Smallbone Deceased

By: Michael Gilbert

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Horniman, Birley and Craine is a highly respected legal firm with clients reaching to the highest in the land. When a deed box in the office is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of scandal promises to wreak havoc on the firm's reputation - especially as the murder looks like an inside job. The partners and staff of the firm keep a watchful and suspicious eye on their colleagues, as Inspector Hazlerigg sets out to solve the mystery of who Mr Smallbone was - and why he had to die. Written with style, pace and wit, this is a masterpiece by one of the finest writers of traditional British crime novels since the Second World War.

©1939 Michael Gilbert (P)2019 Soundings

A whimsical delight

The story is very British, and the reader likewise is very British. You don’t have to be a bob or a dedicated Anglophile to appreciate and enjoy the book. The reader is fairly bursting with energy and enthusiasm. The characters are delightful. The story is a well-crafted mystery. I recommend it highly

Funny dialogue, complex detail

I loved this story specifically because it was genuinely funny. I’ll read any British crime classic, but as good as some of them are at character development or plot, they’re not always amusing. This one really nailed it with the satirical humor and characters. Story kept me guessing until the end. I’ll be listening to more Michael Gilbert. Excellent narration too.

Characters & Narration

The narrator is excellent and brings this amusing group of characters to life. So enjoyed this!

Outstanding

Michael Gilbert! What a delight. I only recently heard of his work. Set in 1950s London, the reader gets an interesting education in British law and the mores of that time accompanied by a laugh-out-loud dry wit. I’ll listen to all of his books available on Audible, And David Thorpe is perfect. Hilarious, actually. Loved it.

The narration makes it

Lots of interesting characters, but it took a long time to work out who was who. Appreciate the different storyline. Too long, though. Great narration.

Highly entertaining, superlative narration

What makes this story so entertaining are the well developed, if a bit stereotypical, characters, their interactions, and the clearly delineated narration of David Thorpe. While the author gives the reader several red herrings, he also plants many clues which make it easy to figure out the plot rather earlier in the novel than he may have wished. Still, I enjoyed this novel very much and hope to try another by this same author soon.

great narrator

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in large part because of the narrator. He brought the characters in the story to life. Highly recommend.

Truly remarkable find.

Published in 1950, this is one of the best English mysteries I’ve ever encountered. Having just finished The Thursday Murder Club, which is also brilliant, I have been searching for something similar. Touché!

Witty, well written and narrated, and a clever mystery make for a five star experience.

Great story, almost great narrator

I enjoyed the story and the characters. They were entertaining and full of humor. David Thorpe is a pretty fantastic narrator, creative and flexible with voices and well paced. The only issue is that there are unnaturally long pauses at really odd times. Sometimes they come in the middle of a sentence, sometimes during dialogue. Not sure if editing could fix this, but still worth the listen.

An enjoyable read

I found this an enjoyable and light hearted book to listen too. David Thorpe is my all time favorite narrator and does much to bring the book alive. Without his narration, I’m not certain if I would have enjoyed the book as much. The plot has a good pace to it and kept my interest with several interesting twists. I would recommend if you are looking for a good cozy mystery that focuses more on deductive reasoning and less of suspense and trills. I’ve listened to this multiple times as one watches their favorite old movie flicks over and over again :-)