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The superlatively analytical Inspector Hemingway is confronted by a murder that seems impossible – no one was near the murder weapon at the time the shot was fired. Everyone on the scene seems to have a motive, not to mention the wherewithal to commit murder, and alibis that simply don't hold up.
On a dark night, along a lonely country road, barrister Frank Amberley stops to help a young lady in distress and discovers a sports car with a corpse behind the wheel. The girl protests her innocence, and Amberley believes her – at least until he gets drawn into the mystery and the clues incriminating Shirley Brown begin to add up. In an English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it's the butler who's the victim, every clue complicates the puzzle, and the bumbling police are well-meaning but completely baffled.
Locals claim it is haunted and refuse to put a single toe past the front door, but to siblings Peter, Celia, and Margaret, the Priory is nothing more than a rundown estate inherited from their late uncle, and the perfect setting for a much-needed holiday. But when a murder victim is discovered in the drafty Priory halls, the once unconcerned trio begins to fear that the ghostly rumours are true and they are not alone after all! With a killer on the loose, will they find themselves the next victims of a supernatural predator.
It should have been a lovely English country-house weekend. But the unfortunate guest list is enough to exasperate a saint, and the host, Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, is an abusive wretch hated by everyone – from his disinherited son to his wife's stoic would-be lover. When Sir Arthur is found stabbed to death, no one is particularly grieved and no one has an alibi. The unhappy guests find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard's cool-headed Inspector Harding, who has solved tough cases before.
Hated for his cruel and vicious nature, ruling his family with an iron hand from his sickbed, tyrannical patriarch Adam Penhallow is found murdered the day before his birthday. His entire family had assembled for his birthday celebration, and every one of them had the ways and means to commit the crime. As accusations and suspicion turn in one direction and then another, the claws and backstabbing come out, and no one is exempt from the coming implosion.
The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
The superlatively analytical Inspector Hemingway is confronted by a murder that seems impossible – no one was near the murder weapon at the time the shot was fired. Everyone on the scene seems to have a motive, not to mention the wherewithal to commit murder, and alibis that simply don't hold up.
On a dark night, along a lonely country road, barrister Frank Amberley stops to help a young lady in distress and discovers a sports car with a corpse behind the wheel. The girl protests her innocence, and Amberley believes her – at least until he gets drawn into the mystery and the clues incriminating Shirley Brown begin to add up. In an English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it's the butler who's the victim, every clue complicates the puzzle, and the bumbling police are well-meaning but completely baffled.
Locals claim it is haunted and refuse to put a single toe past the front door, but to siblings Peter, Celia, and Margaret, the Priory is nothing more than a rundown estate inherited from their late uncle, and the perfect setting for a much-needed holiday. But when a murder victim is discovered in the drafty Priory halls, the once unconcerned trio begins to fear that the ghostly rumours are true and they are not alone after all! With a killer on the loose, will they find themselves the next victims of a supernatural predator.
It should have been a lovely English country-house weekend. But the unfortunate guest list is enough to exasperate a saint, and the host, Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, is an abusive wretch hated by everyone – from his disinherited son to his wife's stoic would-be lover. When Sir Arthur is found stabbed to death, no one is particularly grieved and no one has an alibi. The unhappy guests find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard's cool-headed Inspector Harding, who has solved tough cases before.
Hated for his cruel and vicious nature, ruling his family with an iron hand from his sickbed, tyrannical patriarch Adam Penhallow is found murdered the day before his birthday. His entire family had assembled for his birthday celebration, and every one of them had the ways and means to commit the crime. As accusations and suspicion turn in one direction and then another, the claws and backstabbing come out, and no one is exempt from the coming implosion.
The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
The accomplished Corinthian Sir Richard Wyndham is wealthy, sophisticated, handsome ,and supremely bored. Tired of his aristocratic family constantly pressuring him to get married, he determines to run away after meeting the delightful, unconventional heroine Penelope Creed. Penelope - literally - falls into his life late one night as she hangs from the window of her aunt's house - she too attempting to escape the pressures of forced marriage.
He had nothing to recommend him but his smile, and she was surely too old, and had too much commonsense, to be beguiled by a smile... Miss Abigail Wendover's efforts to detach her spirited niece Fanny from a plausible fortune-hunter are complicated by the arrival in Bath of Miles Caverleigh. The black sheep of his family, a cynical, outrageous care-for-naught with a scandalous past - that would be a connection more shocking even than Fanny's unwise liaison with his nephew!
