Dark Road to Darjeeling

By: Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Lady Julia Grey travels through India, accompanied by her sister, Portia, her brother, Plum, and occasionally her husband - Brisbane. Along the way, Portia becomes convinced of a murder, and all four are pulled into the dark underbelly of 19th-century India.

©2010 Deanna Rayburn (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Ellen Archer dives into the story with abandon and is clearly enjoying herself with the rich cast of characters, including an upper-crust English spinster, a disheveled Welsh doctor, and the White Rajah, a charismatic hermit who lives in a nearby monastery. Archer also offers a thoughtful, rich performance as Julia, who slyly competes with her husband to solve the case." ( AudioFile)

Another good tale from Raybourn

I do enjoy the juxtaposition of murder mysteries and the developing relationship between two difficult people, Lady Julia and Brisbane, that characterize this series. By this book they are married, but they experience the prickly adjustment of two independent minded and very stubborn people learning to live with each other. As always, the writing anchors the story in time even as the characters are definitely outside the normal mode and attitudes of the period. Also Rayburn creates a wealth of engaging side characters in each book, mostly with Lady Julia's family, but in this book we get a range of expat colonialists in India. By moving the venue for each mystery, Raybourn keeps the series fresh and provides unique challenges for the developing relationship. I'm finding the series fascinating and the main characters very enjoyable.

I think Ellen Archer is getting better at reading, but I still find her performance difficult. The books would be better with a different reader. But I'll continue to listen to the series in spite of Archer's delivery.

Fun and easy read

Fun series. Easy read, love the strong bond between the main characters. The mystery isn't intense, but gives you something to think about.

Not My Favorite Of The Series...

This book opens some months after the close of the wonderful novella preceding it - at the tail end of Julia and Brisbane's prolonged honeymoon. Portia and Plum track them down and invite them to go along to Jane's new home in the tea-growing estate owned by her new husband - though his recent and sudden demise means that this will turn into a working holiday for the investigative team.

Brisbane and Julia, despite their marriage, continue to argue over her role as a partner in his investigations, which unfortunately is beginning to feel a bit repetitive by now! It just feels like false drama that is added to their relationship for tension, but in actuality just serves to slow down the overall pacing of the book. The new characters aren't as engaging as some of the others - but there are some surprising familiar faces that turn up which do make it more fun. But when included with some other coincidences, this makes the book probably my least favorite of the series so far. I didn't care for the resolution of the crime, or the ending fate, either... the plot is surprising, but just not as fun as i expected.

Honestly, the manufactured romantic tension drags the book down the most, but the surprises to the plot - and to see how they impact the later installments is exciting, so I am still looking forward to the next one - not to mention the fact that this is narrated as impeccably as the rest of the books!

Good Mystery

This is good mystery in the vein of the others in the series, I really didn't expect who the killer would be. Lady Julia is a little frustrating to me because she has a tendency to be a little whiny, she expects Brisbane to give her all the information but she feels justified in keeping all her information to herself. I find her to be rather irritating. But I will listen to the last major book in the series.

Wonderfully Twisted

This well read mystery is filled with intrigue, multiple suspects, and unexpected turns in every chapter. The characters are well developed and narrated consistently from book to book.

Good book with a nice twist

"In my previous investigations" you will get very tired of hearing it but you will see Lady Julia has a lot of growing up to do and does. Porisha's voice will drive you nuts but she really is amazing in this story!

Pretty Good

It was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the new setting. I will go on to the next installment.

Excellent story and masterfully performed.

A great follow up to the last audio book. I look forward to Lady Julia's training at Brisbane's hand. And the next adventure involving her family, no less. Yes!

One of Ms. Raybourn's best!

From the very beginning, this book captured me. The setting, the story, the characters, the twists and turns. I will listen again and again. It's a winner, if you are a fan of Lady Julia Grey books or a new reader. Well worth the time. Ellen Archer is a fantastic reader who brings very different characters to life and makes them as memorable as the author did in creating them. Kudos!

A nice cup of tea

This is not an overwhelming book. It's light and pleasant fluff, mostly. The characters are neither deep or wide.They are, to the main, likable. But it's a pleasant read and a look at Victoriana India which I did find interesting.