Listen to Popular Titles Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

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Title: A Killer in Winter

Subtitle: The Ninth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle

Author: Susanna Gregory

Narrator: David Thorpe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-13-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Cambridge, 1354.

Christmas approaches, and the town is gripped by the worst blizzards in living memory. As the physician Matthew Bartholomew struggles to help the poorer citizens cope with freezing temperatures, his colleagues prepare for the festivities.

The weather has trapped many travellers in the town, including Matthew's erstwhile love, Philippa. She and her wealthy husband are invited to Michaelhouse for the main feast, and Matthew is horrified that he does not immediately recognise the overweight, sulky woman who once stole his heart. In some ways he is relieved to accept Brother Michael's orders to identify a man found dead, apparently from exposure, in a nearby church, but the success of his mission brings him closer to Philippa's circle, for the man was her husband's servant.

And then the husband himself is dead, victim of an accident on the treacherous ice of the fens - or was it a more sinister death, somehow linked to the death of one of his business rivals months earlier in London?

Susanna Gregory again brings medieval Cambridge to rich and vibrant life in a beautifully crafted mystery.

Members Reviews:

not my favourite

i like this series of books but this one has the weakest plot so far. Hasn't put me off though.

poor story, poor historical detailing,

I had great hopes for this - needing to find a new (to me) author with a book series to occupy me. I like mysteries and I like history - but this history was unbelievable. Using a lot of modern phraseology in the characters mouths (I was not expecting Chaucer but neither was I expecting twentieth century speaking patterns). The story was sloppy and so comvolited that it took at least 20 mins f the characters painfully explaining it to each other at the end as well as numerous recaps all the way through. Also keeps breaking into schooI teacher like explanations of what things are that totaly breaks the flow I stuck with it to the bitter end - almost . . I just could not take the final 10 minutes of explaining what 'life was like in Cambridge at the time' - because it was done so badly.

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Title: The State Counsellor

Subtitle: Erast Fandorin Series, Book 6

Author: Boris Akunin, Andrew Bromfield

Narrator: Nigel Patterson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-04-17

Publisher: HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Russia, 1891. The new governor-general of Siberia has been secreted away on a train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. A blizzard rages outside as a mustachioed official climbs aboard near the city; with his trademark stutter, he introduces himself as State Counsellor Erast Fandorin. He then thrusts a dagger inscribed with the initials CG into the governor-general's heart and, tearing off his mustache, escapes out the carriage window.

The head of the Department of Security soon shows up at the real Fandorin's door and arrests him for murder. The only way to save his reputation is to find CG - and the government mole who is feeding the group information. Can Fandorin survive corruption among his fellow officials, the fearlessness of an unknown enemy, and the advances of a sultry young nihilist with his morals intact?

The State Counsellor is colorful entertainment from a master of the sly historical romp.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Badlands

Author: Melissa Lenhardt

Narrator: Suehyla El Attar

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Outlander meets post-Civil War unrest in the conclusion to Melissa Lenhardt's fast-paced historical series.

Laura's worst fears have been realized: Kindle has been taken into custody, and she is once again on the run. The noose awaits her in New York, but Laura is realizing that there are some things worse than death. Finally running out of places to hide, it may be time for Dr. Catherine Bennett to face her past.

Critic Reviews:

"Melissa Lenhardt has given us an amazing heroine and sent her on a thrilling journey from the teeming streets of New York City to the vast wilderness of the Texas frontier. Dr. Catherine Bennett's adventure will keep you turning pages long into the night!" (Victoria Thompson, best-selling author of Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue)

"You will fall in love with Catherine, as I did, as she struggles to assert herself in a violent and treacherous world, fighting not only prejudice but evil. Melissa Lenhardt's heroine is a passionate, compassionate woman, who must deal with Indians and bounty hunters, fear and injustice - and even love." (Sandra Dallas, New York Times best-selling author)

Members Reviews:

Excellent! Great Ending to a great series!

Do not wonder any longer what your next escape read will be. Make it the entire Sawbones series/ you won't be disappointed! This final offering for the series definitely brings things round to a satisfying conclusion. Remember how much you loved little badass Maddie in True Grit? Well Laura Kindle is the new #feministwestern who is as foul mouthed and smart and tough as Claire Frazier (and stubborn as Maddie), and William Kindle is just as dreamy and man enough to handle it as James Frazier. And the West is as violent as you know is true, while the East must be navigated with as much care as a rattlesnake in your bed blanket. And this narrator is superb (except for the Native and Spanish mispronunciations but there are none in this book). Go for it right now.

Read all 3 Books

Loved the story, and characters however wish last book was not so crude. Great plot!

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Title: The Apothecary Rose

Subtitle: Owen Archer Series, Book 1

Author: Candace Robb

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the year of our Lord 1363, two suspicious deaths in the infirmary of St. Mary's Abbey catch the attention of the powerful John Thoresby, Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York. One victim is a pilgrim, while the second is Thoresby's ne'er-do-well ward, both apparently poisoned by a physic supplied by Master Apothecary Nicholas Wilton. In the wake of these deaths, the archbishop dispatches one-eyed spy Owen Archer to York to find the murderer. Under the guise of a disillusioned soldier keen to make a fresh start, Owen insinuates himself into Wilton's apothecary as an apprentice. But he finds Wilton bedridden, with the shop being run by his lovely, enigmatic young wife, Lucie. As Owen unravels a tangled history of scandal and tragedy, he discovers at its center a desperate, forbidden love twisted over time into obsession. And the woman he has come to love is his prime suspect.

Members Reviews:

Two series for the price of one!

I now have read all the books in this series that are available from Amazon. Book 8 is unavailable and I can't figure out why. I believe a person will enjoy the series if read in order but the books can stand alone. The hero in the series is a bumbling fellow, though hale and hearty and strong and ... well... sheriff-like. Two threads converge and diverge throughout this book and all the others in the series so that the mystery parts and the apothecary parts were both fascinating to me, almost two series for the price of one. But they don't get in the way of one another at all. Most of the characters, good, bad, hopeless, are well drawn. I cannot think of anything that proved to be a waste of my time. Are the books classics, to be treasured for all time? No, probably not, but I read 'em all, didn't I? So they were the perfect sort of mystery for those of use who like the genre and a stuck at home for freaking ever. Are they as good as the Cadfael books? In my opinion, no, but they make for an entertaining, fast read that will hold the attention, and satisfy readers who are looking for a historical mystery. There is plenty of attention to the people of the times, their habits and personalities, and their curious sense of loyalty to their "betters", and defense against their "lessors". Are they torn-bodice tales? Nope, but there is a lot of action as the hero has, um, needs. He's not Detective Carella from the 87th Precinct, but i hope you will give one a try.

An Amusing Bore

I brought this book along on a trip, and the best I can say is that it was easy to fall asleep to.

The writing style mixes out-of-place Americanisms with attempts at archaic English. The story doesn't work well as a mystery, because the action is way too slow, and you already know the villain's identity halfway through. It doesn't work as a novel, because the characters are shallowly written--almost puppets. You don't really care about them. The reader knows that a love affair is coming, but it comes way too late, and lacks the heat and passion that would have given it interest.

Contrast this with Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series, set about 100 years earlier. There, you don't need an author's note--politics and wars in the wider world, weaponry and technology, are part and parcel of each story. The action is fast-paced, the characters fully fleshed-out individuals.

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Title: Darkness

Subtitle: Captain Riley II

Author: Fernando Gamboa, Alex Woodend - translator

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-17

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From European shores to the heart of the African jungle, Captain Riley's Pingarrón embarks on new action-packed adventures.

On their last mission, Captain Riley, his loyal crew, and his girlfriend, Carmen, bravely averted a global disaster. Now, while World War II rages on, they hope that they are on more solid ground working for the US Navy. But when a job goes awry, the team finds itself taking a treacherous journey deep into the Belgian Congo. There, within the jungle, they will come face-to-face with wild animals, cannibals, and dark forces that shroud a decades-old mystery. They defeated the terrifying Operation Apokalypse that nearly destroyed them, but can they survive this?

Members Reviews:

An almost 5 star thriller!

Darkness is Book 2 in the Captain Riley historical thriller series by Spanish author Fernando Gamboa. In this novel Captain Riley and his boat/small ship crew are serving the US government in Africa during the early stages of World War II. In the Belgium Congo they run into a particularly bad cannibal German scientist determined to develop a virus that will kill 80% of humanity. The characters are well developed. Suspense is intense at times. Overall, Darkness is a nicely told tale which I enjoyed. Narration is excellent.

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Title: Violet Vanquishes a Villain

Subtitle: A Victorian San Francisco Novella

Author: M. Louisa Locke

Narrator: Alexandra Haag

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-23-17

Publisher: M. Louisa Locke

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this novella, Annie and Nate Dawson, the amateur sleuths from M. Louisa Locke's cozy Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, are visiting Nate's family at their ranch near San Jose, California. What was supposed to be a pleasant romantic interlude for the two of them, plus a chance for Annie to get to know Nate's family better, turns serious when a crime is uncovered. And, as in Locke's short stories from this series, Annie gets help in resolving the crisis from a very unexpected quarter.

Violet Vanquishes a Villain comes right after Deadly Proof, the fourth book in the series, although it can certainly be listened to as a standalone story.

Members Reviews:

You go girl!

Historic mystery set in the San Francisco area. There's a lot of story and character packed into this novelette (or maybe it's a novella). Violet is young and a new addition to the family. Her intentions are good, but some backfire and others are misunderstood. Violet not only solves the case, but comes to understand and be understood by the family she has just married into.

I love this series

I love this series. The characters have become like friends and family. From Annie's house maid to the cook, and to the tenants who live in her boarding house. In this story Annie and her new Husband are off to visit his family. This trip is actually their honeymoon. Annie's new sister in law, ( who is jealous of Annie) has a serious problem, and Annie and Nate get pulled into the problem. Very good story very good series

LB

I enjoyed reading about Nate's family. This series has been very informative about life in the late 19th century. Ms Locke is one of the few modern mystery writers that write stories without a murder. Her books are reminiscent of Anna Katharine Green in this respect.

Don't miss this series if you like historical mysteries

A delightful series! I was excited to see a new S.F. series. Ms. Locke has delightful charecters and her knowledge of the history of SF in the early 1900's shows. Each book is a snapshot in time, the newspaper business, Chinese immigrants and so on. Always a fun read and quality writing. Please give us more.

So good!

I really enjoyed this novella! It was so nice to get back to Annie being the true middle of the story and seeing a different type of Victorian woman was also nice. It was a good story and I really loved it.

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Title: Dead Ground in Between

Author: Maureen Jennings

Narrator: Roger Clark

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-16-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From Canada's premier author of historical mysteries, Maureen Jennings, comes the haunting fourth novel in the DI Tom Tyler series. Set in Britain during the darkest days of World War II, this is a must-listen for fans of Foyle's War, Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, and wartime dramas.

It's late 1942; the war is still raging and the upcoming Christmas season looks bleak. Detective Inspector Tom Tyler is settling into his placement in Ludlow, Shropshire, a small town jammed with people sent there by the conflict. On the outskirts is an Italian PoW camp and many PoWs work on local farms where manpower is sorely needed. Fraternizing is forbidden but, as Tyler knows only too well, the human heart has a way of crossing boundaries.

Tyler's job is both to keep the peace and to enforce wartime regulations. Magistrate's court is busy. Then a troubled old man goes missing in a winter storm. The next day his body is discovered in a secret hideout supposedly known to very few. It soon becomes clear that a crime has been committed, and there is no shortage of suspects. Tyler senses that the two evacuee children who found the body are not telling the entire truth, but when he goes to question them further, he learns they have taken off from their foster home. It becomes imperative that he find them.

Showcasing her characteristic masterful storytelling and deep empathy for her characters - from the bravest and most blameless to the profoundly troubled - Jennings has created another outstanding novel that is both a mystery and a rich, satisfying listening experience.

Members Reviews:

History and mystery

Roger Clark's mesmerizing narration has kept me waiting for the next Tom Tyler mystery from Maureen Jennings. This book, set in WWII England, did not disappoint. It combines two eras of English history with a romantic turn for the star detective. Clark's sonorous tones and subtle shifts of emphasis to differentiate between characters, including two children and an Italian prisoner of war, produce a professional audio experience about the discovery of old coins. Bravo, and thanks.

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Title: The Lake and the Lost Girl

Author: Jacquelyn Vincenta

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An intricately plotted debut about love, obsession, and the destruction of a family from the inside out.

It's 1999 in White Hill, Michigan, and Lydia Carroll's husband is in love with a dead woman. English Professor Frank Carroll has invested years searching for the lost works of local poet Mary Stone Walker, whose mysterious disappearance in 1939 is only rivaled by the beautiful words she left behind. When Frank's single-minded pursuit for Mary's lost poems puts his family in jeopardy, Lydia throws herself into the mystery, hoping to solve it and bring peace back to her home. But as Lydia begins investigating, her son takes action with a plan of his own. One that will bring the family to a breaking point and change Lydia's destiny forever.

Members Reviews:

Vivid Characters and Compelling Twists

What did you love best about The Lake and the Lost Girl?

This book was really engaging. The characters feel extremly alive and real and the plot will keep you on your toes all the way to the end. You will find yourself caring about the outcome of the small, intimate, cast of characters. I was particularly impressed by the teenage boy character who is drawn in a way that I thought was both accurate and also sensitive. So often teenagers are portrayed in a way that feels really predictable, boring, and ultimately untrue, but Nicolas is not like that at all. He is a fully realized human being, just like the other characters in this book. The writing is also strong. Every few pages or so there was a line that I felt really blew me away. I liked how there were shifting points of view (thought I never found it confusing) in the chapters so I was able to feel like I could really get to know each of the characters.

There were a few important "plot twists" in the second half, or so, of the book and Vincenta really earns them. They don't feel like cheap tricks designed to keep your attention, but natural evolutions of the plot. Although I had not seen them coming at all, after each reveal I found myself thinking, "oh of course!" The final big reveal left me with just a huge grin on my face.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will write carefully and vaguely...when Lydia goes out to the barn and discovers what has become of one of Frank's antiques...the scene is gripping, horrifying, and becomes a total turning point for the book. It's fantastic.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book on audio and, as an avid listener of audiobooks, was also pleased to find that I really liked the reader. She does a great job with this book and really seems to have a strong sense of the characters.

Don't debate any longer! This book is totally worth a read!

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Title: The Sixth Victim

Author: Tessa Harris

Narrator: Fiona Hardingham, Gemma Dawson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-17

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

London's East End, 1888. When darkness falls, terror begins.

The foggy streets of London's Whitechapel district have become a nocturnal hunting ground for Jack the Ripper, and no woman is safe. Flower girl Constance Piper is not immune to dread, but she is more preoccupied with her own strange experiences of late.

Clairvoyants seem to be everywhere these days. In desperation, even Scotland Yard has turned to them to help apprehend the Ripper. Her mother has found comfort in contacting her late father in a séance. But are such powers real? And could Constance really be possessed of second sight? She longs for the wise counsel of her mentor and champion of the poor, Emily Tindall, but the kind missionary has gone missing.

Following the latest grisly discovery, Constance is contacted by a high-born lady of means who fears the victim may be her missing sister. She implores Constance to use her clairvoyance to help solve the crime, which the press is calling "the Whitechapel Mystery", attributing the murder to the Ripper.

As Constance becomes embroiled in intrigue far more sinister than she could have imagined, assistance comes in a startling manner that profoundly challenges her assumptions about the nature of reality. She'll need all the help she can get - because there may be more than one depraved killer out there.

Members Reviews:

The Sixth Victim

Ever since a trip to London, staying in a hotel in Whitechapel and taking a cracking Ripper Tour, I have been a bit fascinated by Jack and his antics so I was more than interested in seeing what this author could do with this book. I am by no means an expert Riperologist but, to me, she has weaved her own story seamlessly into the setting. Incorporating fact (as we know it) with her fiction to produce a pretty good read.

Constance is trying to find her teacher Emily Tindall. She hasn't been seen in time and she is worried. She tries to follow her footsteps, she goes to her church, her place of work and gets fobbed off at every turn. Being only young and of dubious "employment" herself, Constance lucks out at every turn.

We also hear from a doctor, Terence Cutler, who we learn early on also has his own dubious working habits! His wife has also disappeared and, having avoided this situation for a fair while, is forced to confront it when her sister, Pauline, turns up asking after her.

Then a fortuitous meeting between Constance and Pauline has them combining forces to find out what has happened to both Pauline's sister and Miss Tindall. A meeting of minds who, together could get to the bottom of things, as the cases appear linked. Drawn to an unknown body, the sixth victim, that has been found and possibly not attributed to the Ripper, together they investigate.

The narrative is interspersed with Emily telling her own story. Why isn't she able to just tell someone what is happening? What evil is really happening in and around Whitechapel?

I simply devoured this book cover to cover. I got fully immersed in the place, the time, and the story as I devoutly followed all the characters as they tried to get to the truth. As this story merges with the Ripper story, there is quite a bit of gore described but not for shock, it is totally befitting the narrative.

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Title: A Masterly Murder

Subtitle: The Sixth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew

Author: Susanna Gregory

Narrator: David Thorpe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Michaelhouse is in uproar: Kenyngham, the saintly but ageing master, has announced his retirement, and with unseemly haste Runham arranges his own 'election' as his successor. Within days he has dismissed several members of staff, including the redoubtable laundress Agatha, and is making life so unpleasant for the scholars that even Matthew Bartholomew believes his future as physician and teacher at the college is untenable. But Matthew has many patients to divert his attention, and Brother Michael, proctor of the fledgling university, has some suspicious deaths to investigate, although they cannot help but notice that the new master has commissioned a flurry of building work. Then Runham himself is murdered, and, although he is mourned by none, Matthew and Michael know they have to solve the mystery before any more damage is done to their beloved Michaelhouse.

Members Reviews:

Sadly disappointing

On the whole I found this book quite interesting, I had a few chuckles at Michael's sarcastic wit. However, I felt it was far too drawn out, there were far too many corpses- I reckon we could have lost a couple without affecting the story, and then - the final reveal was just silly, out of the blue came the perpetrator of the crimes, no clues - nothing - so we had to have a detailed reason laid out as part of the dialogue. Very clunky!

As a detective story it was very odd as Matthew and Michael just blundered around having intuitive moments - which all turned out to be wrong - so they'd decide on some other helpless sap - only to discover they were wrong again!

Overall it was quite good fun and light to listen to, but a detective story - no!!

disappointing

i found this book disappointing and much longer than necessary. l literally skiooed over an hours narration in one chapter and 45 mins in the next and it made NO difference to the story... hasnt put me off getting the next book but might if that one is the same.

Excellent but small errors.

As always an engrossing and excellently read story. However a couple of small errors I think in use of the words "lynch" and "mugged" which I suspect were yet to come centuries in the future.