Discover New Releases Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

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Title: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Author: Ed Gorman

Narrator: Bronson Pinchot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At the height of the Cold War, a dead woman turns up in a bomb shelter.

Black River Falls used to be a boring small town, but at the pinnacle of the Cuban Missile Crisis, nowhere in America can be boring anymore. As the country awaits nuclear annihilation, Iowa gubernatorial favorite Ross Murdoch has a crisis of his own: There is a dead woman in his bomb shelter.

Murdoch tells his lawyer, Sam McCain, that the corpse was planted there by his enemies in the local police force, and begs McCain to clear his name before Election Day. The dead woman was mistress to four of the towns most powerful men - any of whom might have wanted her dead. As the nations nuclear paranoia reaches a fever pitch, McCain searches for a killer and learns that there are certain kinds of disaster for which even the finest bomb shelter is no match.

Members Reviews:

A solid murder mystery set in the early 1960s

Reading one of the late Ed Gorman's Sam McCain mysteries is like going back in time and visiting the small town where you grew up. The people are comfortable and familiar. Gorman peppered his stories with nostalgic references to Gold Medal paperback novels, rock stars of the fifties and current events from the Eisenhower-Kennedy era. This book takes place in 1962, against a backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when all-out nuclear war seemed a real possibility.

A candidate for governor finds a dead body in his newly built bomb shelter and hires small town lawyer and investigator Sam McCain to represent him. McCain's investigation uncovers a variety of dark secrets, betrayals and more murders. Like all the books in the series, this one is a solid, competent murder mystery. Well done, Mr. Gorman. Well done.

Another great entry in a brilliant series from a master storyteller!

This is a very special 'private eye' series build around a lawyer and special court investigator, Sam McCain, in a small town in the midwest (Iowa) in the fifties and sixties. I absolutely love this series for several reasons:

1. the wonderful immersion into a different time, spanning a decade from the late fifties to the late sixties. The descriptions are detailed, evocative, engaging and realistic. They are exceptionally well done.

2. The protagonist is a likeable average joe, who is easy to identify with and tells the stories in the first person. His back story is as engaging and interesting as the murder mysteries he gets involved in, and has become the main reason why I have become hooked on this series.

3. I like Sam McCain's world view. He is particularly adverse to any extremist tendencies (MCarthy witch hunts, Beatle records burning, religious bigotry, snake handling churches, etc) and any form of social snobbery and elitism. Yet through all the turmoil (of which there was a lot in the fifties/early sixties), he retains a great sense of humor, which will have you smiling on and off, throughout the entire series.

4. There are plenty of connections to the pop culture of the fifties and sixties, which is a bonus for any lover of music, books, cinema and culture of the period.

5. The mysteries are well crafted and keep you guessing until the end.

6. Every single one of the entries in these series is excellent without exception and well worth the read.

Give this a try, you won't regret it.

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Title: The Testimony of the Hanged Man

Author: Ann Granger

Narrator: Laurence Kennedy, Maggie Mash

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-03-14

Publisher: Headline Digital

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Victorian London is brought vividly to life in Ann Granger's fifth historical crime novel to feature Scotland Yard's Inspector Ben Ross and his wife, Lizzie.

A hanged man would say anything to save his life. But what if his testimony is true?

When Inspector Ben Ross is called to Newgate Prison by a man condemned to die by the hangman's noose, he isn't expecting to give any credence to the man's testimony. But the account of a murder he witnessed over 17 years ago is so utterly believeable that Ben can't help wondering if what he's heard is true. It's too late to save the man's life, but it's not too late to investigate a murder that has gone undetected for all these years.

Members Reviews:

A jolly good read

What did you like most about The Testimony of the Hanged Man?

Completely different to the recent books I have been listening to as it is set in Victoria England. I have all the Lizzie Martin-Ross books, and love them all, can't wait for the next one to appear.

What did you like best about this story?

Trying to work out who the perpetrator of the crime was, and finding I was correct.

Have you listened to any of Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes, as I have all the other books in the series. This one was up to their usual high standard.

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

Yes, but unfortunately one does have to sleep!

Any additional comments?

Waiting in high anticipation for the next in the series, also any other of novels written by Ann Granger that I don't already have on either audio or as an ebook.

