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A Case of Life and Limb

'As brilliant a cosy crime book as you will ever read' Janice Hallett

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A Case of Life and Limb

By: Sally Smith
Narrated by: Jeremy Clyde
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Bloomsbury presents A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith, read by Jeremy Clyde.

'As brilliant a cosy crime novel as you'll ever read' JANICE HALLETT
'A masterful voice in the mystery world' S. J. BENNETT

1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London's most famous music hall star and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, but the Inner Temple remains as quiet and calm as ever. Quiet, that is, until the mummified hand arrives in the post...

While the hand's recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive - one with fatal consequences - Gabriel realises that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.

Someone is holding a grudge that has already led to at least one death. Now it's up to Gabriel, and Constable Wright of the City of London Police, to find out who, before an old death leads to a new murder.©2025 Sally Smith (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Amateur Sleuths Crime Thrillers Historical Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime England
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Continue the series
A Case of Fear and Favor cover art
A Case of Fear and Favor By: Sally Smith

Critic reviews

Witty and cunningly plotted . . . as entertaining as her first
A masterful voice in the mystery world. As you’d expect from an ex-King’s Counsel, her language is as rich as it is precise ... Topsy Tillotson is a heroine I thoroughly enjoyed rooting for, and the court scenes are a heart-in-mouth highlight. I’m a big fan of the series and I’m already looking forward to Gabriel’s next adventure (S. J. Bennett, bestselling author of Death in Diamonds)
Sally's books are sheer pleasure (Lauren Laverne)
We have the top-hatted world of the Temple, malice and vicious competition alongside Gabriel’s calm scholarship, the well-observed dynamics of class and gender conventions within and outside the Temple, police procedure, muckraking journalism, fine courtroom description, murders, tombs and homosexuality, all delivered with calm, skill, wit, humanity and a searching reaching into personalities and values
Following up on a successful debut novel is tough for any author. Expectations are high but rarely fulfilled. Smith is one of the exceptions ... a brilliant mystery
Perfectly paced with lots of twists and turns and an intellectually satisfying denouement
[Gabriel Ward KC is] one of the most attractive figures to appear in crime fiction recently. Sally Smith ... brings both lightness of touch and elegance of prose to her enchanting story
Two sometimes overlapping plot lines are deftly woven together in a meticulously researched work that opens the doors of readers to the history and traditions of the Temple
Absolutely exquisite and a total charm. It reminds me of Dickens at his best. An utterly joyous read that sends you back in time with effortless skill (Imran Mahmood, author of Finding Sophie)
An excellent and well-paced story, and the anachronistic world of the bar is brilliantly described ... I look forward to the next
Praise for A Case of Mice and Murder: 'A delight from start to finish'
A triumph of ingenuity
A cunning and delightful mystery with rich, wonderful characters and period detail so vivid, you can touch it (Ian Moore, bestselling author of Death and Croissants)
A total delight! ... Intelligent, insightful mystery ... all skillfully woven together with a poignant, human story. I devoured it in one sitting! (Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of A Murder of Crows)
Intriguing, engaging, and thoroughly satisfying (T. E. Kinsey, bestselling author of A Quiet Life In The Country)
All stars
Most relevant
I love this series and that you have to really listen to the story the language is precise and you cannot speed lovely to hear the English language written as it should be

Beautifully written

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I enjoyed the whole book and found it hard to stop listening. There. Were so many twists and turns.

The relationship between Sir Gabriel and Wright

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Excellent. So nice to hear such a well written book. Great story and delightful use of language.More please.

A joy

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Gabriel Ward is a delight and I find his character to be endearing. Clever plot. Great setting. Sally Smith please write more!

Comforting read

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I enjoyed everything about this audiobook and highly recommend it. Can't wait for the next Sir Gabriel Ward novel.

This is beautifully written. Love the tone of the reader. The details of London are brilliant.

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