The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds

A Dizzy Heights Mystery, Book 1

By: T E Kinsey

Narrated by: Simon Mattacks, Elizabeth Knowelden

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Missing diamonds. Mysterious deaths. And all that jazz.

London, 1925. With their band the Dizzy Heights, jazz musicians Ivor ‘Skins’ Maloney and Bartholomew ‘Barty’ Dunn are used to improvising as they play the Charleston for flappers and toffs, but things are about to take a surprising turn.

Superintendent Sunderland has had word that a deserter who stole a fortune in diamonds as he fled the war is a member of the Aristippus private members’ club in Mayfair - where the Dizzy Heights have a residency. And the thief is planning to steal a hoard of jewels hidden there under the cover of a dance contest.

As mutual pal Lady Hardcastle has suggested, Skins and Dunn are perfectly placed to be Sunderland’s eyes and ears - and Skins’s wife Ellie soon lends a hand with a bit of light snooping. But the stakes change dramatically when a mysterious death at the club brings a sinister note to the investigation.

With the dance contest fast approaching, the trio must solve the mystery of the missing diamonds, unmask the murderer, and prevent more deadly crimes - all without missing a beat.

©2020 T E Kinsey. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

disappointment

I am spoiled with the Lady Hardcastle series and though this was a future time from those books, I didn’t like the story or narrators.
Joan in KY

Not What I Was Expecting

When I ordered this book I didn’t realize it was a start of a new spy series. I thought it was a continuation of the Lady Hardcastle series. I really wanted to like it because I thoroughly enjoyed the Lady Hardcastle series but I couldn’t. Simon Mattacks has a pleasant voice but I just couldn’t understand what he was saying. He sounded like he was reading a documentary and not telling a story. I just couldn’t hang on. I am returning this book.

What a Disappointment!

I pre-ordered this book because I really enjoyed the Lady Hardcastle books and expected this would be of equal quality. But no- this one has cardboard, muddy characters about whom it is impossible to care, an overlong padded out story with no dramatic arc. Oh, and the narrator did nothing to make the characters easier to care about.

Smart, Funny Mystery

Fast paced and funny, I enjoyed getting to know these side characters from the Lady H books. I liked that the timeline jumped ahead so that Skins & Ellie were well established as a couple and had started a family. I found the storyline to be engaging and got caught up in the mystery.

The narrator was also very adept at differentiating between characters and I liked hearing the familiar female narrator during a cameo with Lady H and Flo. Very enjoyable listen, I’m looking forward to more in this series.

Not For Me is too Generic

Is this book really written by Mr. Kinsey? His previously published books are exciting, funny, insightful and definetly not verbose nor boring!

It's a hit!

I have been enthusiastically awaiting this first book in T E Kinsey's new series since the release of his last Lady Hardcastle book and it did not disappoint. If you enjoy Lady H & Flo, you'll love Skins, Elly and all their antic loving, mystery solving friends.

Blah

I love the Lady Hardcastle books so was expecting to enjoy this one. I did not. The story was boring, the characters were uninteresting and I found my mind wandering multiple times.

not as whimsical as

...the Lady Hardcastle series but I am enjoying the author's notes and will be interested in the series .

I just Googled couple of songs mentioned; doing so helps engage and inform me.

Huge Disappointment

I am a huge fan of T E Kinsey, Lady Hardcastle, and Elizabeth Knowelden. I pre-ordered this book and was so excited when it got released on March 1st. Then, wow.. How disappointed I am! I tried and tried to like it, but I failed. So sad. Hope the next story Kinsey is working on is better.

Lady Hardcastle. Books Much Better

The narrator overdid it. The characters contrived and the mystery around Blanche’s poisoning was obvious long before it was solved in the story. Again Lady Hardcastle books are sorely missed. This listener would like more of Emily and Flo.

Goodish book, mistake having two narrators

This is a separate series from Kinsey's previous Lady Hardcastle mysteries so I can see why a new narrator was chosen but although Simon Mattacks is ok, he doesn't hold a candle to Elizabeth Knowelden. I didn't have a clue which characters were which at the beginning so the plot got mangled. The parts with both narrators in jarred & I'm not sure but whoever edited it kept in a slip of the tongue by Knowelden.. Sabotage?! Anyway, as all the characters were narrated perfectly well in the original series it seems a great mistake to mess with something so charming & popular.
I usually love Kinsey's books but I didn't love this one. I won't be waiting excitedly for the next. Bring back Knowelden! You don't realise how good some narrators are until they're gone!!

delightful dizzies

this is fab Ellie,and the boys branching out in their own crime stories, more !

brilliant

Great story and lovely characters. it did take me a few chapters to really get into the story and understand the different characters, but then I couldn't put it down.

Great continuation from Emily and Flo

Loved the book, great fun and lots of new characters, can't wait for the next one!

Quite a gem

It was an engaging romp, but I was expecting Lady Hardcastle and maid Flo Armstrong

I wasn't sure i would like it....

But... once again a brilliant story! I love Lady H and her Tiny Welsh servant so much I didn't think I could be in the same world and not hear about them. I really enjoyed the way they weren't just forgotten about. The twists and turns were great and a joy to let unfold. Great performances all round. I can't wait for more!

Very Clever Mystery/Murder

I’d just finished reading the latest Lady Hardcastle/Florence Armstrong book and this popped up on my horizon - perfectly timed and at the same time, tying up any lose ends (or queries) that may have arrived.

The pace of this is different and requires one to adjust one’s thinking in orders to accept it! I think that this is a great idea, it distinguishes the 2 narratives, the main protagonists and the new ‘worlds’ in which we find ourselves.

I love the banter, the same but different to Lady H and Flo’s give and take. I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this series, hopefully as much as it’s predecessor (& neighbour).

The story is interesting and credible. The characters enjoyable and believable. It’s good to have a newly promoted Superintendent Hardwick involved. There is nothing to dislike about this tale.

Simon Mattacks does a great job in narrating this story and the guest appearance by Elizabeth Knowelden to reprise her lovely ladies, is very well done and much appreciated.

Thoroughly enjoyable

This novel kept my interest from beginning to end with excellent narration by Simon Mattacks. The story was good the plot was simple to follow and all of the characters in the book had depth. I will certainly listen to other stories in this series.

Never fails to please

Enjoy the Author and Narrator. Always the best listen and fun stories, must have more

loved it

very enjoyable , funny , good story line
enjoy listening to the the story teller .