The Conjurer

By: Cordelia Frances Biddle

Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg

An heiress breaks free of social conventions and attempts to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance in 1842 Philadelphia in Cordelia Frances Biddle's first Martha Beale mystery

When her father fails to appear for lunch at their country estate, Martha Beale knows something is wrong. The family's faithful dogs discover Lemuel Beale's hunting rifle by the river, but there is no sign of the millionaire financier. Refusing to believe he is dead, his daughter - and sole heir - begins a discreet investigation with the help of the mayor's aide, Thomas Kelman.

But Philadelphia in 1842 is a dangerous place for a female, especially a twenty-six-year-old single woman. Martha's quest for answers takes her from the pinnacle of high society, which is abuzz about a visiting European conjurer who communicates with the dead, to the city's tragic slums where a brutal killer is targeting young prostitutes - and through it all Martha will confront the most ruthless aspects of human nature.

In a story deeply rooted in time and place and brimming with atmosphere and suspense, Cordelia Frances Biddle conjures a mesmerizing world of intrigue and hidden desires.

©2007 Cordelia Frances Biddle (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Really different

What did you like best about The Conjurer? What did you like least?

The story is fairly good, but what dreadful narration!! Voice is harsh, emphasis is often put in the wrong place, and pronunciation is simply hopelessly poor! I doubt the narrator read two pages without at least one mispronounced word, beginning with the name of the main character's father, who is our missing body. I simply can't imagine paying someone for that extremely abysmal performance. Read the book rather than listening to it.

Odd narration

If you could sum up The Conjurer in three words, what would they be?

Historical mystery story

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Conjurer?

The discovery by Martha of the true identities of men she had trusted.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Oddly, the narrator frequently mispronounced words. Skintillating for scintillating. Oh de cologne once but OOH de cologne another time. Rag Out instead of ragoo. Sparesly instead of Sparsley and A--gret rather than E--gret.

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

No. I just enjoyed it, especially Martha's character