Category: Audiobook

Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Gothic Historical, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone TitleLeave a comment

Midnight on the River GreyBarbara’s rating: 3.6 of 5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: 7/1/19
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: Audiobook (10 Hours) – Narrator Laura Kirman

Rebecca Hunter and her brother Jacob became wards of Mr. Lewis Browning upon their father’s death. For me, the time between the death of their father and the start of this book is ambiguous and I’m left with questions. For instance – was Browning just an unconcerned, uninvolved guardian? I wonder because Rebecca was living with an aunt in their old townhome, which seems a good choice, but – it seems her brother was running wild. While I wondered about that first period, things went well once the actual story starts.

Jacob got himself ‘into a spot of bother’ and left London to live at their guardian’s estate, Greybourne Hall. When, after several months, Jacob dies, rumors of murder abound among the villagers. Who do they blame? Lewis Browning was on the bridge that night, and his memory of the events is foggy. As the closest male relative, Lewis inherits all the entailed properties and quickly summons Rebecca from London to Greybourne Hall saying he’s selling their townhouse. Unhappily, Rebecca and her aunt arrive at the Hall – with Rebecca determined to discover Lewis’s guilt and see him brought to justice.

Strange things are happening at Greybourne Hall. There are strange, mysterious people who seem to wander into the Hall – and then, there is the strange, lone, masked rider that can be seen in the late, misty, hours of the night. You’ll wonder who is good and who is not. You’ll wonder what is going on with all of the strange and mysterious people and night rides. If you read a lot of mysteries, you’ll soon realize the answer to one of your questions. That isn’t a problem because then you’ll be reading to find out if you are right – and to find the rest of the answers.

I enjoyed the read, but I have to tell you, I found Rebecca almost TSTL. She did the riskiest things – things that would not only cause harm to herself but would/could put others at risk as well. Her reasons for doing the things she does are some of the most convoluted I’ve seen. To this reader, being strong and independent also includes being savvy and making intelligent, well-thought-out decisions. Rebecca fell far short in that department. She didn’t seem to have any impulse control at all.

I listened to the audio version and generally enjoyed the narrator. Her voice is mellow and well-modulated, and her delivery of most of the female voices is good. Her male voices leave something to be desired. The way she makes male voices is to make them more guttural and to slow them so they seem to be the English version of a Southern drawl.

I enjoyed the read and can recommend it. If you choose to read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #1)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Saffron Everleigh #1
Publication Date: 6/7/22
Period: George V / Interwar Period (London)
Number of Pages: Audiobook – Narrator Jodie Harris

Woohoo! I think I have discovered a new must-read historical mystery author. This is her debut novel and I can honestly say it is better written, better plotted, and has character development that is right up there with the stars of this genre. I can’t believe I almost passed it by because the period is a bit later than I normally prefer. Whew! So glad I didn’t. Being a romantic at heart, I must have a romance in my historical mysteries – either a married couple or engaged couple, etc. – and this book appears to hint that will be the case in this series. However, that said, the next book is featuring a different male lead and I’m anxious to see where that might go.

Saffron Everleigh has worked hard to be where she is and she has to fight every day to stay. Not only does she have to do her job twice as well, but she has to constantly contend with snide remarks, sexual harassment, and rumors. Mostly she can ignore it because her boss and mentor, Dr. Maxwell, has always been her champion. He encourages her to stay the course, not be discouraged, and not let the good-old-boys win. What would she do without him? Unfortunately, when he is arrested for attempted murder, she might have to find out. She knows he isn’t guilty and is determined to find out who is and clear him.

I love that there are a lot of red herrings and a plethora of suspects. All of those suspects have credible reasons for wanting to commit murder and you’ll just have to work through the plot with the author to find out who the culprit is. Is it – Dr. Lawrence Henry? Or Eris Ermine? Or Harry Snyder? Or Dr. Berking? Or Richard Blake? Or Alexander Ashton? Or could it be that Dr. Maxwell is the guilty party? Oh! My goodness, Saffron has her hands full with this one.

She drags Alexander Ashton into the investigation even though she’s not sure she can trust him. There are so many plots-within-plots and undercurrents and rivalries at the university, they may never unravel it all. As they draw nearer and nearer to the solution, both Saffron and Alexander find themselves in a mortally dangerous situation. Can they thwart the villains and live to tell about it? You’ll just have to read this fast-paced, exciting novel to find out.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the narration. Jodie Harris’s voice is smooth and pleasant, her delivery is nicely paced with appropriately delivered emotions. She does a credible job with the male voices, but, if you were listening to a conversation in real life, you’d quickly identify those voices as female. However, in the world of audio and stories, it works just fine.

I liked the way the author chose not to make the police seem like bumbling incompetents as is so often the case. They did jump the gun in arresting Dr. Maxwell, but they were continuing to investigate rather than just looking for reasons he’s guilty. I like Alexander Ashton as the ‘hero’ in the series because we came to see his flaws and how he is managing to cope with them. Then, he is supportive of Saffron, but very worried about her recklessness as well. Yes, Saffron can be reckless and has some TSTL moments. I will look forward to her becoming more circumspect in her actions in future books. If Ashton isn’t to be the ongoing romantic lead, I hope that role will be quickly settled because I do not enjoy the romantic lead changing from book to book.

I can recommend this excellently written and well-plotted historical mystery. I’m already breathlessly awaiting the next installment in the series – A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality.

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