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Evan Evans is a young police constable who has traded in the violence of city life for idyllic Llanfair, a Welsh village tucked far away from trouble. Nestled among the Snowdonia mountain range, Llanfair looks to Constable Evans like a town forgotten by time, but he quickly learns that even the bucolic countryside has its share of eccentric - and deadly - characters.
Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.
In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal. Nearly 30 years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village to find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries. This compilation contains episodes 19 - 21: "GHOST OF A CHANCE": Every Halloween, the supposedly haunted Bell Hotel hosts its famous 'Ghost-Hunters Dinner', complete with scary stories, spooky apparitions and things that go bump in the night. But this year's event ends in a terrifying accident, and suddenly everyone wonders... Is there a real ghost loose in the hotel?
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
When amiable old village eccentric Quentin Andrews dies, the good folk of Cherringham are astonished at the crowd that turns up to his funeral. But even more astonished are the beneficiaries of his will: Quentin has left a veritable fortune to whomever is the first to solve an intricate "Cherringham crossword". That puzzle is only the first of many that Jack and Sarah will uncover as they follow the treasure hunt for clues and learn the truth about who Quentin Andrews really was... and the biggest mystery of them al... was he - in fact - murdered?
Evan Evans is a young police constable who has traded in the violence of city life for idyllic Llanfair, a Welsh village tucked far away from trouble. Nestled among the Snowdonia mountain range, Llanfair looks to Constable Evans like a town forgotten by time, but he quickly learns that even the bucolic countryside has its share of eccentric - and deadly - characters.
Bill Vokes has played Santa at the children's Christmas show for years. But with the show just hours away, he vanishes with no explanation. The whole village is baffled. Did something bad happen to loveable Bill, upstanding citizen, churchgoer, life and soul of the party and the holiday season? Jack and Sarah are on the case - and soon discover there are secrets about this Santa that no one could have imagined.
In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal. Nearly 30 years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village to find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries. This compilation contains episodes 19 - 21: "GHOST OF A CHANCE": Every Halloween, the supposedly haunted Bell Hotel hosts its famous 'Ghost-Hunters Dinner', complete with scary stories, spooky apparitions and things that go bump in the night. But this year's event ends in a terrifying accident, and suddenly everyone wonders... Is there a real ghost loose in the hotel?
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
When amiable old village eccentric Quentin Andrews dies, the good folk of Cherringham are astonished at the crowd that turns up to his funeral. But even more astonished are the beneficiaries of his will: Quentin has left a veritable fortune to whomever is the first to solve an intricate "Cherringham crossword". That puzzle is only the first of many that Jack and Sarah will uncover as they follow the treasure hunt for clues and learn the truth about who Quentin Andrews really was... and the biggest mystery of them al... was he - in fact - murdered?
Molly Murphy always knew she'd end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. So, when she commits murder in self-defense, she flees her cherished Ireland, under cover of a false identity, for the anonymous shores of late 19th-century America. When she arrives in New York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime.
Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries. This compilation contains episodes 1 - 3: MURDER ON THAMES, MYSTERY AT THE MANOR and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT.
When a big movie production comes to Cherringham, complete with lords, ladies, and flashing swords, the whole village is abuzz with excitement. But when a series of dangerous accidents threatens the life of the young lead, Zoe Harding, Sarah and Jack get involved. Are these really accidents? Or could they be something more sinister - even deadly? Who is trying to destroy the career of the beautiful young star - and why?
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret.
Max Tudor has adapted well to his post as vicar of St. Edwold's in the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. The quiet village seems the perfect home for Max, who has fled a harrowing past as an MI5 agent. But this new-found serenity is quickly shattered when the highly vocal and unpopular president of the Women's Institute turns up dead at the Harvest Fayre. The death looks like an accident, but Max's training as a former agent kicks in, and before long he suspects foul play.
It's Christmas 1909, and for once Lady Hardcastle - respectable gentlewoman, amateur spy - and her lady's maid, Florence Armstrong, are setting sleuthing aside. They are invited to the festivities up at The Grange, as guests of Sir Hector and Lady Farley-Stroud. But barely have corks been popped and parlour games played when a mysterious crime comes to light.
When an American tourist goes missing in Cherringham, the local police don't see reason for concern - people often wander away from such tours. But when that tourist's sister shows up from New York, desperately looking for answers, Jack and Sarah become convinced there's more to the disappearance than meets the eye. Soon, they are entangled in a mystery with a secret history of betrayal, sacrifice, dishonor... and death.
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.
After the recent death of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage, 30-something Eden Elliott is seriously in need of a fresh start. At the urging of her best friend, best-selling author Ami Pederson, Eden decides to embark on an open-ended trip to the picturesque village of Glenkillen in the Scottish Highlands, to do some hands-on research for a book of her own. But almost as soon as Eden arrives in the quaint town, she gets caught up in a very real drama....
In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Natalie's Bistro has always been warm and welcoming. Nowadays 22-year-old Siobhan O'Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago. It's been a rough year for the O'Sullivans, but it's about to get rougher. One morning, as they're opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table with a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.
When magistrate Patrick Colquhoun orders a habitual thief and ne'er-do-well transported to Botany Bay, he doesn't realize a 14-year-old boy has been left behind to follow in his father's footsteps - not until young John Pickett is hauled into Bow Street for stealing an apple from the produce market at Covent Garden. Feeling to some extent responsible for the boy, Mr. Colquhoun prevails upon Elias Granger, a prosperous coal merchant, to take him on as an apprentice.
It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element.
