10 Marchfield Square
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4.1 • 13 Ratings
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
Bloomsbury presents 10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte, read by Nneka Okoye.
'Cosy and classy in equal measure' JANICE HALLETT
'Beautifully unguessable ... bursting with life ... brilliant!' ALEX HAY
The Maid meets Only Murders in the Building in this twist-packed cosy mystery set in the smallest residential square in London.
Marchfield Square was meant to be a haven from the outside world. A place for those who need somewhere safe from their pasts, or who could otherwise not afford to stay in the city they call home. That was Celeste Van Duren's plan. One of her tenants being murdered in his own kitchen, and the police trying to pin it on his long-suffering wife, was not.
So Celeste does what anyone with a lot of money, a strong sense of justice and a bad hip would do: she recruits some help to track down the real murderer. Her cleaner, Audrey, knows everyone in the square and is liked by all, while failed crime writer, Lewis, is known by no one. He hates his job, hates his life, and he's not that fond of Audrey either, but Celeste is persuasive. In theory his knowledge of police procedure and her way with people should help them find the killer - if they don't kill each other first...
Despite their differences the two soon discover the victim's dodgy art deals may hold the key to the mystery – but have they missed something closer to home? After all, how well do you really know your neighbours?
The perfect summer read for fans of Tom Hindle, Janice Hallett and Kristen Perrin.
'A hugely impressive debut that's cosy and classy in equal measure. A super-smart and delightful mystery that teases out the secrets of an entire neighbourhood' JANICE HALLETT, bestselling author of THE APPEAL
'I just loved 10 Marchfield Square. Clever, funny, ingeniously constructed – and what a cast! The mystery is gripping and beautifully unguessable, the characters are bursting with life, and the square itself is drawn with such subtlety and love. Brilliant!' ALEX HAY, bestselling author of THE HOUSEKEEPERS
'Whyte crafts a brand new kind of cosy mystery that leaps off the page and keeps you thinking throughout ... A proper cosy whodunnit that oozes charm, wit and bloody murder' JONATHAN WHITELAW, author of THE BINGO HALL DETECTIVES
'Utterly delightful. Whyte writes with both cool wit and warm charm, and combines a charismatic cast of eccentric characters with a properly knotty murder mystery. This book is a real winner for anyone who wants a crime novel with a Golden Age feel but modern sensibilities. More please' ALICE BELL, author of GRAVE EXPECTATIONS
Customer Reviews
*Promising*
Initially, this book started off slowly but gradually improved. It’s a debut novel by Nicola Whyte and I can already picture it on television. I’d describe it as a cosy crime drama. It’s the first book in the ‘Audrey and Lewis’ series, with more to come.
The story is set in Marchfield Square, a set of exclusive gated apartments in London. It’s owned by a wealthy widow named Celeste Van Duren, who employs a man servant. Celeste has worked hard to ensure her tenants’ happiness and safety. While the square isn’t particularly large, most neighbours know each other and the majority are older, with a few exceptions.
Our two main characters are Audrey Brooks and Lewis McLennan. Audrey is a people person who cleans most of the properties. Lewis, on the other hand, despises his job and spends his spare time writing. He’s struggling to carve out a career as a crime writer but isn’t a people person and prefers to keep to himself.
When a murder occurs, the residents are understandably uneasy since the square is supposed to be safe. No one heard a thing.
The victim was a nasty piece of work. His long-suffering wife Linda seems like the prime suspect, but Celeste isn’t convinced. She devises a plan to get Lewis and Audrey to team up as amateur detectives. Celeste insists she will need their help for a month and promises generous payment. Well, what could possibly go wrong? This is the first time Audrey and Lewis have met, and they’re quite different.
We follow them as they try to solve the case. There are some comedic moments and they also get into trouble, but will they find the culprit? We discover the real killer, and it’s someone unexpected.