The Penguin Pool Murder
Hildegarde Withers, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Julie McKay
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By:
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Stuart Palmer
About this listen
Although the Stock Market had crashed recently, it was too early for most people to predict that the Great Depression was about to get underway. For 39-year-old spinster schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers, it’s business as usual. And part of her usual business is taking her class for an outing to the aquarium to see the penguins. Instead, she spots the floating corpse of Wall Street broker Gerald Lester and quickly realizes that Inspector Oscar Piper of NYPD Homicide isn’t up to solving this tricky case, especially when he appears ready to accept he confession of an obviously innocent young man. Red herrings, not penguins, abound.
Miss Withers has a number of questions that need answers before she’s willing to reel in the real murderer: Who did Lester’s wife meet behind the stairs? What did the pickpocket see? Who was the man in the fedora? And just how did Miss Withers’ hatpin turn into a lethal weapon?
First published in 1931, The Penguin Pool Murder was as big a hit with book lovers as it was with moviegoers when it was filmed the following year starring Edna May Oliver as Miss Withers and James Gleason as Inspector Piper.
©1931 Brentano's, Inc. Copyright renewed. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
Berlin, 1929. Detective Inspector Rath was a successful career officer in the Cologne Homicide Division before a shooting incident in which he inadvertently killed a man. He has been transferred to the vice squad in Berlin, a job he detests even though he finds a new friend in his boss, Chief Inspector Wolter. There is seething unrest in the city, and the Commissioner of Police has ordered the vice squad to ruthlessly enforce the ban on May Day demonstrations.
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It's no Bernie Gunther Mystery ...
- By Brian English on 01-28-18
By: Volker Kutscher
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Pietr the Latvian
- Inspector Maigret, Book 1
- By: Georges Simenon, David Bellos - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The first audiobook which appeared in Georges Simenon's famous Maigret series, in a gripping new translation by David Bellos.Inevitably Maigret was a hostile presence in the Majestic. He constituted a kind of foreign body that the hotel's atmosphere could not assimilate. Not that he looked like a cartoon policeman. He didn't have a moustache and he didn't wear heavy boots. His clothes were well cut and made of fairly light worsted. He shaved every day and looked after his hands. But his frame was proletarian. He was a big, bony man.
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Long live Maigret
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-19-14
By: Georges Simenon, and others
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Fer-de-Lance
- By: Rex Stout
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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When someone makes a present of a fer-de-lance - the dreaded snake - to Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin knows he's close to solving two apparently unrelated murders. As for Wolfe, he's playing snake charmer in a case more deadly than a cobra and whistling a seductive tune he hopes will catch a killer with poison in his heart.
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One of the best crime series of all time.
- By ShySusan on 03-27-13
By: Rex Stout
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Ask Me No Questions
- A Lady Dunbridge Mystery
- By: Shelley Noble
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A modern woman in 1907, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She's ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.
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A Creative Mystery
- By Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe on 02-28-19
By: Shelley Noble
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Cop Hater
- 87th Precinct Series, Book 1
- By: Ed McBain
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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When a sniper begins gunning down cops from the 87th Precinct in cold blood, it’s up to Detective Steve Carella to solve the case. With three cops already dead, Carella delves into the city’s underworld to search for the killer.
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Dang, it's about time for the 87th Precinct
- By Eric J. Toll on 05-17-14
By: Ed McBain
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The Ripper's Shadow
- A Victorian Mystery
- By: Laura Joh Rowland
- Narrated by: Alex Tregear
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror. Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer, supplements her meager income by taking illicit boudoir photographs of the town's local ladies of the night. But when two of her models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it's more than mere coincidence.
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Really not a good book.
- By Robin Thompson on 08-25-17
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The Secret Adversary & N or M?
- Two Bestselling Agatha Christie Novels in One Great Audiobook
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Hugh Fraser
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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From the brilliant pen of Agatha Christie comes two novels featuring the beloved sleuthing duo: In the The Secret Adversary, Tommy and Tuppence decide to embark on a daring business scheme: Young Adventurers Ltd. But they get more than they bargained for when their first assignment for the sinister Mr. Whittington draws them into a diabolical conspiracy. Set during the dark days of World War II, Agatha Christie’s N or M? puts two most unlikely espionage agents, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, on the trail of a pair of Nazi spies who have murdered Britain’s top agent.
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Hugh Fraser is great!
- By Cheryl McInerney on 09-06-22
By: Agatha Christie
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Alison Larkin Presents: The Secret Adversary, Murder on the Links, and The Mysterious Affair at Styles
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin, James Warwick
- Length: 24 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Three critically acclaimed recordings are joined together in this dazzling Agatha Christie Triple Bill, read by award-winning narrators Alison Larkin and James Warwick, star of the Partners in Crime TV series on Masterpiece Theater.
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Pitch perfect narration of Agatha Christie!
- By Mary Katherine Worth on 10-18-19
By: Agatha Christie
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Maplecroft
- The Borden Dispatches, Book 1
- By: Cherie Priest
- Narrated by: Johanna Parker, Roger Wayne
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place.
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The lengthy build up is worth the mystery.
- By DabOfDarkness on 10-25-14
By: Cherie Priest
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The Powder Mage Novella Collection #1
- Stories from the Powder Mage Universe
- By: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Julie Hoverson
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Enter a new world or return to see old friends in four Powder Mage Universe novellas featuring Erika, Tamas, Adamat, Taniel, Ka-poel, and Ben Styke.
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Great prequels, horrible narrator
- By Harker on 04-19-17
By: Brian McClellan
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The Eighth Commandment
- By: Lawrence Sanders
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Damaretion, the prized Greek coin from Archibald Havistock's collection, disappears and appraiser Mary Lou "Dunk" Bateson comes under suspicion, Bateson, a cop, and an insurance investigator set out to solve the crime.
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It was a nice listen
- By John on 10-01-12
By: Lawrence Sanders
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Until Proven Guilty
- J. P. Beaumont Series, Book 1
- By: J. A. Jance
- Narrated by: Gene Engene
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Lurking in the dark corners of J. P. Beaumont's bizarre case was not just a demented mind obsessed with murder, but secrets so deadly that even a street-tough cop could die guessing.
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Until proven guilty
- By Jean on 04-21-11
By: J. A. Jance
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The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Jonathan Hoag has a curious problem. Every evening, he finds a mysterious reddish substance under his fingernails, with no memory what he was doing during the day to get it there. Jonathan hires the husband and wife detective team of Ted and Cynthia Randall to follow him during the day and find out. But Ted and Cynthia find themselves instantly out of their depth. Jonathan leaves no fingerprints. His few memories about his profession turn out to be false.
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Brilliant Sci-Fi Detective Action!
- By Nils J. Rasmussen on 04-18-14
What listeners say about The Penguin Pool Murder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Teddy
- 09-16-16
Fun story with great narration!
Ms. McKay did a fantastic job as narrator for this book! Her characters were full of personality and very easily identifiable individuals. I enjoyed the ending most - it's very Agatha Christie meets Miss Phryne Fisher!
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- Ddd
- 06-12-16
Enjoyed in spite of the narration
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The story is an enjoyable blast from the past. There's no great mystery to the mystery, but that didn't stunt my enjoyment at all. The narrator however, seemed not only to struggle with the vernacular of the day, but the characterizations tended to be on the annoying side. Also, weird spacing and emphasis.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Not at all suspenseful. But still a fun, vintage tale.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Yes.
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- Anne Flanigan
- 10-29-14
Good story, good characters
Any additional comments?
Good story, good development. The ending was somewhat predictable but good nevertheless. It took me a bit to get used to the narrator. Originally found her to be a little annoying but soon got used to her and was okay. She doesn't do gender voices particulary well but well enough. Kept me guessing until the end, I thought I had it figured out earlier, and in fact I had, but then was led away again thinking it was someone else.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Randy Moore
- 07-07-16
Ms. Withers is no Ms. Marple
The story was at best mildly engaging. The murder was fairly obvious from the start, and the only mystery was the backstory they had to construct to give him motive. The attempt to make the book a period piece was clumsy, and the use of slang from the thirties was awkward and no context.
Aside from a barely plausible yarn, the performance was poor. I stopped listening midway through because it didn't hold my attention. I actually listened to a wonderful Walter Mosely mystery, then went back to finish this book because I still had some miles to drive.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kathi
- 05-04-13
Absolutely delightful!
Nothing makes me happier than discovering a vintage mystery series I didn't know about, unless it is also discovering that it turns out to be a great read! I gather that this book, starring Miss Withers and Inspector Piper was made into a movie at the time, and I hope to find it.
Miss Withers, a teacher who has brought her young class to the aquarium, is there when a murder occurs at the penguin pool. She demonstrates very quickly that she has a good, grounded sort of common sense, and is able to point out things to the inspector to keep him on track during the inspection. She tends to be immediately accepted by the inspector, who realizes that as she offers good ideas and takes conversations down in shorthand, she is indispensable to solving the crime. Even though she is not officially part of the case, one quickly realizes that the author intends her to be the brains behind the process of solving it.
This book is written with a bit of comedic touch, but I doubt the author could have possibly anticipated how much more enjoyable it would become 80 years later to a completely different audience. In these days, we have authors who create female sleuths, trying to insert them into this same time period (just around the timeout of the stock market crash), and they are are fun to read. But this is the "Real McCoy," a woman who was developed into a clever and observant detective (of sorts), even though she is not really acknowledged that way around 1930 or so.
I love this book, and cannot wait for the next ones. The narrator does a very good job, getting the accents just right! This has been a total treat! Thanks, Audible, for bringing this one on board!
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36 people found this helpful
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- MolllyT
- 05-08-16
Fun and murder in NYC
Reminds me of the fun in the old mystery films from the thirties, well, it takes place just after The Crash, and was published in 1931. Miss Withers is believable, and a young Kate Hepburn would have done justice to her snarks and take-charge attitude. The cigar chewing detective who is smart enough to enlist her help is well done, also. It is a pleasant read with enough twists and misdirections to keep it interesting.
Ms. McKay was perfect as Hildegard, and did okay with the men, too.
I am glad that I bought it on the cheap as Whispersync
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1 person found this helpful
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- Yvette
- 12-22-13
I Loved it!
I was delighted with my first encounter with Stuart Palmer's Hildeguard Withers. It was s fun trip though a contemporary 1931 mystery ... so the listener has to remember that this is NOT a historical mystery, it is a mystery WRITTEN in the early 1930s. It is a product of its time and culture ... and as such, it was a little progressive when it was written, even though it is a little behind by our standards. Julie McKay was a little rough in places, but did a good job over all.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Areader
- 07-11-13
Hildegarde Withers first adventure!
If you could sum up The Penguin Pool Murder in three words, what would they be?
Wonderful Vintage Mystery.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Penguin Pool Murder?
A proposal to end all marriage proposals.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Julie McKay?
Yes, (she reads all the other books in this series) but I wish she'd work on her male voices, she's got the main male character in this book sounding like a teenager who is recovering from laryngitis. not pleasant.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Something fishy is going on at the New York Aquarium
Any additional comments?
I've loved this book since I first read it in my teens. I never dreamed it would be available on audible, I almost didn't think to search for it. The story is the same as it was in 1930, Hildegarde and Oscar Piper are together in their first mystery, where something awfully fishy is going on at the New York Aquarium. Where there are love triangles, puns, fish, hatpins, penguins, Piper's (pied and otherwise) and a marriage proposal to end all marriage proposals. My only gripe is that the narrator, who does a good job with most of the characters does NOT do what I consider to be a good interpretation of Oscar Piper, who sounds like a disgruntled 13 year old, not an inspector of police. In my head he always sounded like Gene Hackman (Or James Gleason once I got to see the movies).
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1 person found this helpful
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- Michele Harmon
- 05-07-15
wonderful book!
enjoyed very much. it is an older book, but still a cracking good mystery. the many turns lead in many directions, but the intrepid Miss Whithers manages to stay one step ahead. can heartily recommend this book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-16-13
Bad narrator
I read most of the Miss Withers books many years ago and enjoyed the 1930's movie series starring Edna Mae Oliver as Miss Withers. I was pleased to learn that the books were going to be released by audible.com.
I'm sorry to say that my enjoyment of this book was greatly marred by the narrator. I would recommend anyone considering the purchase of this book to listen to the sample.
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9 people found this helpful