Dangerous and Unseemly

A Concordia Wells Mystery, Book 1

By: K.B. Owen

Narrated by: Becket Royce

An unseemly lesson…in murder.

The year is 1896, and college professor Concordia Wells has her hands full: teaching classes, acting as live-in chaperone to a cottage of lively female students, and directing the student play, Macbeth. But mystery and murder are not confined to the stage, especially when the death of Concordia's sister, Mary, appears to be foul play. To make matters worse, the women's college is plagued by malicious pranks, arson, money troubles, and the apparent suicide of a college official.

With her beloved school facing certain ruin, Concordia knows that she must act. As she struggles to seek justice for her sister and discover who is behind the college incidents, there are some closest to Concordia who do not appreciate the unseemly inquiries and bold actions of the young lady professor. Can she discover who is responsible…before she becomes the next target?

©2013 K.B. Owen (P)2014 K.B. Owen

Such fun

I am required to say: This audiobook was provided by the narrator at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com. So I’m really, really happy to be able to also say that the narration was far and away the best part of this book. The plot and story had a fair number of issues fighting with nice characterization and fun dialogue (and a setting of Hartford, Connecticut – my backyard), but the reading – by Becket Royce (and now I want to be named Rebecca so I can go by Becket) – was one of the best I’ve listened to in a while. Character accents were present without being overwhelming; humor was nicely accentuated; best of all were moments such as when the text mentions someone giving an unladylike snort… and Becket Royce complies. I have a new go-to narrator.

So, now, the book itself. I should be slamming it with three or even two stars. I saw just about everything coming light years away – what was wrong with Mary, and which of the two men courting our heroine Concordia Wells was a bad’un, and the secret behind the enameled dagger. This is not because I was being clever – I’m never clever at guessing who dunnit and whatnot – but because all of this was telegraphed with great clarity.

The plot also relied heavily on clichés. If you haven’t ever read a book or watched a television show before, this might be a spoiler: when someone told Concordia that there was something very important they had to tell her – but they didn’t want to tell her now, they would meet her tomorrow … well, really, how many books or tv shows have there ever been where that setup actually resulted in the person showing up at said meeting and imparting the very important message? (I should start a list.) (I’m very surprised not to be able to find this on tvtropes.com; it’s almost “Lost In Transmission”, but not quite...)

The writing - in terms of well-chosen words strung together to form pleasing sentences free of grammatical errors - wasn't perfect. There was at least one example of “lay” for “lie”. And the scary, scary note left pinned with a dagger - “Beware – next time a real stabbing could happen!” – really isn’t very scary. But aside from these quibbles and the larger problems mentioned above, I was happy listening to Dangerous and Unseemly – which is a great title, by the way. As mentioned, the dialogue was very nice in places, lively and life-like, and particularly fun to listen to. Blessings on author and reader for the fact that it was “mischievous”, not “mischievious”! I can forgive a lot for that.

I enjoy a good historical mystery. (Does this class as a cozy? I guess this is a cozy.) I enjoy books set in boarding schools and colleges – such enclosed, self-contained environments. And I enjoy books set around theatre productions, particularly Shakespeare of course, and D&U features a student production of Macbeth. (I know someone who would be quite irked at the pronunciation “McBeth”; I forgave it.) (One line regarding that play started a little plot bunny for me: “Lady Macbeth still had a tendency to giggle during her sleepwalking scene…” That could totally be worked in.) I can’t really say this was a great mystery - the disparate parts of the plot (what happened to Concordia's sister, the death(s) at the college) didn't necessarily play well together.

I couldn’t help wondering if the author is a fan of L.M. Montgomery. Our heroine Concordia is a ginger, and puts up the familiar lament that a red-haired lady can NOT wear pink. And at one point she admires dresses with “gigantic puffed sleeves” and elbow cuffs.

Cozy little mystery

While this isn't my typical go-to reading material, I really enjoyed this book. The heroine is smart, opinionated, and quite daring for her time. There were parts I felt that the action dragged a bit, but loved the little historical details woven throughout the tale. There were many twists and turns along the way, and just when you think you have it all figured out, you discover that you don't. My only issue with this book is the overuse of keeping the reader in the dark while the heroine discovers a key to the mystery. Using it once in a book is okay, but more than that and it's just trite. If Concordia figured out a clue, then the listener should be clued in as well. Leaving it unsaid to create suspense is a cop-out, in my opinion. The narrators voice was just perfect for this genre, though; very polished and crisp. It lent authenticity to the story and set the right mood for listening.

