An Argumentation of Historians

Publisher's Summary

They say you shouldn't push your luck. Max gives her own luck a massive shove every day - and it's only a matter of time until luck pushes back....

January, 1536 - the day of Henry VIII's infamous jousting accident. Historians from St Mary's are there in force, recording and documenting. And arguing - obviously. A chance meeting between Max and the Time Police leads to a plan of action. And it's one that will have very serious consequences - especially for Max.

Her private life is already more than a little rocky. But with Leon recovering and Matthew safe in the future, there will never be a better opportunity to bring down Clive Ronan once and for all. From Tudor England to the burning city of Persepolis - and from a medieval siege to a very nasty case of 19th-century incarceration - Max is determined that this time he will not escape.

Please note: this audio was updated on 11th April 2018 to add the final chapter.

©2017 Jodi Taylor (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Re-download for final chapter

Initial download omitted the last chapter, giving new meaning to “cliff hanger”. Problem has been fixed. If you don’t have 41 tracks, re-do your download.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hooray, hooray, Max is back with a vengeance! It is amazing that this series doesn’t get stale, but Jodi Taylor is a wonder and Zara Ramm is perfect as narrator.

Plot: Clive Ronan is still out there and Max has another brilliant idea about how to catch him. Suffice it to say, things go wrong. Everyone cracks wise, disasters ensue, St, Mary”s prevails. Satisfactory conclusion to the current crisis with assurance that there is more to come.

About reading or listening to the series from the beginning: I’d say yes, definitely. All the characters are motivated by events from earlier books.

Note to Audible: shame on you for not notifying buyers as soon as the problem was discovered. I only found out about the missing chapter because I was planning to write a negative review but decided to read other reviews first. A big thank you to the reviewer who said “Make sure you listen to the whole thing.”

26 of 26 people found this review helpful

Make sure you listen to the whole thing

I pre-ordered and downloaded immediately - if you did too be careful - you might be missing the last chapter (which is why there are so many unsatisfied reviews here)

Definitely worth the listen - LOVE Jodi Taylor

21 of 22 people found this review helpful

What the heck

Loved the story up till the end. I strongly agree with the other reviewer. What the heck happened to the end. I also thought that the down load was corrupted, but no it just ends.
I don’t mind cliff hangers but this just stopped. Will have to think about getting the next installment.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Can I live at St Mary's?

Once again Jodi Taylor triumphs and I grieve the ending of another great book. Zara Ramm is fantastic and brings these characters to life in a way that rarely happens.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Unsatisfying ending

I absolutely loved the whole book until the very end. There was really no conclusion and the book just ended in the middle of a scene.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Disappointed with its complete lack of resolution

I pre-ordered this book as I'm a HUGE St. Mary's fan. I was dissatisfied with how the last book evolved, but was hopeful for some clarity and resolution as to Jodi Taylor's plot choices in this installment. I eagerly tucked in to the story today and found often that I was disappointed with the story development yet again.

The very worst part is the ending. I thought my app had misfunctioned and skipped content because the book ended in practically the middle of a sentence with even less resolution than the last book. I feel cheated and very disappointed. This is the end of the line for me with this series.

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

Not nice ... not nice at all

I have 581 titles in my library and I regret that I have never written a single review. Apologies to my fellow Audible listeners. The fact that this book has compelled my first ever review speaks to how strongly I feel manipulated by the ending of this book. I am going to give Jodi Taylor the benefit of the doubt and lay this at the feet of a way-too-clever publisher who chalked it up as a way to sell more books. But the trick wasn’t even necessary. If one is buying the ninth part of this series, then you have already paid for the first eight and all the novellas because the dynamic duo of Jodi Taylor and Zara Ramm have been outstanding, embodying the essence of the charm of listening to audio books. So by the time we get to buy this book (and the fans all saw this the first day it was announced for pre-order) we were all already in for somewhere around $150-$200. We don’t need tricks and don’t appreciate them. Something else that leads me to believe that the publisher may have had a hand in this unfortunate episode is the fact that Ms. Ramm seems to have had a cold or something for the first few hours of the book. Her delivery, timing, and cadence were as perfect as ever but the tone of her voice was not the same as prior performances — as if she was stuffy or perhaps because there was a new producer who flubbed the recording mix. That is minor, I know, but it is simply another blemish on a series that I have followed since the first episode and have otherwise really enjoyed. I am too invested in the story line to call it quits like other reviewers have decided to do. Ms. Taylor did not write something offensive or insensitive or even “jump the shark” so to speak since one of the most charming aspects of the series is its perpetual shark jumping. So I’m still in. I just don’t appreciate being played by the way this silly edition was ended.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Tired of never-ending story arc

