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Killer Book Club

By: Gillian Pachter
Narrated by: Gillian Pachter
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  • Summary

  • Contains strong language and adult themes.

    The idyllic quiet of a picture postcard English village is shattered when a book club member is murdered by his former student and lover.

    But why would anyone kill a retired English teacher, a pillar of his community? Perhaps the answer lies in the trail of writing that he, and his killer, left behind: diaries, poems and novels.

    Documentary maker Gillian Pachter lifts the lace curtain to reveal a secret wedding, sordid affairs, drug abuse and psychological torture. She enlists the help of James, a former student of the victim, to try and uncover the truth. Buried memories from James' school days provide the final piece of the puzzle, and unlock a dark episode from Gillian’s own past.

    A Vespucci, Big Light and Dorothy Street production for Audible. Executive Producer: Frank Spotnitz.

    This original podcast is 8 episodes in total, please begin with “Ep. 1: The Knot”.

    ©2021 Audible, Ltd (P)2021 Audible, Ltd
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: The Knot
    Sep 29 2021

    A tip-off from an old friend leads Gillian to seek the truth behind the murder of retired English teacher Peter Farquhar.

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    32 mins
  • Ep. 2: The Dark Circle
    Sep 29 2021

    Accompanied by James, a new acquaintance who seems to harbour secrets about the case, Gillian learns that the victim Peter is far more complex than he was depicted at court.

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    34 mins
  • Ep. 3: Truest Jest
    Sep 29 2021

    New information leads Gillian to question the prosecution’s narrative about killer Ben Field. She decides to use literary tools to unlock his motives.

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    32 mins

What listeners say about Killer Book Club

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great

Really enjoyed this so descriptive and a great pace. Interesting and showed a view of middle England

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting Tale (Could be a BBC crime drama )

Very good story telling. Interesting tale, well woven. I didn't care for the author's own story put in as a filler or connector. Listened to in 2 sittings.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Complex, Sad, Absorbing - non-objective review

Disclosure: I knew the victim of the murder described this podcast, I know the narrator/writer and I am briefly featured in a couple of episodes. So I am far from a casual listener and definitely bring my bias to this. Certainly, it was a very odd experience listening to it and suddenly hearing my voice, and the voices of old friends and teachers.

This is an absorbing, detailed and even handed account of a horrific crime, and the complex life of the victim, Peter Farquhar - teacher of literature, mentor, author and a man whose own long suppressed desires ultimately led to his own murder.

Pachter unravels a case that at the time was covered sensationally and superficially and tells the story of a life only partially understood even by those, like me, who thought we knew him well. There are times when you can feel the story-teller in her reach a little far, labor a little too hard to find meaning or draw conclusions where the truth is just messy and incomplete, but on the whole this does succeed in making a close reading of a man who, as a master of close reading himself, would have appreciated it.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Twists and Turns

An ejoyable docustory. Woman on the street interviews, thorough research, interesting interviews, flowing narrative. Satisfying ending.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

i was immediately hooked

This really happened. what a ride! Excellent from the first sentence. worth it. good listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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worth the listen

This started off slowly and I was only half paying attention, but it got so much better. Crazy story! Listen to it if you like true crime!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Of crime and concealment

This podcast is a wonderful look at the costs of emotional containment in a small English town whose coziness concealed both killer and victim in the same small book club. I particularly enjoyed the way the series creator made herself a character in the narrative.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This was deep

Words can't describe how much I enjoyed this audio book. I was listening to this day and night.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wanting more

This was an excellent podcast and I hope to hear more from this author.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

reads like a novel

i enjoyed listening to this podcast. i actually thought at first that it really wasn't a real life episode. not sure I would have made the connections she did in the last episode but okay it works. psychopaths are so unnerving

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