Murder at Blackburn Hall

High Society Lady Detective, Book 2

By: Sara Rosett

Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Even quaint and quirky English villages have a dark side....

September, 1923. Despite closing her first case, high society lady detective Olive Belgrave hasn’t found a new client. She’s taken a job as a hat model to pay for her poky boarding house room. But then a job offer comes her way: make discreet inquires about a famous author who’s disappeared. 

Olive travels to the English countryside to hunt for the missing mystery author. But soon after she arrives in the sleepy village, a body is discovered. Then a second murder focuses the police’s attention on Olive, and she must clear her name before the murderer pens a plot that frames her. 

Murder at Blackburn Hall is the second in the High Society Lady Detective series, a lighthearted cozy historical mystery series set in 1920s England. If you love novels that take you back to the Golden Age of detective fiction with interesting plots, posh settings, and twisty mysteries, you’ll love the High Society Lady Detective Series from USA Today best-seller Sara Rosett.

©2019 Sara Rosett (P)2019 Sara Rosett

Very enjoyable murder mystery.

Olive Belgrave is a very likable heroine. The reader cannot help but hope she succeeds in all her endeavors, especially being able to support herself. Also, I wanted her to succeed in solving the murder mystery. As for me, I did not figure out "whodunit" until all was revealed at the end. The narrator Elizabeth Klett is top-knotch! Superb English accent, and voicing of the different characters. All in all, an enjoyable audio book and I am looking forward to the next book in the High Society Lady Detective Series by Sara Rosett.

Fun mystery, great time period

This is a great combination of historic fiction and innocent mystery...meaning it isn’t gruesome. I’ll be listening to the next book in the series.

Pleasant entertainment

This reminded me very much of the Her Royal Spyness series. I'd rate it as an entertaining light mystery, with excellent narration; a good choice for a break from serious or intense drama.

Keeps your interest

Certainly not a masterpiece but decent light entertainment. You do get the feeling that it was pushed out to get to the next book in the series. The introduction of the next installment at the end of this book seems a cheap trick.

Nice light mystery

Narration was good with characters defined well. Story kept me guessing and moved along well.

Great book

I loved this book. The main character is a pleasure to follow around her antics.

Great Lady detective series.

I loved this book and the previous. So cute and I really like Olive as a character. I like Jasper too although I hate the typical good girl with 'fast' boy scenario. I'd like to hear Jasper isn't actually all that bad. When did decent guys go out of style? It's also blatantly obvious that he isn't just a man about town. He obviously works for the government and is a spy or agent of some kind. Also annoying typical, why can the girl have all the brains?

But the story is cute and easy to listen to. Looking forward to the next one!

Like the narrator

However, no cop is that stupid, maybe I’m used to Agatha Christie s Battle and Margie Allyhem s Oats, they aren’t dunces that stick to one idea like a bull dog .. as Campaion put it, “They follow one obvious lead, then the other, till they get their man “ in both books having the central character and her family under suspicion is too much. If she went to all the trouble to find the first killer, she would not turn around and kill. And any idiot knows words spoken in anger don’t make a killer. We would all be guilty and there would be a lot less people

Superb plot, atmosphere and characters

I accidentally read this first--normally I am so meticulous about starting with the first in a series--but how happy I have been with it! This is just superb. I love reading about Olive, adore her brains and how she thinks, her personality and her assessments of others. There were so many in the supporting cast very deftly drawn and I hope the writer brings some back in to later novels. I especially enjoyed Serena and Anna. Jasper is intriguing, as well. Love the changing roles of women in 1923 England with its economic struggles. The author handles that well without lecturing or belaboring the point. Very-well written, and plotted, and the atmosphere is immersive. Really delightful reading. Great escape and indulgence during a trying time.

Story is good

The reader gets a little “sing songy “ as she reads and it can feel tedious at times. A little more variety in tones would help.

Innovative Plot but 2 Dimensional Characters

I enjoy this era of novel and I enjoy the plots thus far, but I’m wondering if it’s too much to ask for a bit more depth in the recurring characters (at least)!

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT:



It seems quite clear to me that Jasper is not only romantically keen on Olive, but that he’s some form of Spy for the Government because he works for the Foreign Office and keeps jetting off here and there at the last minute! (The Playboy Jetsetter façade as used by James Bond/Simon Templar)... I wonder when either of those 2 ‘secrets’ will come out? Hopefully when they show that there’s more to them than poor socialite and suave man about town, playing at doing a desk job.

I do, however, enjoy the narration.

Admirable continuation of the series

Unfortunately, the irritatingly glaring Americanisms are still firmly entrenched in the supposedly oh-so-English settings, but the story and characters are engaging and entertaining.