The Old Contemptibles
Richard Jury Mysteries, Book 11
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Narrated by:
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Steve West
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By:
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Martha Grimes
About this listen
Following a passionate and troubled love affair with a pretty widow named Jane Holdsworth, Jury finds himself, unaccountably, a suspect in a murder investigation. Detained in London, Jury sends his friend Melrose Plant, former Earl of Caverness, to the Holdsworth family's Lake District home to pose as an eccentric librarian. Plant discovers that his catalogue cards contain less data on Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey than they do on tantalizing questions about the Holdsworths: What happened to Crabbe Holdsworth's first wife? What happened to his son, Graham? What happened to the cook Annie? And what might happen to the two children, favorites of rich old Adam Holdworth, who prefers the ambience of a swank retirement home, Castle Howe, where he and the elegant Lady Cray can drive the staff crazy? Jury and Sergeant Wiggins finally join Melrose at the Old Contemptibles pub, where they arrive at a solution that Jury detests, for no matter what he does, innocence will suffer.
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England, 1967. Odelle Bastien is a Caribbean émigré trying to make her way in London. When she starts working at the prestigious Skelton Institute of Art, she discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles, a young artist of immense talent and vision whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades. The excitement over the painting is matched by the intrigue around the conflicting stories of its discovery.
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Mixed narration
- By Amy Fleury on 08-05-16
By: Jessie Burton
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Grey Mask
- Miss Silver, Book 1
- By: Patricia Wentworth
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The first of the classic mysteries featuring governess-turned-detective Miss Silver, who investigates a deadly conspiratorial ring. Charles Moray has come home to England to collect his inheritance. After four years wandering the jungles of India and South America, the hardy young man returns to the manor of his birth, where generations of Morays have lived and died. Strangely, he finds the house unlocked, and sees a light on in one of its abandoned rooms. Eavesdropping, he learns of a conspiracy to commit a fearsome crime.
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The shaky first of a long, strong series
- By Phebe on 07-21-15
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Nightfall
- Nightingale, Book 1
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Uttered by the abusive father of a nine-year-old girl, that phrase ended Jack’s career as a police negotiator and has been haunting him ever since. Now that he is a struggling private detective, those words return with a vengeance when he inherits a mansion - and some terrifying information. Apparently Jack’s soul was sold at birth, and a devil will come to claim it on his thirty-third birthday just weeks away. It’s a hard pill to swallow, given that Jack doesn’t believe in hell (heaven, either).
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I Quite Liked the Story and Narration
- By Sires on 06-18-12
By: Stephen Leather
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Some Kind of Fairy Tale
- A Novel
- By: Graham Joyce
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty years ago, 16-year-old Tara Martin disappeared from a small town in the heart of England. Now, her sudden return and the mind-bending tale of where she’s been will challenge our very perception of the truth. For 20 years after Tara Martin disappeared, her parents and her brother, Peter, lived in denial of the grim fact that she was gone for good. Then suddenly on Christmas Day, the doorbell rings at her parents’ home, and there, dishevelled and slightly peculiar looking, Tara stands. It’s a miracle, but alarm bells are ringing for Peter. Tara’s story just does not add up.
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Extremely Well Done
- By Amanda on 07-11-12
By: Graham Joyce
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Mr. Fox
- A Novel
- By: Helen Oyeyemi
- Narrated by: Carol Boyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Fairy-tale romances end with a wedding and the fairy tales don't get complicated. In this book, celebrated writer Mr. Fox can't stop himself from killing off the heroines of his novels, and neither can his wife, Daphne. It's not until Mary, his muse, comes to life and transforms him from author into subject that his story begins to unfold differently....
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A Great Novel, just Poor for Audio
- By James A. Dittes on 08-13-16
By: Helen Oyeyemi
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The Secret Keeper
- By: Kate Morton
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 1959: Laurel Nicolson is 16 years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.
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Kate Morton (and Caroline Lee) does it again!
- By Maria on 10-20-12
By: Kate Morton
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Death in Zanzibar
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Dany Ashton is invited to vacation at her stepfather's house in Zanzibar, but even before her airplane takes off there is a stolen passport, a midnight intruder - and murder. In Zanizbar, the family house is Kivulimi, the mysterious "House of Shade", where Dany and the rest of the guests learn that one of them is a desperate killer. The air of freedom and nonchalance that opened the house party fades into growing terror, as the threat of futher violence flowers in the scented air of Zanzibar.
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Old Favorite Now in Audio
- By Marie on 01-13-13
By: M. M. Kaye
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The Perfume Collector
- A Novel
- By: Kathleen Tessaro
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London's most refined and ambitious social circles. Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything. Grace has received an inheritance. There's only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d'Orsey. Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d'Orsey's story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.
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Unbearable Narration
- By D McKay on 08-05-15
By: Kathleen Tessaro
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The Best Man to Die
- An Inspector Wexford Mystery
- By: Ruth Rendell
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Who could have suspected that the exciting stag party for the groom would be the prelude to the murder of his close friend Charlie Hatton? And Charlie's death was only the first in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, cheating husbands, and loose women. Now Chief Inspector Wexford and his assistant join forces with the groom to track down a killer....
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Classic who-dunnit
- By Kathi on 02-24-13
By: Ruth Rendell
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A Study in Charlotte
- Charlotte Holmes, Book 1
- By: Brittany Cavallaro
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead, Julia Whelan
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers were one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She's inherited Sherlock's volatility and some of his vices - and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she's not looking for friends.
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3.5 ☆s
- By Ashley C on 01-21-18
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The Pearl Thief
- By: Elizabeth Wein
- Narrated by: Maggie Service
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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From the internationally acclaimed best-selling author of Code Name Verity comes a stunning new story of pearls, love and murder. Sixteen-year-old Julie Beaufort-Stuart is returning to her family's ancestral home in Perthshire for one last summer. It is not an idyllic return to childhood. Her grandfather's death has forced the sale of the house and estate, and this will be a summer of good-byes. Not least to the McEwen family - Highland travellers who have been part of the landscape for as long as anyone can remember.
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Freshwater Pearls and Scottish Plaid
- By Cynthia on 08-14-17
By: Elizabeth Wein
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The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
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This isn't my favorite but entertaining
- By Linda on 02-01-22
By: Fiona Davis
What listeners say about The Old Contemptibles
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- nancykoe
- 11-22-22
Terrific story
I have listened to this story several times. I love it every time. Steve West does an excellent performance. He is Richard Jury to me. Bravo.
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- Marianne Dullea
- 06-06-20
entertain ing
it was nice to see some new characters in this book. as usual,inserting children into the story adds humor and perseverance into the story.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Waverley
- 02-12-16
The introduction of fascinating new characters!
Would you consider the audio edition of The Old Contemptibles to be better than the print version?
Absolutely! Due to the vocally dexterous narrator, Steve West. He brings the characters life and his rendition of Aunt Agatha has me falling out of my chair laughing!
Who was your favorite character and why?
They are all colorful and engaging; although, if I must pick one...it would be Melrose Plant ( former Earl of Caverness). He is a good-natured and intelligent chap who is quick to lend a hand and not very quick to take the credit. Plus, he exhibits amazing grace in putting-up with his detestable Aunt Agatha.
Which scene was your favorite?
I love the scene where the interesting cleptomaniac transfers the letters to Melrose.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
All of the books in this series evoke the gamete of emotions: I cried a little and laughed often.
Any additional comments?
It is best to start at the beginning of the series; one can't help but develope a crush on the regular characters. This is a particularly moving book in the series.
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- MolllyT
- 05-11-18
Fascinating!
Agnosco vestigia flamea, from the Aeneid, I perceive the vestiges of an old flame. Jury goes brain dead over a seriously troubled woman and winds up in deep grief and on suspect list! Melrose Plant goes undercover and finds a weird family with too many suicides in recent memory. Great tale!
This is also narrated ably by Steve West.
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1 person found this helpful
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- M. Faulkner
- 09-13-18
Martha has the goods
These are delightful and the third novel and this one are the best yet - Jury and Plant are irresistible! Well narrated.
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- Linnie
- 08-18-19
Intriguing. another best! now on to the next
This one makes you think, and I mean that in more ways than one....excellent read
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- Toby
- 02-01-14
Another gem by Martha Grimes
Where does The Old Contemptibles rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I cannot rank as I listen to literary novels, mysteries, memoirs, etc. It ranks high in that Martha Grimes is a stellar writer.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Melrose plant because of his wit and eccentricity. Millie also captured my attention. I have read this book years ago, when I could read a print book. It was nice to revisit this mystery.
What does Steve West bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He is okay, but I would dearly love if the Martha Grimes series could get a reader along the lines of Simon Vance. While the reader does not take away from the story, he does not add much either.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The ending.
Any additional comments?
I wish all of the Richard Jury series would be available on Audible.
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- marc
- 08-06-22
Great ending
My favorite book in this series so far. I think it has a great ending.
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- Happy
- 08-02-23
Good listening!
Next to Deer’s Leap this is my favorite R. Jury Supt. It’s is a really good listen. The storyline is wonderfully intricate & worth a second go through.
Thanks Martha Grimes. We met in Washington & I miss you very much.
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- Chiere Martyn
- 11-24-16
Great book
Great characters and love the ending. I'm often disappointed in the endings but this was perfect.
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1 person found this helpful