The legend of the Headless Horseman and a proposed marriage de convenance both have their impact on the mystery of a golden talisman ring and Lord Lavenham's young heir, Ludovic. Neither Sir Tristram Shield nor Eustacie, his young French cousin, share the slightest inclination to marry one another, yet it is Lord Lavenham's dying wish. For there is no one else to provide for the old man's granddaughter while Ludovic remains a fugitive from justice...
When young and beautiful governess Kate Malvern finds herself unemployed, she is taken in by Minerva Broome, the aunt she has never met, and whisked away to the majestic country home of Staplewood. However, things are not as they seem: strange things start to happen in the manor and Staplewood soon turns from an inviting stately house to a cold and gloomy mansion with a dreadful secret!
Captain John Staple’s exploits in the Peninsula had earned him the sobriquet Crazy Jack amongst his fellows in the Dragoon Guards. Now home from Waterloo, life in peacetime is rather dull for the adventure-loving Captain. But when he finds himself lost at an unmanned toll-house in the Pennines, his soldiering days suddenly pale away beside an adventure - and romance - of a lifetime.
The shy young Duke of Sale has never known his parents. Instead, his Grace Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware or Gilly for short has endured 24 years of rigorous mollycoddling from his uncle and his valet. But his natural diffidence conceals a rebellious spirit. So when Gilly hears of Belinda, the beautiful foundling who appears to be blackmailing his cousin, he absconds with glee. Only he has no sooner entered his new and dangerous world than he is plunged into a frenzy of intrigue, kidnap and adventure.
Penniless Elinor is rather surprised at the carriage that meets her from the stage, and more so at the decayed grandeur of the house to which she's transported. Realising that there has been a case of mistaken identity she agrees to an audacious plan.
The three great-nephews of cantankerous Mr Penicuik know better than to ignore his summons, especially when it concerns the bestowal of his fortune. His freakish plan is that his fortune will be his step-daughter's dowry.
Resourceful, adventurous and utterly indefatigable, Sophy is hardly the mild-mannered girl that the Rivenhalls expect when they agree to take her in. Kind-hearted Aunt Lizzy is shocked; stern Cousin Charles and his humorless fiancée Eugenia are disapproving.With her inimitable mixture of exuberance and grace Sophy soon sets about endearing herself to her family, but finds herself increasingly drawn to her cousin. Can she really be falling in love with him, and he with her? And what of his betrothal to Eugenia?
Rich and handsome, the hope of ambitious mothers and despair of his sisters, the Marquis of Alverstoke sees no reason to put himself out for anyone. But when a distant connection applies to him for help, he finds himself far from bored.
When mystery novelist Hazel Martin receives a secretive letter from an old friend who suspects her relatives have murderous intentions, she packs her bags and heads to the country. Tampered medications, symptoms of poisoning, and suspicious accidents all add up to attempted murder, and it's up to Hazel and her Siamese cat, Dickens, to sniff out the clues. But with a house full of relatives who all have a motive, will Hazel be able to unmask the culprit before things turn deadly?
Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon who is clearly proud of his Sobriquet, Satanas. It is he who buys Leon body and soul from a scoundrel in a Paris backstreet.
Slumped on a seat under an oak tree is old Sampson Warrenby, with a bullet through his head.
Everybody in the village is ready to tell Chief Inspector Hemingway who did it. Could the murderer have been the dead man's niece? Or perhaps it was the other town solicitor? The couple at the farm had a guilty secret - what was it? And why is it someone else actually wants to be the prime suspect?
Add to this the fact that Warrenby was blackmailing someone, and Hemingway has his work cut out for him.
This is one of my favorite of Heyer's mystery stories. It has wonderful characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing. Unfortunately Ulli Birve's narration leaves the story flat. She seems to think that masculine. voices. are. all. uninflected. and. stilted. I'm sorry there isn't a negative rating for the narrator.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Would you be willing to try another book from Georgette Heyer? Why or why not?
I enjoy her Regency novels and some of her mysteries. The performance made it difficult to appreciate this book.
Would you be willing to try another one of Ulli Birvé’s performances?