I received this book from AudioBookBoom at no cost in exchange for my honest review. My opinion is that this book is a solid 4. Great listening for a rainy or cold, lazy-on-the-couch day.

MUDER SHE WROTE

This audiobook was so much fun. A really intriguing murder mystery and a great start to the series. I can't wait to listen to book 2. It was a bit hard for me to get into it at first but I find when that happens I just start it over and bam I'm hooked! "This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."

Fascinating "Cozy" Mystery

Set at a women's college in 1896, I found this listen to be fun and quite interesting. Concordia Well, a young teacher, is a strong (for the times) and very likable character. The descriptions of the lifestyle, architecture, and clothing is just wonderful. The story depicts the plight of females during this period, several murders, and a little romance. I totally enjoyed the quotes from famous literature (especially MACBETH) sprinkled throughout the story. Narration by Becket Royce was superb! I understand there will be more books released in the series~I will definitely be listening. Highly recommended...

Audiobook provided for an honest review

Dangerously and Unseemly

Any additional comments?

This is a great start to a new series.The heroine is a smart, no-nonsense young woman caught up in a mystery involving missing funds, mischief makers, Its a story that is entertaining and complex. I enjoyed every word and look forward to the next book.

Looking at a different time and customs

I loved being a fly on the wall, to the times when women were restricted in their life options. The ideas of what constituted seemly conduct for a woman, but the liberty a man had, is shown in sharp comparison.
The main purpose of the story, that of solving of a case of fraud, and subsequent situations that occur as cover ups, laid out during a period of time when women's mental capacity were placed on the same level of children, by a lot of the male population.
I enjoyed the narrator's rendition of this book, and look forward to listening to further books in this series.

A logical person's historical mystery

Well researched and well written. Characters are clearly defined and any mustache twirling is at the behest of the reader's imagination only. Clues are present and ready for reader to draw from. A fine period piece set in an uncommon city and setting. An excellent read!
The audio performer, Becket Royce, has a clear, professional delivery with good delineation of characters and pleasing to the ear. I listen on tablet speaker while knitting and heard no annoying deficits.

Dangerous and Unseemly

Any additional comments?

This was an excellent read!Actually I listened to narrator Becket Royce read it to me.She does a wonderful job bringing Concordia to life,as well as the other characters in this book.Concordia is a teacher at a girls college when it was common practice to discourage girls from learning.A new Lady Principal arrives,people start dyingat school and Concordias home,someone is pilfering money from college funds...are these related?How is that possible,and just WHO is this new principal in reality?Give it a listen and enjoy!Book 2 is now out also!
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHouse dot com"

I like!

Note: I listened to the audio version of this book and it was provided at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast.

I love a good mystery filled with characters I enjoy spending time with. I can't say that some of the "reveals" were that big of a surprise, but it was a fun ride all the same. I've never read/listened to one of K.B. Owen's novels before so this was a pleasant find. The characters and environment the author created feel real and interesting, and the narrator, Becket Royce, did a great job at bringing them to life. I'm glad I got the opportunity to try out this book (the first one in the Concordia Wells series) and it has definitely made me interested to check out the others.

Entertaining and Historical, Well Performed

What made the experience of listening to Dangerous and Unseemly the most enjoyable?

One whole side of my family came from Hartford, which I knew well when I was growing up, so I particularly liked the evocation of the setting in an earlier time. This is as much historical novel as mystery story, and the manners of the time, especially as they applied to women, were by far the most enjoyable part for me.

Would you be willing to try another book from K.B. Owen? Why or why not?

Maybe. This was capably written but not gripping.

What about Becket Royce’s performance did you like?

Becket Royce's performance was by far one of the strongest aspects of the book. She is a strong, clear reader who differentiated one character from another but never strained or overdramatized. She reads with an ease and professionalism that are very enjoyable to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not so much a moment as a character, the lady principal. I enjoyed the justaposition of her unbending strength with her title, by which she was always referred, of "lady principal." This takes on added resonance, of course, as the story progresses.