Death Can Be Habit-Forming cover art

Death Can Be Habit-Forming

John Pickett Mysteries, Book 11

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

About this listen

Having resigned his position at Bow Street in disgrace (at least in his own mind) and failed in his attempt to establish himself as a private agent, John Pickett toils away at a tedious job as a clerk in the city. When he is approached by a man wishing to hire him to extract a young lady being held against her will at an asylum for opium-eaters, Pickett jumps at the chance to prove himself, and has a very reluctant Julia commit him to the institution as a patient. But nothing at the Larches is exactly as it seems, and while getting in may be easy, getting out may be another matter entirely….

©2021 Sheri Cobb South (P)2022 Sheri Cobb South Historical Mystery Regency Regency Romance Romance Fiction
All stars
Most relevant
Good plot, credible characters, well written
I hope we get many more in this series

I loved it !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
At the suggestion of his wife and encouragement of his Magistrate friend, John Pickett had advertised him self as a free lance investigator after resigning from the Bow Street Runners. But the applications for his services were not just slow to follow, they were non existent and John was forced by financial restraints to take an office job which he hated. Until, out of the blue, a gentleman requested that he investigate a house where, for a very large fee, opium addicts could be admitted, to be treated for their
problems, a place where, he said, his friend had recently died and the sister, of whom he was obviously more than slightly fond, was now being restrained with no contact from him allowed. Despite Julia's concerns, Pickett accepts the job.

These Regency stories following the career of the humble John Pickett, rescued from street thievery to marriage into a class way an over his origins is simply delightful a and the investigated crimes, at a time when there was little policing, are fascinating to encounter. Narrator Joel Froomkin has become Pickett over the course of this eleven part series, his slightly stilted performance perfect for the setting. I have listened to, and very much enjoyed, this series (almost) from the beginning and can recommend them to all who enjoy stories set in past times as well as detective story enthusiasts who are less addicted to forensic solutions.

My thanks to the rights holder of Death Can Be Habit Forming, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. A delicious series and I look forward to book 12..

"A rather delicate matter."

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I adore this series. The mystery is always interesting and unique. In this episode John is hired to rescue an heiress from an asylum for opium addicts but all is not as seems. A dangerous and exciting task for John leads to a brilliantly entertaining story for the reader.
John and Julia are an adorable, sweet, couple and I love how they interact with each other. Their relationship is a huge part of the story arc and it keeps me coming back to find out what's happening next with them.
It will be interesting to see how they cope with baby Pickett when he/she comes along.
A greatly entertaining mystery with superb narration.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy provided by the author and this is my unbiased opinion.


Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you loved the others in this series then you'll love this one. My only negative is that the culprits are known from early on in the story. But it was a great read/listen, and as always the narrator did an excellent job voicing all the characters in the book.
I would highly recommend it.

A John Pickett Mystery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.