The Cat of the Baskervilles

By: Vicki Delany

Narrated by: Kim Hicks

Legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham arrives on Cape Cod to star in a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles put on by the West London Theater Festival. When Sir Nigel, some of the cast, and the director visit the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop at 222 Baker Street, Gemma Doyle realizes that Sir Nigel is not at all suited to the role. He's long past his prime and an old drunk to boot. The cast is not happy, but the show must go on.

Before the play opens, Jayne's mother arranges a fundraising afternoon tea to be catered by Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. The tea is a huge success, but, when it's time to leave, Sir Nigel has gone missing - only to be found at the bottom of the rocky cliff, dead. When the police focus their attention on Jayne's mother despite numerous other suspects, the game is once again afoot, and it's up to Gemma and Jayne to clear Jayne's mother's name.

©2018 Vicki Delany (P)2018 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Best thing about the book was its title

I was so disappointed. Not much of a mystery. Too bad: characters and setting are charming. Unless I am hopelessly gaga and missed something huge, the cat in the title had nothing to do with solving the mystery and nothing to do with the saga of the Baskervilles. Is that a plot spoiler? Anyhow...I expected something both spooky and clever based on the title.The story was neither. Kim Hicks, one of my favorite British narrators, seemed lost with New England and California accents, which also surprised me. I might try another book in the series, because I did like the setting and characters, however, it won't be soon.

Why did they change narrators?

This series is an easy listen. The previous narrator was 1000% better than this one. The main character is British but the book is set in USA. This narrator is British and cannot do a good American accent. The male characters sound like nasally, constipated mop character and I don’t even know how to describe the American female characters. I enjoyed the first 2 books and purchased the rest of the series during Audibles holiday sale on all titles. I wish I realized they changed narrators. I would not have purchased, I could barely make it through this one. She totally misses the lighthearted, jovial nature of the previous narrator. And I typically like my British narrators. I’m British procedural fan, so I do not have an aversion to the accent!

performance is lacking in versatility and age appropriateness for main character

this narrator sounds like a 50 to 60 year old women. her voices for other characters sounds like cartoon characters.
The previous narrator was believeable for the main character. narrator is not appropriate for the age of the main character.

Disappointed in the narrator

I couldn't get into the story after being used to a younger, less snobby sounding narrator. I'm sure she's fine, but I was used to a different point of view. I won't continue the series. I really liked the series too.

Enjoyable cozy mystery for Sherlock Holmes fans

Another enjoyable book in the Holmes Bookshop mystery series. Gemma, along with her “Irregulars”, are embroiled in another murder with Jane’s mother as a prime suspect. Secrets are exposed. Loyalties are tested. “Presume nothing”.

I need to at least like the main character

This woman, Ms Doyle-who calls herself ‘observant’ and claims some sort of Sherlockian ability to assimilate observations into crime solutions- is actually an insufferable know it all! I could not see it through to the end, but I am sure she solved the murder, and of course taught the police a lesson or 3 about crime solving.
Also, the narrator here often exchanges Alabama for Cape Cod, when attempting accent

Great story, wrong narrator.

I’ve been reading/listening to these books one after the next. I didn’t notice it or even look at narrator, but the change is too much to adjust to. The writer is amazing, but trying to picture the lead girl as a young modern woman is impossible. She sounds 65 and ou for a time capsule. It’s a big bummer all the way around.

Cozy mystery. Enjoy series but am disappointed a different narrator.

The narrator was distracting as she sounded far too old for the protagonist amd did not have consistent or accurate Ameican accents.

The story was fine, and I enjoy the first person storytelling, which is usually a detractor for me. Definitely a cozy mystery.

Please change narrator

For some reason, they have a new narrator for the series and it honestly kind of ruins the whole experience. She is a good narrator objectively, but she’s completely the wrong voice for this series. She’s aged the main character by forty years stylistically, and the voices for the other characters are dreadful. It is very hard to get through because I’m completely taken out of the story by how incompatible the narration fits with a series I was really starting to love. I see they are staying with the new narrator for the next five books, and I am so disappointed. I don’t know if I can keep on listening. I started book four, and it’s kind of painful.

Narrator not goid

It’s just that this narrator changed the character of the previous books in this series. I think her voice is too deep and too harsh for young woman. Much prefer the previous narrator.