The Accidental Scoundrel

Rochdale Manor

By: Andrew Chapman

Narrated by: Thomas Cassidy

A group of elderly and bored aristocrats have taken to stealing rare and priceless items to pass the time. A young man named Richard gets swept up in their world when he gets engaged to the daughter of the dangerously unpredictable Lord Rochdale. Although Richard is not particularly comfortable with theft, or much of the roguish behavior that goes with it, he must prove to Rochdale that he has scoundrel potential in order to marry his daughter and, more importantly, stay alive.

With the help of a disgruntled horse and a genius street urchin Richard haphazardly stumbles his way through Rochdale’s trials and not only survives but gains the respect (although he’s not entirely sure how) of Lord Rochdale and his elite group of scoundrels. Now all he has to do is steal a priceless bottle of whiskey.

"Do we have a new Wodehouse?" (Robert Wingfield, The INCA Project)

©2016 Andrew Chapman (P)2019 Andrew Chapman

slow start for me but worth it in the end.

This novel was very good. It took me a little while to get into this book, but it may be my faught since ive been on a fantasy kick. It was really funny in a dry humor cockney sort a way. I hated the way the narrator made chewing noises in the story. i hated it. still well worth a listen. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Loads of Fun!

I enjoy an over-the-top British comedy romp and this certainly fits the bill. The characters were engaging and the humor hit the spot with a continued undercurrent of looniness punctuated by some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. Not quite as as on-target as various Jeeves and Wooster outings, but right along those lines and great for a light listen when you want something fun after a tiring week.

What you will do for love

You will find this is a funny and entertaining story about the trouble aristocrats can get into to amuse themselves. Richard is Natalie’s boyfriend. She brings him to her family estate to meet her father and to tell him of her wedding plans. Unbeknownst to Richard the asking of her hand in marriage has elements of the middle ages. He must complete a task before he receives the approval of her father and uncles.

Natalie’s father and his four friends (the uncles) formed a club that does various things all of which are illegal. If Richard wants to be part of Natalie’s family, he must come on board with the illegal activities and participate. Thus, began the helter skelter ways in which Richard completes his task while not sacrificing his principles.

Richard is lucky enough to meet Tommy, a young vagrant delinquent who has superb IT skills. He eases the path for him to accomplish his tasks.

From eating and drinking to playing golf all are considered competitive opportunities for Natalie’s father, Rochdale, to highlight his superiority over Richard. After Rochdale introduced Richard’s head to the toilet in a fit of rage, Richard is happy to let him win.

I enjoyed the "color- as in color commentary" in the terms of sound that accompanies some of the action, i.e. you hear them chumping on their food as they eat and the smack of flesh as Natalie and Richard make love etc. I would enjoy read another book in the series to see what the old coots get up to doing.

The accidental scoundrel

This book was so funny I was laughing out loud in my doctors office! Lunacy!Yes,it is full of it. A crazy father,ditzy daughter,dickensian wafe and a horse that 'speaks' a cool languange to the main character just keep popping up and the zany antics just keep coming.All of this ,and the guy just wants to marry the daughter. I really have no idea why.lol Thomas Cassidy was an extraordinary narrator.His voices were wonderful! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'

Tongue Firmly Planted in Cheek

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.

Richard is engaged and believes he has come to his fiance's country estate to meet her family. However, he first meets his prospective father-in-law while Richard is using the bathroom. Not long afterward, Richard is ensnared into participating in a heist to steal a valued bottle of whiskey.

This is full of quirky/zany characters - some over-the-top and cartoonish. The story is told in a humorous fashion - with most of the humor hitting its target. This is a tongue firmly implanted in cheek story that you enjoy for what it is and not for any in-depth character arcs or story. It's lighthearted and enjoyable.

The narrator did a good job and used various voices to distinguish the characters. What I wish this production would delete is their haphazard use of sound effects - which I found distracting.

Brought a smile to my face...

A humorous tale with quirky characters. Oh the things Richard will do to be with the girl he loves... even if it involves the theft of a priceless bottle of whiskey. It’s a good thing he has his friends to help him through the trials.

Always a great sign when the author can make me laugh out loud.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Funny, not by accident

Full disclosure: Received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book is filled with peculiar characters and bizarre situations. The main character Richard is engaged and needs to get the approval of his fiance's family. Turns out that her family is rich and her dad is eccentric, and so are the other members of her "family". Turns out the fiance has an extended family. Funny antics ensue, with some over the top situations.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others who are looking for a laugh. There are some non-kid friendly instances. So, listen and judge for yourself.
The narrator did a good job, but there was few instances where I was confused who was speaking and had to wait to hear the text identifying who spoke.
There are some complaints about the sound effects, but I feel they helped in some instances and distracted in others.

A Good Short Read

Overall I really enjoyed the story, it took me a bit to get into it but by the time we get to the wallet and ring I was all in and could not wait to see how it was going to end. I look forward to more.

At the time of this review, audible still did not have chapter titles for this book.

Note this book was provided for free, however, this is my honest thoughts and review of the book.

Absolutely nutty!

laugh-riot, British, spoof, verbal-humor, situational-humor

Absolutely nutty! Basically a quest to prove his worthiness to marry the daughter of a pickled peer, it is a spoof in the same inane manner as Flashman. Very few of the characters are not wacky and the laughs never stop! Excellent read!
I have no idea how Thomas Cassidy maintained the narrator equivalent of a straight face! And he really adds to the hilarity.
I won this audiobook in a giveaway and just HAD to share a review! I win!

Ocean's 11, but zany

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This author has a very distinct style... this is the second book I've listened to of his and there's an air of mild insanity to his books. This book blends a mixture of Ocean's 11 style heist with over the top characters, and a very whimsical story. It's a great change of pace from any other books I've listened to and I really enjoyed it. I don't think I could listen to these all the time, but a new one once a year is something I'd look into.