The Malvern Murders

Inspector Ravenscroft Detective Mysteries, Book 1

By: Kerry Tombs

Narrated by: Andrew Cullum

A captivating historical murder mystery set in Victorian England. The Malvern Murders is packed with delicious dialogue, sly humour and Victorian atmosphere. Perfect for fans of M.R.C. Kasasian, E.S. Thomson, Oscar De Muriel and Karen Charlton.

Before Jack the Ripper terrorised London, Police Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft patrolled the streets of Whitechapel. Clever and hard-working, Ravenscroft nonetheless has the worst record in the force. He lets a murderer escape during a chase and is banished to the spa town of Malvern for a water treatment to cure his asthma. Ravenscroft accepts a dinner invitation from a new acquaintance, Jabez Pitzer. Before dinner, the maid finds Pitzer slumped over his desk - dead. Ravenscroft immediately recognises the signs - Pitzer has been poisoned. But the local authorities are reluctant to believe there is a murderer in Malvern. Hungry to prove himself, Ravenscroft is determined to solve the case. But the bodies mount up. Someone is killing local luminaries.

©2019 Kerry Tombs (P)2021 W F Howes

thoroughly enjoyable, well written

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Historical mysteries are not on the top of my list. I was not able to find anything that appealed to me, this was a suggestion, so I took a chance. I now look forward to reading the remainder of the series. I liked the atmosphere, the characters, and the narrator. While I figured out the murderer, it was late in the book which is good as I do like to guess but not have it so easy to solve.

It's pretty good to

it's not bad at all it is a worthy listen. the narration is excellent. the writing is a bit pedestrian and the story is as well. it seems that the storyline and narrative came out of the manual of how to write a Victorian novel. your mileage may vary🙄

Kept me guessing till the end.

I enjoyed the suspense and intrigue. The characters were easy to like. I look forward to the next episode.

Colorless

It is a story written (and narrated) in shades of gray. Even the climactic denouement evolved as darkness was falling on a shaded mountainside. Relationships hinted at but never evolving. A protagonist that moves from a dark and dingy environment, dragging the blandness with him. His human side shows flashes of a man he is under his skin but it really never develops. The ending comes across as a preparation for a Part Two.

OK but I won’t be going back to Oxfordshire with him.

Smart Police, YAY!

I've been trying to find an historical mystery where the police aren't stupid. I found this! It's a good mystery with plenty of clues and lots of interesting characters. And since the police are the main characters, they're smart and capable. It was a good story and I'm excited to read the next book in the series!