The Highgate Cemetery Murder

A Tate and Bell Mystery, Book 1

De: Irina Shapiro

Narrado por: Imogen Church

Duración: 12 h y 42 m

Resumen del Editor

His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: “Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I’m being followed.”

Hours later, the man’s cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn’t save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth.

Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother’s notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what “milky way” meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?

©2024 Irina Shapiro (P)2024 Storm Publishing

Good story

At times the narrator's voice drops so low you can hear. Frustrating when trying to follow a conversation.

The Voice of 2024 in 1858

The author’s voice can be heard too loudly in her narrator and the characters themselves. The type of heroine in this novel has become so familiar from television and other books that her personality is almost acceptable by default. She is a forward thinking independent spirit with no family, enlightened, somehow educated, and refined, but working class. It rings hollow. Her independence and personality are better suited to the 1920s or 30s than the middle of the Victorian era. Judgement of the class structure is not subtle either. Another tale where wealth and deviance are linked. The detective is too easily won over to attitudes that would have been extremely radical for Mid-Victorian society anywhere, but certainly in England . The author might have hidden her opinions better or at least made her heroine a radical social reformer. At one point she tells her new friend that there is no shame in addiction. Given the time and her position -even as a nurse - that would have an unlikely attitude. She might have helped him overcome it, but for his benefit she would have worked hard to conceal it and she would be unlikely to condone it. It wasn’t a bad book, but it felt as if ballpoint pens and battery powered clocks had made their way into a Dickens story.

Great start to a new series!

I love everything Irina Shapiro has written! She comes up with amazingly twisted stories! I’m happy for a new series but hope to see more of Redmond and Haze and Nicole Rayburn.

Excellent story!

Another great story with excellent character development, and I really enjoyed the reference to Constable Ransom from the Haze and Redmond mystery series.

A tale of bullying and jealousy

Irina Shapiro is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are intense and do not hold back difficult details. This story may have seemed too gory and graphic to some however I have no doubt that the events in this story certainly occurred during the time period of the 1800s. I do hope she writes a sequel as Gemma is a strong female character. Imogene Church is a fantastic narrator.

Interesting Story, Would Prefer Other Narrator

I found the story and characters to be quite engrossing but unfortunately, the narrator was not to my liking. I found her cadence and intonation to be quite similar for the two main characters and I found her tone to often be quite sharp which was irritating. This is entirely a personal preference though and other people might like the narration but for me, I sadly will be skipping the next book in the series.

WOW! This is a great start to a wonderful series.

It starts a bit slow but boy does it pick up speed. The narration is superb and makes the story flow even better. I can’t wait for the next one. THANKS IRINA SHAPIRO!

Graphic and voilent

it surprised me how violent and graphic it was. I cannot finish it. I will be requesting a refund.

Character development

Excessive disturbing violence throughout plot - Ms Shapiro is too skilled a writer to use this method in her work.

Horrible narrrator

Story was compelling but the narrators voice was so harsh and dramatic it ruined the story for me. I won’t be listening to other books she narrates.