For Deader or Worse

John Pickett Mysteries, Book 6

De: Sheri Cobb South

Narrado por: Joel Froomkin

After a modest wedding ceremony, Bow Street Runner John Pickett and his bride, Julia, the former Lady Fieldhurst, set out for a wedding trip to Somersetshire, where Pickett must face his greatest challenge yet: meeting his in-laws.

Sir Thaddeus and Lady Runyon are shocked at their daughter’s hasty remarriage - and appalled by her choice of a second husband. Pickett, for his part, is surprised to learn that Julia once had an elder sister: Claudia, Lady Buckleigh, disappeared 13 years earlier, leaving no trace beyond a blood-soaked shawl.

When Sir Thaddeus confides that his wife is convinced Claudia’s spirit now haunts her childhood home, Pickett sees a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Julia’s family. He agrees to investigate and, hopefully, lay the Runyon "ghost", whoever - or whatever - it is. Matters take a grisly turn when Sir Thaddeus' groom is discovered with his throat slit.

The timing could hardly be worse, for the whole village is aflutter with the news that Lord Buckleigh has brought home a new bride just when Major James Pennington, the vicar’s son who was Claudia’s childhood sweetheart, has returned on leave from war in the Peninsula. The major was apparently the last person to see Claudia alive, and Pickett is convinced he knows more about her disappearance than he’s telling. Suddenly, it seems the distant past is not so distant, after all. It may not even be past....

©2017 Sheri Cobb South (P)2018 Sheri Cobb South

More Romance and Mystery!

I really love this series! After waiting 5 books, John Pickett and Lady Fieldhurst finally marry for real! Now John finds his biggest challenge yet - meeting the in-laws! And they are not very happy about the marriage. We also learn that Julia had an older sister, who died 13 years ago, or did she? Lady Runyon believes Claudia's ghost haunts their house. Pickett agrees to investigate, then comes upon Sir Thaddeus' groom with his throat slit!

Another murder, a mysterious prescence and in-laws who think John is beneath their beloved daughter get John thinking about how he can't afford to keep Julia's living standards on his wages. More doubt about their relationship does not help a murder investigation!

Once again, Sheri Cobb South breaths life into this pair and the crazy people who surround them. Add Joel Froomkin in, and you've got a mini-movie in your head as Froomkin does all of the voices and magically brings these memorable characters back to us once again.

More please!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The honeymoon is over

It's been ages since I've really read historical romances, well I did read one a couple of weeks back, but before that it's been years and years. This book tells me I should pick them up more often because I have been missing out.

John Pickett and Julia are on their honeymoon and travelling to her parents to let them in on the good news. *cough* And introduce John into the family. Tensions are high and Julia's parents are far from happy with the union. Things get even tenser when a body is found and the evidence starts to point to events taking place 13 years in the past when Julia's sister Claudia disappeared...

For Deader or Worse was my first book by this author. I've never read any of her other books before. I dare say my reason for picking up this book was because I love the narrator of it. And I have no regrets. While it is at the end of the John Picket series it book can be read as a standalone without feeling lost in any way. Of course there were references to past events in the lives of John and Julia, but in a good way. They made me want to go back to the beginning and get to know their whole story.

Joel Froomkin is an amazing narrator. I love listening to books he's narrated. Though he narrating a historical romance was new to me I will say it worked out splendidly. Froomkin always gives his all to his books, the feelings he adds to the books he narrates truly makes you a part of ig. He has such a wide range of voices and accents that it makes following along the story effortless.

For Deader or Worse was a light hearted historical romance with a mystery twist. I had a great time meeting John and Julia and dare say I might just need to go back to the beginning and find out more of their story - it seems to be an interesting one!

A copy of this audiobook was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Cut Throat Murder

The sixth in the John Pickett mysteries finds Bow Street Runner John Pickett and his bride, Julia off on their honeymoon, to meet and visit Julia’s parents. Sir Thaddeus and Lady Runyon, Julia’s parents are aghast at her hasty marriage and choice of husbands, and it was not helped by the fact that Julia had not told them ahead of time of her marriage. Lady Runyon believes that there’s a ghost in the house, and even John Pickett is hearing things. Surprised to learn that Julia had a much older sister that had died, and now meeting her former husband and his new bride, John Pickett wonders what else he doesn’t know about his new bride. He doesn’t have long to wonder though, because soon his attention is turned to murder, when his new father-in-law’s groomsman is found murdered. This installment is one of my favorites in the series, as much “comes to rights”, as the English would say. The unraveling of several years of injustices under Bow Street Runner John Pickett’s clever eye makes for an intriguing tale. BRAVO!

