A Most Efficient Murder
Ratings5
Average rating3.9
When a party thrown by the reclusive Lord Unsworth is marred by murder, his loyal secretary, Mr. Quayle, must unravel a web of red-herrings and old family secrets in this "English country house mystery infused with humor, verve, and plenty of surprises." (Kirkus Reviews) "I do not wish to disturb you, your lordship, but there is a body in the garden..." England, 1929. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Earl and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions. And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth's exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit and save the House of Unsworth from scandal and ruin.
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1 primary book#1 in Mr. Quayle Mysteries
Mr. Quayle Mysteries is a 1-book series first released in 2022 with contributions by Anthony Slayton.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – fabulous cover on this one!
This was probably one of the best historical “who-done-its” I have read this year. Fantastically written and well paced. A well-crafted plot full of twists and red herrings. A wonderful time period and setting, and a plethora of intriguing characters. I can't wait to see what these characters get up to in the next book.
ARC Via NetGalley
I know I say this a lot, but I love cozy mysteries. They just offer so much in the way of easy enjoyment while reading. I also love historical fiction, so when the two genres blend together I'm a happy booknerd.
This is my first by this author, I've been saying this a lot this year, and I will definitely read them again. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Lady Constance. The writing flowed well and even though I guessed the whodunnit, it didn't take away from the story as a whole.
If you enjoy cozies, or even want to dip a toe in, grab this one and enjoy. I sincerely appreciate the publisher and Book Sirens for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
3.5 out of 5.0
A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton is the first novel in a new mystery series based on the fictional character Mr. Quayle. Mr. Quayle is a World War I Veteran working as the secretary for an English Earl in the 1920's.
After a young lady is found murdered in the garden of Lord Unsworth's estate Mr. Quayle is assigned to assist the police detectives in the investigation as well as protecting the interests of the estate. As neither party is comfortable with this situation, this allows for some friction as they work together to solve the questions, who was this woman, why was she murdered and by whom.
Overall, the story was fairly standard mystery fare. A good mystery but nothing outstanding or revolutionary.
The narration however was the highlight of this experience. Rafe Beckley does an excellent job in giving each character it's own voice and his tone and pitch was very engaging in tense moments.
I recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in testing the audio format to see if would work for you.
