A Gentlewoman's Guide to Murder Audiobook By Victoria Hamilton cover art

A Gentlewoman's Guide to Murder

Gentlewoman's Guide to Murder Series, Book 1

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A Gentlewoman's Guide to Murder

By: Victoria Hamilton
Narrated by: Heather Wilds
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Scandal and slayings among Regency London's elite

The shocking murder of Sir Henry Claybourne leaves Regency London shaken and horror-struck. But for genteel spinster Miss Emmeline St. Germaine, the crime slices far too close to home. Just hours before the knight's death she held a dagger to him, threatening him to stay silent as she rescued a scullery maid he had procured for his pleasure.

Did the man - or woman - who murdered the knight know of her visit? Her secret identity at risk, her reputation and life in jeopardy, Emmeline must solve the crime or face scandalous exposure and ruination, or worse - the hangman's noose - for a crime she did not commit.

©2019 Victoria Hamilton (P)2019 Tantor Crime Historical Mystery Fiction

Critic reviews

"[An] outstanding series launch...Hamilton expertly balances the page-turning detection with the story of a hypocritical society where women, whether they are scullery maids or orphans, rarely get to make their own decisions." (Publishers Weekly)
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It was a very interesting storyline. At times I was frustrated with the main character's feminist views and wanted her to just like the guy already. The saying that kept me from really enjoying the book was the narrator. it was painful to listen to at times.

Interesting topic and storyline

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I like Heather Wilds as a narrator, but I have to say with this story, there were a ton of characters to keep track of and her range of voices was too limited. I had to rewind often to listen to a part because most of the females sounded the same so I became confused.

The story itself was good in concept, but too tedious in execution. I’m a big fan of this genre but I felt like there were a million girls names mentioned and often all at once, so it was hard to keep them straight. The lead has some obvious backstory but it’s only barely hinted at throughout most of the book, and when finally revealed it’s not that shocking. I wanted to like this story but it was very average for the theme. The ending was also just not good. Seems like they edited out the actual ending and this was what remained.

If there’s another book in the series, it’s a maybe for me.

Mediocre

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Deadpan, halting and in no way lyrical .... she does do accents well, but the rest is so frustrating to read ... It was so distracting that it was difficult to decide if I liked the book or not.

Most irritating reader

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An unapologetic, survivor-centered book that names and calls out sexual violence? I was all in. Set in 1810, Regency London, where upper and middle class women are property of men and where poor girls are seen as expendable, this book doesn't use the euphemisms or glosses so often employed to explain away the abuses women and girls faced in order to move a mystery along. Nor does the author excuse the cultural systems in place that allowed predatory men to inflict harm and label it their right. Hamilton tells a story that centers strong women and as the story moves along, the ways that her thoughts become more complex opens her world to a group of other women, whose lives are intricately connected to her own. To be clear, Hamilton lays blame where it is deserved and does not tend toward sweeping statements unless the main character is struggling with how to make sense of just how many women's lives, across classes, included sexual violence and how even a single man can have had such a profoundly significant reach. I have worked in the field of SV for many years and listening to the women in this novel speak about such memories, some for the first time, was far too familiar.

I truly enjoyed this book and of the nearly 250 similar books I've listed to, count it among my favorites precisely because there are so many moments of women bonding to hold perpetrators accountable, even in naming the violence, that I wished showed up in other novels. If it helps, other authors I enjoy include Sherry Thomas, Deanna Raybourn, Rosemary Simpson, Charles Todd, and Theodora Goss, I also actually enjoyed that there was no romance. They can be fun when done well but in this case, would have been distracting.

Heather Wilds is one of my favorite narrators. I don't need all sorts of different character voices and truly enjoy how Wilds reads women's voices.

Excellent novel by a skilled author

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Quite with three hours to finish. Tired of being preached to. Characters two dimensional. Love interest flat

Disappointed

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As a woman I tend to read books with female lead characters. What I didn't expect was to feel the victimization of my gender. Understanding that this book portraits historical accuracy causing angry emotions. I was hoping for a more light hearted story. This book is fiction but also horrifically honest.

Not what I was hoping for.

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Reader used a flat sing song delivery off putting and very irritating. It lacked warmth and depth.

Interesting premise

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I like this reader, and I am all for strong female characters but the very out matched victimized women to almost every male being horrible is not good. I have a mother and a sister who were raped by an uncle, one at age three.. repeatedly. It happens more then anyone wants to admit, however, there are good men around. My brother Father, brother in law .. moreover the heroine is far to full of herself. Her brother an idiot. Actually the whole story is weak. The end far to rushed and deluded

To prejudice

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I have no idea how this book only shows 3.5 stars ! I couldn't put it down! Although it takes place 200 years ago the irony of the Epstein, Weinstein and Diddy shows that in 200 years later men, wealthy men, powerful men are still getting away with the exact same crimes which carry little to no sentence...lists are hidden victims are silenced and those that oust them are blamed and even punished! Considering there are 3 major household names in headlines at this very moment shows due to the lack of punishment by the courts, blaming of the victims and the sentiment among men in general because if you ask a women they will tell you lock them away and throw away the key ...yet news just came down yesterday that Diddy will be sentenced to 2 years with time served and will be out months after sentencing ! 200 years later things have only gotten worse. Maybe that's why this book although it is 5stars caliber in every measure only shows 3.5 stars... I suspect the algorithm is aiming this at men with the same grotesque addiction and they are tanking this books ratings. All women need to listen to this book closely and we should have a hand in a Crohn's women's club and become part of a network to DEMAND harsher sentences for these men and DEMAND un penetrable protection for their victims.

5 Stars!

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The narrator has a pleasant sounding voice, but the way she reads the book is distracting. There is a strange rhythm that she is using, like when reading poetry or something. Sentences end awkwardly and it is easy to miss what was actually said because of how it is being said.

I think this would be more of a director issue.

It was okay

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