Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

What are your thoughts on books in this genre on audio? Any recommendations for books and/or narrators?

Davina Porter is an excellent narrator. She does Anne Perry's books on audio. Highly recommend!

I've been listening to Simon Vance reading David Liss' books. Very enjoyable!

I listen to the Amelia Peabody, and Maisie Dobbs series as audiobooks and enjoy them. I reckon because of having watched historical mysteries on tele while doing other things is very similar, I found it to be not a great leap.

Which Amelia Peabody narrator are you listening to, Paisley? Barbara Rosenblat or Susan O'Malley?

Susan O'Malley. I didn't know there was an option with the narrators. heh I do like O'Malley's take on them though.

Paisley wrote: "Susan O'Malley. I didn't know there was an option with the narrators. heh I do like O'Malley's take on them though."

I also listened to the O'Malley version and enjoyed it immensely. I did originally start with Rosenblat's, but she just sounded too old to be Amelia, so I exchanged it for O'Malley (I love Audible!).

D.G., however, loved the Rosenblat narration.

The Internet Archive has some old radio recordings of Hercule Poirot available for download:

Hercule Poirot (US)

I've just started listening to Silence for the Dead ; enjoying it so far.

What audio book site is everyone using? Trying to find a good one

Britney wrote: "What audio book site is everyone using? Trying to find a good one"

I use overdrive - free from my library, but doesn't have everything

Britney wrote: "What audio book site is everyone using? Trying to find a good one"

I also use Overdrive through my library as well as OneClickDigital and HooplaDigital (all via the library).

Sandy wrote: "I use overdrive - free from my library, but doesn't have everything

Hoopla actually has a pretty good selection of historical mystery authors: Simone St. James, Anna Lee Huber, Anne Perry, John Maddox Roberts, Charles Todd and others.

Anna wrote: "Davina Porter is an excellent narrator. She does Anne Perry's books on audio. Highly recommend!"

Davina Porter also does the Sebastian St Cyr series which is excellent as well.

Britney wrote: "What audio book site is everyone using? Trying to find a good one"

I use audible, i've had a membership with them for years now and they're a great site.

Bit hit and miss when it comes to historical mysteries, particularly the more obscure, but I know i've definitely seen Anne Perry, Lindsay Davis and Elizabeth Peters on there. It also has all the of the Phryne Fisher books, which were all excellently narrated as well.

I recently finished listening to Birds of a Feather, read by Kim Hicks. Highly recommend. I'm now listening to Books of a Feather. It's the tenth in the series, but fairly enjoyable. I think I may have started the first one sometime ago (not as an audio) & didn't finish. Anyway, the narrator is good, but I couldn't find who that is without going back to the beginning of the book (I'm reading it from Hoopla).

Patricia wrote: "I'm now listening to Books of a Feather."

According to Amazon, the narrator is Susie Berneis.

Currently listening to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. The narrator is Australian and I really like it.

A new mystery audio book is now on Audible:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-T...

Written by James Philip, this is Book 1 of the Guy Winter Mysteries series.

Winter's War is the first full length Guy Winter mystery. It is set in England in the Second World War at the time of the Battle of Britain and the start of the London Blitz.

August 1940 - Chief Inspector Guy Winter has been Fleet Street's favorite detective for over a decade.

Guy Winter, still mourning the death of his wife in a tragic traffic accident the year before is summoned back to Scotland Yard to hunt for a psychopathic killer who is retracing Jack the Ripper's 52-year-old bloody trail of terror through London's East End.

Evil stalks the London blackout at the height of the Battle of Britain as a madman sets out to sow panic in the streets. But nothing is quite what it seems.

I didn't care for the narration on Maisie Dobbs personally.

I love the Daisy Dahlrymple by Carola Dunn, Sebastian St. Cyr books by CS Harris and the Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch. Anne Perry's books are also excellent on audio.



If you like non-series books with a light paranormal aspect (ghosts) Simone St. James books are excellent on audio. I love the WWI setting.

I get most of mine from the library. I have my own MA library system plus I buy 2 out of state library cards, one to Philadelphia and one to Brooklyn. Both have excellent ebook/audio book selections. I get a lot of cheap audio books through them via the audible upgrade program Kindle has. Many library ebooks come with an option to upgrade to an audiobook for less than $4. The audio doesn't expire like the borrowed Kindle book. It's yours to keep.

That's worked out cheaper for me than an audible subscription.

Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: ".If you like non-series books with a light paranormal aspect (ghosts) Simone St. James books are excellent on audio. I love the WWI setting.
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James"

I'm enjoying listening to her books. She was our - February's Featured Author and I've gotten hooked.

Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: "That's worked out cheaper for me than an audible subscription."

I've changed my Audible subscription to the Listener Light ($9.95 per year for one credit) because I get almost all of my books through the Library and Hoopla.

Winter's Revenge: Guy Winter Mysteries, Book 2 written by James Philip.

The audio book (narrated by me) has just been released on: http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-T...
and http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thr...

Winter's Revenge is the second full length Guy Winter mystery. It is set in England in the Second World War at the time of the Battle of Britain and the beginning of the devastating night Blitz of London in September 1940.

On the ground as the new brutal realities of the war are brought home to every citizen, the Ripper continues his rampage and the last secrets of Guy Winter's life are stripped away. As the bombs fall the mystery man unravels one mystery after another, knowing that sooner rather than later he must confront his deadliest foe.

This time it is not just Guy Winter's life and loyalties that are under the microscope. Under the Luftwaffe's reign of terror the past mistakes of friends and enemies alike suddenly come home to roost, but Guy Winter never stops hunting his man.

While not truly historical fiction (they were written concurrent to the setting), the Nero Wolfe books read by Michael Prichard are excellent. I have listened to many of them on family car trips and everyone enjoyed them. Michael Prichard really brings the characters alive.

No worries, Lynn.
For the purposes of the group, we classify a historical mystery as any book that takes place at least 50 years in the past and this includes books set within the author's lifetime. So Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle are considered historical mysteries.

I just learned that books 4 and 5 in the Lady Emily series are not out on audio even though all the earlier and later books are. Very disappointing :(

I'm listening to two historical mysteries right now. In my car--As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust ; & while walking, cooking, etc.-- Ode to a Banker

I really like the Wrexford & Sloane series as audiobooks: Murder on Black Swan Lane.

I love Tracy Grant's Rannoch series on Audible. The reader really captures the characters.

Kimberly wrote: "I love Tracy Grant's Rannoch series on Audible. The reader really captures the characters."

Thanks, Kim! I thought Derek Perkins did an amazing job. For the longest time I was afraid to listen to them, and then when I did I was amazed at how close they were to my vision of how the characters should sound.

Katherine Kelgren is a great narrator for The Royal Spyness series. Sadly she passed away I believe last year. I use Audible most of the time and Overdrive audio occasionally. I recently listened to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek that is narrated by Katie Schorr. That book is so good!

Just finished listening to the most recent Veronica Speedwell mystery narrated by Angèle Masters. She does an amazing job distinguishing male and female voices as well as social classes.

I'm going to add that Jayne Entwhistle does a terrific job narrating the Flavia de Luce series: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

I second Entwhistle as Flavia. Excellent Fun series; excellent narration.

Kristin wrote: "Katherine Kelgren is a great narrator for The Royal Spyness series. Sadly she passed away I believe last year. I use Audible most of the time and Overdrive audio occasionally. I recently listened t..."

Just seeing this post and am majorly bummed. It's always sad to hear of a death, but I use the Royal Spyness series on audio as a refreshing break between more serious novels. I will very much miss Katherine Kelgren's narration.

I started listening to Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery a couple days ago and am really enjoying the narrator Fenella Woolgar. She does a tremendous job with voices and makes it fun to listen to.

I'm re-listening to the first Flavia Albia mystery The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis. Pretty good story, but I think it would help to read the Falco series first.

I gave up on the Flavia Albia series after book 4, really feeling the comparison to the Falco series. I recently got book 7 for £1 on Amazon and then an ARC of book 8 from Netgalley, so I’m planning to start the Flavia series again from the beginning.

I am reading the last Falco and missing him already. I intend to continue with his adopted daughter.

I noticed that the first in my my all time favourite historical mystery series is in the 2 for 1 sale on audible this week.
Speaks the Nightbird as well as being phenomenal to read is also very well narrated. Highly recommended!

Listening to Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile read expertly by Kenneth Brannaugh.

I just finished listening to To Shield the Queen & enjoyed it.

Amazon is having a site wide member sale, so if you are one might want to consider some items?

Lauren wrote: "I just learned that books 4 and 5 in the Lady Emily series are not out on audio even though all the earlier and later books are. Very disappointing :("

I am a late convert to audio books - tended to go for these only when the print versions and e-books are not available. I just finished my first audio book! - Lady Emily #2 A Poisoned Season on Scribd (which incidentally has a pretty good range of historical mysteries - at least for a beginner). Liked it more than I thought I would. And you are right #3 and #4 are not available on audio :-(

Ruhani wrote: "Scribd (which incidentally has a pretty good range of historical mysteries - at least for a beginner)."

Scribd has an amazing audiobook collection. I usually listen to 3-4 books a month and it is well worth the money to get a subscription.

Currently listening to the Daisy Dalrymple series on Audible Plus. It's light and fun.

Started the first in a trilogy: The Strangler Vine. Awesome audio narration is definitely enhancing material I might not be able to get into in print!

Davina Porter is among my favorite narrators. No surprise then that I'm really liking her reading the first in a four-book Edwardian series: Snobbery With Violence.

The Daisy Dalrymple series is narrated by three different narrators. While I enjoyed the first three narrated by Bernadette Dunne, books 4-7 are narrated by Mia Chariamonte, who is (I am sorry to say( simply awful. She mispronounces so many words to the extent that the meaning is changed. I had to ditch the audio and switch to the ebook for Dead in the Water and I will definitely be reading book 7 not listening.
The hope the next narrator, Lucy Rayner, is better.