REVIEW: DAMSEL IN DISTRESS [audiobook] by Carola Dunn

A further entry for our Women's History Month.  Carola Dunn has created a unique series featuring a young woman of 1920's upper class England who rather chooses a career of journalism over her position of privilege.  Her creative bent lends itself well when she falls into curious and criminal situations...

In spring a young man’s fancy will turn to love, and the Honorable Phillip Petrie is no exception. Daisy’s chum is totally smitten with Miss Gloria Arbuckle, daughter of a millionaire Yank. But before the enthusiastic suitor can pop the question, his beloved is abducted. As a distraught Mr. Arbuckle begins assembling the ransom, Phillip enlists Daisy to help him recover his missing sweetheart.

Strictly forbidden to contact Scotland Yard, Daisy must resist the temptation to bring dashing Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher on to the case. But as she closes in on the abductors’ rural hideaway, she begins to suspect that Gloria isn’t the only fair damsel whose life hangs in the balance.

The fifth whodunit in Carola Dunn’s stylish cozy mystery series set in 1923 England once again features British heiress and Town and County writer Daisy Dalrymple.  © 1997, 2010 by Carola Dunn

Narrator: Mia Chiaromonte
Length: 7.6 hours  Unabridged Published: Jan. 15.14
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.

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My Thoughts?

Perfect release timing for this Daisy Dalrymple mystery set in an English spring setting.
Daisy's former suitor, aristocratic Philip Petrie, has been fully enamored with another, 

much to Daisy's relief.  The American Arbuckle father and daughter, visiting England

in search of investment opportunities, are soon targeted for their wealth

and Philip's new love interest held for ransom.  Ms Dunn provides an excellent expose

of the ever present class distinctions of the era which

play into this kidnapping and give listeners a greater understanding of the times and

changes between wars. Axioms and vernacular of the day add to the authenticity.

Our sleuth, the intrepid likeable Daisy,
must keep her wits about her in a continuous sequence of events,

involving her own safety and that of her own love, Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher.
The blossoming of their relationship is treated as an aside without dominating,

but keeps our interest piqued with every new development.  Including Alec's first

meeting with Daisy's domineering, class conscious mother.

A definite enjoyment listening to this audio story unfold.

Critical thinking skills of our main characters , their ability to out-think the crooks,

unexpected plotting, and vivid action, increase the fun.
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Blackstone audio's quality recording kept the story flowing without technical

interruptions or disruptive voice fluctuations by narrator, Mia Chiaromonte, who provides

good variety in character personalizations, considering the size of cast involved. 
An adept narrator, Ms Chiaromonte, adds to the novel's authenticity via admirable
differentiation of various English and American accents.  

I look forward to Carola Dunn's 6th in the series, Dead in the Water.

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AUTHOR BIO:  Carola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.

*Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning.Find Carola online : CAROLA DUNN  and at the writing / editing blog Blood Red Pencil

                                                                                  

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Narrator BIO :  Mia Chiaromonte is a Southern California native with a BA in theater from the University of California, San Diego. She has worked extensively as an actor, singer, and audiobook narrator, and her voice has been heard across the country on various radio commercials for clients including BMW and Time Warner Cable. She currently lives in southern Oregon.

*Appreciation to Blackstone Audio for providing an audiobook via downpour  for listening and AudioJukebox review without obligation or compensation.

* Find and follow FHC online: *
@_eHope - Goodreads - Facebook - Pinterest *
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MURDER ON THE FLYING SCOTSMAN: DAISY DALRYMPLE Mystery #4 by Carola Dunn [Audiobook Review]

WOMEN IN HISTORY MONTH at Faith Hope & Cherrytea  Daisy Dalrymple, embracing the working world of journalism, whilst born to privilege in pre-war England, is another addition to this series
of unique women from history.
Not to mention her foray into detecting mystery wherever she may be!
Welcoming Carola Dunn, Daisy's creator...


MURDER ON THE FLYING SCOTSMAN [AUDIOBOOK] by CAROLA DUNN author and MIA CHIAROMONTE narrator

It is the spring of 1923 and the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple is on her way to a stately home in Scotland to research her next article for Town and Country. On board the Flying Scotsman, the famous London-to-Edinburgh train, Daisy meets an old schoolfellow, Anne Bretton. Anne, along with all of her relatives, is en route to visit the deathbed of the family scion and notorious miser, Alistair McGowan. As it currently stands, Alistair’s will leaves the entire family fortune to his brother Albert, and the rest of the family is rushing to his side, each hoping to convince him to change his will in their favor.

Daisy, meanwhile, has her hands full taking care of Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher’s young daughter Belinda, who ran away from home and stowed away aboard the train. She barely has time to take notice of the intricate family feud taking place all around her—that is, until Albert McGowan is found murdered on the train and Daisy is surrounded by an entire family of suspects.  © 1997, 2010 by Carola Dunn  - Downpour.com

The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, book 4
Author:  Carola Dunn
Narrator: Mia Chiaromonte
Length:  6.8 hrs • Unabridged Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Published: Dec 15 ℗ 2013

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Author Bio :  Carola Dunn is the author of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, the Cornish mysteries, and over thirty Regencies. Born and raised in England, she now lives in Eugene, Oregon.  Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning.

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Narrator bio:  Mia Chiaromonte is a Southern California native with a BA in theater from the University of California, San Diego. She has worked extensively as an actor, singer, and audiobook narrator, and her voice has been heard across the country on various radio commercials for clients including BMW and Time Warner Cable. She currently lives in southern Oregon .

