In the Beginning, There Was a Murder

An Amateur Female Sleuth Historical Cozy Mystery (Miss Riddell Cozy Mysteries, Book 1)

By: P. C. James

Narrated by: Lillian Rachel

A secret liaison. A baffling murder. Can one woman solve the crime without joining the body count?

Northern England, 1953.

Pauline Riddell has grand ambitions for her future at the armament factory. So, when her closest workmate reveals a salacious affair with a married man, Pauline refuses to risk her career by listening to the scandal. But, she’s shaken to her core when the police arrive with news of her best friend’s homicide.

Desperate for justice, Pauline’s insistent poking into the investigation only makes her the prime suspect. And now, to clear her name, she must unravel a web of deadly clues entangling her in a sinister plot. Can Pauline catch the killer before they strike again?

In the Beginning, There Was a Murder is a riveting mystery novel. If you like whip-smart heroines, intriguing twists and turns, and nail-biting danger, then you’ll love P. C. James’s sensational story.

Get In the Beginning, There Was a Murder to crack the case today!

©2020 P. C. James (P)2021 P. C. James

Cozy indeed!

The description of the title as a ‘cozy mystery’ is what got my attention while scrolling for my next book, and this was perfect in that regard.

Great first in series

I've enjoyed all of the Miss Riddell books by P.C. James. I'm glad to see the audio version available. The narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Likable Characters

So nice to find a cozy that’s not about baking or books. Good narration too.

A New Amateur Sleuth In Town

This was my first experience with P. C. James' work, and I enjoyed it a lot. In this story, the author created a character named Pauline Riddell, who reflected the true nature of being an amateur sleuth in that she made a lot of mistakes and jumped to several conclusions without considering or accumulating all the facts. I was very entertained by her antics. The tale was both historical and a cozy. I am looking forward to acquiring more audiobooks in this series. I recommend this novel to others who enjoy this genre. Lillian Rachel's narration was skillful, and I liked the British accent. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Great for fans of the genre

I usually stick to science fiction and fantasy, But, I also like reading mysteries. Overall I thought the book was a great mystery. We have all of the standard story elements, a dead body, suspicious characters, and an overzealous police force. This book is a quick read but has a satisfying story arc. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of explanation on some terminology like "paymaster," but that is a minor thing. An amateur sleuth's idea has always fascinated me since I read Agatha Christy's Evil under the Sun and Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes back in the day. This book has a different style, but it's written in the same vein. Other than the British slang that I had to look up and the absence of explanations of particular terms, I found the narration good and having a British female voice helped make this audiobook production an excellent experience.