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Essex Poison

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About this listen

‘Beautifully crafted by Sansom, Professor Morley promises to become a little gem of English crime writing; sample him now’ Daily Mail

October 1937. Swanton Morley, the People’s Professor, sets off to Essex to continue his history of England, The County Guides. Morley’s daughter Miriam continues to cause chaos and his assistant Stephen Sefton continues to slide deeper into depression and despair.

Morley is an honorary guest at the Colchester Oyster Festival. But when the mayor dies suddenly at the civic reception suspicion falls on his fellow councillors. Is it a case of food poisoning? Or could it be … murder?

Join Morley, Miriam and Sefton on another journey into the dark heart of England.

 Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Modern Detectives Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Thriller

Critic reviews

Praise for Death in Devon:

‘Much recommended for a frolicsome read’ Country Life Magazine

‘The magnificent Morley is very good company, and Sansom has a lovely way with a mind-bending puzzle … superbly entertaining’ The Times

‘The team first appeared in The Norfolk Mystery and it is largely a pleasure to encounter them again … Cheerily old-fashioned’ Times Literary Supplement

Praise for ‘The Norfolk Mystery’:

‘A delightful, idiosyncratic mystery … Professor Morley promises to become a little gem of English crime writing; sample him now’ Daily Mail

‘A brilliant first outing that leaves you looking forward to the next maniacal mystery tour’ Evening Standard
All stars
Most relevant
This is the fourth in Ian Sansom's highly entertaining "County Guide" series, and arguably it's his best yet. Once again we are in the company of the drifter Steven Sefton, who is spending the late 1930s working for Swanton Morley, "the Peoples' Professor", as he travels across England writing the definitive guide to each county. It has a clever plot, some very funny lines and delightful characterisations, excellently brought to life by Mike Grady whose pitch-perfect reading features an impressive range of voices. I strongly recommend this audiobook.

Best County Guide yet

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For some unknown reason I just couldn't get into this story. I am sure it is more me than the author as this genre is not for me.

I just couldn't get into this

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I approached this with high expectations, but the avalanche of adjectival descriptions, the endless lists, the snail's pace of the plot, the twee 'back to the future' references, have beaten me almost into insensibility. The narrator is almost as irritating as the plot, particularly when voicing "Morley". I am sorry, but i cannot understand what this doing on Audible.

Irritating ...

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