The White Priory Murders

By: Carter Dickson

Narrated by: John Telfer

James Bennett, nephew of Sir Henry Merrivale (the cantankerous yet genius sleuth), has been invited to stay at White Priory for Christmas, among the retinue of the glamorous Hollywood actress Marcia Tait. Her producer, her lover, her playwright and her agent are all here along with the haughty master of the estate, Canifes and his daughter.

So many suspects they become when Marcia Tait is found dead on Christmas morning in the lakeside pavilion, having been left there alone the night before and with a distinct lack of footprints in the snow to reveal any possible killer. When Henry Merrivale arrives to piece together what appears to be an impossible crime, John Dickson Carr, writing under the pseudonym Carter Dickson, treats the listener to sensational twists, febrile tension between the closed circle of suspects and one of the most perfect solutions in the history of the genre.

©1934, 2022 Estate of Clarice M. Carr, Martin Edwards (P)2022 Soundings

Telfer is amazing and perfect for Carr.

Really, the headline says it all but just a few more words to express why I put Telfer first.

If I had read this book I would have loved it just the same but my eyes don’t allow for that anymore. So now I listen which is a very different experience. It relies not only on the talent of the author but also on the talent of the narrator/performer.

I’m sure all of you have tried listening to a book whose narrator was so inappropriate and/or untalented that it ruined what could have been great. I’ve even listened to a few books whose writing was pedestrian but was lifted by a gifted performer.

Hence the reason for the headline. The writing and story are superb but Telfer takes it to another level.

Hope this is helpful to y’all and enjoy your day!👍

The great narration

I love old classic mysteries but this one I had a bit of trouble getting into because there was so much explaining and very little we get to experience in the story. The narrator was excellent.

Dickson is John Dickson Carr, in fine form

Murder in a creepy country house, with plenty of suspects and a locked room. Well performed story which kept me guessing until the end. highly recommended

Bit complicated start, good whodunnit

This is worth a listen, the story starts out slow but picks up in the middle. The narration is superb.

Great!

I loved this classic mystery story, and John Telfer did an excellent job narrating it. I will listen to it again.

Terribly convoluted story.

Rambling, too may tropes and unshared circumstances. Good narration. Only in a pinch. Thanks for sharing

More, please.

I loved the book and the fine performance by Telfer. Looking forward to the entire canon. The White Priory Murders is great entertainment and first rate writing. I wish Carr (Dickson) had written hundreds of these.

Excellent and entertaining

Written by John Dickson carr under the alias of Carter dickson this is a very entertaining and often puzzling mystery constructed by one of the most brilliant writers of the genre.

Love these golden age stories

In the last two years or so I have been enjoying the re-releasing of the British Libraries crime classics. Some are a bit stiff but most are delightful and take you back to a time of more innocence with lots of fun murder plots. I do not enjoy cozies except for the Cherringham series I

Superb narrator

The story was interesting but a bit longwinded and repetitive. The narrator possessed such a wide range of vocal characters I could imagine it was performed by a full cast. Excellent listen!