Faithful Unto Death

Midsomer Murders, Book 5

By: Caroline Graham

Narrated by: John Hopkins

The Fawcett Green bell-ringers don’t bat an eyelid when Simone Hollingsworth fails to turn up to practice. They merely assume that bell-ringing has become the latest in a long list of her abandoned hobbies.

But then the increasingly strange behaviour of Simone’s husband, Alan, begins to raise neighbourly suspicions about her whereabouts. And when the discovery of a body draws Chief Inspector Barnaby to the village, it becomes clear that unravelling the couple’s tangled lives will have painful repercussions for the whole village...

©1996 Caroline Graham (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie." (The Sunday Times)

"Satisfies on every level: wicked humor, intricate plotting, and razor-sharp characterizations." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Great series

Long time fan of the TV show, I just decided to listen to this and Killings at Badgers Drift on a whim. They are both so much more than I expected! Very well written, witty, detailed. Performance of the narrator is great (his voice and cadence have a bit of a Nettles quality to boot). Overall very enjoyable summer reading.

Not what I expected

Another great story. Graham does such a superb job writing. Her characters are so rich. The detail is astonishing. Barnaby is so complex while Troy is, for lack of a better word, a horndog. I love Barnaby's love for his wife and daughter.
Preorder is out for book six and I hope book 7 makes it to Audible also. Having to wait to listen to the next adventure is hard.
The first book in the series was hard for me to get into but I have finally found the rhythm to the writing. I did try and watch Badgers Drift on Acorn TV and I kept falling asleep. The books are so much better! I may try and watch another episode that isn't a book and see if that will work out better.
John Hopkins is a great narrator.

Love these books

I download each of these as they become available and truly enjoy them. Fantastic narrator.

Brilliant as usual

Once again completely dumbstruck by the narrator. Possibly the most brilliant John Nettles impersonator I have ever heard, I'm not completely convinced that they didn't have Nettles do Barnaby's narration. The man is a perfect mimic. Not just the voice in the tone, but how he haltingly talks, the stress he puts on certain syllables. It's all exact. Absolutely unbelievable.
Story itself is really quite good, you certainly feel sympathy for constable parrot, and it all works out in the end to my relief. I also enjoy very much her descriptive voice, "slim as a shark, but with none of that creatures affectionate nature". Quotes like this, memorable and funny, are sprinkled liberally throughout the text and make it a joy to read. As do the small views we have of characters in their home life, in our thoughts, etc. Even Sergeant Troy manages to soften slightly in this book, for which I am grateful, as he was absolutely unbreakable in the book.

Outstanding

I read other's reviews of this book, and am so glad I paid attention. This is a superb mystery and I can truly say that it is the best one I have heard. I highly recommend this mystery. John Hopkins does a great job with the narration. He seems to get better with each book. I cannot wait for the rest of this series. Enjoy!!!

Fun twists, fun characters, dark finish

This book has a great opening gambit, plenty of buildup and palpable tension, and of course wonderfully eccentric but human characters. It finishes but abruptly and with a dark bitter taste.

Great story

Loved the story. I would recommend this book to anyone. The narrator is great and I love his voice for the DCI Barney.

Excellent

Excellent story, performance. Superb all around. I’ve seen all of the Midsomer movies (and love them) and the books are better. The texture, descriptions, and characters in the books are wonderful. My only complaint is that they’re taking longer than I’d like to produce new audiobooks!!

My surprise

Wow, this novel wins hands down. The author played it straight - each character beautifully drawn, even the cops in this one just as weak/strong as the non cops.
And our interest in each holds as if we were right there chatting in the
village pub. I'm qoing to listen to this one all over again. Too hot to garden

Layered Story, Amazing Performance

Carolyn Graham writes a great mystery along with insightful social commentary. The narrator crafted Tom Barnaby’s voice to reveal Barnaby’s strengths and doubts.