An Old Money Murder in Mayfair

The High Society Lady Detective, Book 5

By: Sara Rosett

Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Midnight treasure hunts, fancy-dress parties, and a blue-blooded murder...

November, 1923. Olive’s school chum Gigi invites Olive to London because Gigi’s dotty grandmother fears for her life - or so she’s said to Gigi. However, Olive is surprised to find that the dowager is far from muddled. The sharp and imperious matriarch refuses to admit to her worries and sends Olive on her way.

Without a client or case, Olive is swept into the glittering lifestyle of the “fast set” and their decadent excess. But then, among the cocktails and champagne, a murderer strikes during a frivolous party game, and Olive realizes the dowager’s fears were well-founded. 

Can Olive unmask the upper crust culprit before the party’s over for a bright, young person?

An Old Money Murder in Mayfair is the fifth installment in the popular High Society Lady Detective series from USA Today best-selling author Sara Rosett. Join Olive and her dapper sleuthing partner Jasper, as they navigate the extravagant parties of the Bright Young People as well as their own budding relationship.

©2020 Sara Rosett (P)2020 Sara Rosett

Fun Story!

Sara Rosett takes several of the historical realities of 1920’s England to craft a fun read. It’s definitely a cozy mystery so don’t expect anything deep and meaningful. I’m one who tires of the police being the “bad guys who have no brains” and this is yet another. I would like to know if inspectors of the time truly went for the easiest solution without considering other facts. Just a frustration to me in books like this. It doesn’t detract from listening through the whole story and looking forward to Sara’s next installment. It does, however, keep me from giving this a full 5 stars. Elizabeth Klett does a fine job of narration but as the desire for more performance levels grows, narrators are almost required to grow with that trend and some can’t. Elizabeth is a narrator as opposed to a performer. She’s easy to listen to so won’t drive you to distraction with being too fast, slow, or monotone.

Enjoy a good listen and try this series! It’s light and a nice distraction during continuing days of unrest in our shared reality in the time period I’m posting this review.

Wonderful and ingaging

I love the stories of Olive and Jasper. The books give a sense of old friends with whom you can spend the day just talking to. I highly recommend this series.

Afterwards

Sara Rosett’s High Society Lady Detective are fascinating works of fiction. I think some of my favorite parts though are the author’s notes after the story where is talks a little about the research that went into the story

Great series!

Loved the books in this series! Good stories, great narration! On to the next series by Rosett.

Bright Young Things

The Olive Belgrave series is my favorite of author Sara Rosett. The characters are delightful. The mystery wasn’t that difficult to solve but it’s perfect listening during pandemic sheltering at home time.

Love this series

I tried the first book as I was looking for something different to read, love the whole series.

Can’t wait

My favorite book in the series so far! Can’t wait for more Olive and of course Jasper.

One of my favorite mystery series

I enjoy the High Society Lady Detective series very much. Olive is such an appealing main character and I adore the period details, from small to large, that Ms. Rosett adds to her books. She makes the time and place come alive for me. I am a excited for the way Olive and Jasper’s relationship is developing and I appreciate that with Jasper, the author has not got for the cliche hero. The narrator, Elizabeth Klett, is the icing on the cake for me. She <is> Olive for me, so I hope they never change to a different reader. I hope that Ms. Rosett will continue to have characters from past books appear in future ones. There are some, like Felix and Addie in this novel, and Sebastian from Murder at Archly Manor.

kept me guessing

Another great book. So many of the characters had motives it kept me guessing. This was a great book to listen to while walking my dog. I found that I walked longer because I wanted to keep listening.

Charming cosy mystery series

Thoroughly enjoy Olive’s adventures. Elizabeth Klett is the perfect “voice” for Olive. I am listening to the entire series for a second time and just as delightful as the first time.

A good story but let down by American words a d phrases

These type of stories are lovely as light listening but what really let’s this one down, as so many others, is the mistakes in terminology. As British listener, this really grates and detracts from the pleasure. What am I talking about? Well for a story which is supposed to be so very English, it just shouldn’t refer to “sidewalks” but should instead refer to “pavements”. Equally the English say “lift” not “elevator” and we would walk “three streets” not “three blocks”. At least it didn’t say Captain Bryant want dressed in “pants and vest” rather than “trousers and waistcoat” which is another rather obvious and annoying error particularly as pants and vests are underwear to us!!

A fabulous read

A well researched and well crafted story with murder, suspense and romance in equal measure.

pronunciation

Occasional mis-pronunciation spoils the overall effect, jolting the listener out of that cosy frame of mind.

Nicely Presented

Olive is house hunting. Fortunately another Finishing School chum needs help and insists on her staying with her at their Mayfair house.

Unfortunately Inspector Thorne is the Bobby on duty in this incident - I don’t like him - but it brings to the fore that not all of Scotland Yard Inspectors are members of the aristocracy,as per the Inspectors of our other favourite London classy mysteries!

I infinitely prefer this series to what must be considered her competition: the ‘Her Royal Spyness’ series - so I hope that this series continues for awhile. (With hopefully more depth to the characters)!

Very enjoyable

So love all of the different Sara Rosett stories - can't wait for the next one!

Continuing to improve

Another great mystery, and the glaring Americanisms are getting fewer and fewer (or simply less irritatingly obvious?) as the series progresses.