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A Better Quality of Murder
- Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy, Maggie Mash
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
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Publisher's Summary
London, 1867. As Inspector Ben Ross of Scotland Yard walks homeward one Saturday night, the fog that swirls around him is like a living beast. After it has lifted a woman lies murdered in Green Park. Allegra Benedict was the beautiful Italian wife of an art dealer. As Ben begins his investigation, his wife Lizzie looks into Allegra's private life and uncovers more than one reason why someone might want her dead...
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What listeners say about A Better Quality of Murder
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- connie
- 02-04-12
didn't feel the fog
This has similar pacing and plot to an Anne Perry Victorian mystery, but I did not find the characters or historical detail as engaging. Both narrators usually do better work. With so many excellent Victorian mysteries available, it's hard to recommend this one. However, if like me, you download even the weaker Anne Perry's for relaxation easy listens, this at least was a PG rated tale with a few twists, if mostly pedestrian and unremarkable. This is weak in atmosphere, too - in a good Victorian London murder, you can "feel the fog," even if you're not looking for an edge-of-set-thriller.
The first in the series, A Mortal Curiorsity, is on Audible at a better price but not yet tagged as the series. That might be a better place to start.
Granger is better in moden day settings.
11 people found this helpful
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- Delah
- 03-30-12
Enjoyed it very much
I enjoy this type of lighthearted mystery. It's not all blood and guts or deep, dark and depressing. The characters are well defined. Both narrators were excellent. I was kept guessing to the end and surprised at the one that "dunnit". I recommend this audiobook. I understand there is a "prequel" to this book called "A Mortal Curiosity". I didn't know about it before this one but I plan to listen to it.
3 people found this helpful
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- C. Johnson
- 11-07-13
Good story, except for Perry Mason confessions...
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. It is a good story by one of my early favorite authors. Narration is very good.
Who was your favorite character and why?
No real stand-out. Each character was developed fairly well.
What does Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I enjoyed the narration; however, the voice of "Bessie" was a bit child-like.
Any additional comments?
Funny, but the mention of Aunt Perry made be think of Anne Perry and her Inspector Pitt novels, which follow a similar husband-cop, wife-sleuthing helper model.
2 people found this helpful
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- DartmoorDiva
- 07-18-15
Reasonable story ruined by one of the readers
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Choosing a different female reader
Who was your favorite character and why?
Didn't have one, too distracted.
What didn’t you like about Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash ’s performance?
They had clearly had no guidance and/or heard each other's reading. The character Bessie, the maid, has a normal sparky cockney sparrow tone when voiced by Laurence Kennedy, but she became a slow-witted idiot when read by Maggie Mash. This made following and enjoying the story impossible. Almost all Maggie Mash's characters were very badly handled, complete ly OTT. Very annoying.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Annoyance.
Any additional comments?
Re-record it, or stop selling it!
9 people found this helpful
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- Bob
- 01-27-14
Laboured performance by narrators!
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I have enjoyed the listening but may think twice about having another book with the same narrators
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Better Quality of Murder?
I like the concept of the two narrators, husband and wife in this case, I just wish they had communicated with each other at the speed of a normal ocnversation
What didn’t you like about Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash ’s performance?
I listen to books while driving; when this book was on I had a desire to use my right foot to try to hurry it along. I thought the storyline a good one but the narration was so laboured that at times it really irritated. It is as if in 19th century Britain, everyone spoke at half the speed they do today.
Was A Better Quality of Murder worth the listening time?
Yes, but only just.
4 people found this helpful
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- Mrs W.
- 03-22-18
Think twice!
I love Ann Granger books, but the performance of this one was simply so over acted and overplayed that it became ridiculous and silly. This particular series is not for me, sadly - but adore Campbell and Carter and Michell/Markham books- have them all. This one was disappointing!
2 people found this helpful
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- Exidia
- 09-26-14
A good yarn, entertaining to the last
What did you like best about this story?
It was an interesting plot, set in Victorian London and well researched so there were no jarring notes, apart from the author's belief that English women hyphenate their maiden and married names the way Americans seem to - we don't.
Have you listened to any of Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash ’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No - but their performances were good and listenable.
Any additional comments?
It's not great literature, but it's a great page-turner which made me choose activities so I could listen to the story!!
2 people found this helpful
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- Leo
- 08-12-14
Submerged in historic bliss
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I recommend this book if you like a gentle mystery but beautifully written and narrated - for a time gone by.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I like both the lead characters particularly made more interesting by the switch in narrators.
What about Laurence Kennedy and Maggie Mash ’s performance did you like?
I particularly like Maggie Mash's portrayal of their maid.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I broke this book down into several sittings but it was like walking about with a friend.
Any additional comments?
I have not been disappointed by any of the books from this series and am looking forward to the next.
2 people found this helpful
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- ndg
- 05-14-21
Old fashioned “who dunit”
The story was ok but found the narration very laboured and had to speed it up on the app. Ok as a sale book but doesn’t set the mind working or the pulse racing.
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- Stewart Webb
- 02-15-21
Good Book
I enjoyed this book. And in fact all this series. Don't get the other reviews decrying the narrators. I think they are very good and evoke the Victorian era very well. The story does occasionally get stuck with long descriptions. But not that much. Many people moan about abridged versions of books. I they are fine and get on with just the relevant part a story. But returning to this one. I would say give it a go.
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- anruaig
- 02-08-21
Excellent narrators
A great story brought to life vividly by the two excellent narrators. Interesting final few lines.
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- Helly
- 06-12-20
Love this series
Love this series, satisfying story and narrated really well. Seems a shame they don’t have books 1 and 2 on audible
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- The Curator
- 11-27-19
Perfectly good
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really enthralled but it’s a decently written and plotted book and I’m sure it’ll be many people’s cup of tea more than mine.