
The Shadow of Death
The Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mysteries, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $15.56
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Helen Lloyd
-
By:
-
Jane Willan
About this listen
A charming and clever traditional mystery debut set at a bucolic Welsh convent, The Shadow of Death introduces Sister Agatha, a mystery loving nun who finds herself in the midst of a real-life murder case.
The sisters of Gwenafwy Abbey have cherished their contemplative life - days spent in prayer, reflection, tending the convent's vegetable gardens and making their award-winning organic cheese, Heavenly Gouda. Life seems perfect, except for Sister Agatha, a die-hard mystery fan who despairs of ever finding any real life inspiration for her own novel. That is, until the abbey's sexton is found dead under an avalanche of gouda. Despite the reservations of the local constable, Sister Agatha is convinced it's murder and the game is afoot.
Armed only with the notes she's scribbled during her favorite podcast, How to Write a Mystery Novel, as well as lessons learned from crime heroes ranging from Hercule Poirot to Stephanie Plum, Sister Agatha leads the nuns of Gwenafwy Abbey (and her unwitting sidekick, Father Selwyn) as they begin a race against time to resolve the death of Jacob, save the abbey, exonerate a beloved postulant, and restore the good name of their cheese.
©2019 Jane Willan (P)2019 Blackstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Secret, Book & Scone Society
- By: Ellery Adams
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping that the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent: prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person's deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.
-
-
Loved it
- By Bookwyrme on 11-10-17
By: Ellery Adams
-
And Then There Were Crumbs
- A Cookie House Mystery, Book 1
- By: Eve Calder
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kate McGuire’s life was sweet in Manhattan before she lost her restaurant job and fiancé both. But sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles, and soon she finds herself starting from scratch in the island town of Coral Cay, Florida. It has everything she’s looking for: sunny beaches, friendly locals, and a Help Wanted sign in the bakery shop window. Once she convinces the shop’s crusty owner Sam Hepplewhite to hire her, Kate can’t tie on her apron fast enough. Little does she know that trouble, like warm dough, is on the rise.
-
-
Pleasantly surprised
- By Indydog on 01-13-20
By: Eve Calder
-
Murder on Thames
- Cherringham. A Cosy Crime Series - Mystery Shorts 1
- By: Neil Richards, Matthew Costello
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cherringham - a quiet town in the Cotswolds. Nothing ever happens there, or so it seems - until one morning a woman's body is found in the river. A terrible accident, according to the police. But is this true? Sarah believes there must be more to it. In Jack, a former NYPD homicide detective, she finds a partner who is willing to start investigating with her. They soon find out that things are not as clear as the police want them to be ... This first - of many cases brings Sarah and Jack together in an unlikely partnership.
-
-
Easy listen
- By Teddie on 06-08-19
By: Neil Richards, and others
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
- By: Sarah Graves
- Narrated by: Susan Boyce
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it'll be a piece of cake. With Ellie's old family recipes luring in customers, they expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of July weekend. Having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake - that is, until the ill wind of an early-season hurricane blows up her family's plans. But as bitter as the storm is, something even more sinister is brewing in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose - where health inspector Matt Muldoon is found murdered.
-
-
Poor attention to details
- By tim mcgrath on 10-09-20
By: Sarah Graves
-
The Bookshop Murder
- An Absolutely Gripping Cozy Mystery (A Flora Steele Mystery, Book 1)
- By: Merryn Allingham
- Narrated by: Charlie Norfolk
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The young man with the shock of white-blond hair lay spread-eagled on the floor, surrounded by fallen books. His hand reached out to the scattered pages, as though he was trying to tell her something. But who is he? How did he come to be killed in Flora’s ordinary little bookshop? Flora finds out he was staying at the Priory Hotel, and when the gardener suddenly dies in its beautiful grounds only a few days later, she is certain that something untoward is happening in her quiet village by the sea.
-
-
Good start to a cozy series
- By twoseagreeneyes on 01-17-22
By: Merryn Allingham
-
The Secret, Book & Scone Society
- By: Ellery Adams
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping that the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent: prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person's deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.
-
-
Loved it
- By Bookwyrme on 11-10-17
By: Ellery Adams
-
And Then There Were Crumbs
- A Cookie House Mystery, Book 1
- By: Eve Calder
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kate McGuire’s life was sweet in Manhattan before she lost her restaurant job and fiancé both. But sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles, and soon she finds herself starting from scratch in the island town of Coral Cay, Florida. It has everything she’s looking for: sunny beaches, friendly locals, and a Help Wanted sign in the bakery shop window. Once she convinces the shop’s crusty owner Sam Hepplewhite to hire her, Kate can’t tie on her apron fast enough. Little does she know that trouble, like warm dough, is on the rise.
-
-
Pleasantly surprised
- By Indydog on 01-13-20
By: Eve Calder
-
Murder on Thames
- Cherringham. A Cosy Crime Series - Mystery Shorts 1
- By: Neil Richards, Matthew Costello
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cherringham - a quiet town in the Cotswolds. Nothing ever happens there, or so it seems - until one morning a woman's body is found in the river. A terrible accident, according to the police. But is this true? Sarah believes there must be more to it. In Jack, a former NYPD homicide detective, she finds a partner who is willing to start investigating with her. They soon find out that things are not as clear as the police want them to be ... This first - of many cases brings Sarah and Jack together in an unlikely partnership.
-
-
Easy listen
- By Teddie on 06-08-19
By: Neil Richards, and others
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
- By: Sarah Graves
- Narrated by: Susan Boyce
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it'll be a piece of cake. With Ellie's old family recipes luring in customers, they expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of July weekend. Having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake - that is, until the ill wind of an early-season hurricane blows up her family's plans. But as bitter as the storm is, something even more sinister is brewing in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose - where health inspector Matt Muldoon is found murdered.
-
-
Poor attention to details
- By tim mcgrath on 10-09-20
By: Sarah Graves
-
The Bookshop Murder
- An Absolutely Gripping Cozy Mystery (A Flora Steele Mystery, Book 1)
- By: Merryn Allingham
- Narrated by: Charlie Norfolk
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The young man with the shock of white-blond hair lay spread-eagled on the floor, surrounded by fallen books. His hand reached out to the scattered pages, as though he was trying to tell her something. But who is he? How did he come to be killed in Flora’s ordinary little bookshop? Flora finds out he was staying at the Priory Hotel, and when the gardener suddenly dies in its beautiful grounds only a few days later, she is certain that something untoward is happening in her quiet village by the sea.
-
-
Good start to a cozy series
- By twoseagreeneyes on 01-17-22
By: Merryn Allingham
-
Littered with Trouble
- A Whiskers and Words Mystery, Book 1
- By: Eryn Scott
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Louisa Henry has had the worst year. She never imagined she would be a widow before the age of 40. To cope with the sudden loss of her husband, Lou moves across the country to live near her best friend in a town as cute as a button. Even though it means quitting her fancy New York editor job, she now owns the bookstore of her dreams.
-
-
Cozy Mystery with Cats & Books - a Winner!
- By Chris S. on 04-21-23
By: Eryn Scott
-
An Irish Village Mystery Bundle, Books 1-3
- By: Carlene O'Connor
- Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
- Length: 29 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first three books in the Irish Village Mystery series are included in this edition: Murder in an Irish Village, Murder at an Irish Wedding, and Murder in an Irish Churchyard.
-
-
Your Disdain of Americans is Showing
- By CatMom on 08-08-22
By: Carlene O'Connor
-
Bunburry 1-3
- A Cosy Mystery Compilation
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In "Murder at the Mousetrap," the first Bunburry book, fudge-making and quaffing real ale in the local pub are matched by an undercurrent of passion, jealousy, hatred and murder - laced with a welcome dose of humour. Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the peace and quiet of the country to recover from a personal tragedy. But an accidental death - which may have been no accident - reveals that the heart of England is far from the tranquil backwater he imagined.
-
-
Lovely, sweet story and superb narration
- By Laura Stone on 01-19-20
By: Helena Marchmont
-
The Cuckoo's Calling
- By: Robert Galbraith
- Narrated by: Robert Glenister
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, creditors are calling, and after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend, he’s living in his office. Then John Bristow walks through his door with a shocking story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry - known to her friends as the Cuckoo - famously fell to her death a few months earlier.
-
-
Unbelievable debut mystery set in London
- By Tracey on 05-26-13
By: Robert Galbraith
-
Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series Compilation
- Cherringham 1-3
- By: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack's a retired ex-cop from New York, seeking the simple life in Cherringham. Sarah's a Web designer who's moved back to the village find herself. But their lives are anything but quiet as the two team up to solve Cherringham's criminal mysteries. This compilation contains episodes 1 - 3: MURDER ON THAMES, MYSTERY AT THE MANOR and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT.
-
-
CLEAN AND FUN
- By Janice Faught on 03-24-17
By: Matthew Costello, and others
-
The Boy from the Woods
- Wilde, Book 1
- By: Harlan Coben
- Narrated by: Steven Weber
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn't know where he comes from, and another child has gone missing. No one seems to take Naomi Pine's disappearance seriously, not even her father - with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde - with whom she shares a tragic connection - to use his unique skills to help find Naomi.
-
-
Coben could do a whole series on Hester!!!!
- By shelley on 03-18-20
By: Harlan Coben
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Pitch perfect narration of Agatha Christie!
- By Mary Katherine Worth on 10-18-19
By: Agatha Christie
-
A Killer's Mind
- Zoe Bentley Mystery, Book 1
- By: Mike Omer
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three Chicago women have been found strangled, embalmed, and posed as if still alive. Doubting the findings of the local PD’s profiler, the FBI calls on forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley to investigate. Zoe quickly gets off on the wrong foot with her new partner, Special Agent Tatum Gray. Zoe’s a hunter, intense and focused; Tatum’s a smug maverick with little respect for the rules.
-
-
Hooked me from the beginning...
- By shelley on 08-05-18
By: Mike Omer
-
The Girl Who Was Taken
- By: Charlie Donlea
- Narrated by: Nina Alvamar
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods. A year later the best-selling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity.
-
-
Great book!!!
- By tarafarah7: Tara Brown on 06-07-17
By: Charlie Donlea
-
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 1
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was the biggest case of his career the worst mistake he ever made? Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed "Mister Whisper", earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process...When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home. But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?
-
-
High hopes dashed: not just a little bit of child and animal torture
- By greyhound on 07-01-20
By: JD Kirk
-
Before She Disappeared
- A Novel (A Frankie Elkin Novel, Book 1)
- By: Lisa Gardner
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman, a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. But she spends her life doing what no one else will - searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking. A new case brings her to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier.
-
-
One of my favorite authors...
- By shelley on 01-20-21
By: Lisa Gardner
-
The Sisters
- By: Dervla McTiernan
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this prequel to the international best seller The Ruin, set 10 years prior, bright-eyed Carrie Ryan is at the very start of her career. When she has a hunch about an ongoing murder investigation, she knows it could be her only chance to prove herself and truly break into the “boys' club” of Dublin’s police force.
-
-
Look forward to hearing more from this author
- By C. E. Pitchford on 09-09-19
By: Dervla McTiernan
What listeners say about The Shadow of Death
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- H. Hsieh
- 04-08-21
Great!
As a fan on Agatha Christie, I am always looking out for a good mystery! This was excellent: not gory or too scary/ suspenseful. This is just how I like it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- wbc
- 01-26-21
Fun
A clever, well told story. Very enjoyable. The characters were well defined and fun. On to the next in this series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amy Lou
- 05-26-21
A pleasant mystery
this mystery is not for everyone but I like these kind it reminds me of the Ole Miss Marple Mysteries and I hope other people will enjoy it too if you like these kind.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alessandra
- 06-22-23
A fun story
It was fun following the sisters and especially Sister Agatha. Recommend this for a relaxing listening.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 08-11-24
Fun. Intriguing. Great narration.
Surprised by how engaged I remained. I loved this story. The narrator is exemplary. There is a lot of witty humor woven throughout the plot.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Caprilounge
- 03-03-21
I love these characters!
I was a little disappointed in how the mystery wrapped itself up but you know what? It's Sister Agatha's first case! I'm sure the mysteries will get better. I love the characterization - these people are very real. I also love the references to other Murder Mystery icons- brilliant! I ordered a box of Welsh Brew before I even finished the book. Looking forward to #2!
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
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lynn
- 07-28-21
Loved the setting and the characters interaction!
Really enjoyed the plot and how we got to know the characters. The narrator was outstanding!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Berryjazzy
- 05-26-21
A Mystery a minute!
Reminiscent of Chesterton’s father brown, sister Agatha seems to find herself entangled in a plethora of mysteries, puzzles, riddles, and enigmas, dovetailing neatly into the denouement, And convenient saving! Surprises abound! A bit long, but highly entertaining!
*The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
-GK Chesterton
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- teresa justice
- 08-12-21
Characters are wonderful, love the narration.
loved listening to this book, I've actually listened to the series twice. Characters are a hoot and the story is cozy and fun.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maureen Ann O'Keefe
- 06-01-23
Great
Totally enjoyed this audiobook and the reader. Will be listening to the next book soon
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!