Checkmate to Murder

By: E.C.R. Lorac

Narrated by: David Thorpe

On a foggy night in Hampstead, London, a party has gathered in an artist's studio to weather the wartime blackout. A civil servant and a government scientist match wits in a game of chess while Bruce Manaton paints the portrait.

In the kitchen, Rosanne Manaton prepares tea for the charlady of Mr Folliner. When the murder of 'Old Mr. F' is discovered by his Canadian infantryman nephew, it's not long before Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is called to the scene. But even at first glance the case looks far from black-and-white. Macdonald and the CID set to work separating the players from the pawns to shed light on this toppling of a lonely king in the dead of night.

©1944 The Estate of E.C.R. Lorac (P)2021 Soundings

Classic ECR Lorac

I very much enjoyed this story. As always, McDonald does not disappoint. The characters are well developed and I loved the narration. I’m running out of Audible versions of Lorac novels 😳.

As good as the other Loracs!

Opens with a scene that could have been written for the theater. Possibly some readers found this a bit odd but I felt that it worked quite well. McDonald was his usual highland self and I could not find much fault with his performance either. The plot was no more unrealistic than most detective plots from this era. The wartime mood with blackouts and so on seemed right to me. Al very good book in my opinion and the reading quite enjoyable.

rousing good tale in wartime England

In the midst of WWII England, blackouts, fog, murder, theft and a fist full of unbreakable alibis. Another great Lorac story beautifully performed by Thorpe. Highly recommended.

Classic mystery

A classic English mystery, set in a historically interesting time in the middle of WW2. Appreciated that the reader gave the Canadian character an actual Canadian accent

Great old classic mystery by one of the greats

Happy to get to hear one of the hard to get classic mysteries and made even more enjoyable by a gifted reader