Not as good as previous books

I was really looking forward to listening to this book but was a little disappointed by how the story progressed and ended. but it wont put me off the next book in series.

Female Narrator excruciatingly slow

I enjoyed this book. However, I had to speed up the recording everytime the female narrator read - her dialogue is unbearably slow at normal speed! The male narrator, however, was excellent.

Enjoyable

Thoroughly entertaining characters never let you down. The plot is earthly realistic with the common sense of our two faithful detectives.

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Title: The Forbidden

Author: Frank Tallis

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Alienist meets The Exorcist in Tallis' novel of psychological suspense, as an ambitious young doctor explores the dangerous border between science and the supernatural.

1873: When the ambitious Doctor Paul Clément takes a job on the island of Saint Sébastien, he has dreams of finding cures for tropical diseases. After witnessing the ritualistic murder of a young boy who was allegedly already dead, he is warned never to speak of what he has seen. Back in fin de siècle Paris, Paul's attention turns to studying the nervous system and resuscitation through electricity. Paul is told of patients who apparently died and were brought back to life, claiming to have witnessed what they believed to be Heaven while they lay between life and death. Using forbidden knowledge he swore never to use, he attempts to experience what everyone else has seen, but something goes horribly wrong. When Paul returns to the land of the living, is it possible that he could bring something else back with him, an unspeakable evil so powerful it can never be banished?

Members Reviews:

Interesting...but slow....

This was an interesting read, but it was extremely slow to read....It could have been so much better if it wasn't for that....If you are looking for a fast paced thriller that's fun to read, then this isn't for you......

Interesting Gilded Age Horror

Amazingly ambition and not completely satisfying, this is clearly the work of a bright new voice in British horror. Recommended for fans of possession, ghost stories and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Great read.

Not the same as the Lieberman series which I wish will return. But a real page turner non the less. Great read.

Five Stars

Arrived as Promised - great condition.

Tallis' novels set in Vienna with the policeman-psychiatrist team are GREAT!

Not a Lieberman story, which I didn't know when I purchased. Tallis' novels set in Vienna with the policeman-psychiatrist team are GREAT!

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Title: Treachery

Author: S. J. Parris

Narrator: Laurence Kennedy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-27-14

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Summer, 1585: Sir Francis Drake prepares to embark on an expedition by royal commission to cross the Atlantic and seize major Spanish ports, diverting King Philip of Spains treasure to Queen Elizabeth.

When a ship captain is brutally murdered, and Drakes life threatened, it becomes clear that someone plans to destroy the expedition before it begins. Giordano Bruno and Sir Philip Sidney hunt for the killer, but are they being lured into a trap?

Members Reviews:

The saga moves on...

Will try to avoid spoilers. Probably the best to date in this series, tighter plotting, more action - and the prospect of Doctor Bruno's tale moving from England to France, with all of the dangers that will bring.

Gripping stuff

Would you listen to Treachery again? Why?

There was so much detail, creating a great visual effect. Another listen would reveal even more.

What did you like best about this story?

It had a good pace, no filling in.

What about Laurence Kennedys performance did you like?

The accent was not overdone and kept constant throughout.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but it did make you like or dislike the characters.

Any additional comments?

My first Parris book but not my last!

Enjoyable BUT.......................

What did you like best about Treachery? What did you like least?

I find this series of books quite enjoyable as " light entertainment ". although I think this is the poorest to date of the Bruno series. Have read rather than listened to the previous books and this may be the reason because what I liked least was the narrator's pseudo Italian accent.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending was fairly predictable.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Laurence Kennedy?

Yes, it was just his Italian accent which I found irritating, otherwise he was very good.

Did Treachery inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

I tend to prefer my history reading or listening to be more factual and less romantic but occasionally I enjoy something lighter and Treachery is just that. Enjoyable but not for the purist.

Excellent

This is a really good, complicated tale of treason and murder in Elizabethan England. The lead character is multi-dimensional... an Italian ex-Dominican monk, who works for Walsingham and solves murders. The reader, Laurence Kennedy, is also excellent, with convincing accents and good pace. Altogether I really enjoyed this and although this is the most recent book in the series, I am now going back to all the earlier ones.

A lot like an Agatha Christie

A very enjoyable listen, It was like listening to a stage play. I don't mean that in a derogatory way, I mean it was compact and intimate

The narrator was excellent, the accents were completely believable and gave it a lot of atmosphere and drama. I'm not going to give away plot or any of the content. Safe to say it is an Elizabethan detective story with lots of twists and turns.

I was hooked from the outset and spent a number of late nights listening to 'just another 15 minutes' when I should have been asleep.

I will make a point of looking out for other stories by the same author and others by the same narrator because I think he would bring any book he read to life.

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Title: The Phantom of Valletta

Author: Vicki Hopkins

Narrator: Keith L. O'Brien

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-14-14

Publisher: Vicki Hopkins

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Another chapter in the life of the infamous Phantom of the Opera, as penned by Gaston Leroux, continues when he leaves Paris and moves to Malta in search of a new beginning. Clothed in secrecy, he purchases The Royal Opera House in Valletta, which has been destroyed by a devastating fire. In an attempt to bury the pain of his past, the burned-out shell becomes his new obsession. He is determined to resurrect the structure from ashes and return it to glory.

To raise funds for his task, he holds a masquerade and encounters a strange woman who prophesies his destiny of undoing and death. Her words haunt the Opera Ghost, but he continues on his path of restoration. After years of hard work, the gala reopening occurs. The Phantom is convinced he has reached the pinnacle of success in his life. He rests in peace over his accomplishments.

For sheer amusement, he takes on a new student, which leads him down a path of romance, mystery, and danger. His fortune unfolds before him, and he discovers he cannot hide from those who seek retribution for his former sins. He is forced to reap the consequences and comes face-to-face with his darkest demons and fears. In the end, his insatiable hunger for beauty is challenged to the core. Will he survive the obstacles he encounters or will this finally be his undoing and death?

Members Reviews:

A TREAT FOR PHANTOM LOVERS

Where does The Phantom of Valletta rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This audio book definitely rates in my top three favorites.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Phantom of Valletta?

Vicki Hopkins knows how to weave a good story. Her portrayal of Erik the Phantom is one of the best that I have read. It is believable and well researched. The minor characters can stand on their own. The Phantom of Valletta will always be a true favorite of mine.

What about Keith L. O'Briens performance did you like?

Keith L. O'Brien's voice gives life to the character of the Phantom. It is melodic and carries feeling of foreboding. It will capture your attention immediately and carry you through the story with a suspenseful yearning for more.

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

The combination of an excellent storyline and a talented voice definitely makes this an audio book that you resist stopping. Forget answering the phone. Forget using the restroom. You will be hooked.

Any additional comments?

Even if you have never been exposed to The Phantom of the Opera, readers will certainly enjoy this book on it's own merits. Hats off to Vicki Hopkins and Keith L. O'Brien for a truly enjoyable roller coaster ride that is The Phantom of Valletta.

Phan-fic

I am a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera, and as such I tend to return time and again to the story in its various forms. Much like Dracula (yet another favorite of mine), it's the story that launched a thousand "Phan-fic" sequels, as it seems that few people ever accept the open-endedness of the original tale. The problem with most of these sequels is that they all tend to fall into a very similar trap. The author becomes enthralled with the original or one of its many retellings (why else would you write a sequel?), but instead of bringing the menace and complexity of the Opera Ghost to the pages... many of them become slushy wish fulfillment.

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Title: Southern Cross

Author: T. C. Isbell

Narrator: Paul Fleschner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-23-14

Publisher: Thomas Isbell III

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Not the typical spy murder mystery, Southern Cross is a unique tale of double agents, espionage, revenge, and murder leading investigators from a morgue in Manhattan to the SS Southern Cross, a passenger liner sailing from New York to Cuba. Forced to use limited resources, a doctor from San Francisco and a young Paris police inspector scramble to uncover a vicious murderer before another passenger is killed, and before the ship docks in Havana and 500 travelers flood the pier.

Members Reviews:

A Compelling Spy Novel With a Zig & a Zag & a Zing!.

I was hooked from the moment I opened the cover. Any spy story that opens with telegrams is just going to be good. I particularly liked T. C. Isbell's use of colorful adjectives, consistently causing the reader to really envision the settings, the characters and the scenes. It was like going back in time to the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of WWII.

Isbell's writing style alone is enough to keep one reading, but the story-line he creates is intense, exciting and fast-paced. The way he opens new chapters sort of "re-hooks" you back into the tale over and over again. IE: The first two paragraphs of Chapter 7 & the image of the old motor lodge, the Indian going up and down on the pole, the big rigs straining to make it up the steep grade... all draw images that compel one to read on.

The ending is very unexpected and you'll want to read every word right up to it and then more. Thank goodness his follow up novel, Icarus Plot, is right around the corner!

All in all a very good read that is dotted throughout with historically accurate events and phrases.

I loved it.

Médiocre

For a supposedly historical novel, this thing contains a lot of anachronisms that are extremely annoying as you read. The main German agent, for instance, is des robes as a serial killer, a concept that didn't even exist at the time. People are avid consumers of caffeine and nicotine, when those compounds had not yet been commonly associated with coffee and cigarettes. Likewise, the language used is completely modern. Finally, the mystery had the fatal flaw of being obvious from beginning to end, including the "twist" ending.

Page Turning Fun Read.

If you like stories of action, suspense, espianage, that surround the coming of World War II, this novel is for you.

The time is 1938/39 when the USA is finally emerging from the Great Depression and Germany is beating the war drums in Europe. War is inevitable and spies from Great Britain, Germany and other countries are jockeying for position to keep their countries one step ahead of their potential enemies.

The story's major character is Chris Schulte, German agent and rogue serial killer. Schulte travels to the USA by U-boat on a mission that is suppose to eventually end in Brazil. Along the way, several British agents are murdered in the States. As a result, the FBI winds up getting sucked into the chase. When they discover Schulte has boarded the ocean liner, Southern Cross, in New York which sails to Havana, Cuba, they know the killer has be found before the ship arrives in that country. The trouble is the rogue killer is also a master of disguises.

It is at this point, while aboard ship, a most unlikely team of investigators evolves.

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Title: Angel from Hell

Subtitle: Angel Fehrbach Series, Book 1

Author: Christopher Nicole

Narrator: Jilly Bond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When in March 1938 Germany invades Austria, all anti-Nazis are immediately rounded up and imprisoned. Prominent amongst these is liberal editor Johann Fehrbach, his Anglo-Irish wife, and his two daughters. But the elder of the girls, 17-year-old Annaliese, is separated from her parents and taken into Gestapo custody.

The officer arresting her has immediately recognized that she is an exceptional personality: Extraordinarily good-looking, she has an IQ of 173, is a superb athlete, head girl of her convent, and, because of her mother, speaks English fluently. Annaliese is taken off to an SS training camp and after an exacting and often terrifying learning process, is inducted into the SD, the most secret of German secret services.

Members Reviews:

spy at its best!!!!!

Would you listen to Angel from Hell again? Why?

Yes great reader great story great series!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Angel fehrbach unusual person

Have you listened to any of Jilly Bonds other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but perfect for this book and the 7 others

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Great suspense

Any additional comments?

Please do all 8 books . Great in every way. Get theses books you won't be sorry..

Soft porn and nazi uniforms

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of a titilating read, lots of firm breast and sinewy thigh to keep the interest if that is how you like it. I love historical novels of many kinds, but this book, whilst set in one of the most interesting periods in history doesn't really offer any new insights into what life was like, unlike, for example, one of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, So if I thought my friend was into descriptions of torture in which the tortured women nevertheless reach orgasm due to the interesting arrangement of the crocodile clips in the erotic area, then obviously these novels would be first choice.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the story is that you can listen to it at all. I didn't feel inclined to huffily ask for my money back or even to stop before the end. This is probably because just as the details get too obviously erotic the chapter ends and the next begins. The least interesting for me is manifestly the monotonous description of the heroine as a beautiful leggy blonde, over and over and over. The book is read by a very capable reader, but she cannot change the fact that everyone, male or female, Heydrich, Himmler, Stalin or female gulag guards and female Nazis are described as unable to stop themselves from (at the very least wanting to) jump on her.

Which character as performed by Jilly Bond was your favourite?

Jilly Bond does a great job, but the characters, largely Nazis and Stalinists, do not really become favourite in any way. When the book started I thought it was going to be chick lit meets Nazi brutality but the main character is far too calculating for the chick lit category and the Nazi brutality is mainly sexual. Her over the top characteristics do not melt the heart.

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Title: Don't Let the Wind Catch You

Author: Aaron Paul Lazar

Narrator: Erik Synnestvedt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-13

Publisher: Aaron Paul Lazar

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When young Gus LeGarde befriends a cranky old hermit in the woods who speaks to an Oneida Indian spirit named Penaki, he wonders if the man is nuts. But when Penni rattles tin cups, draws on dusty mirrors, and flips book pages, pestering them to find evidence to avenge her past and free her from earthly bondage, things change.

What Gus doesn'tunderstand is why his mother hates Tully. His relentless digging reveals a hint of scandal about Tully and Gus' maternal grandfather, Marlowe Wright. Can his natural compassion help him accept the not-so-normal facts about Tully and Marlowe?

On horseback, Gus and his friends ride through woods overlooking Conesus Lake,following Penni's trail to an abandoned house reportedly infected with the deadly Genesee Valley Fever from the 1700s. Unafraid, they enter and make anastounding find that could rewrite history.

Gus summons courage beyond his years in this poignant and powerful telling of the sultry summer of 1965.

The author's alternate suggested listening order for the LeGarde Mysteries series:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Members Reviews:

Easy Listen

This Aaron Paul Lazar's mystery is well written and is easy to pick and up and put down. Even though this story is part of a several part series, I had no trouble jumping in at this point and I didn't feel like I was missing anything as a listener/reader, which is very rare and commendable. It had a down to earth plot and fun twists and turns that can bring you back to your childhood adventure days.

Narrator, Erik Synnestvedt, does well to capture the youthful nature of this book. His voices are simple yet diverse and keep you engaged throughout the tale.

Overall a good read. I would recommend this to all.

This audiobook was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is Aaron's forte

If you could sum up Don't Let the Wind Catch You in three words, what would they be?

Brings Me Back

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gus

What does Erik Synnestvedt bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Timing was excellent

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Coming of age in small town America

Any additional comments?

Aaron masters the feelings of all three young characters, Gus, Elsbeth and Sigrid. The book stays in that 11-12 year old perspective and it true that reality throughout. I loved that. This is Aaron Lazar's strength. You fall in love with them and wish you were young again.

Engaging story

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I have to say I love young Gus and his adventures. I must admit I could tell what was coming, but I still enjoyed the book. I love this particular narrator and think he does a wonderful job of portraying many different characters. Sometimes you wonder if it's someone else's voice!

Adventure, fun, & ghosts--a 1960s summer

Gus LeGarde is twelve years old, it's 1965, and it's high summer. What could be better? He and his friends, the twins Elsbeth and Siegfried, ride their horses and boat on the lake and generally to all the unsupervised wandering around that kids did in the 1960s.

In the course of that wandering, they discover a local hermit, Zachariah Tully, living alone in an old cottage with no electrical power. Except he seems not to be alone; he talks to someone he calls Penni.

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Title: London Calling

Author: Sara Sheridan

Narrator: Sara Sheridan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-13

Publisher: Soundings

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

1952, Brighton and London. When 17 year old debutante Rose Bellamy Gore goes missing in a seedy Soho jazz club the prime suspect is black saxophone player, Lindon Claremont, the last person to be seen talking to her.

Under suspicion, Lindon heads straight for Brighton and his childhood friend, Vesta Churchill who works with ex-Secret Service office girl Mirabelle Bevan, now in charge of the McGuigan and McGuigan Debt Collection Agency.

When Lindon is taken into custody the two women dive into London's underworld of smoky night clubs, smart cars and lethal cocktails to establish the truth.

Members Reviews:

porn, murder, kidnapping, and all that jazz

Really exciting fast paced adventure story, with mirabelle waking up from her withdrawal from the world after her lover's death, and reconnecting with old colleagues from her spy days. Vesta 's childhood friend, a jazz sax player, comes to her for help, and catapults mirabelle and vesta into a London based kidnapping investigation. There are great atmospheric descriptions of tiny jazz clubs, elegant university clubs, belgravia homes and shabby tenements in 1952 London. The plot is twisty and only late in the book is the real villain discovered. My only quibble on this one: nearly all of the action takes place over one weekend. Mirabelle climbs over walls, walks for miles, falls into a car repair pit, and only shreds her stockings? She doesn't bring any other clothes. She runs up to London without any luggage, and wears the same green tweeds the whole time. I felt like I needed a long soak in a tub as much as she did.

enjoyable cozy mysteries.

This is the second book in the series and although it would stand alone. I suggest you read them in order. I have never read any books set in this time period but I enjoy her addition of facts about the period. I also enjoy the strong female leads. The romance is fairly minor. The book is all about solving the mystery. I loved it and am off to buy the next story in the series.

Love the Characters

Sara's books are set in an interesting time for women and the country of England. Her ladies are very resourceful and even when afraid buck up their courage because victims are counting on them to find resolution. I went right back to Amazon and ordered her next book.

I like Mirabelle !!!

Very cool little detective story. Nice job of creating the 50's feel without going overboard. Tight mystery with very engaging characters. You will like this book.

Oh how I liked this!

A cozy-crime book set in London, in the 50's, with a super smart and likable heroine, this book was a good read. I would read this author again, happily! It is reminiscent of what is now called "vintage" murder mysteries that I throughly enjoyed as a child. I am looking forward to more books in this series if at all possible. I'm glad I have found this author's books.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

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Title: Black Roses

Author: Jane Thynne

Narrator: Julie Teal

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-13

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Berlin, 1933. Aspiring actress Clara Vine arrives in Berlin to find work at the famous Ufa studios. Through a chance meeting, she is unwillingly drawn into a circle of Nazi wives, led by Magda Goebbels. British Intelligence officer Leo Quinn sees Clara as the perfect recruit to spy on her new elite friends. But then Magda reveals to Clara a dramatic secret and entrusts her with an extraordinary mission.

Critic Reviews:

"The crosscurrents and dangers of the build-up to war are established with expertise and not a little menace. Terrific." (Elizabeth Buchan for Sunday Times)

"Thynne's thriller is strong on the citys paranoia, and its exploration of the Third Reichs bizarre attitude to women gives it an original take on Nazi Germany" (Mail on Sunday)

Members Reviews:

Not a bad listen but lacking atmosphere

I don't consider this book a waste of a credit and listened till the end. To some degree it held my attention however it was a rather passionless and insipid story. Considering the time in history this story is set and the real life political figures within the third reich that are mentioned within the text there is little trepidation, anxiety or atmosphere and indeed what the story does muster is in my opinion, largely created from the fact the listener is aware of the monstrous acts perpetrated and sanctioned by of the likes of Goebbles rather than any brilliance within the writing.

I found it hard to care very much about the main character which perhaps didn't help. I am aware that the story progressed in to a series and would be tempted to listen to another to see if things livened up as the plot is an interesting idea however I wouldn't waste a credit on a book that is much the same as this one which was rather bland. On times it felt like a historical name dropping exercise.

Mixed Bouquet

Would you listen to Black Roses again? Why?

No. I really enjoyed the story but several careless mispronunciations and breaks at the wrong points of sentences made it frustrating. Although I want to read more Clara Vine adventures I'll be getting text copies rather than audio for this reason.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes the pace was fine it was just the errors mentioned earlier that were irksome. One good thing was that the narrator didn't attempt comedy German accents but just gave people different voices (not always different enough for me though).

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

One of the pleasures of this book was that it took several topics and themes with the potential for melodrama and presented them in an interesting but not emotionally manipulative way. Reflecting how Magda Goebbels is presented perhaps - a very odd, eventful life but a veneer of cold glamour.

Any additional comments?

I loved the passages about cinema; details of the studios, mentions of German stars and directors of the time and would have liked more of these kinds of things.

Basically cinema, spies and inter-war Europe are my favourite themes so in that way this book was a delight though the character of Clara needed a bit more oomph.

A gripping read

What made the experience of listening to Black Roses the most enjoyable?

Authentic, atmospheric and great story line. Wonderfully brave heroine with delicious love scenes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clara.