Privy to the Dead

By: Sheila Connolly

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

Nell Pratt, president of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society, has something to smile about thanks to a generous donation from a major Philadelphia developer who's willing to help update their museum. But renovations have barely begun when a man is struck by a car in front of the building and killed.

The victim is a construction worker who found a curious metal object while excavating an old privy in the museum's basement. Nell thinks the death is somehow connected to the Society, and her suspicions are confirmed when an antiques expert reveals a link between the objects from the cellar and a fellow staff member's family.

Now Nell must unearth a mystery with ties to the past and the present. Because when someone is willing to kill over scrap metal, there's no telling what they'll do next....

©2015 Sheila Connolly (P)2018 Tantor

The Inconsistencies Drive Me Crazy

I have listened to 6 books in the museum series and 12 in the orchard series. I like the actual stories but there are such inconsistencies. I commute over 2 hours a day so once I found these series I have listened to the books back to back. That gives me a perspective on them that most would not have. In the museum books, I heard that Marty’s given name was both Mary and Martha in the same book. I heard Marty’s boyfriend’s be Ethan in one book then Elliott in the next (and yes it was the same character, a college professor). In that same first book, Ethan’s grad assistant was Lisha and in the next she was Lisa. I heard that the registrar has been there less time than Nell in a book and then in the next he had been there longer than Nell. Two characters had Southern accents in one book. In the next book, only one of them had a Southern accent. In the next book, neither of them had a Southern accent. In the orchard series, in the first book, Seth saves two goats from being sold for their meat. A few books later, Meg talks about how she brought the goats home to save them. I do not know anything about the publishing business but I would think that if the Author could not keep up with the continuity that the Editor would. Either way someone needs to.
The stories are good if the details being wrong does not turn you off.

1 person found this helpful

Much ado about nothing

I’m so disappointed in the ending of this book. As with the last book in the series, the ending happens without any real pay off from the so-called mystery being investigated in the rest of the book. The first few books in the series were enjoyable. But these last two have been so disappointing that I doubt I will listen to the next one. Good narration though.

Relaxing Story

Sometimes I want to listen to a book that is interesting and relaxing. This series is one I often choose for those times.
Nell Pratt is an intelligent, level headed woman who is in charge of a historical museum in Philadelphia. In this story a death occurs in front of the museum. Nell becomes involved in trying to determine why this death happened.
This book isn't a "thriller". There is no graphic sex or violence, or crude language It is an interesting story that features down to earth characters.

Reader is not able

While Ms Connolly’s talent for writing great plots and characters is still fantastic, Ms Gain simply Is not able to change her own voice into characters voices. Due to this, it is very hard to follow which character is speaking.

Terrific plot! Please please change reader.. Robin Miles was excellent.

No more

This is an ok series but it's a bit dry. The mystery in this book feels forced and I stopped caring about it. Marguerite Gavin is a great narrator but she can't save this.