The Mystery of the Crooked Man Audiobook By Tom Spencer cover art

The Mystery of the Crooked Man

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The Mystery of the Crooked Man

By: Tom Spencer
Narrated by: Claire Warrillow
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Meet Agatha Dorn, cantankerous archivist, grammar pedant, gin afficionado and murder mystery addict. When she discovers a lost manuscript by Gladden Green, the Empress of Golden Age detective fiction, Agatha's life takes an unexpected twist. She becomes an overnight sensation, basking in the limelight of literary stardom.

But Agatha's newfound fame takes a nosedive when the 'rediscovered' novel is exposed as a hoax. And when her ex-lover turns up dead, with a scrap of the manuscript by her side, Agatha suspects foul play.

Cancelled, ostracised and severely ticked off, Agatha turns detective to uncover the sinister truth that connects the murder and the fraudulent manuscript. But can she stay sober long enough to catch the murderer, or will Agatha become a whodunnit herself?

©2024 Tom Spencer (P)2024 Bolinda Publishing Amateur Sleuths Cozy Crime Murder Mystery Fiction

Critic reviews

'Not your usual cosy, and that's exactly what I loved! Spencer tip-toes on that line between traditional and modern with a delicate charm and deftness of touch to create a juicy whodunnit. Simply brilliant!' (Jonathan Whitehall, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives)

'With a prickly protagonist and a plot that's twistier than a bag full of corkscrews, this one will keep you guessing until the end.' (Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder)

'This edgy mystery takes you down a dark path with unexpected turns, intriguing Golden Age breadcrumbs and a thorny denouement.' (Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, bestselling author of A Murder of Crows)
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One of the funniest, most enjoyable books I’ve stumbled across in ages. The narrator was also a dream.

Top notch

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As much as I really do enjoy annoying female characters, this one’s traits included self-pity, self obsession, and whining—which made her often tiresome. Several times fairly early on I seriously considered returning the book but finally got caught up in the plot and made it to the end. This is a good book—the plot is interesting, and Agatha becomes less of an annoyance as the book progresses—but good grief, I had to struggle for a while.

Agatha can be very annoying

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I particularly enjoyed the witty, acerbic voice of the protagonist. Although I liked the twists and turns of the plot, I am tired of female characters who are constantly drunk. Agatha is much more interesting when she is sober.

The fabulous narration by Clare Warrilow

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This finely curated tale centers an unlikely protagonist who attempts to succeed despite herself and her ambitious diet of gin and water. While it took me a minute to get the cutting humor and London slang, once I did I was laughing every chapter at this ridiculous and captivating tale that pulls you in the deeper you go.

1 part humor, 2 parts mystery, 3 parts gin!

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Enjoyed the book. I hope there will be more adventures with Agatha Dorn in the near future.

Eccentric heroine, Funny Dialogue, Interesting Plot

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Instant classic. I wish there were more mysteries by this author but it looks like he mostly writes nonfiction. Hopefully, we’ll get some in the future.

Outstanding plot. Brilliant narrative voice. Excellent narration.

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Picked this book because of rave review in Sunday NYT and glad I did! Intricate plot, strange and slightly spooky, but all very apt. Especially nice wordplay and grammar jokes, always a treat. Yes, there was a crooked man. We knew it all along. We just didn’t know what or who it was. Worth knowing.

What a treat!

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I read a lot of these cozy mysteries and this is the first time that I didn’t actually guess the killer before the end. Agatha is such a well written character and if you liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine you will enjoy this book.

A Twist I didn’t see coming

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Claire Warrillow is an excellent narrator but honestly not the voice of this book- not for me. I have 894 titles in my audible library, therefore a foundation of experience. The narration did not envelope the many characters enough, there was not enough variation in the personalities.
This book was more of a Girl on the Train drunken perspective but from an achivistists professional point of view rather than drunken sadness/desperation/jealousy. The protagonist is entirely unlikable, the mystery is convoluted and the solution was impossible to predict. But maybe it was just me. It is not an unforgettable story, though maybe because I would have preferred to read it instead of listen. I can see this one being better in film than in print.

Um... maybe it was the narration?

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I loved the references to Agatha Christie, but the story had little oomph to go along. Nice, fun, I’d read another but I’m not rushing out for it.

Fun with a good twist

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