I have been a big fan of the Chronicles of St. Mary's books. I have all the main books and all but one of the shorts/novellas.

While I still would like to love the stories, I am getting quite weary of the main never-ending story arc (if you are this far into the series, you know which one I mean). This arc has continued through quite a few of the last books and while there is hope for its conclusion in each book, it is never resolved.

I swore to myself that if the arc did not end in this book, then I was done with the CSM series. This is especially true due to the way this book ended: it seems that this is a just a ploy to keep the readers buying books. I hate to say it as I love many of the characters, but I feel that I don't want burn any more credits feeling frustrated during the entire book and then to disappointed once again at the end.

Sorry to say goodbye to the CSM characters, but feeling lighter already....

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

My favorite in the series!

I loved it! The last three books have been wonderful, but this is definitely the best. The one before this is a close second. There was a weird alternate timeline thing and a battle for St. Mary's in past books and I just wasn't all that engaged in either of those story lines, but I stuck it out because I loved the characters and was mightily rewarded!

This book is brilliant. I LOVED the extensive deep dive into another historical period (I won't ruin anything) and you really see how hard it is to be an outsider. The characters are touching. I sobbed at points, laughed, and devoured the audiobook in less than a day.

I can't wait for the next one! MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE!!! Also why is Zara Ramm not narrating more audiobooks? She's so good!

Put the kettle on and prepare to get stuck in with this one! Best to start on a weekend when you have 2 days to just devote to listening. You won't want it to end!!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A wonderful roller coaster ride!

To quote the beginning of a review by Townsend from Texas: “Initial download omitted the last chapter, giving new meaning to “cliff hanger”. Problem has been fixed. If you don’t have 41 tracks, re-do your download. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hooray, hooray, Max is back with a vengeance! It is amazing that this series doesn’t get stale, but Jodi Taylor is a wonder and Zara Ramm is perfect as narrator.”

This installment made me laugh, experience the hardships of a different era and then fall in love with the people and their hardships while mourning the loss of Max’s modern-day reality. What follows is a well-woven story and narration that brought me to my feet, pacing the floor as we follow Max’s solo journey through the past.

I don’t want to spoil the book, but what happens next made me cry like a baby, laugh out loud, and hold on tight as Max navigates her way forward. After re-downloading the complete book, hearing all of section/chapter 41, I declare this a brilliant and successful story. I look forward to Max’s next adventure with eager anticipation.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Lost for words

I didn’t think that there were any more ways to torture a historian, boy was I wrong.
I’m always apprehensive when a new StMarys book comes out because I’m terrified Max and the team will end up in a situation they won’t get out of. I think this book was the scariest yet.
Like leon I’m wishing for the good old days.
Having finished this episode in one day, because it was impossible to put down, I’m now left in suspense for the next year or so until the next in the series is written and released.
I didn’t give this the whole five stars because despite the brilliant storyline and the A’s ever incomparable narration, the ending frustrated me to no end.
Unless audible have accidentally left out a final chapter or epilogue, then Jodi Taylor is one cruel woman.;)

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

The Story is complete, confidence restored

Would you consider the audio edition of An Argumentation of Historians to be better than the print version?
The story is good, shame I had to download the kindle version to get the last chapter.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Argumentation of Historians?
The last chapter is missing.

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?
Zara Ramm is excellent as always.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes I want to listen from start to finish, only the last chapter was missing.

Any additional comments?
Yes THE LAST CHAPTER WAS MISSING!

23 of 24 people found this review helpful

Brilliant Story and even better narration!

What made the experience of listening to An Argumentation of Historians the most enjoyable?

