A Demon Summer

A Max Tudor Mystery, Book 4

By: G.M. Malliet

Narrated by: Michael Page

Someone has been trying to poison the 15th Earl of Lislelivet. Since Lord Lislelivet has a gift for making enemies, no one - particularly his wife - finds this too surprising. What is surprising is that the poison was discovered in a fruitcake made and sold by the Handmaids of St. Lucy of Monkbury Abbey.

The powerful Lord complains loudly to the local bishop, who asks Father Max Tudor, vicar of Nether Monkslip and former MI5 agent, to investigate. Just as Max comes to believe the poisoning was accidental, a body is discovered in the cloister well. Can Max Tudor solve the case and restore order in time to attend his own nuptials?

©2014 G.M. Malliet (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Police Procedural more than a Who Done It

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wish it had not reveled the criminal so soon, and given the reader a chance to try to figure it out based on clues

Would you recommend A Demon Summer to your friends? Why or why not?

It depends. If they like classic mysteries, then no.

Did A Demon Summer inspire you to do anything?

no

This author is a treasure! So glad I found “Max Tudor”

I heard of this wonderful author thru a book group on British mysteries , she’s actually a GOOD writer which is not as common these days of self publishing! She knows how to use language properly which goes a long way with us 50 plus women! Lol
Mac Tudor is a fabulous , hilarious “ cozy mystery “ series . I started on the library app but was fine with paying for her books now I’m on my 4th!
I’m flying thru these books ! I listen while walking my dogs-have 4 so lots of walks!
I’d you like a REAL writer and a good narrator ( I’ve found a bad narrator can ruin a book !) you’ll like this author !

A Predictable read. Earlier books better

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If the friend had read the earlier three in the series, I might give a cautionary warning. It is simply not as good as the three earlier books.

If you’ve listened to books by G.M. Malliet before, how does this one compare?

The least enjoyable of the earlier three books.

What about Michael Page’s performance did you like?

I thought his reading was good, but sometimes his various accents and shrieks were just too much.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I am visually impaired. I do not go to movies.

Any additional comments?

I was so looking forward to the next in the series. Perhaps the next one will restore my adoration. I love the main characters, but the monastery and the nuns and guests were basically one big bore. One-dimensional characters. Get Max back to the village!

Improbable Father Max

I kept listening, waiting for the story to grab my interest, but it never really did. The whole time Max was wandering around the abbey I was wishing he was back in his own village with its more colorful inhabitants.

The solution to the crime was of the, "pull a rabbit out of a hat" variety and so convoluted it was hard to follow. Or maybe I just didn't care about any of the characters enough to bother paying attention

Good story. Do not like narration

What didn’t you like about Michael Page’s performance?

His theatrical approach to narrating gives me a headache.

Any additional comments?

Another great Max Tudor story. If you enjoyed the previous books in this collection,you will enjoy this one.

Great story with disappointing ending

As usual, Max Tudor mysteries are fun and engaging. However, this one had an entirely too long winded finish with Max explaining at length the ins and outs of a too drawn out crime. In fact, the length of the Poirot style unveiling of the truth actually diminished Max’s likability - which was sad. And the hand fasting ceremony was a bit far fetched for an Anglican priest, even one so lukewarm (though amiable and kind) in his beliefs.

Too wordy

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes as a follow up to the first three

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Too much History about the nuns and the abbey it sort of dragged on and on the only thing that kept me listening was the narrator and the hope of a surprise ending which when it finally got there was a surprise.

What about Michael Page’s performance did you like?

Everything

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably

Any additional comments?

No

Oh, I REALLY love this series!

I think this is my favorite in the Max Tudor series so far. In this book, Father Max Tudor (a former MI-5 agent and now a priest) has had to leave his village and his pregnant love to go to a nunnery where suspicious events have occurred. He is there to look into the poisoning of Lord Lislelivet, who ate fruitcake laced with something that seemed intended to warn him away.

I thought that beginning (of being poisoned with fruitcake) was either meant to be taken a bit lightly or else it was somewhat awkwardly worked out. But it served its purpose--to get Ftr Tudor to the place where all the mysteries are happening. And unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better.

Let me tell you why I love this series & especially this book. GM Malliet has put this into a convent setting--something that I think it could be challenging to keep interesting for some authors. But Malliet writes with a refreshing dose of modern day observations and comments that are delightfully sprinkled throughout, which contrast with this religious setting where time has all but stood still. She moves deftly back and forth between drawing the listener/reader into the depths of a lifestyle that it is even hard to imagine in this busy world, with comments that remind one that it is indeed taking place in the 21st century.

She has done something else that I think is difficult--she has created a fairly large group of characters, and that can be hard to keep up with in some books. But in this one--the cast of characters are read out in the very beginning--so that was a big help, plus they are so well drawn, that I felt no problem following them.

I think the ending was a little bit too much drawn out--but it turned out to be a complicated situation, and probably needed all the time spent on winding it up. I hope, now that the "seasons" are all used up (in the titles of this series) that Ms. Malliet will still write about Max Tudor. I find this a really enjoyable series, and loved every word of this book. I felt so sorry when it had to finally be over.

wonderful

I adore Max Tudor.Brilliantly plotted and wonderfully imaginative! I want to jump in the story!

A must read for all cozy enthusiasts--

This superb series has covered all the seasons with this fourth book. It's an awesomely humorous and mysterious book that combines Agatha Christie, Louise Penny and Dan Brown----and Malliet mentions all three authors' works within this book so cleverly too.

Former MI-5 operative Max Tutor, is called upon by his Bishop to travel to Monksbury Abby to check on some unusually financial issues with the records from the Handmaids of St Lucy nunnery. Max also finds himself investigating a suspicious fruitcake poisoning, while he's there.

This mystery, though serious, is sparked throughout by such intellectual humor and brilliant connections to those other famous authors, it is unlike any other cozy series I've read recently. There are chapter heads that tell the rules of these Handmaids St Lucy, along with history of this lady. There is a clash between worldly ways and silent contemplation that adds much to the mystery. I would consider this a must read for any enthusiastic cozy readers!! I listened to a fabulous Audible version of this book which made something great into something extraordinary!!