Deadlier than Fiction by Helena Marchmont Narrator: Nathaniel Parker
Series: Bunburry #9
Published by Lübbe Audio on December 21, 2020
Source: Purchased
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 3 hrs 18 mins
Pages: 102
Format: Audiobook
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Miss Marple meets Oscar Wilde in this new series of cosy mysteries set in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Bunburry.
In "Deadlier than Fiction", amateur sleuth Alfie McAlister enjoys his volunteer work in Bunburry's community library, set up in the mansion of the formidable Miss Radford-Jones. The library is home from home for eleven-year-old Noah, an Agatha Christie fan who sees murder round every corner. At first Alfie dismisses this as a child's overactive imagination - but then he himself is attacked. Could young Noah be right after all?
This time around much of the action is center on the new Bunburry public library Alfie has helped set up. It’s in the massive home of Mrs. Radford-Jones, who is a wonderful character, caring and proper and rich. A widow comes to the “Bunberry Triangle” convinced her husband was frightened to death, so scared of something that he had a heart attack. Turns out the man was the second member of a book club to die.
The story is good and I love the new characters. Alfie doesn’t actually do much investigating, more stumbles onto things. And really should stop worrying about Betty, who has still not come back or communicated with him. Liz and Marge have very little to do this time around either. While I loved the new characters, the plot was a bit lacking. There was too much “we just happened to be talking about this yesterday,” and “I just happened to wander past her empty cottage.” Really the only reason the killer was caught was thanks to an eleven-year-old.
About Helena Marchmont
Helena Marchmont is a pseudonym of Olga Wojtas, who was born and brought up in Edinburgh. She was encouraged to write by an inspirational English teacher, Iona M. Cameron. Olga won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2015, has had more than 30 short stories published in magazines and anthologies and writes the Miss Blaine’s Prefect mysteries.