Death and the Burlesque Maiden

De: Imogen Church

Narrado por: Imogen Church

When one of Nora Bunstruggle’s friends is murdered in cold blood, it sends the Coochie Hole burlesque club on Megalopolis into shock.

It soon becomes clear that the police have zero interest in the death of a burlesque dancer. But what if the twisted killer strikes their troupe again? And who is going to exact justice for the victim’s now motherless child?

Nora and the gang from the Coochie Hole realise that if they want to get to catch their faceless murderous foe, they are going to have to roll their sleeves up and kick some backsides themselves.

They must use all their collective skills if they are going to catch the killer and avenge Sue’s death. But what they discover one night in a dark dank basement will shock them to the core....

©2021 Imogen Church (P)2021 Audible, Ltd

Fun read by a great narrator!

It is no surprise that the greatest narrator wrote such a good book. I could listen to anything Imogen narrates but this was so much fun knowing it was her own book. I loved the characters! I wanted to know them in real life. The story was easy to fall in synch with and I could have finished it so quick but I made it last a few car rides to work. Fun murder mystery and characters you want to protect.

Delicious! Depraved! The best book of 2021

Ladies and gentlemen—and everyone of indeterminate feelings and genitalia—please put your grubby mitts together, for our very own delicate glass unicorn; the picture of literary perfection, hilarity, and grace; the eternally exquisite:

DEATH AND THE BURLESQUE MAIDEN!

I’ve spent the last week of my life falling madly in love with… laughing hysterically at… unable to get any work done thanks to… this phenomenal book. If I were to erect (pun enthusiastically intended) my own cabal of formidable Harpies, my BOO would include:

Clem, alias Miss Twinkle Buns. Skills: fighting; dancing; farting on demand; looking like she can’t and never would do two of those things; great with mechanicals. Clem is a fighter. A survivor. She's got the legs AND the jaw for the part.

Nora, alias Mutiny Belle. Poet-cum-revolutionary. Previous experience includes inciting a rebellion, masterminding a mass escape from an asylum followed by political pressure-pointing until said asylum was closed down, etc. Big, bold, beautiful. A reminder that public servants can sometimes have the most ferocious hearts beating beneath the tweed.

Lil, alias Slutty Nutcracker. Skills: Trumpet; accents; acting; conning people for ultimately good reasons; Academy-Award-worthy performances of Chastity Rockbottom, Bernice Bones, et al. A total badass who loves sex and won't apologize for it.

And last but CERTAINLY not least: Imogen, alias Not-That-Kind-of-Church Lady. Skills: 5-star audiobook narration; feminist genius; razor-sharp wit; unsung hero of macabre theme songs; looks great in sparkles; debut author of the never-before-seen hybrid of thriller, noir, mystery, comedy, and parody (they call it burlesque for a reason, folks). In sum: she wrote the best book of 2021.

Meanwhile, some narration.

DatBM has something for everyone. Fierce, feminist, queer female leads who have brains, beauty, AND crystal nipple tassels? Holy Eleanor Roosevelt, yes! A heart-pounding mystery with a sinister villain who is the evil, ulcer-oozing embodiment of the twisted patriarchy? Thank Wollstonecraft! Utterly hilarious burlesque routines punctuated by trumpeting farts that will make you laugh out loud when listening with earbuds at 1am, thereby awaking your poor innocent partner sleeping beside you? ABSO-VAGINA-TRUMPET-LUTELY.

And at its warm and gentle heart: a chosen family whose love is so strong, so powerful, it restored my hope in humanity. One moment I’d be laughing; the next, tears were welling up from some deep place inside me. This is a story about sisterhood; about how even when the whole world is pitted against you, if you join forces with your sisters you can fight evil, fight misogyny, fight racism, ableism, murderism. Add to all this a light sprinkling of gore (pinkie sized), some truly unforgettable side characters (if I die, please don’t ring Reginald Spam), and a naughtily cheeky unreliable narrator (I call her Nookie von Sweet Mics), and you'll begin to see the charm. Gather round, punters: the Coochie Hole doth provideth!

