Preview
  • A Ghost in the Machine

  • Midsomer Murders, Book 7
  • By: Caroline Graham
  • Narrated by: John Hopkins
  • Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (113 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Ghost in the Machine

By: Caroline Graham
Narrated by: John Hopkins
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.49

Buy for $19.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

For all its old-fashioned charm, Forbes Abbot is far from the close-knit community that ex-Londoners Mallory and Kate Lawson expected. In this village, everyday squabbles can quickly turn to murder.

As the couple begins to settle into their new life away from the big city, it isn't long until they're thrown into the horror and mayhem of a true Midsomer Murders mystery.

Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby has encountered many intriguing cases in his years on the force, but soon he will discover that the incident of the ghost in the machine is the most challenging of them all.

©2004 Caroline Graham (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

'[A Ghost in the Machine] allows us to admire the novelist's wit and her ability to create exasperatingly real characters before getting down to the policing.' (Sunday Telegraph)
'A mystery of which Agatha Christie would have been proud.' (The Times)

'Tension builds, bitchery flares, resentment seethes...lots of atmosphere, colourful characters and fair clues.' (Mail on Sunday)

What listeners say about A Ghost in the Machine

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    75
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Where is Barnaby?

After seventeen chapters, or 9.5hrs of listening, Chief Inspector Barnaby finally appears and the story properly begins.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect for Halloween, Lovers of Murder Mysteries & the Paranormal!

This was a more complex story than some of the others in the series. The many people in the tale are not all connected other than they either knew the murdered people or the murderer. But I cared about most of them and when it was over wished I could read more about them.
There’s a paranormal bit and a creepy twist at the end. A very satisfying mystery.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well done as always

Even though Inspector Barnaby didn’t appear right away in the plot, it was an intricately woven, master fully written story with a very satisfying surprise ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story telling

The characters were so real and complex. I enjoyed listening to every minute of it and the ending was amazing. I’m so sorry that this is the last book she wrote in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just as much mystery, not as much Barnaby

I enjoyed the slight divergence. Still multiple threads of mysteries that are tied up rather well in the last chapter and perfectly narrated as always. Troy is Troy, Barnaby is human.... there's just less of these 2 and more of the thoughts of various characters. Cameo appearance of the young actors. I wonder what is next for Barnaby

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ghost Machine

Loved plot and reader - a bit slow starting but then became totally engrossed in the story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful listen

Completely engrossing storylines and excellent narration. The characters are well drawn and complex. The author’s take on human nature resonates and is both canny and kind. The ending is extraordinary. Highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good for fans of Graham’s rich characters, slow pacing

This is an interesting approach compared to other books in the series: there is an extended set up where the main players and environs are introduced, similar to “Death in Disguise”, but much longer. Deep characters are Graham’s hallmark, and this novel has them, but there is very little of the quaint, light-hearted comedy that I personally enjoy. This book deals with a number of very broken and destructive people. Graham’s prose is as razor-sharp as ever, I laughed out loud at several particularly clever turns of phrase. I found the motive and ending to be confusing and a bit unconvincing, and would have appreciated knowing what the protagonists had gotten up to after the case ends, especially after how beautifully this was handled in the previous book in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

A great way to round out the series. Wish there were more books here, but it’s refreshing to see an author not beleaguer the readers or characters. Well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Annoying characters

Many of the characters were annoying. Mallory with his obsession and hovering of his daughter Polly was just absurd. Judith and Kate both came across as jealous and possessive, and while Gloria was a cartoon. The little girl Karen was interesting and I liked the end the best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!