love to hear his renditions of Poe)! His accent fit the gothic setting perfectly and his inflection conveyed the ratcheting tension. I’d say he put the ‘cryptic’ in “The Cryptic Lines”. He read neither too fast nor too slow and he didn’t dramatize the characters, though it was still quite easy to distinguish each. I was able to form a detailed picture of everyone in my head simply from the way they were voiced and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for not making Meg sound like every old lady we’ve ever heard in audio! Mr. Storry clearly intended her to be a bit feisty and Mr. Urry nailed it. The only sort of annoying thing was the occasionally inconsistent audio quality. There was at least one place towards the end where I’m guessing something was re-recorded and spliced in, but the volume was different from what preceded and followed. Otherwise, this was nicely recorded.

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