Murder at the Brightwell

By: Ashley Weaver

Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown

Amory Ames is a wealthy young woman who questions her marriage to her notoriously charming playboy husband Milo. Looking for a change, she accepts a request for help from her former fiance, Gil Trent. Amory accompanies Gil to the luxurious Brightwell Hotel in an attempt to circumvent the marriage of his sister Emmeline to Rupert Howe, a disreputable ladies' man. Amory sees in the situation a grim reflection of her own floundering marriage. There is more than her happiness at stake, however, when Rupert is murdered and Gil is arrested for the crime. Amory is determined to prove his innocence and find the real killer. As the stakes grow higher and the line between friend and foe becomes less clear, Amory must decide where her heart lies and catch the killer before she, too, becomes a victim.

©2014 Ashley Weaver (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"This debut novel by a librarian lays the foundation for a stylish series with Milo and Amory channeling Nick and Nora Charles." (Booklist)

"Fans of plucky female amateur sleuths will welcome Amory Ames, the heroine of Weaver's pleasing debut set in 1932 England... the affable Amory could carry a series." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A witty and charming debut mystery with a believably spunky sleuth and a compelling story of love that never runs smoothly." (G.M. Malliet, Agatha Award-winning author of the St. Just, and Max Tudor mysteries)

Diverting but forgettable

This is a diverting enough mystery/romance but moves a little slowly and doesn't develop the characters very deeply. And I didn't care for the burden being placed mostly on the female lead character to carry her marriage despite her husband's provocations.

The narrator's acting, voices, and accents are competent, but she has an oddly halting delivery that drags out or over-stresses some words, particularly the first two in the sentence. It didn't destroy the reading for me, but I did find it distracting.

I would recommend it as a daily deal but not at full price or use of a credit.

The narrator ruined this book for me.

What did you love best about Murder at the Brightwell?

The story was cute and kept moving. It is a lighthearted mystery/romance story.

Would you recommend Murder at the Brightwell to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes I would. Easy story to drive to. It doesn't take a lot of concentration. But the book was fun.

How could the performance have been better?

To be honest the narrator ruined the book for me. I almost stopped listening several times.The cadence of her speech was way off. It was painful to listen to, my mind would reconstruct each sentence after she spoke. Too hard to explain here but the good news is that the next book that follows has a different narrator. I will never buy another book read by her. Too bad really.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, not that gripping. Just. Lighthearted story. Just what I need sometimes when I am multitasking.

Any additional comments?

So glad to see a new narrator was hired for the next book, this one does not do the story justice.

Good Story Remedial Narration!

The story was great. It had a nice flow and a good plot build up. I think the author crafted and painted nice picture. But so much of it was lost on me due to the poor near ration. Your writer had a great voice couldn't read worth a flip.

Narrating was so hard to take

Would you try another book from Ashley Weaver and/or Billie Fulford-Brown?

Yes I would try Ashley Weaver's next book with a different narrator

What was one of the most memorable moments of Murder at the Brightwell?

Don't want to give anything away.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Billie Fulford-Brown?

Not, sure

Any additional comments?

Narrating pacing and cadence was way off. I had to change the speed to 1.25 to make it tolerable.

I couldn't finish because of the narration

I thoroughly enjoyed another series from this author so thought I would try this one. I honestly could not finish due to the strange way the narrator speaks - almost like a robot. I plan to skip ahead to the second book and hope I didn't miss much.

The intricacies of the characters

Very good story and I love the way it ended. I am hoping to get the next one to see how things go.

Superb who done. it

The author has woven a spectacular tale. The narrator makes the story come alive. Together they are an unbeatable team. I highly recommend this book.

neat enjoyed I did enjoy it and I'm done now

Jesus I can't believe I have to have 15 words to submit a review and I still have to continue until now

Good mystery, horrible narration

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

Yes, I would recommend the book to anyone who likes Agatha Christie type mysteries - but in book format, not audio. It's not the best or most gripping mystery, but if you like the genre it's a pleasant read.

If you’ve listened to books by Ashley Weaver before, how does this one compare?

1st one

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator over pronounced her lines, made strange pauses and inflections, and gave annoying voices to many of the characters. Enough to make me want to stop listening to the story.

Did Murder at the Brightwell inspire you to do anything?

Write a review. I don't do that often, but I bought the book despite another reviewer's comments about the narration and deciding to add my hearty agreement when it really was so stilted that it detracted from the story.

Good beginning to the Amory Ames series

I enjoyed listening, for the most part, to this first installment in the Amory and Milo Ames series by Ashley Weaver. Murder at the Brightwell is a Cozy British Mystery with a murder plot that is not so predictable and written from the view point of a likeable, easy to identify with heroine (Amory) and her future-uncertain relationship with lackadaisical husband (Milo).
Although I have no complaints about the story, the narration of it will require patience on the listener's part. Billie Fulford-Brown has a pleasant enough voice, however she is hesitant and stiff throughout the reading of the book.
Still, it's worth a listen as it sets the stage for the next two books in the series, both of which have much improved narration.