Mini #AudiobookReviews ~ In The Frame & A Score To Settle by @neilmustard & @katonahprod #CosyMurderMystery

Two more mystery shorts set in the sleepy Cotswolds village of Cherringham, featuring ex NYC homicide detective, Jack Brennan and web designer, Sarah Edwards.

In The Frame

Recovering after knee surgery and having to take things easy, Jack was enjoying doing a stint of volunteering as a steward at Fitz Morton Manor to ease the dreaded boredom. Sarah was acting as chauffeur until Jack was able to drive and as they approached the manor house Jack noticed several things that weren’t quite right. He knew his new friend Cyril, another steward, was responsible for getting things set for visitors arriving, and Cyril had been on night duty so he should have been there already. On closer inspection of the property a body is discovered which, in the first instance, seems to be a natural death, but the circumstances don’t quite stack up…

A Score to Settle

Arthur Chisholm, the music teacher at Cherringham High School, had finished marking papers and settled down for the night. He was jolted awake in the early hours of the morning by glass breaking. Unfortunately, he’d left his mobile phone downstairs. After much deliberation he decided to investigate. Not the best decision he’d made as the burglar surprised him and Arthur ended up in hospital. Arthur, along with Jack Sarah and several other villagers, were members of the village choir. Once every ten years the choir sings the full Messiah and this year they were performing it at the Royal Albert Hall, joining choirs from across the country. As several more of the choir members’ houses were burgled, Jack and Sarah realise these are not coincidences. But what on earth can the the thief be after?

These easy to listen to and varied short stories are well plotted and, more often than not, quite unpredictable. The main characters, Jack and Sarah, are well defined and extremely likeable, their relationship natural and realistic. Neil Dudgeon does a great job as narrator, with very good characterisations. The accent and personality he gives Jack makes him very engaging. I never get the impression the books are written by two authors.

Co-authors Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid-90s, creating innovative content and working on major projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and the best-selling mystery series Cherringham. Their latest series project is called Mydworth Mysteries.