A Tangle of Serpents

A Lady Arianna Regency Mystery Series, Book 6

By: Andrea Penrose

Narrated by: Mary Sarah

With the epic victory at Waterloo behind them, Arianna and Saybrook are looking forward to a quiet summer of scholarship, far from the turmoil of war and politics. But little do they know that an even more dangerous battle is about to test their mettle.

The shocking news that Lord Grentham, the steely minister of state security, has been accused of treason and is on the run from arrest takes them and their close circle of friends by surprise. Arianna and Saybrook don't want to believe it. Despite their fraught past with the minister, they've developed a grudging friendship....

Or has Grentham deceived them? They're shown damning evidence that proves his guilt beyond question. And yet, their friend Sophia Kirtland refuses to accept it. Arianna can't help but have her doubts, too - even when a midnight encounter with the fugitive minister tells her otherwise. Saybrook is less certain, but his sense of honor compels him to join their quest to prove him innocent....

The trail leads to Paris, a city now seething with international intrigue. Rumors are rife; loyalties are for sale as the European powers scheme against each other. Can they uncoil the tangle of serpents and find the truth? The challenges turn even more dangerous when Arianna is forced to confront an old Russian enemy...and a sin from her father's past.

©2020 Andrea DaRif (P)2021 Tantor

Narration spoiled a decent story

After paying $12 for the audio book, I had to pay another $6 for the Kindle edition because the narration was so bad I couldn’t make it past chapter three. One character with an annoying breathy speech pattern is ok, but when most of the characters (and the narrator) speak like a 15 year old trying to sound sultry, it becomes unbearable.
Buy the book. Skip the Audible version.

Like the story, not the narrator

I keep getting drawn into this series because it’s well-written and engaging but/and the narrator’s breathy voice is extremely irritating!

Good story

like the characters a lot, good plot. The author noticeably overuses several words: hubris, conundrum, mercurial, frisson... There's this invention called a thesaurus...

Great!

Loved this, another great story in the series. I really enjoy the narrator. I can't wait for A swirl of shadows!!!

Reader spoils it

the story is fun but the very very fake sounding British accent combined with weird sing-song cadence made for a very difficult story to listen to. Please find a different reader.

great series.

enjoyed the series listen to it twice and have enjoyed it both times. I like the strong will of the female characters. they made me laugh.

Than you!

As usual , Penrose plot is compelling. Thank you!
This was a fine way to pass a writers day.

Horrid Narration

While the storyline and characters are compelling, the narration style is affected and distracting. I had to listen to it at 1.3X speed just to get through it. If this narrator is used for the next installment, I will have to opt for reading that one the old fashioned way.

Story great, narration terrible

I enjoy all of Ms. Penrose's books, and this was no exception. The plot, the characters, and the historical details are all well written.
The narration, however, does not do this series justice. The overly dramatic whispering, sighing, strange changes in inflection and cadence, are not only annoying but actually distracting. Generally, I can get used to any narrator once I'm into the book. But with this narrator, not only do I flinch while listening, but I find myself switching to the ebook, and even rereading sections I've listened to because I've missed part of the story while being distracted by the voice.
I haven't listened to other books by this narrator, so perhaps her style is more suited to another series or title. However, this narrator has ruined my enjoyment of the audio versions of this series. Please find another narrator!

Awful narrator

The story has potential but I can't get past the narrator. Her cadence and lisped "T" at the end of words drove me nuts. I could only make it through 30 minutes at 1.4x.