Murder at the Mousetrap

Bunburry - A Cosy Mystery Series 1

By: Helena Marchmont

Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker

Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Miss Marple meets Oscar Wilde in this new series of cosy mysteries set in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Bunburry.

Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the peace and quiet of the country to recover from a personal tragedy. But an accidental death - which may have been no accident - reveals that the heart of England is far from the tranquil backwater he imagined. After arriving in Bunburry, he is co-opted as an amateur detective by Liz and Marge, two elderly ladies who were best friends with Alfie's late Aunt Augusta. And it is not long before their investigations take an even more dramatic turn...

In "Murder at the Mousetrap," the first Bunburry book, fudge-making and quaffing real ale in the local pub are matched by an undercurrent of passion, jealousy, hatred and murder - laced with a welcome dose of humour.

Nathaniel Parker, born in 1962, graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. His television career began in 1988 when he played Flying Officer 'Flash' Gordon in the LWT mini-series "Piece of Cake". He is also the lead in the BBC series "Inspector Lynley Mysteries", based on the novels by Elizabeth George. Nathaniel Parker has an extensive list of audio books to his credit, ranging from the classics of Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy to more modern writings and children's books.

©2019 Lübbe Audio (P)2019 Lübbe Audio

Fun and fluffy

I prefer longer books, but this was like a bonbon -- a sweet little treat. Easy to sympathize with the main character, and the little village is full of familiar (but not quite stereotyped) folk. I wanted it to be longer and more complex so that I could spend more time with them.

Slow moving plot

Overall it was fine, a bit mediocre. I see what the author was going for style wise but I don’t feel like it was achieved very well. Slow moving plot.

Wonderful

Great reader Wonderful story. Really enjoyable. Highly recommend. You will love it. Parker is not only a great actor but a great reader

ok ok

The story is basically written to order as it were: sort of a recipe made out of compulsory ingredients.

Thoroughly enjoyable English cozy mystery

Quirky characters and fun nefariousness. And Nathaniel Parker does a great job with voices and accents.

Cozy Simplicity

I wasn’t sure this story would amount to much, but it did! The atmosphere was right for a cozy English mystery, and the story, in this case, wasn’t complicated. Yet, there were just enough questions throughout to make you want to know “who done it”. All in all, it was a quick read and fun little romp!

wish it had been longer

it is quite the quentisential cozy, however it could have developed a bit more to a more satisfying length

Nice cozy. Ending was a surprise.

Excellent story. I did not guess the ending. Delightful characters very like some of Agatha Christie’s. Narration was fine except for the American accent. Done better in the Cherringham mysteries narrated by Neil Dudgeon. But all in all a really nice cozy to listen to.

Very light and enjoyable listen

This is my first listen to this series but I enjoyed it immensely. I picked it because of the narrator. I had enjoyed Nathaniel Parker's narration in the Wydsworth series so I knew I would enjoy this series. If you enjoy light entertainment about murders in an English village, this story is for you.

I enjoyed it but had some troubles remembering who

troubles remembering who was who. I knew it was going to be short which was ok. the story was good but no time for twists and turns I guess.