Murder of a Lady

De: Anthony Wynne

Narrado por: James Bryce

Duchlan Castle is a gloomy place in the Scottish Highlands. Late one night the body of Mary Gregor, sister of the laird, is found in the castle. She has been stabbed to death in her locked bedroom. The only tiny clue to the culprit is a silver fish's scale, left on the floor next to Mary's body.

Inspector Dundas is dispatched to investigate. The Gregor family and their servants are quick to explain that Mary was a kind and charitable woman, but Dundas uncovers a more complex truth.

Soon further deaths occur. Superstitious locals believe that fish creatures from the nearby waters are responsible, but luckily for Inspector Dundas, gifted amateur sleuth Eustace Hailey is on the scene.

©2015 Estate of Anthony Wynne (P)2016 Soundings

Scottish Golden Age

This golden age mystery set in Scotland was an interesting listen. However, I did feel that it dragged more than I prefer. I have read and listened to many mysteries and novels set in England/Scotland between WWI and WWII and this one somehow had a more "dated" feel than many others. I am glad to have listened to it and added Anthony Wynne to my list of Golden Age mystery authors, but I am less apt to re-listen to this one than to most.

Excellent story. Great performance.

Such a satisfying tale. Can't wait to find this author and performer again. Francie Patton.

Complex Mystery With Blah Characters

I finished the listen, but with flagging interest. If you enjoy figuring out solutions, this might be for you. I don't listen as carefully as I read, so can't comment on the quality of the mystery itself, only its complexity. However there's virtually no character development so other than some feelings of reproach, I found it hard to care about any of them. Writing good. Narration very good.

Solid golden age detective story

Like able detective. Good mystery. I figured out the who about the same time as the detective but not the how.

A solid golden age detective story to be read by all fans of the genre.

Involving!

Scottish and Irish accents beautifully done. A maze of family pulls and pushes. Cloaked in old superstitions. Taking all this in, the murderer makes sense!

Surprising end

Enjoyed this mystery which kept alluding to the supernatural but concluded with deductional reasoning and a simple explanation.

Simply Magnificent!

A tantalizing masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

The Silver Scale Mystery of 1931

I've been meaning to read this book for years. It was always described as "the" classic murder mystery by those who recommended it. I'm glad I waited to tackle it on audio because James Bryce's narration is truly superb.

When the lady in question is murdered, it appears for all the world to be a classic locked room mystery. But nothing is quite what it seems in this story, and there are layers of psychological suspense and characterization that are unusual in a mystery of its time.

That said, it drags in places. To modern ears not used to classic detective fiction, it might not be a good fit. But if you do love old school murder mysteries, give it a go, and if you love Scotland, that recommendation goes double.

Now make sure you have your Dundee cakes ready for Hogmanay, and have a jolly New Year.

A Cunningly Contrived Puzzle

A locked room. A non-existent weapon. According to Martin Edwards, Anthony Wynne made something of a specialty of the “cunningly contrived” whodunnit. Add eerie local superstitions, several more surprising deaths and a long-festering family tragedy and we have a deeply satisfying listen, delivering everything you expect from a well-paced, well-written Golden Age mystery—except humor. But when a mystery is this absorbingly mysterious, you tend to overlook the absence of wit that usually enlivens Golden Age dialogue and deductions.

I stand by that bit about an absorbing mystery, even though I’d picked out the murderer early on. After all, I rarely (ok, never) pick out the murderer, either early on or even in the second-to-last chapter; it was fun to wait and see if I was right. And, truth be told, I had no idea if I was right because I had no idea how the person could have done it until Dr. Haley, our gifted amateur detective, told me.

James Bryce delivers just as much satisfaction at the mic. He creates a cast of individual voices, while his narration remains true to the rhythms of the writing, never flagging or ceasing to entertain.

Solid "Golden Age" Mystery

In some respects this book made me think of a P.D. James novel. Much of it is filled with gradual revealing of the personalities and interactions between the different characters. The mystery itself is not that fantastic and, for me, not as interesting as the stories of the people. Nonetheless the writing and the story were involving for me.

I found the narration to be well above solid and feel it added a great deal to the feel of the novel.

It is far from a more modern detective or slasher story and one that might appeal only to folks with an appetite for a period piece story. However, for those of us who seek out such novels it might be a real treasure.