The Lodger

By: Marie Belloc Lowndes

Narrated by: Anne Hancock

According to legend, in 1910, Marie Belloc Lowndes attended a London dinner party where a guest told her that his mother’s butler and cook claimed they had once rented rooms to Jack the Ripper, the notorious mass murderer. The idea for The Lodger was born.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunting have sunk their savings into their house with plans to let rooms. But no lodgers have materialized, and they are on the verge of penury when one foggy night, a knock on the door brings Mr. Sleuth, an unassuming gentleman whose needs are perfectly suited to the suite of rooms the Buntings have to let. They can’t believe their good fortune.

Gradually, relief turns into suspicion, then dread, as Mrs. Bunting notices their savior’s strange habits are not mere eccentricities. When his late-night forays seem to coincide with the lurid headlines her husband reads to her about the grisly murders all over London, she slowly realizes she may be harboring a monster, and if he’s discovered, it will mean ruin for the Buntings.

This is the original 1911 short story. Lowndes expanded it to a novel two years later, and the tale has spawned a radio play, five films, and an opera. Jack the Ripper’s identity was never discovered, but The Lodger offers a tantalizing possibility that has entertained and intrigued audiences for more than a century.

Public Domain (P)2018 Anne Hancock

Really entertaining and enjoyable short story!

The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes was a a really good short story. The Lodger has obvious Jack the Ripper similarities/references in it, but it's still a story that is definitely it's own. It was a very well written and complete and I honestly could see this as a whole, complete novel-it was set up and written that well. Anyways, back to the story...Mr. Sleuth takes up lodging at the place owned by the Bunting's. Mr. Sleuth's strange requests while he's staying with the Bunting's strangely coincide with murders that are happening in Whitechapel, a la a Jack the Ripper style. As this is a short story, I don't want to go into more detail that may give away the story, but it was definitely an enjoyable listen.I'd definitely recommend it.

Anne Hancock did a fabulous job narrating this tale. Her accent and voice fit perfectly into the location and time in history in which The Lodger takes place. She was easy to understand and her diction was excellent. I couldn't imagine a better narrator for this tale to be honest. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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