No. Stilted, difficult to distinguish the different characters.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Having had a couple of Heyer's detective novels from Audible, I wish they could be done again by another reader. The lack of timing and expression render the wit flat and make the story seem dull. I had to keep going back because I kept tuning out. This is an old favourite of mine but if it had been the first novel I'd bought from Audible, I would never have bought anything else. She sounds like an automated voice on computer.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Enjoyed this book, very good plot, the narrator was excellent mostly, except for a couple of characters.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I really tried, but I couldn't get past Chapter 3. Once I find myself paying more attention to what I am doing, and then rewinding to get back to prior part or looking for other books while listening to this I know the book isn't for me. I have even tried to listen to another of Georgette Heyer's mysteries narrated by Uli. I even tried to speed up the narration, nothing doing. It just didn't keep my interest. Will maybe try another but I doubt it.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
It helps of course that I tumbled onto the key to the solution as soon as it appeared, but this is belongs to the English village murder mystery of which I am so fond. The cast of characters and likely suspects is wide and they well drawn, and Heyer's characteristic humor is on display. I like her slightly jaundiced eye. If you're a fan you've probably already read this, but if you are looking for a fine example of the classic murder mystery genre try this one.
What disappointed you about Detection Unlimited?
I read and enjoyed these stories many years ago and so looked forward to listening to them, however, the narration is so bad I could not listen to the end. I believe they are produced in Australia and it is hard to imagine that the producers could not find there an actor capable of giving voice to characters with recognisable English accents or capable of speaking in a less ponderous and monotone way.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Would you try another book written by Georgette Heyer or narrated by Ulli Birvé?
Reading was bad so could not get into the story
Would you ever listen to anything by Georgette Heyer again?
Maybe I used to like the books
What didn’t you like about Ulli Birvé’s performance?
Maybe it was the voice
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment
Any additional comments?
Nothing more to say
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to Detection Unlimited the most enjoyable?
Georgette Heyer is a great mystery writer, unfortunately the story is marred by a very stilted performance. I have heard a different version which came out on tape a number of years ago, but was far superior - shame they changed the reader.
What other book might you compare Detection Unlimited to, and why?
I enjoy all of Georgette Heyer Mystery stories so would recommend them all
Would you listen to another book narrated by Ulli Birvé?
Only if I couldn't get a version of the book read by a better reader.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I don't have time to read it in one sitting, although that would be good, but broken down into bite-sized pieces works well for me.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
After waiting for the wonderful witty Crime novels of Georgette Heyer to make it on to audio books-I'm soooo disappointed as ALL of them on Audible are read by Ulli Birve. Her dull stilted monotonous reading of these novels leave you not wanting to buy further audio book. You can't tell one character from another. Having listened to Hugh Dickson's excellent reading of Behold,Here's Poison Ms Birve doesn't even come close.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
wish they would make them into a tv series as Hemmingway is just as clever as Poiret
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
If you haven't come across Met Police Officer Hemmingway, you'll be in for a fine treat once you get started. However, even though it doesn't really matter where you start from, in my opinion, you HAVE to start with Inspector Hannisyde in 'Death in the Stocks' and read chronologically from there. By the time you get to this book, you will be in love!
In love with the storylines, in love with the characters (even the irritating ones), in love with the evident and efficient work relationship between the Officers and, in love with Georgette Heyer! The only shame is, that there are not a long line of books in this genre written by her! Because just as you get to enjoying the whole thing, it draws to a close.
They will be books that you return to often. Which in itself, says a great deal. As much as I love Agatha Christie, I love Georgette Heyer more… much more!
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Love Georgette Heyer’s books and would like to purchase more but not with this narrator.
Georgette Heyer is incomparable as ever, good plot and good characters, intriguing mystery.
I really like Ulli Birve as a narrator - I find it very hard to understand the negative reviews! Easy to listen to and to get lost in the story which is exactly what you want!
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I love Georgette Heyer's mysteries. The characters are so funny and the settings are like slipping into a warm bath in winter - warm, familiar and comforting. I think Heyer is at her very best in these contemporary stories. She has a light touch and great humour through characterisation and dialogue.
The narrator for all these stories is quite weird. She does a great job of the main characters, and especially Inspector Heminway. She really captures something. But I have so many problems with other aspects of the narration. First, she cannot - I mean really cannot - do accents of any kind other than RP and cockney British. At least one of the secondary characters in each book is voiced as an automaton. Flat, no inflection, no expression. While I guess this does make the voice distinctive, it is often against characterisation. Finally, she mispronounces so many words and phrases it is incredible. It sometimes sounds like she has not read the book in advance. Also, there are points where she pauses at the wrong point in the sentence, thereby losing the grammatical meaning. This is jarring and irritating. I don't think this narrator really does justice to these books, and I'm disappointed that she narrates all of them.
However, I can't say the narration ruins the experience for me. Just takes them down a notch from where they should be.
I do recommend these mysteries for anyone who enjoys golden age thrillers.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful