Masquerade in London

The Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries, Book 1

De: Emily L. Finch

Narrado por: Polly Lee

On the run, a world away from all she's ever known.

London, 1861. Samantha Kingston has lived under the control of her overbearing uncle since the death of her parents six years ago. Trapped by the conventions of her gender and social class, she is desperate to find a way out. But when her aunt and uncle are murdered, the freedom she sought seems even further out of reach. A suspect in the crime, she finds herself on the run, unsure whom to trust, lost in the underworld she had only ever read about in the pages of a Dickens novel.

V. T. Wyatt has defied his aristocratic upbringing to pursue a life as a private investigator. After an unusual first meeting, he hires Samantha to help him solve a rash of burglaries. Soon, a connection between the burglaries and the murders emerges, drawing Samantha and Wyatt even closer together as they race to solve both mysteries and clear her name.

©2022 Emily L. Finch (P)2023 Tantor

A new favorite series and author

The narrator was outstanding and enhanced the story and atmosphere with realistic emotion and did men’s voices extremely well. I will be reading this again. I will also preorder the final book.

Great storyline and Excellent narration

This was a well-written and excellently narrated story. The mystery of the mastermind had me hooked from the beginning, and kept me going until about 3/4 through, when I figured out whodunit. I loved the two protagonists and was moved by the descriptions of the harsh poverty experienced by poor Londoners in late 19th century England. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the sequels.

Did not care for the narration

I liked it overall but not the narrator. Hard to listen to. The voice is ugh

THIS BOOK HITS THE TOP OF MY FAVOURITES!

A powerful, well-written novel, full of suspense, intrigue, murder, family discord, and complex characters. Listened non-stop! Superb Narration. Thank you Ms. Finch!!

Entertaining. Not overly dramatic.

Good story. Male voices are irritating, but the story was engaging enough to continue listening.

A New Fave!

Ooooh!! I’m so glad I saw an advertisement for ‘Masquerade In London’!! The narration was literal art - done very well!! I’ve certainly found a new favourite series!

Story line moves quickly

Had to listen at 1.2 speed to get normal prosody. However, the rest of the listening was enjoyable.

The characters were awesome; story kept me interested

Love love love love love love Great story I want more. Reading the rest of the series

Amazing First In Series

What a welcome addition to the historical mystery genre. I am so excited to see what the future holds for Samantha and Wyatt. Full disclosure, I briefly thought this book was going to be rather gloomy, and I even questioned whether or not I wanted to continue. I am so thankful that I did. These characters are well developed, and the story is complex with unexpected twists and turns. Samantha promises to be a worthy protagonist, demonstrating both vulnerability and strength; though she will need to take care to avoid becoming broody. Wyatt is brimming with intensity and integrity, but he also has a lighter side that surfaces from time to time. In fact, even with multiple murders and continued threats, there is time for some lighthearted humor, particularly portrayed in the friendship between Wyatt and Ashton. One of my favorite scenes in the book is the dinner attended by Lord Ashton at Wyatt's home. This book checks all of my boxes for a (mostly) cozy historical mystery, and I look forward to more adventures with Samantha and Wyatt.

Polly Lee does an excellent job voicing these characters and performing the variety of accents. Some reviews indicated that they were less than pleased with her voicing of Wyatt, but I beg to differ. In my opinion, her portrayal is perfectly in keeping with his character, and she brings him, as well as the others, to life.

I do listen to this and most books at 1.20 speed.

The characters and the life styles were so well explained I could see it all!!

This was a very intricate cast and plot. It was easy to follow since the characters were so vivid and alive. “ and there but for the grace of God…” is a good saying for this entire story. Well done indeed.