Everyone is entitled to a few secrets.

A very English detective mystery read by a very English narrator.

The pace of this intriguing story is detailed and slow, allowing for careful coverage of the surroundings and consideration of relationships as Nora Tierney now with her ten month old son, is in the process of house hunting in Oxford to be closer, perhaps even living with, her new boyfriend, Declan, a detective inspector in the police force there. Having lived in Oxford for over three decades, this reader enjoyed the accurate travel routes and descriptions (for example eating at Browns Cafe in the old Covered Market) and the very realistic, if often mundane, conversations between friends. The character building was excellent, taking the reader right inside the, often confused, emotional head and heart of the main protagonist. One thing did confuse me, however in the midst of all of the verisimilitude, when was the story set? It seems to be modern times, yet a reference to small pox inoculation suggests that some youngsters had not received it. True, but this would include 'youngsters' of well over half a century. The practice ended before the birth of my approaching 60 years old daughter (and I didn't receive one, either!)

As well as emotional angst over her future with DI Barnes, Nora has another problem: she thinks she is being followed. And she is. But why? The narrator, Ms.Nagle has the crystal clear voice of the classic English reader, with perfect enunciation and intonation. Each character is given a distinctive voice which often reflects a class bias in the accent, sometimes probably inappropriately; this individuality is not always sustained throughout the speech, however. Ms.Nagle is most animated when reading about mother and child and other such domestic details, obviously happier in this area than attempting male voices. It would have been a far better narration with dual readers, Ms.Nagle and a companion male.

Told in the classic detective style, moving between different protagonists and scenarios to give different sides of the story, it gathers momentum as the tale progresses. I received a complementary copy of The Golden Hour from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom, at my request. My thanks for that. My feelings about it are very mixed. Whilst I enjoyed the domestic aspects and the guided tours of Oxford, the actual mystery solving itself I felt to be too little too late and rather rushed. Perhaps reading a print copy would be preferable.

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