Our Lady of Pain

By: Marion Chesney

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

Lady Rose Summer, the wayward Edwardian debutante who keeps getting mixed up in disreputable adventures, would swear she is not a jealous woman. After all, she knows her engagement to private detective Captain Harry Cathcart is only a ploy to keep her parents from shipping her off to India. But then Harry's latest client, Dolores Duval--a vision of curves with a seductive French accent--starts appearing everywhere at his side. In a fit of rage, Rose threatens Dolores, only to be found the very next day, standing over her dead body. The newspapers rush to convict her, but can Harry and Detective Superintendent Kerridge clear her name?

©2006 Marion Chesney (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America

4 stars if you're a fan of the series

This is another tongue-in-cheek, campy Edwardian-set cozy like the four previous in the series-- but near the end, I wondered if author Chesney/Beaton got tired of her characters and whipped up a quick ending for the novel and maybe the series. That made the read less enjoyable. I suspect there will be no more adventures for Daisy, Beckett, Lady Rose, and the Captain - and I think they could have lived on in more situations, given the cleverness of Chesney/Beaton for creating other longer series for her protagonists.

So - another light read, but with good natured, PG 13 humour and some good social history thrown in. That makes it worth 4 stars for me.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Love the Detective...

Where does Our Lady of Pain rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is in the middle just because it is short and sort of a sappy theme. Davina Porter makes it one of my top listens. I love Davina Porter narrations.

What other book might you compare Our Lady of Pain to and why?

I compare them to the Midsomer Mysteries. Also the 'Poor Relations' stories. They take place in old England and just seem to go together to me.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Davina Porter is just simply the best narrator. Her voice and accent make the characters breathe in a way reading a print version just can't match. I would buy a book just to hear Ms. Porter narrate it.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Good entertainment. I would buy another book in this series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Wonderful audio!

If you could sum up Our Lady of Pain in three words, what would they be?

Davina Porter is one of the best audio readers I've heard so far. She sounds perfectly natural in whatever voice she does. And of course, Marion Chesney writed lovely mysteries!

What other book might you compare Our Lady of Pain to and why?

The first 3 books in the series: Snobbery with Violence, Hasty Death, Sick of Shadows.

Have you listened to any of Davina Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, and this one is as good as her first three of the Marion Chesney mystery books.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent!

These Marion Chesney books are all well worth a listen. The plots meander the slightest bit, but always in an interesting, and sometimes fascinating, way. The heroine Rose is a great girl, as is her side kick, Daisy. Along the way are some good quotations and some interesting snippets of Victoriana, like who started Fortum and Masons.

Good stuff for the Anglophile and period mystery lover!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Please note: this is the fourth book in the series

Any additional comments?

The books are numbered backwards, as Our Lady of Pain is the last in the series and Snobbery with Violence is the first. M C Beaton/Marion Chesney books are light, fun period pieces. Davina Porter is an excellent narrator. I always keep an eye out for books she narrates, as she brings them to life beautifully. I didn't enjoy this book as much as others I have read by Beaton/Chesney, but it still had some fun moments. Character and setting were, as always, well painted. The story just needed some tightening as it felt like riding the same roller coaster three times in a row. The third time listening to the characters going through the very similar events and subsequent emotions grew slightly tiresome.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

love this author

Chesney really knows how to weave a tale. I love Divina Porter performance. She really makes it come to life.

Rambling and Never-ending

What would have made Our Lady of Pain better?

The beginning seemed like the middle, and it could have ended many chapters before it did.

Any additional comments?

A dead bore. I thought it would never end.

No romance, no mystery

The only person half way interesting was the companion to Lady Rose. Lady Rose wasnt allowed to do anything because she's an unmarried lady & not sure why she's in the story.

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Marion Chesney and/or Davina Porter?

I adore Davina Porter, which is why I bought this book. Unfortunately this book does not meet the usual level of story I like.

Would you ever listen to anything by Marion Chesney again?

Probably not.

Have you listened to any of Davina Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Her performance is fantastic, as always.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story rollicks along, characters drawn sketchily, but so much information is left out that it seems to careen along without stopping to explore anything. All plot, no exposition.