John Pickett

What wonderful tales of honesty, valor and love these stories are.
I wish parents would read them to young children to help instill these qualities.
I thoroughly enjoy them and hope Ms Cobb writes hundreds more
Listening to the old English language is so captivating, sad we don’t still speak similar and respect the elders as these stories give rise.
Thank you Ms Cobb

Honeymoon and... murder:)

I've had two of the books in the John Pickett Mysteries series waiting on my Kindle for some time now, but somehow I haven't yet got to read them - a big mistake, judging from what I have just finished listening to...:)

"For Deader or Worse" turned out to be one of those books I listened to almost in one sitting (as usual, I started too late at night and had to finish it the next day)... It has an intriguing plot with some really good twists - just when you think you have already worked everything out Ms South has yet another surprise for you... And the book is so well written that even when you think you know how the situation is going to be solved, you still listen on just to see how John and his sidekicks will manage with all this...

All the characters in the book are very well drawn and evoke strong emotions; some of them we like from the start, some we don't know what to think about, and some are just downright awful people - like in real life. There is also quite a lot of humor there, and social observations of the way of life in the 19th century England only add some flavour to the whole.

Narration by Mr Froomkin is very good. You definitely hear differences between aristocrats and those from the lower classes, and each "voice" perfectly mirrors the personality of a given character. Also, Mr Froomkin doesn't try to sound very feminine, which is good as it makes the female characters sound quite natural, too. All in all, this interpretation is perfect for the book.


DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Amazing didn't want it to end

Book 6 in this wonderful series and this maybe my favorite one yet. We find John and Julia off to meet Julia's parents. Of course a murder has to take place and no it's not one of the family. This series is fun, sweet, romantic and a mystery too. Joel Froomkin once again does an outstanding job of narrating the book. I found myself not wanting to stop listening. Joel has a way of reading this series that just gets you hooked. Sheri Cobb South is amazing in her writing of the story is placed in the past but it seems so today. Also the book has a little extra at the end "Finders Weepers" book 6.5 in the series.
"I was given this free audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

The Wedding Trip

I am thoroughly enamored of John Pickett, erstwhile pickpocket and now Bow Street Runner, and his lady-love, Julia. Like May-December weddings in which it is perfectly proper for an aging lothario to wed a nubile young thing (an example or two of which can be found within these virtual covers, randy puns left entirely to your imagination and certainly not due to suggestive . . . language . . . herein--and, in fact, this Regency novel is utterly proper and circumspect) and a blind eye is turned, but should tables be reversed, the woman is reviled as a "cougar"; so with Prince and Pauper weddings where marriage requires appropriate mating of Rank, unless the family estates teeter on bankruptcy, and the bride rises--or falls! to her husband's rank but his does not commensurately drop nor improve. And yet in his own realm of acquired learning and inborn abilities to ferret out evil and solve crime, Mr. Pickett, lowest of low, is equal to any man and ultimately accorded due respect by all who know him.

Remember your high school literature classes and being told what was motivating the author and what themes and parallels we are to draw from the classics? Meanwhile, when asked, the author proclaims he or she just wanted to tell a good yarn. So although the fine points of the social niceties of the early 19th century become ideal targets to be skewered on modern sensibilities, what we have here is a rip-roaring good detective story with an accompanying romance or two framed exquisitely in its time and with a delicate touch allowing for humor and extreme enjoyment.

Adding to that enjoyment was the excellent narration [AUDIO] by Joel Froomkin who created extremely believable voices for each of the characters including especially pleasing female renderings. And BONUS! (at least in the audio version) there is a short story added to the end which provides an additional insight into our hero and his innate understanding of character and human nature.

Best of Series

All of the Lady Judia-John Pickett mysteries are great fun but this one is the best so far. Great mystery, wonderful continuing romance of Lady Julia and Pickett. The narrator is top notch, ably acting out various parts and accents beautifully. Really fun, great listen. Enjoy!

Another Good Chapter of an Enjoyable Series

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This series of cozy mysteries will transport you to an era when women were considered a decorative object more than an actual human being. However that is not the case with Julia, the indomitable and high strong main character. I know that John Pickett is supposed to be the one, but he comes across as a little too timid and insecure. I like Julia much better!!!! So are her adventures that I'm drawn to much more than the solving mysteries' skills of the detective. John however is a gentleman through and though regardless of his upbringing and should be given credit for that. I just wish he had a little more backbone. We can only hope that with the success of his detective's skills, his self-assurance will prevail at the end. Looking forward to that moment.
Great interpretation and smooth writing skills.

Another Great Pickett Story

I really enjoy these John Pickett stories and as always the narrator does an excellent job!