The Torso in the Town

By: Simon Brett

Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard

A dinner party at an English mansion with some stuffy, not-very-close friends is not exactly Jude's cup of tea. But the practically mummified torso of a woman found in the cellar is much more up Jude's alley. Once again, the two middle-aged women from Fethering, Jude and her reluctant neighbor, Carole, find themselves embroiled in another puzzling whodunit.

As in their debut, the acclaimed The Body on the Beach, the ladies from Fethering once again proceed totally outside the bumbling police investigation in a somehow utterly credible way, gaining access and insight where the police can't.

©2002 Simon Brett (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A highly enjoyable read." (London Daily Mail)

Good enough mysteries, but sexist and unaware

He writes in stereotypes and makes women either uptight brittle caricatures obsessed with exclusivity, or cool girls who know how to be fun and keep it light. Much of the time it feels like he’s justifying his own behavior from some past relationship. I guess that’s an author’s prerogative, but I’m taking these out of my library. He should ask more women what they think of he’s going to persist in portraying himself as an expert, and find out what women’s friendships really are. And for goodness sake please allow Carole to at least be a frigging dog person. She’s a good dog owner, let her like her dog!

Carole and Jude

At the beginning of this book, the third in the series, I almost did not read it as much as I love the series and these clever nosy busybody sleuths. Carole was back to her old stuffy frigid self BUT do not give up - Jude works her magic and begins to bring her around - all it takes is a dead body and a mystery to solve. By the end of the story Carole was beginning to become lovely, open and not anywhere as near the uptight woman she had been.

Jude, on the other hand, is as delightful as ever and just as much an enigma as she has always been.

The ending is interesting and from way out in left field - but, for me, it was the development of the friendship between Carole and Jude and the return of Ted. Stagnant characters and relationships tend to bore me.

Two women working together

Enjoyed two sleuths who work together to solve a murder in a small town. They use their natural gifts to discover relevant clues.

A darn good listen!

This was a very enjoyable listen. Bodies were not popping in and out. Shady characters were not doing their worst. There was just the central mystery, “The Torso in the Town.” The author took this one event and masterfully wove a fantastic mystery with very believable characters that kept me guessing to the end. I usually need lots of action to keep me interested. Not so here. The well crafted mystery was the thing that kept me wanting more. This is the first book by Simon Brett that I have listened to. It will not be my last. Want a good mystery? This will not disappoint.

Good Book

This book is different from the first two books of the series. It's a bit dark, but not so much that it's not a cozy mystery. There is still a small town atmosphere, but the people in the town are more mean than pleasant. Which gives the story a dark tone. But, the ending makes everything worth while. One of the things I really like about this book and the others in the series is that the two lead characters gather information on there own as well as together. This is a good book. So good that I'm beginning to overlook the male narrator.