When a series of clues is uncovered, Evans and the police begin to see that they are dealing with a clever but twisted mind. Then a second person vanishes and this time Evans knows the victim: Bronwen. He realizes the culprit's vendetta might be a personal one and that the actual target might have been him all along.
Award winner Rhys Bowen, whose most recent Constable Evans novel, Evan's Gate, was a finalist for the Edgar Award for best mystery novel of the year, delivers another charming and suspenseful cozy mystery set in beautiful Wales and starring fan favorite village constable Evan Evans.
Would you listen to Evan Blessed again? Why?
I read a lot of the reviews and they all said the narrations weren’t very good. As one said review said it didn’t sound very British. As a Welsh American I can tell you it sounds Welsh not everyone in Great Britain sound like some one out of London. The Welsh have their very own sound just like the Scottish and Irish. All Celtics sound different. I would hope that you would understand that Wales is its own country with its own language and customs. We are very proud of being welsh and we have worked very hard to keep those things that make us Welsh alive both in Wales and around the World. I feel the Narrator did an admiral job with the accent many well known actors say they have a hard time with the accent. So when you listen to this book please look at it as a way of also of a way of enjoying a beautiful country a people. Maybe learn a little about a country in the British Isle that doesn’t get written about in fiction at least on this side of the pond.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Story is set in Wales
What about John Lee’s performance did you like?
very good Welsh Accent
29 of 29 people found this review helpful
Would you listen to Evan Blessed again? Why?
Probably not. It was a good story but I prefer my audio books to be a little more light hearted.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Yes. It was a very well structured mystery with an occasional chapter from the killer's point of view.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
He could have made each voice more distinct from the others. All the characters sound similar. Even the females.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
A few parts startled me and because I listen to audio books at night. I had a few creepy dreams.
Any additional comments?
I got this book because I am a big fan of the "Her Royal Spynesss" series by the same author and I was startled at how different in tone "Evan Blessed" is. I'm not a big fan of books than linger on the grim details of violence against women and it's always cute, young women for some reason and this is no different. This book stops short of fetishizing the details of the sad fate of a missing 17 year old female hiker in modern day Wales, but it comes close. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but it definitely different from what I'm accustomed to from Rhys Bowen. To put it another way, it's more James Patterson than Agatha Christie.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
This is the first book other than the Royal Spyness books that I've read by Rhys Bowen. I liked the other books so well that I bought this without even looking at the reviews. I was not disappointed in any way. They aren't quite as funny as the Spyness books but the mystery was good and has a couple of twists in it. I LOVED the narrator's Welsh accent and he just added to the book. If I had read this I know that I would have been left wondering how to pronounce all those names. They just roll right off of John Lee's tongue. I stayed up way past my bedtime to get closer to the end and then had to sleep. I was up at 6 and finishing the story. I won't like functioning today but it was a great story. I wish Audible would get all her books.on audio. I think I'd buy them all! More Rhys Bowen and Constable Evans Please!! Guess I'll have to go to the library to check out some paper books for a change. My housework and husband would prefer I do audio.... I get more done that way. If you love mysteries, you will probably love this book... If you love hunky voices with accents, you'll love this book whether you like mysteries or not. Well worth my credit.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
A great Welsh accented mystery. The story is interesting & describes beautifully the locations in Wales. John Lee makes the Welsh voices sound great. The plot & the narration fit together. I like Bowen's Constable Evans series & want to listen to more of them.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I recommend this book highly. The story line holds my interest and I couldn't stop listening till it was over.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Even Evans character was my favorite. He is smart and independent and he always stands up for the person in need.
What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He makes the characters come to life Listening to him you can picture the village and the people almost as if it is a movie.
Any additional comments?
I'd like to see the rest of the series in Audible. All the other books are in ebook only. I've read them all, but would listen to them if they in audio also.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, definitely.
Any additional comments?
I love the performance! It took me back immediately to one of my favorite movies, How Green Was My Valley, and the beautiful lilting Welsh speech. The narrator had just the right voice to make the book easy to listen to while still giving it that musical quality I associate with the wonderful people of Wales. A great read.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to Evan Blessed the most enjoyable?
I enjoy most by Rhys Bowen; light without being too simple. The performance was nice also. I wish there were more of this series on audible.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
What did you like best about Evan Blessed? What did you like least?
Good story and characters.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
John Lee is a great narrator but this performance is spoiled by a faltering accent and many mispronunciations of places and things Welsh. As a Welsh born reader I was irritated by these. For example the 'fair' part of Llanfair does not rhyme with hair - the ai sound is pronounced as the personal pronoun ' I '.
If the purpose of attempting a Welsh accent is to add authenticity then an editor who knows Welsh pronounciations should by used. It is a notoriously difficult accent to imitate complicated by regIonal differences.
Most readers would not know the difference but I believe all readers deserve as authentic an experience as possible.
Did Evan Blessed inspire you to do anything?
Yes, to write this review to plead for an Editor who understands Welsh pronounciations!
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I enjoyed the story. Not overly complex, but then i'd prefer that every book isn't about the "crime of the century"... I'd call this a good light read. I will also say, i didn't really care for the narration, though i generally like John Lee. In the past, i had listened to him doing Austrian and German characters and he seems to have a natural voice for that accent. I didn't find the same for the british accent, though that might just be my own personal idea of what they should be. (Still, sounded quite German to me.)
11 of 15 people found this review helpful
I was familiar with the author from previous works so was delighted to find another series to enjoy. The narration was wonderful and easy to understand while maintaining the local flavor of speech.
The plot was very interesting with a nice twist at the end. I think fans of Rhys Bowen will enjoy this series and newcomers to this author are in for a treat.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful