A Magyar Mystery

The Murdo Mysteries, Part 1

By: Chris Good

Narrated by: Joe Jameson

After hitting rock bottom mentally via a road sign in Bedford, Danny Murdo bounces back and straight into the Serbian mafia, the Hungarian aristocracy, and an American film producer, amongst others, as he flounders through an Eastern Europe lurching worryingly to its right. He somehow solves crimes, aided by his heroic homosexual brother and hindered by his devoutly pious brother-in-law.

©2022 Chris Good (P)2022 Chris Good

Joe is amazing as always

I decided to get this title because even if the story was sub-par, Joe would still be fun to listen to. Also, I was looking for mysteries with gay characters, though I was hesitant on the way the gay character was described in the title’s description, I wasn’t sure if the author was going to be making fun of a gay character or not. Indeed I found the way the author spoke about the gay character a little problematic sometimes, implying that the main character had suffered in some way because he had a gay brother, and definitely using a lot of stereotypes. But the gay brother was probably the only one 100% good character in the whole story, and the one chapter he was in was probably my favorite chapter, so I do think it balanced out a little. I had a hard time really pulling for the main character most of the story because of how self-destructive he was, but he always seemed to bounce back before I gave up on him. And the story definitely kept me guessing all the way to the very end. I really wasn’t sure what the last chapter was even going to be about until I realized the author wasn’t done yet! All in all I do think it’s worth the listen. Joe is as fantastic as always, and the storyline is very unique and twists and turns. I do wish the author hadn’t given the gay brother such stereotypical characteristics.