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My Thoughts?
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Fourth in the Daisy Dalrymple series set in post WWI England.
It's 1923 as the story begins.
We find British heiress, the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple, bound for her next journalistic appointment for a Stately Homes article located in Scotland. Daisy has chosen to fend for herself as a Town & County journalist
rather than depend on her aristocratic family of birth.   * Suffering the loss of both brother and fiancee`in the great war, Daisy's budding romantic interest is a widower,  Alec Fletcher, Detective Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, whose precocious ten year old daughter, Belinda, is soon discovered aboard The Flying Scotsman, the London - Edinburgh Express, Daisy has booked for her trip north.  Daisy is
dismayed to discover that very daughter is running away from a tiff with her gran
 via that very train and without forethought for either ticket or provision. Believing Daisy would take her to her father, Belinda is unaware they're not travelling anywhere near her anticipated destination. Daisy's acceptance of the inevitable responsibilities for Belinda's care is barely settled when an old school chum appears in the doorway of Daisy's car and the mystery is set to get underway... * A huge cast of relatives to wade through whilst attempting to keep relational order, we're introduced to each of them with their reasons for wanting to dissuade
their curmudgeonly family patriarch, Alistair McGowan,  from leaving his fortune to his brother, Albert. Class distinctions, snobbishness, racial prejudice, and male predominant viewpoints
are de riguer.
Points well taken for the era. * Needless to say, a murder entails and its resolution unfolds with  plentiful action, familial interaction, and enough red herrings to keep  the reader's - or in this case - listener's, attention. Throw in a minute amount of romance and the story's conclusion offers  the hoped for satisfaction of any good read. * Narrator, Mia Chiaromonte, provides excellent personalization for a
formidable cast of characters. Whilst the book provides a family tree for reader's assistance in following, no such resource is available for mp3 listeners.
Ms Chiaromonte is our sole source of differentiation. I have to commend her on well executed portrayals
from ten year old Belinda to the Indian Dr Jagai. * The reader's pace makes for ease of comprehension and ability to follow.
Voice modulation is well practiced and adds to the interpretation of characters'  intended  meaning in dialogue.  No jarring spikes or drops,
Ms Chiaromonte provides a pleasant read indeed.   No need for adjusting volume to avoid missing the story or fight fluctuations. * Blackstone Audio's recording provides solid entertainment value. Technically smooth and without background interference, neither interruptions, I have come to expect their high quality of clarity and sound. Valuable features for any audiobook 'reader'. * I look forward to Ms Dunn's next Daisy Dalrymple Mystery #5,
DAMSEL IN DISTRESS, *

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by Blackstone Audio Inc via Audiobook Jukebox and Downpour.com . My appreciation for an mp3 to 'read' and review without obligation. *

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DEATH OF A CHARMING MAN: by MC Beaton 6.2.14

Author: MC Beaton Series: Hamish Macbeth Mystery #10 Narrator: Shaun Grindell Length: 6.2 hours Unabridged Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc Published: 1.1.14 Synopsis: M. C. Beaton returns with another baffling case for Hamish Macbeth, the stubborn, red-haired, one-man police department of the Scottish village of Lochdubh. It has all the local color, wry humor, and splendid characterizations readers adore.

All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth wants to do is fish and drink coffee with his fiancée. But when a mysterious stranger moves into the neighboring village—a rich, unmarried heartbreaker—a rivalry erupts among the local women, and the men of the village start a slow burn. It is amusing until death threats, assault, and murder shatter the tranquil countryside. Now Hamish must investigate the darker side of love and desire.© 1994 by Marion Chesney                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                          - via Goodreads
* An absolute pleasure to step back into Scotland's Highlands via Shaun Grindell's excellent narration, all in a beautiful Scots accent. The story opens with the infamous 1558 quote of Scots Reformer, John Knox, "The first blast of the trumpet against the monstruous regimen of women." alerting the listener to the story that follows -   life when women take over and in particular for one man, Hamish Macbeth's perspective on home and life  being overrun by women! The opening scene has Hamish escaping his own home via the bedroom window, whilst Priscilla, his intended, and a hoard of village women overrun his kitchen to have a new electric cooker installed. Had anyone asked Hamish if he wanted one?  Not a word.  Its arrival sets Hamish on a course of disillusion and doom regarding his future.   His territory has been invaded and the sense of loss starts his thoughts on a downward spiral. *   Grindell's colourful personalizations add life to familiar characters, the story, and to my listening enjoyment.  Beaton's wit adds a great humour to situations particular to  Death of a Charming Man as husbands react to this 'charming man's' arrival in their village  and his effect on their wives. Middle age complacency is now hurriedly attacked with hair dyes and do's, exercise regimens, new wardrobes, and the ubiquitous high heels! But when the 'charming man' goes missing, what and who else might be afoot in those heels? * Several references are made to Highland attitudes of antipathy to newcomers, Highland vs Lowland differences, male vs female relational views that add insights to Scottish life. Valuable too as Hamish digs deeper into his relationship with Priscilla  that will play into book #11 of Beaton's series.
Yes, that's how these authors keep readers hankering for the next one! * And I am certainly one of those readers. I anticipate another day's listening to Shaun Grindell characterize Scottish village life and unravelling the mysteries of Ms Beaton - with pleasure... His voice is well modulated, steadily paced without gaps or jumps,  and without jarring interruptions. * Production of this Blackstone Audio is excellent.  No background interference. Clarity of sound and well balanced.   * I am one happy listener anticipating the next Hamish Macbeth installment! *

Shaun Grindell was born and raised in Southampton, England. His training includes the Calland School of Speech and Drama and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in London. He has been seen on stage in London and Las Vegas, and he currently resides in New England with his wife.

In addition to the Hamish Macbeth series, MC Beaton also writes Regency Romances under her real name, Marion Chesney. She lives in the Cotswolds England with her husband.

* *Thank you to Blackstone Audio and Audiojukebox for providing access to listen and review.

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