The Mangle Street Murders

The Gower Street Detectives, Book 1

By: M. R. C. Kasasian

Narrated by: Lindy Nettleton

The first in a charming, evocative, and sharply plotted Victorian crime series starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson.

After her father dies, March Middleton has to move to London to live with her guardian, Sidney Grice, the country's most famous private detective. It is 1882, and London is at its murkiest yet most vibrant, wealthiest yet most poverty-stricken. No sooner does March arrive than a case presents itself: A young woman has been brutally murdered, and her husband is the only suspect. The victim's mother is convinced of her son-in-law's innocence, and March is so touched by her pleas she offers to cover Sidney's fee herself.

The investigation leads the pair to the darkest alleys of the East End, and every twist leads Sidney Grice to think his client is guilty. But March is convinced he is innocent. Around them London reeks with the stench of poverty and gossip, the case threatens to boil over into civil unrest, and Sidney Grice finds his reputation is not the only thing in mortal danger.

©2013 M. R. C. Kasasian (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Not for serious murder mystery fans

It's very well performed, but the story is a bit tired and predictable. I was disappointed with it.

Interesting

Interesting period mystery.... different because the main detective is not a likeable character! But it adds to the story, I think, and sets it apart. The mystery is not too easy, but not too hard to solve. The narrator does a good job, and overall I enjoyed the book!

Like Sherlock, but.....more arrogant...somehow

I actually really enjoyed this book. It was like a classic Sherlock fan fiction, with an untraditional female lead, and a more fallible hero. I would recommend to anyone who likes the era, and anyone who enjoys a good 'who-dunnit'.

interesting Listen

Very entertaining premise & story! very clever deuces showing the blindness and obliqueness of the 'smartest & best' detective of the time, especially in his own mind! I can't wait for the next one!

fun and entertaining

loved the story and it's twists and turns. the narrator did a fantastic job withe the different characters

Fun

At first I thought this was going to be a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, but was delighted to be entertained by Grice the curmudgeon. Unlike Holmes, this book portrays the horrible living conditions of the London poor and parts of it are not for the squeamish.

Very enjoyable

Good old fashioned who done it. No profanity was a pleasant change of pace

Could have been better

Very long winded story line. Clumsy details but if your bored it is an ok audiobook.

How Far Women Have Come!

It was a delightful mystery. Lindy Nettelon does a terrific job as the narrator. Mr Grice does remind me of some of the judges on the SCOTUS!

Witty and clever British mystery

M. R. C. Kasasian has written a charming and mischievously witty mystery which takes place in 1882 England. Audible gives us the option to "view the series," but this is the only book that shows. There must be more somewhere, because, as fun as this book was--especially to listen to (kudos to the delightful reading of Lindy Nettleton!), it unfortunately ended with almost all of the major points cleared up, except one: who is the mystery person that March Middleton, the newly claimed ward of Sidney Brice--detective who is known by all the city, is writing to?

It opens with March Middleton leaving her home, after her father's death, and going to the home of Sidney Brice, a well-known (Sherlockian-style) detective to live as his ward. She finds him shockingly outrageous, overly dramatic, seldom patient with her, often rude to everyone, and yet, somehow, she forms an attachment to him. We find ourselves in yet again another Watson-Sherlock knock-off. This one most resembles Laurie King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series.

At first I wanted to yawn and just get through it, but then I realized it was growing on me. In King's series, Sherlock has formed a genuine attachment to the young Mary Russell, but in this one, although there are brief moments when Sidney Brice appears to have some personal care and concern for his new young ward, they are fewer and farther apart. Brice is similar to Holmes in that he has the incredible ability to see clues where others don't, which leads to solving crimes, but even as remote from emotions as we view Holmes, I would say that Brice is created to be a bit more blatantly narcissistic, and somehow it does not work quite as well. I was a tiny bit put off by his character, even while basically enjoying the book as a whole.

I felt it was a credit well-spent, but since the author left things unfinished with one character (minor to the reader I guess, but very important to March Middleton), the purpose of whose very existence is left somewhat unclear, it would seem that there must be another book in this series to pick up where this leaves off. But Audible does not seem to have it (perhaps will in the future). It will not hurt in listening to the story, since he is not central to the solving of the crime, but it just left me feeling a bit disappointed. Guess I just like things to be neatly tied up at the end :-)