John Pickett and his bride Julia depart London for a wedding trip to Somersetshire, where Pickett faces his greatest challenge yet: meeting his in-laws. Sir Thaddeus and Lady Runyon are unimpressed with their new son-in-law, but the squire asks for his help nevertheless. Lady Runyon believes the house is haunted by the ghost of her elder daughter Claudia, who disappeared thirteen years earlier … earlier and whose body was never found. When Sir Thaddeus’s groom is discovered dead, Pickett asks the Justice of the Peace (who happens to be Claudia’s widower) for permission to investigate. When Claudia’s childhood sweetheart takes a hand, it appears the distant past is not so distant, after all. It may not even be past . . . “Winning.” –Publishers Weekly
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Book 6 in this wonderful series and this maybe my favorite one yet. We find John and Julia off to meet Julia’s parents. Of course a murder has to take place and no it’s not one of the family. This series is fun, sweet, romantic and a mystery too. Joel Froomkin once again does an outstanding job of narrating the book. I found myself not wanting to stop listening. Joel has a way of reading this series that just gets you hooked. Sheri Cobb South is amazing in her writing of the story is placed in the past but it seems so today. Also the book has a little extra at the end “Finders Weepers” book 6.5 in the series.
“I was given this free audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”
I am thoroughly enamored of John Pickett, erstwhile pickpocket and now Bow Street Runner, and his lady-love, Julia. Like May-December weddings in which it is perfectly proper for an aging lothario to wed a nubile young thing (an example or two of which can be found within these virtual covers, randy puns left entirely to your imagination and certainly not due to suggestive . . . language . . . herein–and, in fact, this Regency novel is utterly proper and circumspect) and a blind eye is turned, but should tables be reversed, the woman is reviled as a “cougar”; so with Prince and Pauper weddings where marriage requires appropriate mating of Rank, unless the family estates teeter on bankruptcy, and the bride rises–or falls! to her husband’s rank but his does not commensurately drop nor improve. And yet in his own realm of acquired learning and inborn abilities to ferret out evil and solve crime, Mr. Pickett, lowest of low, is equal to any man and ultimately accorded due respect by all who know him.
Remember your high school literature classes and being told what was motivating the author and what themes and parallels we are to draw from the classics? Meanwhile, when asked, the author proclaims he or she just wanted to tell a good yarn. So although the fine points of the social niceties of the early 19th century become ideal targets to be skewered on modern sensibilities, what we have here is a rip-roaring good detective story with an accompanying romance or two framed exquisitely in its time and with a delicate touch allowing for humor and extreme enjoyment.
Adding to that enjoyment was the excellent narration [AUDIO] by Joel Froomkin who created extremely believable voices for each of the characters including especially pleasing female renderings. And BONUS! (at least in the audio version) there is a short story added to the end which provides an additional insight into the character of our hero and his innate understanding of character and human nature.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is the sixth book in the John Pickett Mysteries. It is a standalone book [no cliffhanger ending]. While you can certainly start with this book – if given a choice I would start with the first book in the series [In Milady’s Chamber] so that you can enjoy the character development of John and Julia, as well as their developing relationship. The series will have you hooked!
Here, John and Julia get married again [to be sure that it’s official] and then travel to meet Julia’s parents, who are not incredibly excited about the nuptials. John learns that Julia has a sister Claudia, who has been missing for about a decade and presumed to be dead. Julia’s mother believes Claudia’s ghost is haunting the house. Claudia’s husband has recently remarried. On top of that, Julia and her father discover the murdered body of his groom. John, hoping to curry favor with Julia’s parents, begins to investigate.
The mysteries of Claudia’s disappearance and murder of the groom are deftly woven together. This series is so enjoyable. It’s a delight to see how in love John and Julia have become and the growth/maturity in both their characters. This series is so well-written, witty, well-developed and realistic characters along with the historical observances of life in 19th century England.
I listened to this book – Joel Froomkin is amazing. He has many different voices and accents [from aristocrats to the lowly gentry] to bring all the characters to life – all of which enhance the story and make it very hard to stop listening.