
A Useful Woman
A Rosalind Thorne Mystery, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Sarah Nichols
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By:
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Darcie Wilde
About this listen
Inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, this new mystery series set in 19th-century London introduces the charming and resourceful Rosalind Thorne, a woman privy to the secrets of high society - including who among them is capable of murder.
The daughter of a baronet and minor heiress, Rosalind Thorne was nearly ruined after her father abandoned the family. To survive in the only world she knew, she began to manage the affairs of some of London society's most influential women, who rely on her wit and discretion. So when artistocratic wastrel Jasper Aimesworth is found dead in London's most exclusive ballroom, Almack's, Rosalind must use her skills and connections to uncover the killer from a list of suspects that includes Almack's powerful patronesses and her former suitor Devon Winterbourne, now Lord Casselmain.
Torn between her old love and a growing attraction to a compelling Bow Street runner, Rosalind must unravel the mysteries surrounding Jasper's death, and the mysteries of her own heart as well.
©2016 Darcie Wilde (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
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Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
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Murder at the Seven Dials
- Bow Street Duchess Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Cara Devlin
- Narrated by: Allie Rose
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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A murdered opera singer. A duke drenched in her blood. For Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden, the brutal killing is a straightforward case. Ever since his exile from polite society, the chance to arrest a high and mighty peer of the realm has never presented itself. Hugh won't snub the opportunity now. But Audrey Sinclair, the Duchess of Fournier, is certain her husband is wrongly accused, and she's determined to prove it to the arrogant Bow Street officer, even if she must employ her most peculiar ability—or perhaps curse—to guide her investigation. After all, a duchess can do as she pleases.
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Great
- By Lori Dykes on 10-14-24
By: Cara Devlin
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Masquerade in London
- The Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Emily L. Finch
- Narrated by: Polly Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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London, 1861. Samantha Kingston has lived under the control of her overbearing uncle since the death of her parents six years ago. Trapped by the conventions of her gender and social class, she is desperate to find a way out. But when her aunt and uncle are murdered, the freedom she sought seems even further out of reach. A suspect in the crime, she finds herself on the run, unsure whom to trust, lost in the underworld she had only ever read about in the pages of a Dickens novel.
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Really good addition to this genre
- By Sherry on 10-16-23
By: Emily L. Finch
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The Debutante's Code
- Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries Series, Book 1
- By: Erica Vetsch
- Narrated by: Kim Bretton
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies-and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.
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Satisfying
- By April Game on 05-14-24
By: Erica Vetsch
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The Anatomist's Wife
- Lady Darby Mystery, Book 1
- By: Anna Lee Huber
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage - a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down, as accusations and rumors swirl.
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A good read.
- By sslarigo on 01-22-15
By: Anna Lee Huber
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The Notorious Lord Knightly
- A Novel
- By: Lorraine Heath
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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A scandalous book by an anonymous author takes London by storm, and everyone is convinced its villainous “Lord K” is the greatly admired Earl of Knightly. Heartbroken that he left her at the altar, Miss Regina Leyland impulsively sought revenge by revealing the true Knightly to the world but never expected the uproar to bring enemies to her door. To keep her identity hidden, she must trust the one man with the power to destroy her.
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A story of passion read with emotion and expressiveness that never got tiresome.
- By Laura H. on 05-11-24
By: Lorraine Heath
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Death in Delft
- A 17th Century Historical Murder Mystery (Master Mercurius Mystery Series, Book 1)
- By: Graham Brack
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Three young girls have been abducted from their homes. The body of one has been found in a shallow grave. The other two are still missing. The murder has shocked everyone in the peaceful city of Delft, and the mayor is desperate to catch the perpetrator before panic can spread any further. With the bitterly cold January weather intensifying, it is doubtful that the other two girls are still alive. But whoever took them is still at large.
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Most delightful Mystery of late
- By big ox on 05-17-21
By: Graham Brack
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A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
- Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Dianne Freeman
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York - for her first London season.
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Exceptional blending
- By tzinnamon on 07-01-18
By: Dianne Freeman
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A Duke in Time
- Widow Rules, Book 1
- By: Janna MacGregor
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri’s death that, before the accident, he had married two other women. And you know how the saying goes: Hell hath no fury like a woman who married a man who married two other women. Or something like that.
