Murder at the Mena House

Jane Wunderly Mystery, Book 1

By: Erica Ruth Neubauer

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Egypt, 1926. Fiercely independent American Jane Wunderly has made up her mind: she won't be swept off her feet on a trip abroad. Despite her Aunt Millie's best efforts at meddling with her love life, the young widow would rather gaze at the Great Pyramids of Giza than into the eyes of a dashing stranger. Yet Jane's plans to remain cool and indifferent become ancient history in the company of Mr. Redvers, a roguish banker she can't quite figure out....

While the Mena House has its share of charming guests, Anna Stainton isn't one of them. The beautiful socialite makes it clear that she won't share the spotlight with anyone - especially Jane. But Jane soon becomes the center of attention when she's the one standing over her unintentional rival's dead body.

Now, with her innocence at stake in a foreign country, Jane must determine who can be trusted, and who had motive to commit a brutal murder. Between Aunt Millie's unusual new acquaintances, a smarmy playboy with an off-putting smile, and the enigmatic Mr. Redvers, someone has too many secrets. Can Jane excavate the horrible truth before her future falls to ruin in Cairo...and the body count rises like the desert heat?

©2020 Erica Ruth Neubauer (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Not my favorite narrator

Enjoyed the story. The narrators cadence was way off to me. Probably will skip her reads in the future.

Delightful Read

Setting the Scene: American widow Jane Wunderly is traveling with her somewhat cantankerous Aunt Millie. She is determined to avoid Millie's blatant attempts to find her a husband, particularly after her disastrously abusive first marriage. Jane's only interest is in the wonders of 1920s Egypt, particularly the pyramids of Giza. Unfortunately, spoiled socialite Anna Stainton seems to have taken a particular dislike to Jane, and when Jane discovers Anna's body, her love life becomes the least of her worries. Fortunately, the dashing, if mysterious, Redvers is more than willing to help. Clearly Miss Stainton was no innocent, but the evil Jane and Redvers uncover while investigating her murder is more than they could have imagined.

What I Thought: This was a delightful read, and I quickly binge listened to all 4 books in the series that currently are available. Jane Wunderly is no wilting violet and quite capable of standing up for herself, even if Redvers' apparent experience in somewhat clandestine matters does prove useful. Some reviews have challenged the historical accuracy of certain language. I am not at all convinced the criticism is valid, but even if it is, it did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the characters, the mystery, and even the glimpse of archaeology in 1920s Egypt.

I also applaud the narration of this book. The voices and accents were well done.

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Double trouble

Loved how there was more than 1 plot working in this book. Very enjoyable book. Hoping for more books with the Characters

A wonderful adventure!

I loved it, all the rich details, descriptions, excitement, suspense, & romance. Will definitely listen again.

Good

I love historical mysteries and was excited to find this series. I was not disappointed although took a bit to get invested. Looking forward to more!

Love Egypt mysteries

I have a weak spot for mysteries that take place in Egypt. This one was good. Several plots going, keeping you guessing to the culprit. I found this book by looking up the narrator. I listen to another series that she narrates. I am very glad I found it and am looking forward to the next book and finding out more about Jane.

Historical Mystery with a hint of Romance

This was well-written and narration was aexcellent. I also loved the setting and found myself looking up facts about Egypt.

Excellent start to a series

I really like the story and the character so far. Do not like the narrator. she uses a silly sing song voice when voicing the main character. Really grates ear. But doesn't seem to use it when voicing other characters. Will probably skip next audio book and just read instead

Interesting story read well

Good period type story
Just not my favorite read. I like a bit
More action.

Well written mystery

This book was very well written. The characters were well developed and compelling. I enjoyed the descriptions of Egypt and of the culture.