A Time to Kill Audiobook By Stephen Puleston cover art

A Time to Kill

Inspector Drake, Book 5

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A Time to Kill

By: Stephen Puleston
Narrated by: Richard Elfyn
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A web of intrigue and deaths in the heart of Snowdonia. Can Inspector Drake unearth the killer from deep inside the rural community?

Investigating the disappearance of local antiques dealer Harry Jones is not high on DI Ian Drake’s priority list. He has more important things to spend his time on than looking for a man who has probably just walked out on his wife. Until they find Harry’s dead body.

Drake knows they are dealing with a cold-blooded killer. But the valleys of Snowdonia are an unlikely place for a murderer to hide out, and Harry an unlikely victim. As the investigation unfolds, Drake discovers a web of intrigue surrounding Harry and business links with the criminal underworld.

When another murder takes place that strikes at the heart of the community, Drake is convinced the killer lies closer to home. And when two key witnesses disappear, Drake faces a race against time to bring the killer to justice, before he strikes again.

A Time to Kill is the fifth book in the dynamic Inspector Drake crime series. If you like police procedurals, clever mysteries, and gripping thrillers, then you’ll love Stephen Puleston’s Ian Drake novels.

©2018 Stephen Puleston (P)2019 Stephen Puleston Crime Fiction Mystery Traditional Detectives
Twisted Tale • Compelling Character • Intriguing Mystery • Detailed Descriptions • Exciting Plot • Clear Easy Voice
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A complicated homicide for the police to solve. Mr. Puleston is a new to me author. I like murder mysteries. The storyline was a tad bit confusing at times. I needed to carefully listen to the narrator in order to keep all the characters straight in my head.

The British accent of Mr. Elfyn gave this English novel merit. He has a clear and easy to listen voice.

Suspenseful and Intriguing

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One enjoys another story with Inspector Drake he is down to earth with some everyday problems. The case is intriguing old blooded killer, with a web of intrigue around Harry. The narration add to this great plot. Given audio for my voluntary review

Great

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As another reviewer said, this series keeps getting better. And A Time To Kill is the best yet. Especially good pacing and character development.

Glad I Stuck With This Series

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Note: Even though this is Book 5 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone story.

Yet another great mystery from Puleston! I’m in love with this series. It’s well written all around from characters to plot to setting. So I always know that when I pick up a DCI Drake mystery, I’m in for a good story.

In this one, our dead guy Harry Jones is a bit of a gigolo and everyone knows it. However, his wife Fiona is trying to maintain some semblance of decorum but that makes it harder for Drake, DS Sara Morgan, and their team to figure out who the killer is. At first, Drake thinks Jones just went off with his latest conquest but then his body is found.

I live in the USA and I found it very interesting to see how the people of Snowdonia react to handguns. There’s a small stash of ‘antique’ guns found, mostly from WW2. In the story, it’s a really big deal. I live on a small hobby farm in an open-carry state, and such a stash of handguns wouldn’t be unusual to find in any of the homes around here. Eventually, Drake has to call in the specially trained cops that are trained to use firearms. All of this made the story extra interesting to me as it’s a very different gun culture.

I’m not big on romance in general but I did smile a bit as Drake makes his tentative flirtations. Annie is something of a local historian. If a full blown romance doesn’t happen for these two, I hope they remain good friends. And since we’re gossiping about Drake’s private life, he’s got a little family drama going on with his sister. She doesn’t want to meet or even acknowledge their newly discovered half brother. But in such a tightly knitted, small community, Drake’s family will cross lines with his investigation. And that lead to an extra exciting ending. Drake races to rescue a family member as well as stop the fiend! 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Richard Elfyn as always was spectacular in his narration. I love the Welsh accent even though I have no idea how many of the Welsh words are spelled. Elfyn switches seamlessly from one regional accent to the next. The female characters sound feminine and the pacing was perfect. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

Just excellent series - better with each book

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I love Inspector Morse, and, Inspector Drake is a more intense version. Instead of opera and crosswords, Drake does sudoku. The murder of a married ladies man leads to more murders because of the ' seeds' he has spread. There are numbers of suspects for Drake to place in the right order to solve this case. I was gifted this from the author.

The Genealogy of A Ladies Man

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This crime drama set in the Snowdonia region of Wales is well told with an interesting if slightly obsessive hero and a string of potential villains, each with convincing motives and plenty of opportunity. As Drake investigates the initial murder, subsequent bodies turn up, all connected in some way. Evidence points to various culprits in a twisted tale that would have done Agatha Christie proud.
Great reading with a convincing look at police procedure and a romantic and familial sub-plot that keeps the story from becoming pure police procedure.
Richard Elfyn does a wonderful job of reading this one with a voice that could make reading the telephone book interesting. A great melding of a great story with a great narrator.

The Murder of a Ladies' Man

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Listener received this title free

I am really enjoying the Inspector Drake series. It reminds me of Monk and Midsomer Murders, with a quirky detective and interesting regional setting. The narration is excellent - all of the characters have distinct voices, and the narrating voice is different than the characters speaking so you never get lost in what is happening in the story. You don't immediately realize who the killer is, and I like that the mystery unfolds without an obvious solution.
Content wise, this is just on the edge of what I'm willing to listen to with the descriptions of violence that are not gratuitous, and there is a minimal amount of cursing. I don't believe this book had any intimate scenes, in other books in this series they are all implied / fade out, which I really appreciate. If it were a movie I would expect a PG13 rating for the violence of the murders.

Enjoyable Mystery

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A Time to Kill is Stephen Puleston’s latest Inspector Drake novel. Richard Elfyn does a great performance bringing the book to life. This book is a little bit different because Ian Drake has divorced his wife and I got a glimpse into his family life. The murder investigation is woven through his time with his mother and daughters. He also meets a lady and flirts a little. The story builds to a marvelous conclusion and I was s little surprised! I really enjoyed this latest Inspector Drake book. I can’t wait for the next book! I received a free code and am leaving my review voluntarily.

Inspector Drake solves another murder

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More Murder, a new team, same ticks. Ian Drake is back on the hunt for another killer. 3 Murders, many suspects, but only Drake and his team can find the killer.
Great story, very detailed, exciting ride.

Inspector Drake cones through again.

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Stephen Puleston has created a compelling character of Inspector Drake. A Time to Kill pulled me in with its twists and turns. One murder on top of another domino effect. So many suspects and motives, I was intrigued to guess the culprit. Well done to the author for keeping me guessing. Richard Elfyn was perfect performing this book. He adds realistic emotions to his voice. I could hear who was speaking. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator.

Compelling Listen!

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