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Enjoyed it
- By A. on 08-06-21
By: Janna MacGregor
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Murder on Black Swan Lane
- By: Andrea Penrose
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both.
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Tedious
- By Kathi on 10-02-17
By: Andrea Penrose
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No Stone Unturned
- The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Pam Lecky
- Narrated by: Mary Sarah
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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London, October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart. When her late husband's secrets spill from the grave and her life is threatened by the leader of London's most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust, and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London's most dangerous criminal?
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Just needs to be set to 1.5...
- By DP on 11-09-20
By: Pam Lecky
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Murder at the Dolphin Hotel: A Gripping Cozy Historical Mystery
- A Miss Underhay Mystery, Book 1
- By: Helena Dixon
- Narrated by: Alex Tregear
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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June 1933. Independent, young Kitty Underhay has been left in charge of her family’s hotel, The Dolphin, on the tranquil English coast. But when several rooms are broken into and searched, including Kitty’s own, she quickly realizes that something out of the ordinary is afoot at the hotel. Soon, rumors are flying in the cozy town that someone is on the hunt for a stolen ruby. A ruby that Kitty’s mother may well have possessed when she herself went missing during the Great War.
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Very Good Start
- By Dylan on 04-06-20
By: Helena Dixon
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Death of a Duchess
- Duchess of Blackmoore Mystery (Duchess of Blackmoore Mysteries, Book 1)
- By: Nellie H. Steele
- Narrated by: Liz Gentle
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Lenora expected her unique ability would condemn her to a life of solitude, shunned by society. But when she receives an unexpected marriage proposal hinging on it, Lenora is shocked. All she must do in exchange for the life of a duchess is use her communicative skills to determine the reason for the former Duchess of Blackmoore’s suicide. Beyond the strange blackening on the stones of Blackmoore Castle, Lenora discovers another darkness lurks in her new Scottish Highlands home.
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A very entertaining action packed mystery!
- By Tdavid on 07-11-21
By: Nellie H. Steele
Loved, loved it!
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Narrator ruins the book
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Keep reading!
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The most important social location in London at the time was a fancy ballroom for the most elite of society called Almack's. One evening, Rosalind goes to Almack's to meet her godmother, the only woman who helped her out during her family's troubles. Tempted to check out the ballroom while waiting, she spies a pile of clothes on the far side of the room and soon realizes that it is the body of Jasper Aimesworth, an aristocrat with little to occupy him. The women of high society want to deny that anything has happened, but they take Rosalind's counsel to admit that someone died in an accident and offer their condolences. The manager of Almack's even hires the Bow Street Runners to investigate in order to show the veracity of his staff. But the detective determines that Jasper was murdered.
This book was a pleasurable read, with an enjoyable taste of early 19th century England. I liked Rosalind and her inner strength to deal with her family troubles by herself when her father ran away and her mother lost her mind. I also appreciated Rosalind's determination to get to the truth of the matter, no matter the consequences. There were hints of romance between Rosalind and Devon, now Lord Casselmain, as well as between Rosalind and the detective.
The audiobook is narrated by Sarah Nichols. Her voice suits the era of the book, and I liked the audio edition. I enjoyed listening to this book.
I had a good time listening to A Useful Woman. It had fun elements, but there was nothing particularly memorable about it. I don't expect to listen to the next book in the series. I give the book three stars.
Fun but not very strong cozy mystery
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Mystery set in the British Regency period
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Interesting history, slow-moving plot
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Unexpected pleasure!
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Not as good as Austin’s work imo but better than I had expected and good enough that I’ll definitely read more books by this author.
The lead character finds herself as a semi outcast in the early 1800’s of English society and is accidentally thrown into the role of sleuth. She is an honest & honorable character but more important, she is likable.
The narrator does a good job which as you all know a narrator can make or break a book and this one does a very good job.
I don’t often write reviews but felt compelled as they are lacking for this book and it did turn out to be more enjoyable than I expected.
Well written & narrated
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Slow starter but
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After getting into the characters and the backstory, it was filled with mystery, murder, angst and of course a complex love relationship.
Cannot wait to go to the next one! The narrator did an amazing job!
Fantastic
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