The Art of Murder cover art

The Art of Murder

The Village Detectives, Book 1

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The Art of Murder

By: Fiona Walker
Narrated by: Christine Mackie
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About this listen

Welcome to the beautiful English village of Inkbury. Tucked deep in the North Wessex Downs, its only claim to fame is the picturesque riverside that once appeared in a Richard Curtis movie. That is, until the murder…

Former stand-up comic Juno Mulligan has been suffering a serious sense-of-humour failure. Not only has she lost the love of her life, but she’s having to relocate to the (admittedly idyllic) village of Inkbury to watch out for her elderly mother, who she’s genuinely worried might be marrying a wife-killer.

She hopes that her old friend, disgraced-journalist-turned-novelist Phoebe Fredericks can help her crack the case of whether her mother’s perma-tanned, iceberg-smiled, three-times-a-widower fiancé is hiding a murderous past.

But before they have a chance, the local art dealer washes up distinctly dead in the village’s famous river. His lover is in the frame, but Juno and Phoebe suspect that there is a deeper secret… One that relates to Phoebe’s own past and Juno’s present.

Will the unofficial Village Detective Agency solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? In sleepy Inkbury, as they soon discover, living one’s best midlife can be murder.

An utterly gripping cozy crime mystery, from million-copy bestselling Fiona Walker, guaranteed to absolutely delight fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and the Reverend Richard Coles.

©2024 Fiona Walker (P)2024 Boldwood Books Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Village Comedy Detective

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Beautifully read. Sweet little story filled with well drawn and fun characters. Recommended read. 5 stars.

Well written sweet story

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Good story, but the mispronounced words by the narrator were annoying... how difficult is it to check such things!?

Good story occasionally let down by narrator

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I was unsure about reading/listening to this book given that “Freddie” and Felix are one of my favourite book couples and I’ve read Kiss Chase numerous times over the years. I didn’t want to get into this and find that something had gone very wrong between them as it would have broken my heart. Although I’ve read Snap Happy a few times I wasn’t as invested in Juno and Jay. Anyway, spoilers …… I needn’t have worried as although they are no longer loves young dream, and although things are a bit shaky, they are still very much Freddie and Felix.

So onto the actual book. I loved the various characters, some old and some new. Juno was irritating and tbh a bit stupid, but I muddled through because Phoebe is just fab, if a little darker, and Mil is a good addition. The mystery was a little bit convoluted, and at times difficult to follow, and there was a distinct lack of characters who could have been the culprit, such that for me at least it didn’t take much working out as the clues were all there. I think if Ms Walker produces another we need more suspects and perhaps less convolution, but hey what do I know? Never written a book in my life. I will still read or listen to the next, if only to indulge in Phoebe and Felix some more, and for the nostalgia factor alone!

Re the narrator I felt her voice was too old somehow. I know the main characters are in their 50s but the narrator sounded much older. She did however do a good job of the voices and her timing was good.

Overall I very much enjoyed.

Revisit.

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As someone who thinks the 90s was ten years ago and knew the characters way back when, I was excited to listen to this. I now increasingly have to listen to audio instead of reading. Unfortunately for me, this reading didn’t match the book. If i was listening to a cosy drama, the narration would have been perfect but I am sure there was also a comedy in here fighting to get out. Also the narrator’s voice was perfect for Judy and Dennis, not so much for Juno and Phoebe. In conclusion, a thoroughly enjoyable story but would have liked the comedy punched up more.

Fun and nostalgic

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A lovely cosy mystery with a fun story and a nice twist at the end. I'm looking forward to following Juno and Phoebe on their next adventure!

Good characters and nice twist

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This had a slow start but developed into a long, twisting mystery. Not so good was my shouting out to the narrator every time she mispronounced hyperbole! It’s not hyper bowl!!!

Rambling tale with lots of twists

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I really like the mix of unsall characters all getting together to solve a murder. I love juno she is just amazing. I like the twists and turns but I did work it out before the end.

I love juno

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Fiona Walker never disppoints yhough, despite her experience in well-known acting roles, I didn't rate the reader. She was too low-key for me - a little almost monosyllabic. Could we please have someone sparkier next time?

I rated the story...

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I love all Fiona Walkers books. This was a lovely listen, not as many characters as her previous books. Can’t wait for the next one.

A nice diversion to her usual stories

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This is a great story, with a very talented narration. However, the quality of the audio recording is poor, with constant points where background sounds can be heard, or where the narrator pauses for breath. Clearly post production was either rushed, or not applied at all.

Whilst this did not impact the listeners immersion in the story, it did give off a less than professional effect, which is a shame, and makes me question the quality of the work of the publication house.

Great story, but marred by poor audio quality

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