The Coroner

De: M. R. Hall

Narrado por: Sian Thomas

When lawyer Jenny Cooper is appointed Severn Vale District Coroner, she's hoping for a quiet life and space to recover from a traumatic divorce, but the office she inherits from the recently deceased Harry Marshall contains neglected files hiding dark secrets and a trail of buried evidence.

Could the tragic death in custody of a young boy be linked to the apparent suicide of a teenage prostitute - and the fate of Marshall himself? Jenny's curiosity is aroused. Why was Marshall behaving so strangely before he died? What injustice was he planning to uncover? And what caused his abrupt change of heart?

In the face of powerful and sinister forces determined to keep both the truth hidden and the troublesome coroner in check, Jenny embarks on a lonely and dangerous one-woman crusade for justice which threatens not only her career but also her sanity.

©2009 M. R. Hall (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks America

The main character was a pill

I loved everything about this book...except for the main character. Jenny Cooper was hard to take. While I applaud the idea of a mentally impaired coroner with anxiety attacks and parenting issues, I was not a fan. Many times I was tempted to fast forward through her...episodes.

Most of the action, outside of Jenny's meltdown's, happened in the makeshift courtroom's for the coroner inquests. There were shenanigans aplenty.

The narrator was really good. She performed Jenny incredibly well (probably too well.) I loved this story. I did not love the main character.

Depressing story, mostly satisfying ending

The main character is a depressed, self-destructive, pitiful character hooked on (mostly) prescribed Drugs. I continually found myself wishing this forty-something attractive (?) woman would just grow up & act like an adult. The characters are pretty well formed and developed - a real plus.
Unfortunately, the narration is mediocre at best; it drags on and on [increasing speed to 1.1 helped a LOT tho.] There are no pauses or changes in tone between the end of one section or paragraph or time break, and the next (except when it's a new chapter), so a scene shift often leaves one quite confused. She just goes on a if it's a period at the end of a sentence in the middle of a paragraph. & various voices are at times quite indistinguishable.
I almost stopped listening after the first ten chapters, tho I'm glad I finished & at least the mystery was solved. If this hadn't been a free "Included" book I'd be exchanging it.

About more than a coroner’s world.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept my interest. I was especially intrigued by her struggles with anxiety and continued battle to function personally and professionally.

I enjoyed this

this was an interesting story in the meritor was very good and engaging. I definitely recommend.

A hit for me

I found this book engaging but relaxing.... the narrator is a real treat... the story has just the right balance between mystery, drama, and personal facets. Thank you~Chrissy

Don't miss this series

Unlike many mysteries, The Jenny Cooper series by Matthew Hall didn't leave me disappointed because I'd unraveled the mystery after the first clumsy foreshadowing. Each inquest develops the facts little by little. The endings are satisfying. I was struck by how current the themes are for a series started in 2009. And what's not to love in the steady skewering of the pompous, obnoxious British bar? Outstanding narration by Sian Thomas is a pleasure. Some editing of Mrs Cooper's panic attacks would have helped, but I persisted nonetheless.

Intriguing.

Excellent narration. No one is perfect, regular, flawed people. really enjoyed. Will look for more from both author & narrator.

Interesting Enough

Because I’m not a professional book reviewer and I generally skip what reviewers write about the books premise. I liked the book, thought it was well written, and performed well. My only complaint was the main character’s abuse of Temazepam. This drug isn’t prescribed for anxiety to my knowledge. While it is a benzodiazepine, it is used for sleep. Mixing with alcohol is potentially lethal. I couldn’t believe she didn’t fall on face… asleep or dead. I’m aware that people abuse this drug but this should have been researched by the author or caught by whoever reviewed the book. Such a dangerous drug to take and then drink, drive or whatever. Ask a doc or a nurse before tackling such a theme in the future! CM

Worth Finishing

Initially, I struggled with the subject matter and didn’t care at all for the main character’s brash attitude and steam roller action with relationships. I couldn’t relate to her behavior or understand how real person might be successful or get away with such actions. As the story unfolds and this character’s insecurities and flaws begin to surface, I found interest in rooting for her redemption. Her attitudes & behaviors revealed strength and an ability to persevere.

Best book of the year, so far.

"I'm a Coroner. I spend my life laying things to rest . . ."

Somehow I came across "Coroner" in hardcover when it was first published. I loved it so much I bought two subsequent volumes in hardcover, too, as soon as they came out. I don't think I've ever done that before. All three are magnificent. I was delighted to see them now in Audible and already bought all three again, and am looking forward to the two more that M. R. Hall has now written. These books are the best of the best, and the narration by Sian Thomas is absolutely perfect. She's exactly what I'd expect Coroner Jenny Cooper to sound like. (Not that it matters, but I was astonished to see that "M. R. Hall" is actually Matthew Hall, a young man who created a pitch-perfect female as his protagonist. I didn't realize that until I'd read all three books and looked up the author out of curiosity. Wow! Well done!)

There's much to love about these books: the fascinating details about the unusual job of coroner -- a bit different in England than in the States, but no less interesting. The locale, especially the house Jenny just bought, a remote, greatly-in-need-of-care farmhouse I expect most of us would give our eye teeth to live in. And Jenny herself. I can't help but compare her to Lynda LaPlante's memorable 'Lorraine Paige', that brilliant but much-abused alcoholic police detective who struggles against her many personal demons in LaPlante's "Cold" series, "Cold Heart", etc. For Jenny, it's not alcohol so much as Valium that's her demon. Coming off a nasty, long-term marriage to an arrogant surgeon, followed by a divorce in which their teenage son is sent to live with her husband -- then learning that she was appointed as Coroner more or less as a 'charity' case -- Jenny has grown dependent on the drug to maintain, with the struggle to hide her dependence almost as much of a problem as is the stress of everything else. All of this makes the unquestionably brilliant Jenny Cooper an immensely sympathetic protagonist, especially given her determination to see justice done for the dead "clients" she's responsible for.

It's really a misnomer to call these "crime" novels, because although the setting indeed involves crimes and courts, its the characters who hold the real attraction, and Jenny Cooper is a winner in every respect. Just one warning: If you buy 'Coroner', be sure you have enough credits to buy the rest of the series, too. You won't want to wait to buy them.