Arsenic with Austen: A Mystery

By: Katherine Bolger Hyde

Narrated by: Caroline Shaffer

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

Arsenic with Austen is the first book in a delightful new cozy mystery series in which an English teacher becomes involved in murder cases that reflect elements of her favorite books.

When Emily Cavanaugh inherits a fortune from her great-aunt, she expects her life to change. She doesn't expect to embark on a murder investigation, confront the man who broke her heart 35 years before, and nearly lose her own life.

Emily travels to the sleepy coastal village of Stony Beach, Oregon, to claim her inheritance, centered on a beautiful Victorian estate called Windy Corner but also including a substantial portion of the real estate of the whole town. As she gets to know the town's eccentric inhabitants - including her own once-and-possibly-future love, Sheriff Luke Richards - she learns of a covert plan to develop Stony Beach into a major resort. She also hears hints that her aunt may have been murdered. Soon another suspicious death confirms this, and before long Emily herself experiences a near-fatal accident.

Meanwhile Emily reads Persuasion, hoping to find belated happiness with her first love, as Anne Elliot did with Captain Wentworth. She notices a similarity between her not-quite-cousin, Brock Runcible, heir to a smaller portion of her aunt's property, and Mr. Elliot in Persuasion, and her suspicions of Brock crystallize. But as she and Luke continue to investigate and events speed toward a climax, Emily realizes that underneath the innocent-looking rocks of Stony Beach lurk festering jealousies that would have shocked even the worst of Jane Austen's charming reprobates.

©2016 Katherine Bolger Hyde (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Starts with great promise, but....

The plot telegraphs any twists long before they come to pass and the prose is overly flowery and gooey. The narration is good.

4 people found this helpful

Unimpressed

The story was contrived and main the main character whiny. I was disappointed in a particular scene where the main character mocks (repeatedly) a heavy woman - totally unnecessary for the plot. The speaker was terrible. She spoke in voices for different characters, other than the French character I found this painful to listen to. Her attempt to speak in a man's voice was the worst.

2 people found this helpful

Fun listen!

This book was a great listen!
I want to go to Oregon , such a well written story line, easy to listen too and not too intense! Hope she continues the characters story!!

2 people found this helpful

Enjoyable but narration doesn’t help

This is a cozy mystery with interesting characters in a story peppered with wonderful literary references throughout. Set along the Oregon coast, a middle aged literature professor becomes an heiress and and then a potential murder victim. The story is fun and interesting and I enjoyed it, even with the predictable bad choices and lack of insight. My big complaint is the narrator gives a strong female character a tentative questioning voice, often in contradiction to what is said. If I had read the book, she would have come across much more convincing.

1 person found this helpful

Arsenic with Austen

Enjoy able!
Liked the characters. Would enjoy reading more from this author. Could almost see the beach.

1 person found this helpful

Good Debut

This is a good book with interesting characters and a well developed plot. There is a nice balance of humor and drama. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book in the series.

1 person found this helpful

God book to listen to when walking

corney dialogue but all in all not a bad story
liked th references to Jane Austen no els