Requiem for a Mezzo

A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery

By: Carola Dunn

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

With dashing Scotland Yard Inspector Alec Fletcher at her side, Daisy is enjoying a delightful performance of Verdi's Requiem, featuring her neighbor Muriel Westlea's celebrated sister, Bettina. But when all that emerges from the doomed diva's vocal chords is a dying gasp, Daisy soon discovers that the notoriously difficult opera star had her share of adversaries; among them a smugly philandering tenor, a burly Russian bass, and even her own vocal coach husband, with whom she shared a hardly harmonious marriage.

Did one of them fatally poison the acclaimed mezzo? Or is someone else determined to see that Daisy's investigation ends on as bitter a note as Bettina's fateful last performance?

©1996 Carola Dunn (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc

Critic Reviews

"Dunn describes 1920s London and the characters in detail and highlights the interplay between Alec and Daisy. A snug read." (Library Journal)

Daisy rides again!

These books are lightweight and very enjoyable. Ms Dunn does a fabulous job writing about the music in this book. The regular characters, Daisy, the heroine, Lucy, her BFF, Alec, the dashing Inspector, and his policemen are well rounded. The new characters for the mystery are interesting and you actually care about them. I did figure out "whodunnit" but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. Bernadette Dunne did a nice job with the many voices. I saw a comment that didn't care for her voices but they suited the story, at least for me.

Pleasant Listen

A very nice listen, a goog mystery for drve time.

Light, easy and entertaining

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook because the story is entertaining, the narrator has captured the essence of the story and the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Requiem for a Mezzo?

I really enjoyed when Daisy and Alec went out for dinner.

Which character – as performed by Bernadette Dunne – was your favorite?

Of course the main character, Daisy Dalrymple and Alec Fletcher are the usual favorites but I do like Daisys roommate Lucy.

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

I would have loved to sit and listening to the whole story but unfortunately I could not.

Any additional comments?

I would like to see all of the Daisy Dalrymple books in audio.

Liked the first two better

Theatre-type themes are one of my lesser preferences, so I had difficulty feeling interested in this one. I quit early but will listen to the next one in line since this is a light, clean, fun series in general.

Another highly enjoyable Daisy Dalrymple book

It's so relaxing and enjoyable to listen to these books. Daisy and Constable Alec Fletcher have a dinner date after a concert, but Betina Westlea, a beautiful star singer takes a sip of her water and dies of cyanide in the midst of the performance. The cast of suspects is considerable. Betina had married an older man, a vocal coach, who helped her rise to her current status but was repeatedly cuckolded for his pains. Some of Betina's suitors are married, so spouses are suspects too, and some gave her expensive jewelry but never got it back after she dumped (and usually humiliated) them... The Constable focuses on the singer's plainer sister, Muriel, but Daisy loyally defends her friend.
My suspicions were proven correct, but it was a delightful journey to the confiirmation.

Love this series!

A lovely gentle little murder mystery.
I’ll definitely be back for more Daisy.
Happy to say the narrator has done much better with the accents this time round too.

Good read!

Story held my attention. Interesting characters.. Really enjoyed every moment. Ending is worth waiting for.

Great series

I love this series. It's exciting, makes you think and does not use foul language.

wonderful find

excellent story telling from both reader and writer. cerebral yet quaint. all loose ends nicely tied together.

pay attention

when you listen to this book you must pay very close attention. so many good suspects and clues. Totally surprising ending. A fun mystery

Requiem for a Mezzo

Interesting enough book. But the irritating false British accent of the narrator detracts completely from the plot.

Read it, don't listen.

Passage is not pronounced parsage, Derby is pronounced Darby, enquiries is not pronounced en-qeeries, dashing is not pronounced darshing. Too, too annoying that too many times where English words that are supposed to be pronounced by an aristocratic lady are mis-pronounced.

Hear the sample before you buy...

I didn't and I could kick myself. I can't move beyond the silly accent, it keeps grating on my nerves and what should have been a very enjoyable few hours (at least based on the first Daisy Dalrymple mystery which I read in paperback) has turned into a painful chore. I'd rather it was read in an American accent or whatever the reader's native accent is, than this farcical attempt at English RP. Sounds to me like it could only be passed off as an English accent to any other than an English audience. Maybe this was aimed at the American market? I rate it two starts for the narration, not the book which I shall have to read in paperback.

Good story fairly ghastly narration.

another well plotted Dunn whodunnit narrated by someone who does strange things to pronunciation of the English language.

Dreadful Narrator

The stories are quite good, lighthearted and easy listening but the narrator is awful. Terrible accents, rubbish intonation and frankly unbearable. Can't remember which book it was but it was possibly the most awful 'welsh' accent I've ever heard ! Is this person related to the author? Otherwise PLEASE get someone else

good story, terrible narration

Enjoyed the story once I got past the narrator's terrible accent, she sounds like an American trying to do an upper class English accent. Some of the pronunciation really grated. Couldn't they find a nice english narrator.

Proper English pronunciation, please!

Stories are enjoyable but pass age instead of passage and marmalard instead of marmalade and many others are very distracting.

Great

Great story. Another tantalising mystery with twists and turns. Would recommend. Good easy listening and very good to follow

You get used to the funny accent

Once you get used to the reader's funny accent she is really very good and brings all the characters to life. Don't be too put off you soon get used to it. The stories are a bit whimsical but a very easy listen. Excellent for those moments of stress when you want something light! And of course you want to know what happens to Daisy next...

very dated

the narrator? terrible. she did this really weird faux posh accent with a Canadian Wang. mispronouncing words and attempting to be upper class . for example orf as opposed to to off, I grudgingly accept, but oarfice for office.. nah!
I thought it for quite a while that there was a minor member of a royal Indian family called raj-er but no.. his name was Roger...
to sum it up feeble old fashioned sort of detective with a rubbish narration. shan't be trying anymore.