Firstly just to put your mind at ease the earlier download problems with this title have been fixed and all chapters now download as they are supposed to.

Back to the review. Book 9 in the Chronicles of St Mary's continues the saga of Max and the St Mary's team as they create chaos up and down the time line. The story is brilliant and Zara Ramm continues to be the best narrator that Audible has to offer. She brings the characters to life brilliantly and this just adds to the already great story line. If you haven't discovered this amazing series yet please go and find book one ' Just one Damned Thing After Another'

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Brilliant and Complete

Where does An Argumentation of Historians rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I understand from the Facebook Fans of the Chronicles of St Mary’s group that there was an early issue with a missing last chapter. This has clearly been fixed now as my download was complete.
Jodi has done it again - this series never falters but just gets better and better.

What other book might you compare An Argumentation of Historians to, and why?

I love Terry Pratchett and Jasper Fforde and I think the humour is similar in the St Mary’s series.

What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Zara Ramm brings to life all the characters - she is the perfect narrator for this series.

Any additional comments?

I hope that people now understand that there is no longer a technical issue and there is no sudden cliffhanger ending - that was simply the last chapter had been omitted by Audible when first released.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

The last chapter is there now

What did you like most about An Argumentation of Historians?

Another enthralling collection of twists and turns. There's always something new, even if it's old. I loved Max's time in old St Mary's.

What did you like best about this story?

Oh, how could he have been hiding there? He's a brilliant evil genius that Ronan.

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?

I've started buying audible books from other authors if Zara Ramm is the narrator. She is so easy to listen to, none of her accents make me wince or cringe. Her pace, phrasing..everything is just right.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did. I could have done without the unintentional cliffhanger when audible missed out the last chapter.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

As per usual Jodi writes another great story!

What made the experience of listening to An Argumentation of Historians the most enjoyable?

the story never stops and Zara Ramm tells it beautifully; you know who is speaking from her voice, her tone and her commitment to the story.

What did you like best about this story?

Jodi knows her history and is committed to getting the facts right, but all within the context of telling a good tale; her characters are believable and you can want them to win through - which is why when one of dies ( Oh Jodi how can you do that to us!) you can really feel it.

Have you listened to any of Zara Ramm’s other performances? How does this one compare?

i have heard Zara read all of Jodi's book and she gets better and better - she seems to be more committed to them and their places in the books.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Hell Yeah!

Any additional comments?

if only Jodi could write a book a month!!!!!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Bloody Bollocking Brilliant ... If only Audible hadn’t lost the final chapter!

Jodi has done it again!
Another romp through time and History with all the good bits!
Henry VIII, Medieval Rushford, Blood, Chickens and very inventive swearing ... however if you want to know how it ends you’ll have to read the book as Audible appear to have lost the final chapter!!!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Another fabulous St. Mary'd romp through time

I'd want to kill them if I worked with them but the resident's of St Mary's never fail to entertain.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Too many mistakes

I've enjoyed this series so much but this one is so disappointing. The story line would be fine but it's distracting when people's accents change between books, for example Cal who is supposed to be from Manchester, now has a Geordie accent which belongs to someone who died in a previous book. Dieter is apparently now English. Dr Bairstow's name has changed several times over the series (the whole 'bear' / 'bar' question) and he started out Scottish but is now also English. Mr Strong and Mr Stone seem to be interchangeable, and I'm almost sure that when Max went on a pilgrimage with Peterson she called herself 'Phillippa' after the queen at the time because that was the safe option. Unless it was different in the final edition of the book? It wasn't Joan in the audio book.
It also bothers me that no-one seems to 'proof listen' the audio books. In a previous one 'shadow' became 'shadoff' for heaven sake. This isn't supposed to be a rant but the standard has been slipping as time goes on. Audio books are not cheap and it seems a bit rich if they're not checked.
Always end on a positive.. the stories are always fun and enjoyable, stand up to re-listening magnificently and I've actually learned more about history.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable

But getting a bit samey. I found I could predict Max’s next move, that being the one that got her into the most trouble. Nonetheless I did enjoy the book which is fast moving, touching and funny.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful