Listen to Popular Titles Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Deadly Wedding

Subtitle: The Deadly Series Series, Book 2

Author: Kate Parker

Narrator: Henrietta Meire

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Olivia Denis is hesitant to help an old family friend get ready for her wedding outside London. The so-called friend is a master at using people. As a young widow trying to find her way through a new romantic relationship, Olivia would rather avoid the large party.

She definitely didn't plan to find the bride's grandfather stabbed to death. The cruel, enormously rich aristocrat had changed his will only the day before, angering all his children.

But as Olivia is forced to investigate the murder, she's called away by her employer, the owner of an influential London daily newspaper. She must carry out another secret assignment, one that will take her to Vienna, now part of Nazi Germany.

With war on the horizon and attacks on the old man's family increasing, can Olivia find a way to save lives in two countries?

Members Reviews:

Loved it and Hated it!

I loved it and hated it. Beautiful, sad and fabulous! Beautifully written characters, plot and setting. The lives were so real and at times sad, yet the love and hope keeps it from being maudlin. I had to get the audio because I'd gotten halfway through the book and was overwhelmed with several projects. I loved the audiobook! Henrietta Meire brings Olivia and the horrors of pre-WWII to life. I'm so excited for this series.

Most Surprised!

This second book in the Deadly series was very well written. There were a multitude of characters and the narrator did a brilliant job at bringing them all to life. The mystery was intriguing and I was shocked by the reveal. Overall, this book was enjoyable and I look forward to the next adventure with Olivia.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: See Delphi and Die

Subtitle: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery

Author: Lindsey Davis

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-17

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's AD 76, during the reign of Vespasian, and Marcus Didius Falco has achieved much in his life. He's joined the equestrian rank, allowing him to marry Helena Justina, the woman he's been keeping time with the past few years. But that doesn't mean all is quiet for Falco, Helena, and their two young daughters.

By trade he is an informer, a man who looks into sticky situations, and he's been hired to pry his errant brother-in-law away from a murder investigation. Which means Falco himself must take it on. To investigate the suspicious goings-on and the shady dealings of a fly-by-night travel agency connected to the case, Falco and his wife, Helena, travel to Olympia in Greece under the guise of being tourists interested in the classic sites. With two people already missing from the packaged tour, things only get stickier when two more - including Falco's brother-in-law - disappear in what is Falco's most complex and dangerous case yet.

Members Reviews:

I really liked hearing about the fiddles with the temples and oracles though.

This was an interesting look at several of the wonders of the world as our friends travel through Greece with several objectives. The resolution of the bad guy was unsatisfying, but I liked the friends we met new and old. Nothing too exciting happened in the personal stories. I really liked hearing about the fiddles with the temples and oracles though.

One of the Better Falco Stories

See Delphi and Die is one of the better books in the Falco series of stories. I found it to be an enjoyable read and interesting, even though it poked fun at the tourist industry throughout its chapters. In this book Falco and Helena head off to Greece with two tasks in hand; one to corral Helena's brother Aulus and get him to university in Athen's and two to find a murderer. Falco takes with him Albia, and his nephews Gaius and Cornelius and a bodyguard in the form of Galucus Jr, the son of Falco's trainer. It is interesting to meet these people and to see them interrelating with Falco. It is also interesting to see the ongoing development of Albia as a character, especially since most loyal readers of Falco knows that Albia takes over the family business in her own series of books.

What I liked the most about this book was the fact that Falco came across strong and reasonably confident. In previous books I spent more time sympathising with Falco as he is maligned by his family and friends than enjoying the story. This time things were different.

Overall it is a good read and I recommend it to anyone following the series.

P.I. Falco Investigates Murder in Romanized Greece

In this 17th Falco book, Rome's private informer Marcus Didius Falco goes to Greece with wife and family members to investigate the death of a young wife. In the process, he experiences life in ancient Romanized Greece , viewed through his sense of humor, including the scams perpetrated by oracles. The trail is cold and it is dangerous. The suspect list narrows to the members of the travel group the girl and her husband were with. Again, incredible wealth of detail and a firm sense of street life sets Lindsey Davis' work apart and makes for a convincing view of what life in the Roman Empire must've been alike. Great stuff, good mystery.

Great Story! Terrible typos!

I love reading Falco and Helena.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Rowanwood Curse

Subtitle: Hal Bishop Mysteries, Book 1

Author: Elizabeth O'Connell

Narrator: Richard Nicholls

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-17

Publisher: Elizabeth O'Connell

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

After his father's death, Jem Bishop has joined his brother Hal's magical practice as his apprentice. The practice seems to consist of nothing but dull probate work, until the brothers are called in by wealthy industrialist Sir Jasper Pryce to break a curse on his daughter.

Once the brothers arrive at Sir Jasper's residence, however, it becomes clear that there is more than one curse at work at Rowanwood, and Sir Jasper is keeping secrets. When Jem is caught up in the dark magic, he and Hal must race against time to save more than one life.

Members Reviews:

Rowanwood Curse: Hal Bishop Mystery 1

Excellent read. I enjoyed the Bishop brothers Hal and Jem as they worked to solve this mystery. I look forward to the next book. Richard Nicholls' excellent and well accented reading also added to the enjoyment.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Bone of Contention

Subtitle: The Third Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle

Author: Susanna Gregory

Narrator: David Thorpe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-17

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Cambridge in 1352 is rife with terrible clashes between the fledgling university and the townspeople. Matthew Bartholomew, physician and teacher at Michaelhouse College, is trying to keep the peace when a student is murdered and the town plunges into chaos. At the same time, a skeleton is discovered that is rumoured to belong to a local martyr, and Bartholomew has his hands full investigating both deaths while the rioting intensifies....

Members Reviews:

Fantastic narration

Where does A Bone of Contention rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I have previoulsy read these books and audio gives me an added pleasure

Who was your favorite character and why?

Matthew Bartholomew. He is the main character who explains the often convoluted story line very clearly.

Have you listened to any of David Thorpes other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes. David Thorpe is brilliant in bringing these medieval characters to life. His regional accents add humour and pathos to them. His narration is superb.

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

It involved me intellectually and made me smile.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend this series.

Brilliant

This was my first listen to Susannah Gregory, and I'm pleased to note there are many more on audible. Brilliantly read, and a darned good yarn.

Narrator spoils the characters

I know it's subjective but the way the narrator portrays the characters is far from the descriptions in the text. For example Brother Michael is described as having an appreciation of the ladies and to be able to hold his own in a fight but he is given a totally contrary voice.

can get a bit complicated

i enjoy these storys and find the narrator very good but be warned they are better read in order and tend to have to many characters so can get confusing if not paying attention. if you lkkr to listen while dojng other things these may not be the books for you.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Lost Brother

Subtitle: A Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mystery, Book 6

Author: Sarah Woodbury

Narrator: Laurel Schroeder

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-17

Publisher: Sarah Woodbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

November 1146. Gwynedd is at war with Ranulf, Earl of Chester, who seeks to gain a foothold in Wales against the day peace finally comes to England. On the eve of King Owain's counter-assault on Mold Castle, the body of a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Gwen is discovered buried in someone else's grave. Even in the midst of war, murder must be investigated, and it falls to Gareth and Gwen to bring the guilty to justice.

When their investigation uncovers not only another body, but also treason at the highest levels of King Owain's court, Gareth and Gwen must come to terms with unprecedented treachery - and a villain whose crimes can never be forgiven.

Members Reviews:

No Genuine Spoilers

I have read the entire series to this point and I will certainly continue on. The mysteries are terrific - the whole idea of how to solve a murder in the 12th century. Garett & Gwen are 12th century Wales's version of CSI. This is akin to Michael Jecks Templar books, set several decades later, if I remember correctly, in England. The characters are well crafted, such that the loss of one left me sobbing, although I am an easy touch on that score. The reader really learns to care about these people. As much as possible, the history is accurate as well, which is fascinating to me. I know English history very well, given my college major of English literature (you can't understand Milton, Shakespeare, Donne, etc., if you don't know the history and the times). However, I know very little about Wales. For example, I never knew that old Welsh law gave illegitimate sons the same rights of inheritance as legitimate sons, if they were acknowledged by their father. In addition, women had more rights as well. Anyway, the reader gets to learn these type of trivia, but not in a pedantic or unnatural way. It is all woven into the story. I am binge reading, so I have to go read the next book, but I heartily recommend this series.

Another Winner from Sarah Woodbury

Sarah Woodbury's Gareth and Gwen mystery series is well written and as good a murder mystery as any set in modern times. Maybe more so, since the methods of detection are limited by the science, or lack of it, available in the time period the stories are set in. Since I have zero knowledge about the 11th century in general and Wales in particular I greatly enjoy learning a little about the history though these absorbing fictional stories. This particular book, The Lost Brother, has twists, turns, and intrigue as Gareth and Gwen are once more tasked with getting to the bottom of a puzzling crime. The ending is a show stopper, a twist neither expected or anticipated.

Another great adventure

Sara Woodbury creates characters that feel like real friends. Their adventures are fascinating and unfortunately this time heartbreaking. Due to her books I actually look up the parts of history she writes about. I want to see the people and places I'm reading about.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected

Subtitle: Mrs. Jeffries Series, Book 9

Author: Emily Brightwell

Narrator: Lindy Nettleton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-21-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When a local publican is murdered, Inspector Witherspoon takes Mrs. Jeffries' advice to heart. He is going to trust his own instincts - but that keeps Mrs. Jeffries in the dark. She must rouse the household staff to action and hope the Inspector doesn't arrest the wrong person before they can solve the crime.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed all ...

Enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed all the others in the Mrs. Jeffries series! They are very entertaining and haven't disappointed. Sometimes you can guess who the murderer is but not how they did it- and sometimes you can't "finger" him/her!!!

It's great I can get this through Kindle

This book was way out of my price range. It's great I can get this through Kindle.

Victorian mystery

These books have a similarity to each other, but they are such nice stories that I still enjoy them. They are exactly what a British mystery cosy should be. Amazing that an American can write them. At least I think I read that Emily Bightwell is an American.

I truly enjoy Emily Brightwell's novels

I truly enjoy Emily Brightwell's novels. I find them good and rlaxing reading. They hold my attention, but can be laid aside when necessary.

This is a fun series! I am reading it for the second ...

This is a fun series! I am reading it for the second time!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Night Ocean

Author: Paul La Farge

Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-07-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 58 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From the award-winning author and New Yorker contributor, a riveting novel about secrets and scandals, psychiatry and pulp fiction, inspired by the lives of H. P. Lovecraft and his circle.

Marina Willett, MD, has a problem. Her husband, Charlie, has become obsessed with H. P. Lovecraft, in particular with one episode in the legendary horror writer's life: In the summer of 1934, the "old gent" lived for two months with a gay teenage fan named Robert Barlow, at Barlow's family home in central Florida. What were the two of them up to? Were they friends - or something more? Just when Charlie thinks he's solved the puzzle, a new scandal erupts, and he disappears. The police say it's suicide. Marina is a psychiatrist, and she doesn't believe them.

A tour-de-force of storytelling, The Night Ocean follows the lives of some extraordinary people: Lovecraft, the most influential American horror writer of the 20th century, whose stories continue to win new acolytes, even as his racist views provoke new critics; Barlow, a seminal scholar of Mexican culture who killed himself after being blackmailed for his homosexuality (and who collaborated with Lovecraft on the beautiful story "The Night Ocean"); his student, future Beat writer William S. Burroughs; and L. C. Spinks, a kindly Canadian appliance salesman and science-fiction fan - the only person who knows the origins of The Erotonomicon, purported to be the intimate diary of Lovecraft himself.

As a heartbroken Marina follows her missing husband's trail in an attempt to learn the truth, the novel moves across the decades and along the length of the continent, from a remote Ontario town, through New York and Florida to Mexico City. The Night Ocean is about love and deception - about the way that stories earn our trust, and betray it.

Members Reviews:

Dead Cthulhu Still Lies Asleep

For a novel claiming to be about Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos there's scarcely little information about this author or his work. There is the standard Lovecraft bio in the beginning, but this is a missing persons story that gets side tracked by focusing on authors associated with the rise of pulp horror and who were tangentially connected with Lovecraft. Informative as this book might be about the doings of these writers, in the end all we have are fictionalized renditions of their thoughts and interactions. There is precious little insight as to how they invented their worlds. There are a couple of plot twists , but don't expect Cthulhu and his minions to make an appearance.

Frustratingly Uneven Due to Clumsy Plot Structure

A book that tries, mostly unsuccessfully, to layer together several stories and "books within books." It's a frustrating read, compounded by the realization at the end that it could have been good.

The first stumble is the worst, making for an awful setup: The two main characters are barely named and not established at all before we inexplicably jump into a very long excerpt of an old book. The result is that you don't know or care about the two main characters and you don't understand why there's an interminable digression into this "other text." Yet that other text and how the two main characters respond to it are what the whole plot hinges on.

Later, those characters are suitably drawn in, but only after that bungled start.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Bartholomew Fair

Subtitle: The Chronicles of Christoval Alvarez, Book 4

Author: Ann Swinfen

Narrator: Jan Cramer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 02-28-17

Publisher: Ann Swinfen

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When Bartholomew Fair, London's largest public festival, is threatened in 1589 by 500 armed soldiers dismissed from service without pay, the authorities act swiftly and decisively to prevent trouble. Yet other trouble is brewing. Young physician and code-breaker Christoval Alvarez stumbles upon a sinister troupe of Italian puppeteers bent on making mischief, but it soon becomes apparent that more than mischief is in the air. Sir Francis Walsingham's agents are baffled by the ill-assorted conspirators, including one of their own men. Time is running out, and a missing cache of gunpowder cannot be found.

Members Reviews:

As good as any in the series

If you are reading this, chances are you have read the earlier installments of this series. If you haven't, go start at the beginning.

I personally loved the first two books, but found the suffering of the Portuguese invasion too hard to get through. This book starts off with that misery, but returns to a more bareable story line. I did enjoy the book and fully intend to read the next one as well.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, at least a half-dozen events and circumstances provide all the conflict and opportunities that young physician and spy Christoval Alvarez needs to entertain us yet once more. Swinfenâs skills in characterization and narrative pace are evident and as pleasing as ever. We learn some of young Kitâs back-story before the family fled the Inquisition that drove them out of their native Portugal and on to England when Kit was only 12. This is the fourth of The Chronicles of Christoval Alvarez.

An excellent series of the Elizabethan era.

I needed a book fix while I waited for my many favorite authors to publish. Based on the reviews, I gave this author a shot and was glad I did. Ms Swinfen does an excellent job writing about the Elizabethan era from the perspective of a Jewish Portuguese survivor of the Spanish Inquisition. Never dull, nicely paced and wonderful characters, I bought all of her books in this series after reading the first one. Strongly suggest you read them in order. Highly recommend this series.

Not Your Average Ren Faire

A good Christoval Alvarez story, showing the real origins of what Rennies like to attempt to re-create in their Ren Faires. Now that I have read all as of 2017, I worry that the author may not continue the series...

Gripping

Recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well plotted story with ample period details. Excellent mix of fictional and real life characters.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Accusers

Subtitle: The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book 15

Author: Lindsey Davis

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-17

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 30 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This novel in the acclaimed Marcus Didius Falco series finds the first-century detective confronting Roman legal forces that may just destroy him - and his family.

Fresh from a trip to far-flung Londinium in Britain, Falco needs to reestablish his presence in Rome. A minor role in the trial of a senator entangles him in the machinations of two powerful lawyers. The senator is convicted but then dies, apparently by suicide. It may have been a legal move to protect his heirs; Falco is hired to prove it was murder.

As he shows off his talents in the role of advocate, Falco exposes himself to a tangle of upper-class secrets and powerful elements in Rome's legal hierarchy that may have unintended - if not fatal - consequences.

Members Reviews:

What on Earth? Pick a Narrator, please!

Where does The Accusers rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Love the Falco series, not one of the best but remains enjoyable

How could the performance have been better?

Sweet Lord Jesus, this is only the second time I've had to put an audiobook away due to the narration. There are two narrators and the editor just spliced their performance together at random. Either would be ok, but switching back and forth is jarring. A ridiculous way to destroy an otherwise acceptable book.

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

No, narration kept me from finishing in fact.

Any additional comments?

Buy and read the book, this audio isn't worth your time or money due to the multiple narrators.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Defending the Dead

Subtitle: Relatively Dead Mysteries, Book 3

Author: Sheila Connolly

Narrator: Emily Durante

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-25-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 49 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Abby Kimball has slowly accepted her recently discovered ability to see the dead, but none of the harmless sightings she's experienced could have prepared her for the startling apparition of a centuries-old courtroom scene - where she locks eyes with a wicked and gleeful accuser. Thrown back more than 300 years, Abby realizes she's been plunged into a mystery that has fascinated people throughout American history: the Salem witch trials.

With her boyfriend Ned at her side, Abby digs into the history of the events, researching the people and possible causes of that terrible time and her own connection to them-all the while going more deeply into her connection to Ned, both extraordinary and romantic.

As Abby witnesses more fragments from the events in Salem and struggles with the question of how such a nightmare could have come about, she's suddenly confronted with a pressing personal question: Were one or more of her ancestors among the accused? Unraveling the puzzling clues behind that question just might give Abby and Ned the answer to a very modern mystery of their own.

Members Reviews:

I'm done

I bought this book because I like this author and her other books. However, this is where I get off, with this series. I'm tired of Abbey's monologues and suppositions. I'm also tired of her trying to "solve" something that just is. Her actions are no longer realistic and I'm not going further with this series.