I am so grateful that this story, these characters, this spellbinding narrative exists. I felt kinder after reading it, more open, more in love with the world. What a tremendous gift. Imogen Church, who has lent her voice to so many of our favorite stories, has now done us one better: lent us her voice AND her endless imagination, dazzling mind, and wise and witty soul to spin the best yarn yet.

For the love of Amelia Earhart, head on over to 12 Rumpus Street and let your greedy ears slurp up this delicious, depraved, delectable book.

Imogen Church is just fantastic!

Her narration has always been amazing but listening to her in her own book was such good fun. I recommend this "read" to anyone who enjoys her performances. It took me a short time to get into the swing of the story but once there, I couldn't stop listening. She is simply a delight. Can't wait for her next book!

Imogen is the best

I’m suspicious to talk about her book because I love her, love her work as a narrator and now as writer! The book was great, I love the story.

Burlesque Masterpiece!

The critically acclaimed narrator Imogen Church tries her hand at authorship to a resounding success! Set in the world of burlesque, an atmosphere Ms. Church is intimately familiar with, Death and the Burlesque Maiden is a smart, humorous and well written mystery, filled with twists, turns and snarky comments from the brilliant narrator, Ms. Church herself! She leaves the door open for the next book and I’m here for it!!

What a perfect book.

I became an instant fan of Imogen Church the moment I listened to a book she had narrated, many years ago. I don’t think there’s a story out there that I would want someone else to narrate, I wish she narrated every single one of them. I also love when a book is narrated (well) by the author, so I was super excited to read this. Even with all that enthusiasm, it exceeded my expectations and surprised me in the best way. She creates a whole world that is so unique and timeless, but also somehow very current. A perfect feminist story for 2021, and we deserve it. Go read it right now.

LOVED IT!

I first loved Imogen Church for her narration. She can transition between different characters like no one else. So I was intrigued to listen to her own work that she also narrated. I was NOT disappointed. It was entertaining from beginning to end. Can’t wait for more from her!

Rough Start, Worth Hanging in For!

Confession #1: I adore Imogen Church. I have listened to countless audio books just because I love how she reads them.

Confession #2: When I saw Imogen Church had written a book, I was skeptical. That said, I wanted to give it a try because I felt like she deserved a shot.

Warning: It’s starts out slow. The Prologue is over 8 minutes long. The speaker’s world view was clearly stated in about the first 90 seconds. Editing was needed here.

For the first third of the novel, I struggled to figure out what the genre was supposed to be. Is it supposed to be The Hunger Games meets Burlesque? Is it supposed to be a parallel universe to The Handmaid’s Tale? I had a hard time finding an anchor for what the novel was supposed to be and then, about a third of the way through, I had an epiphany. It’s basically a graphic novel without, you know, the graphic elements. Once I got there, I was able to lean into the story and, once I did, I was hooked.

Imogen Church is a talented writer. The story is quirky, innovative, and the characters are endearing. The ending is such that it sounds like this could be a series and, now that I “get it”, it’s a series I look forward to reading.

On a side note, I am wondering if the character of Simon Prebble was intentional and either a nod to or a teasing jab at Church’s fellow British narrator of the same name. If so, pretty cheeky!

Such a fun listen... for a murder!

Imogen Church has been my favorite audio narrator for some time now. I was honestly a little hesitant to listen to this as I was worried I wouldn't like it. Boy was I wrong! This story is full of wacky characters, crazy shenanigans, and yes, a little murder. All masterfully told by Imogen. She's not only proved she's as good a writer as a narrator but chosen the perfect vehicle to showcase the full range of her vocal talents. I did get lost in the story a couple of times but that probably has more to do with my tendency to multi-task while listening than anything else. I'm hoping we haven't heard the last of Nora, Lil, and the rest of the gang from the Coochie Hole!

One of the BEST books I’ve ever listened too.

The humor, the banter, the descriptions of damn near everything. I could just eat this up!! Absolutely magnificent piece of work from start to finish. Bonus: Imogen is the best narrator in the biz!!