A Regimental Murder

Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries

By: Jennifer Ashley, Ashley Gardner

Narrated by: James Gillies

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

London 1816: After rescuing a lovely woman from an attempted robbery, Captain Lacey discovers that she is the widow of a colonel who'd been accused of murdering an English officer during the Peninsular War. Lydia declares that her husband was innocent and that she knows the true culprits' identities. Intrigued, Lacey, along with his friend, Lucius Grenville, begins to investigate. He soon finds himself mired in scandals of the past and surrounded by murders that are very much in the present. Book 2 of the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries.

©2004; 2011 Ashley Gardner / Jennifer Ashley (P)2014 Ashley Gardner / Jennifer Ashley

Exceptional narrator and engaging story!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Regimental Murder to be better than the print version?

Yes! Narrator James Gillies does such a compelling reading of this novel that he really brought the action and characters to life. I did purchase the Kindle versions of the first three Captain Lacey mysteries, but have opted to listen rather than read all of them because I enjoyed his narration so much.

Which character – as performed by James Gillies – was your favorite?

All of them. The narrator is incredibly skilled at distinguishing each character's tone and manner of speaking, so I was never confused as to which character I was listening to. As another reviewer mentioned, James Gillies does not significantly change the pitch of his speaking voice for the female characters, but I found that to be a huge plus. I typically have a hard time listening to a male narrator when the women's voices are pitched very high. I found the narrator's interpretation of this book to be so compelling that I didn't want to stop listening!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, definitely, if given the choice!

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the previous Captain Lacey mystery. I have already begun book 3 and look forward to listening to the rest of the series. Currently there are only 7 (out of 11) Captain Lacey mysteries available on audio, so I hope that Audible continues to have James Gillies provide his excellent narration for the rest of the series!

Great characters

Lacey is a unique leading man. It’s fun seeing how she unwraps his character and flaws, leaving you rooting for him the entire way.

Fantastic

Well at I can say is wow. Capt Lacey is a man like no other. Honorable to a fault, loyal and quick to defend and make matters right

Just the right amount of mystery, intrigue and romance. Perfect narration and storyline!

I just love this series - get the rest please!

Would you listen to A Regimental Murder again? Why?

Yes and I have. There are so many layers and plot twists. Even the secondary characters stand out.

What other book might you compare A Regimental Murder to and why?

The Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries by C.S. Harris - unfortunately audible only has the middle books at this time. I'd love to hear this series from the beginning.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes with Maryanne were always interesting. She steals candles from CAPT Lacey and is a wild card in the stories.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I liked it so much I bought the Kindle editions and have listened to the three books that are available on audible three times.

Any additional comments?

It's always great to find a romance that relies on a story and not graphic sex.

Narration Qualm

I have been a fan of Ashley Gardner and the Captain Lacey series for years now. And I felt comfortable the narration with one exception: narrator depicts passages of high action and emotion with the accelerated speech and increased volume characteristic of sports announcers. I find this distracting and out of character for the overall book.

Great Mystery

A great mystery with a lot of heartfelt drama. Great performance by th Narrator. It is a good series

excellent

excellent and engrossing as always. Lacey is a wonderful flawed protagonist. Loveable because of his flaws.

Decent read

I enjoyed this and will probably pick up more, depending on the topic. Some of the characters were complex, and some were predictable. Likewise with some of the plot twists. Narrator did a great job, although I found it hard to determine some ages.

Fantastic entertainment!

Well written and grabs your attention right out of the gate! Well worth your time!

Did narration effect my enjoyment? Yeah, it did.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Narrator. James Gillies doesn't differentiate the women, or even genders very well. Plus, Colonel Brandon sounds like he has a dangerous case of constipation.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I wasn't satisfied at all. Firstly, there was the resolution of the mystery, which was disappointing because of the reason behind why Weston was going to do what he ended up not doing. Really? I was hoping for a different secret, rather than that one, since the guy who was going to reveal all would implicate himself. Secondly, at the very end, well, almost at the end, we get a tantrum from Captain Lacey. Yes, there was a very good reason for him to be angry, but he handled it like a child. A particularly violent child.

How could the performance have been better?

Someone else could have done it much better. Simon Prebble maybe? Roger Hampton?

Could you see A Regimental Murder being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe it could be a TV series, provided the writers stuck close to the plot, but eased up on how crazy Lacey is. Of course, I've listened to only the first two books of the series, so what do I know? I'm not a good judge of what would be good TV anyway, since I don't watch much. What I do watch is on DVD or Netflix so I don't have to deal with ads. But if it is done for TV, I recommend the BBC produce it.

Any additional comments?

I'm going to reserve judgement on this series until I've read the next book in print. After I stop hearing James Gillies in my head while I read it. I love Jennifer Ashley's writing. I love all her Shifters Unbound series, and the MacKenzie & McBride series is one of my favorites. A Soupçon of Poison, written as Ashley Gardner is fantastic. So is my reaction due to the characters she created with the Lacey series, or to my dissatisfaction with the narration?My full review can be found on Goodreads.