Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar

By: Kate Saunders

Narrated by: Anna Bentinck

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

In 1851, private detective Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she gets an urgent request for her services. Mrs. Rodd’s neighbor Jacob Welland is a reclusive rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for 15 years. 

Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside. But the last sighting was 10 years before - when Joshua claimed to be learning great secrets from the gypsies that would one day astound the whole world. 

Mrs. Rodd travels to Oxford and begins to search for the wandering scholar. But as she investigates, Mrs. Rodd discovers something dark - and extremely dangerous - lurking in the beautiful English countryside.

©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Another engaging Letitia Rodd story

Todd and Blackbeard make the perfect investigative duo - she refined yet aware of the sins of those around her, he bluff and dogged on the hunt for a killer. The narrator us also amazing. I can't wait for the next episode.

If Jane Austen were Victorian

And a childless widow, and a discreet private detective...her story might look a bit like Laetitia Rodd’s. I enjoyed the first novel and put the second on my watchlist to buy as soon as it arrived in audio. I love ‘cozy’ mysteries and this is a good example of the genre. I can’t help but admit I miss the romantic element a little and wish there might be a little romance between Inspector Blackbeard and Mrs. Rodd, but I think the author has chosen the Miss Silver/Marple/Poirot path and gives us the romances in her cast of characters.
Otherwise, an enjoyable, soothing read.

On My Way To Being A Big Fan of Laetitia Rodd

And of Kate Saunders. These two books - and one hopes, more - are very, very satisfying. They are intelligent and really well written, with very engaging characters who are both believable, and actually develop. I also love that Mrs Rodd is fifty - not a 'spritely ingenue', nor a ' wise old lady'. Although I do think these owe quite a bit to Miss Marple. And, of course, to Mr Holmes, whom I keep expecting to dash past in a handsome cab. They are NOT cute or winsome, though. Mrs Rodd comes across as completely believable, and Kate Saunders does a fantastic job of putting you right into Victorian England while somehow managing to avoid all the cliches about Victorian London, or giving a 'history lesson'. The plots are good, and also believable. But what really makes these two books sing are the characters - the secondary ones as well as the main character of Mrs Rodd herself. They are also beautifully narrated by Anna Bentinck. There is no need to read these in order. There are only two at the moment, and they both 'stand alone'. If you like Holmes, give these a try. The only thing that will make you sorry is that there aren't more of them!

More, more please!

It is so well written and so well performed. It is captivating and it satisfies the mind and soul. It upholds a moral quality yet reveals our humanity. In some way it reminds me of the way Anne Perry concludes her novels. I guessed who the murderer was, but kept hoping that someone else would be found guilty. I hope there will be more of Laetitia Rodd. Thank you.

Long and leisurely

The author introduces so many characters and plot lines that they're hard to keep track of. I think that's kind of the point, but it was hard for me to stay connected to the story, especially in the middle. A good one for when you have a lot of leisure time to fill and can pay attention through a long story with many moving pieces.

Pleasant cozy but an odd ending

This pleasant mystery was entertaining and also relaxing. The characters are interesting and varied, the historical time period just right, but the ending seemed unlikely and was a bit of a disappointment. Still, the rest of the book is a wonderful listen.

More than your money's worth!

Multiple individual stories woven expertly into a single plot line in a way that draws you in without leaving you lost. Characters are not confused because you come to know each one. The narrator not only changes accents and volume, but cadence and emotion with enough consistency that names were not essential to knowing who was in the room. In two cases, the identity of an approaching character was correctly assumed because it would be just like them to show up right now. Add the fact that this story refers back and forth between the past and present, including in the provision of historical context and asides directly to the reader, and the resulting tapestry reflects the work of a master weaver.

Love this series!

Another enjoyable Laetitia Rodd mystery! Anna Bentinck’s performance is wonderful (I could listen to anything she narrates!), and the story is full of twists and turns.
I hope Ms. Saunders continues to write (beautifully) more books in this series!

Very enjoyable mystery

This was a nice little mystery with just enough historical elements for flavor. It reminds me of Jane Austin meets Miss Marple.

Great story

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrator was so good, again (as in the first book). I wish there were mire books, I loved the story and the characters. Highly recommend this book and the first one.