The Valley of the Shadow

A Cornish Mystery

By: Carola Dunn

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

While out on a walk, Eleanor Trewynn, her niece Megan, and her neighbor Nick spot a young, half-drowned Indian man floating in the water. Delirious and concussed, he utters a cryptic message about his family being trapped in a cave and his mother dying. The young man, unconscious and unable to help, is whisked away to a hospital while a desperate effort is mounted to find the missing family in time.

The local police inspector presumes that they are refugees from East Africa, abandoned by the smugglers who brought them into England. While the Cornwall countryside is being scoured for the family, Eleanor herself descends into a dangerous den of smugglers in a desperate search to find the man responsible while there is still time.

©2012 Carola Dunn (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Enjoyable series! Good for Agatha Christie fans

Finding a well-written and interesting mystery that doesn’t skew towards gore can be challenging. The Cornish series, and it’s delightful cast of characters, has been a great find. Not the same style as Agatha Christie, however it is likely to appeal to her fans. Light with bits of humor, worth a listen if you have a taste for cozy mysteries.

Loved the Story

I loved the story. I liked the many unexpected twists. Not crazy about the narrator, not sure why. I’ve given the first 3 books a chance to fall in love with the narration. It has not happened.

fun

This series is so much fun. The story takes you on an adventure of intrigue and danger. this is all done in a lighthearted way, which makes this book fun.

the valley of shadow

this was an excellent read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series

Great tale

I really enjoy this series by Carola Dunn. Interesting characters snd story line. Wanda McCaddon as narrator does a great job too.

Less mystery than “cozy thriller”

As with the previous novel in this series, it seems pretty clear who the culprit is from first appearance — or at least who the culprit’s sibling is. But what this lacks in clues, red herrings and alternate suspects, it makes up for with some moments of dramatic tension and even a chase scene, of sorts — even if at an “Aunt Nell” pace.

Unique Story

An enjoyable well-told very unique story. Like the characters. Book is third in a series but stands alone as well.

Why is a 60 yr old treated like she's 80???

I liked the story as it has a good plot. The narrator is quite enjoyable, even with the many mispronunciations of the Cornish language. She's relaxing to hear.
The biggest problem I have is with the author. The main character is only 60 yrs old - I am 58 - and yet she's written as a little old lady who acts and speaks as though she's 80+. I understand that this is set in the 1960's, but that's no excuse.

Another fun adventure

I love the characters and the mysteries they get into. The descriptions of the seaside towns take you there.

Really Enjoyed This

The author has written an enormous number of mysteries and I am on track to have read/listened to all of them. This is set in the early sixties in Cornwall, England in the UK. I t follows the adventures of an older woman, her dog, her niece a Police Sargent and colorful village characters. This is a mystery related to the shipping industry, Indian refugees from Africa, (you may need to brush up on colonial history to understand), and a man deranged by drink and a gambling addiction. The world building is great - you feel like you’ve gone back in time and over to Cornwall. This has a thoughtful look at issues society was grappling with namely, racism and sexism and was also entertaining.