Blackmail in Bloomsbury

A 1920s Murder Mystery

By: Anna Sayburn Lane

Narrated by: Kim Bretton

Everyone at the party had a secret. Someone killed to keep theirs. London, 1922. Draper’s daughter Marjorie Swallow is 24, independent, and determined to live life to the full. A secretarial post with enigmatic American detective Mrs Jameson looks just the ticket. And soon she’s in the thick of it. When the bohemian party they attend ends in murder, there is no shortage of suspects. Half of Bloomsbury wanted Mrs Norris dead – but who wielded the knife? Was it the handsome but troubled artist? The vivacious young actress? Or even the aristocratic lady novelist? Marjorie and Mrs Jameson must find the true killer to save an innocent man from the noose.

From the garden squares of Bloomsbury to the seedy backstreets of Soho, they navigate the glamour and peril of Jazz Age London in a thrilling story of secrets and lies. Marjorie needs all her wit, pluck and charm in this perilous hunt for the killer. This classic murder mystery will keep you guessing to the final tick. The first in the 1920s Murder Mystery series, Blackmail in Bloomsbury will delight fans of Agatha Christie, Magda Alexander and Benedict Brown.

©2023 Anna Sayburn Lane (P)2025 Anna Sayburn Lane

Great Narration and great story

This was such a fun read, it really had me guessing. Kim Bretton is a great narrator. You will love all the characters and the locals makes you feel like you’re back in 1920’s England.

Fun Cozy Mystery!

Blackmail in Bloomsbury was a fast, entertaining listen. The audio was top notch and I almost listened to this book straight through. The characters were developed in a way that gave hints to background depth that will be explored in the overall series arc while fully anchoring them into this particular story. I really liked Majorie and she only did one TSTL thing that she immediately learned from (shocking! an FMC that learns from her missteps) and her employer, private detective from America but lived on the European Continent since young adulthood, Mrs Jameson, seems to have a mysterious background that will be a driving series plot point going forward.

The mystery in Blackmail in Bloomsbury was interesting and while you quickly understand WHY someone would want to murder the victim, their were multiple avenues to motives and suspects and even other crimes. The author really packed a lot into the story and yet it didn't feel too convoluted or hard to follow via audio (which can happen with some mysteries) and I overall just had a really good time.