A Deadly Deception

Constance Piper, Book 3

By: Tessa Harris

Narrated by: Gemma Dawson, Heather Wilds

London, July 1889. Eight months have passed since the horrific murder of Mary Jane Kelly. The residents of Whitechapel have begun breathing easy again - daring to leave windows open and walk about at twilight. But when old Alice McKenzie is found dead, throat slashed from ear to ear, the whispers begin once more: Jack the Ripper is back.

Constance Piper, a flower seller with a psychic gift, was a friend to both women. With the supernatural help of her late mentor, Miss Emily Tindall, and her more grounded ally, police detective Thaddeus Hawkins, she uncovers links between the murders and a Fenian gang. The Fenians, committed to violence to further their goal of an independent Ireland, are also implicated in a vicious attack in which the Countess of Kildane's uncle was killed. Could the Whitechapel murders be a ruse to make the British police look helpless?

Soon, Constance is called upon for help. But there are spies everywhere in the city, and a bomb plot intended to incur devastating carnage. And as Constance is fast discovering, the greatest evil may not lurk in the grimy alleys of the East End, but in a conspiracy that runs from Whitechapel to the highest office in the land . . .

©2109 Tessa Harris (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Reader’s lilt was awful

Gemma Dawson as a reader is fantastic, partially why I tried this series. But in this second book in the series- the main character was voiced by a different person, Heather wilds- and she was awful! I’ve never been so taken aback by the phrasing and overall reading before. The cadence did not flow and every line rises up like a question at the end- if I didn’t like the story- I would have quit- the story was fine. Good gravy!

Robotic narration

Every sentence spoken by the main character had a range of three notes end ended on the flatly on the same one. It took about five chapters to not be distracted by predictable monotone.

This series is spectacular!

I have loved this series, although one of the books in this series is not available in audio form. I hope another in this series is coming soon.

Female William Shatner

The woman who does the voice of Constance is like listening to the British female William Shatner. Her upward lilt at the end of every sentence is distracting, and detracts heavily from the story. The other reader did a very good job. The story was probably as good as the others in this series, but I cannot be sure, because I was so busy being annoyed with the presentation.

Good story, but enjoyed first book better.

The story had a few holes it it based on the plot that was followed in the first book, but was entertaining. Constance’s narration, in this version, seemed almost apathetic and lacked emotion other than when there was dialogue.