Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1

  • By: Nicola Upson
  • Narrated by: Sandra Duncan
  • Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (418 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1 cover art

An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1

By: Nicola Upson
Narrated by: Sandra Duncan
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.00

Buy Now for £16.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Inspector Alan Grant: The Full Collection cover art
Murder on the Lusitania cover art
Good Murder cover art
The Holiday Murders cover art
Say It With Poison, Mitchell and Markby Village, Book 1 cover art
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel: A Gripping Cozy Historical Mystery cover art
A Rare Interest in Corpses cover art
The Dead Dog Day cover art
Brat Farrar cover art
The Frost Fair cover art
Miss Pym Disposes cover art
A Man Lay Dead cover art
Death at the Auction cover art
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor cover art
A Bespoke Murder cover art
The Gilded Hour cover art

Summary

It's March 1934, and Josephine Tey is travelling from Scotland to London to celebrate what should be the triumphant final week of her celebrated play, Richard of Bordeaux.

However, a seemingly senseless murder puts her reputation, and even her life, under threat...

©2008 Nicola Upson (P)2008 WF Howes Ltd

What listeners say about An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    195
  • 4 Stars
    125
  • 3 Stars
    59
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    19
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    209
  • 4 Stars
    82
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    152
  • 4 Stars
    105
  • 3 Stars
    50
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    12

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb!

I love murder mysteries set in the theatre of the 1930s/40s - so am a fan of Ngaio Marsh, for example. Reading books written in that period - like watching films made then - requires something of a mindshift, from present-day sensibilities to the attitudes and beliefs which prevailed at that time. However, An Expert in Murder, set in the theatreworld of the 1930s, but written very recently, combines that cosy period feel with contemporary sensibilities, which makes it much more than a nostalgic read.

Narration is simply first class, characterisation is superb and the evocation of pre-War theatrical life is wonderful. The story twists and turns and, although I actually spotted the culprit fairly early on, there were enough red herrings to keep me not entirely certain of my conclusion until - most satisfyingly - I was proved right, and celebrated the resulting smugness with a cup of tea and several biscuits.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that the story continues beyond the reveal of the villain. At first this was disconcerting - the party was over, so why couldn't we all go home? But then it suddenly seemed to work, and it was good to know what happened once the mystery was over.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Hard to believe this story was set in the 1930's

Whilst I did manage to make it to the end, I was dissapointed and won't be listening to any more in this series.

Perhaps I am more use to the contemporary writers of the story period as I did not fully warm to the vocabulary of either the spoken word or narrative and at times struggled with a couple of the plot elements and chosen terminology.

I had to 'rewind' the story to re-listen to a couple of more modern sayings which caught me by surprise and I am pretty sure were not in use in this time period( eg 'unmarked police car' ).

The story and performance were ok but throughout I had to keep reminding myself of when the story was supposed to be set due to the ongoing use of modern phrases and terminology.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A brilliantly creative murder mystery

If you could sum up An Expert In Muder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1 in three words, what would they be?

Enthralling - Shocking - Inventive.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's difficult to choose between Archie and Josephine - their relationship creates the same tensions and delights that are found between Dorothy L Sayers' Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.

What does Sandra Duncan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Sandra Duncan creates an individual and instantly recognisable voice for each character, coupled with expressive and precise narration. I listened over an extended period of time, wanting to suspend reality for as long as possible! Each time I listened, I joined the characters eagerly not only to find out what happened next, but to enjoy their company.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Without wanting to give anything away, the murder near the beginning was unexpected and made me gasp with disbelief. Nicola Upson creates convincing, rounded characters and by the time the action begins the reader has engaged with everyone who has been introduced, and it feels as though the victim is known personally to the reader.

Any additional comments?

I have resisted buying subsequent novels by Nicola Upson in print as Sandra Duncan's reading is so compelling in recreating the world of the fictitious Josephine Tey for the audience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absorbing and sublime

Satisfying on so many levels. From the start Upson's characters are there, fully formed. It felt like returning to a series and a world that I already knew, the middle of a conversation I was already part of; immediately absorbing. The main characters are engaging, human; flawed and likeable - testament to the skill of both the author and the narrator. I loved the whole thing. It was one of those stories that I listened to at every opportunity in my day - not just the usual journey to and from work times. Then to discover that it is a fictionalised element of the lives of a real author, some real people, a real play, an actual theatre makes it all the more intriguing. I'm now off to order the real Josephine Tey's mystery books and John Guilgood's autobiography to read. And of course, about to start listening to the next audible installment of the series. Why have you missed out number 2 Audible? It's very frustrating!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Quite a gentle period piece.

Lots of threads to the story pulled together to bring an interesting end to the story. I liked the characters and the setting.
A nice easy listening experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I think Josephine Tey would have been impressed

A very well-crafted murder mystery with enough sympathetic characters to draw me in. The plot develops well, with enough clues to point you to the culprit while sprinkling the path with a few red herrings to keep you guessing. Well up to the standards of Josephine Tey herself.
The narration was excellent, but - and this is a minor criticism - I felt that her tone was occasionally a little emotionally remote.
All in all a very enjoyable and satisfying listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very well read.

This was a very enjoyable book and I was pleasantly surprised by the ability and versatility of the narrator; she brought the diverse cast of characters to life and her narration greatly enhanced the book.

The plot was interesting with lots of twists and turns and the main characters were well drawn and interesting. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

What did you like most about An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1?

Some of the issues it deals with are quite dark but was dealt with in a palatable manor , especially given the time it is set in. The place involved were so descriptive you could see them in your minds eye, the characters are also different in their own way , their personalities makes you feel like you know them and care about them. Equally interesting is the fact that Josephine actually existed and I feel she writes with sensitivity and is the champion always of Tey . Great story wonderful writing.

What other book might you compare An Expert In Murder: Josephine Tey Series, Book 1 to, and why?

I would say she has her own style and weavers her story so well you have to keep turning the page which I find refreshing but Anything by Agatha Christie,P.D.James, Ruth Rendell Barbara Erskine, Sarah Walters however, I find her a very intelligent writer , usually I can know the killer very quickly but I have to work harder to figure it out. It also makes you want to find out more of the subject or people that she has drawn from. Any book that makes you want to know more is a good thing . Very imaginative writing, and the historical background well researched.

Which character – as performed by Sandra Duncan – was your favourite?

Defiantly Tay herself, she has a dry wit and doesn't know how funny she is at times, but she is calm in a crises, I like her.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It certainly made me think about the lost generation in the Great War and how things socially changed between the classes specially on estates with grand houses and how tight knit some communities are. Some parts made me sad.

Any additional comments?

I have already bought the other books in the series so far as I want to see how the characters progress and Nicola Upson writes so well and the books are enjoyable to read or listen too, if you have discovered this writer then if you love murder mystery with historical fact it's a must for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

I wasn't inspired!

This novel might have been OK if I had read it myself. To be honest I didn't find the plot very interesting - the main character (Josephine Tey) was dull in the extreme and the other characters were all pretty stereotypical. The most disappointing part, however, was the narrator. Perhaps we are often spoiled at Audible - the last two books I listened to had excellent storytellers - but I found the narrator here to be uninspiring. I think it says it all when you can't remember who characters are when you try and pick the story up again at a later date. Sorry to be negative, but I wouldn't want anyone else to be disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

An expert in murder

Wow. A really good murder mystery, an excellent pace, some humour and lots of suspects and red herrings. Set between the wars, lovely period quality to the writing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful