Silent in the Grave

By: Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

©2007 Deanna Raybourn (P)2007 Audible, Inc.
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Critic reviews

"Riveting." (Bookreporter.com)
"Fans of British historical thrillers will welcome Raybourn's perfectly executed debut." (Publishers Weekly)

Such good listening!

Good mystery with a touch of romance narrated perfectly!
I had it figured out at about half-way point, but I never would have guessed the motive! Great story! Definitely downloading the next in the series!

Reminiscent of Jane Austen...

I loved this book, and the whole series for that matter! However, depending on what you're looking for, do be aware that it's more a mystery than a romance. And as for the romance, although it drives much of the story in the background, it's such a slow build that there is very little contact between the protagonists in any of the three books. Although it's billed as "steamy," the steamy moments mostly occur in feelings at a distance - steamy physical contact occurs once or twice, very briefly in the form of quick kisses, in each book. So it's not quite "sweet," but neither is it what I would classify as "steamy." Definitely no one will be offended by language or undue explicitness.

That said, in spite of the fact that I'm not a huge mystery fan or a huge romance fan, I LOVED this series of books! There is real warmth among the heroine's large family, and the story is intelligent (without any foolish misunderstandings that don't actually make any sense except as a way to create artificial conflict to drive the story - something that abounds in romance fiction). It's a real novel, not just an excuse to get two characters in bed together. And what makes it particularly delightful is the dry humor throughout of Lady Julia. I often laughed aloud.

It also has many details that obviously resulted from close research of the period, which lends a sense of particularity to the world the author builds.

If you're looking for a wonderful story with well-rounded, interesting and engaging characters and with a romance at the core of it, you will enjoy this book.

Love these stories

I enjoy all of these books. I have read and listened to them each, at least half a dozen times.
Good characters, interesting mysteries, and dynamic relationships.

The story is good. The narration, not so much

The storyline itself is pretty good. Granted, like many murder mysteries, the villain is exactly who you suspect it is at the beginning of the story. But the author does manage to surprise the reader with the motive. I did not suspect the motive until the story was nearly over. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, the narration leaves a lot to be desired. I felt the narrator took what could be a fast paced storyline and made it a bedtime story. It's not just that the accent is off. The narration is actually kind of boring. It's unfortunate because with the right narrator, this could be an addictive series. But now I'm uncertain if I'll bother finishing the series.

Returned it due to poor narration

I had to return this book because the narrator was unlistenable. I’m sure there are Americans who can bring off a good Scottish accent, but this narrator is not one of them. Her British accents weren’t very good either.
It isn’t usual that i would stop listening to a mystery midway through the book without knowing the ending. But while the story is was engaging, it was not engaging enough to keep me listening to such bad narration. Maybe I’ll buy the kindle edition just to know what happens.

love the characters

I enjoy all of the characters in Deanna Raybourn's books along with her narrator

Ridiculous and overly twee

The main character was silly and way too cutesie-wootsie. the accents were poorly done.

Pleasant Victorian Mystery

I liked the reader and her accents quite well. I probably don't have the discerning of some listeners but it was easy to separate the characters during the reading and only once, near the end, did I note that one character's accent somewhat resembled another.
It is not an extremely complex mystery but it was enjoyable as it evolved and better than I expected from a Harlequin, (I feel I can say this as I probably singlehandedly kept them in business back in the 80s!)
If you are looking for a light read this is fine. I liked it well enough to go buy the other two Audible has in the series.

Intriguing

This was a real treat to listen to. The ending caught me by surprise. Now I can't wait to listen to Silent in the Sanctuary. I hope there are more to come.

Woman Before Her Time

Great presentation of life in the 1800s in England. Earls, Ladies, servants, and gypsies.
The story of a woman who is a part of the aristocracy and accepts the expected behaviors of widowhood and social standing of the times. Yet, she questions the norms and wonders at the chance of her birth into privilege. The mystery of her husband's death takes her into secret worlds beneath the outward appearances of Victorian England. I enjoyed reading about her discoveries. Good narration voices. A totally enjoyable book.