Nobody's Sweetheart Now

By: Maggie Robinson

Narrated by: Gemma Dawson

England, 1924. Lady Adelaide Compton has recently (and satisfactorily) interred her husband, Major Rupert Charles Cressleigh Compton, hero of the Somme, in the family vault in the village churchyard.

Rupert died by smashing his Hispano-Suiza on a Cotswold country road while carrying a French mademoiselle in the passenger seat. With the house now Addie's, needed improvements in hand, and a weekend house party underway, how inconvenient of Rupert to turn up - not in the flesh, but as a spirit! Rupert has to perform a few good deeds before becoming welcomed to heaven - or, more likely, Addie thinks, to hell.

Before Addie can convince herself she hasn’t completely lost her mind, a murder disrupts her careful seating arrangement. Which of her 12 houseguests is a killer? Her mother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Broughton? Her sister, Cecilia, the born-again vegetarian? Her childhood friend and potential lover, Lord Lucas Waring? One of the others? Rupert has a solid alibi as a ghost and now an urge to investigate.

Enter Inspector Devenand Hunter from the Yard, an Anglo-Indian who is not going to let some barmy society beauty, witnessed talking to herself, derail his investigation. Something very peculiar is afoot at Compton Court, and he's going to get to the bottom of it - or go as mad as its mistress trying.

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very good

Well-written and a good mystery. The narration is excellent. Ready to start on the second in the series.

The first cozy mystery in a long time that was a page turner!

I’d recommend this book to people who love cozy mysteries, especially mysteries set in the early 1920’s. The witty conversation, the addition of an ex-husband ghost who is working his way to a “better place”, and a few love interests keep the plot moving forward. The narrator was excellent! She has a wide variety of voices and does males very well.

very enjoyable

I greatly enjoyed this book. it was easy to listen to. entertaining. a nice afternoon listen.

unsatisfying ending

I consider myself easy to please when it comes to fiction in this genre. but the main character was whining and kind of flat. the ending was unsatisfying.

Fun light mystery

Maggie Robinson (and especially the cover art designer) do a good job of paying homage to the drawing-room mysteries of the 1920s-1930s. Robinson injects the occasional modern flourish, but this is not at all a 'revisionist' take on the genre.

Narrator Gemma Dawson is especially good at playing the male characters without affectations (like deepening her voice beyond her range).

I tried!

Unlike many others who listened to this book, I found the narration highly annoying. I don't know if I was the pitch of her voice or what but that was one of the reasons I couldn't finish it. The story itself wasn't enough to hold my interest. I never developed a connection with any of them, except the detectives, who may have been interesting had I have been able to finish it. This will be returned.

Too much fun!

infidelity, cozy-mystery, British-detective, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation, ghosts, situational-humor, verbal-humor, Cotswolds, house-party, closed-circle-mystery*****
Read 2 times. Last read September 6, 2022.

Even better than Cosmo Topper! It's 1924 and Addie is a widow of six months and of a titled and wealthy family. Said husband was brave in the Great War, but it became obvious that he was a real bounder even before that. Now he returns as a ghost just as two very separate people have been murdered on the estate while Addie is having a quiet weekend gathering to keep away the boredom. What a mess! When the local constabulary raises hackles, the Yard sends nice guy DI Hunter and he is endlessly becoming aware of her habit of talking to herself. Or something.
The characters are all a bit wacky and not just from the hot weather, the sleuthing gets infinitely complicated, and there is even a man who identifies as a psychic! Outstanding fun read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley in October 2018.
Well, it's 4 YEARS later and I found the audio on sale and reread it as narrated by Gemma Dawson. Worth every penny!

Enjoyable

Just what I wanted to hear. There are a lot of books in this genre and it can be hit or miss, this is a hit.

Cute story!

Cute premise, and a cute beginning to this series. I grew slightly bored here and there, but was entertained enough to hang in there. I do plan to listen to the next installment, though I’ll probably read other books in between.

Fresh New Voice For Me..Very Good

This was a new writer for my burgeoning audible library ,.. at having
nearly 800 books to date , I feel I’m fairly qualified to say it was very good ,.. AND had me laughing out loud. Great combo.