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The Sans Pareil Mystery
- The Detective Lavender Mysteries, Book 2
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
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The Sans Pareil Mystery
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Summary
On a cold February night in Regency London, a dark curtain falls on the Sans Pareil Theatre following the death of April Clare, a promising young actress, whose body is found in mysterious circumstances.
Detective Stephen Lavender and his dependable deputy, Constable Woods, quickly discover that nothing is quite as it seems. As successive mysteries unfold, they soon realise that it is not only the actors from the Sans Pareil who are playing a part.
With the Napoleonic War looming dangerously across the Channel, this is a time of suspicion and treachery. Following the clues from the seedy back streets of Covent Garden up through the echelons of society, Lavender and Woods begin to fear that the case is much bigger than they'd dared imagine - and worse, that they are at risk of becoming mere players in a master criminal's shadowy drama.
It will take all of Lavender's skill and wit, and help from the beautiful Magdalena, to bring the mystery of the Sans Pareil Theatre to a dramatic conclusion in the final act.
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What listeners say about The Sans Pareil Mystery
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine
- 06-11-18
Gripping story populated by interesting characters
This is the third book I've listened to in the inspector Lavender series and won't be the last. I enjoy the emphasis on developing the characters and, in this book, was engaged in a gripping story of French spy-rings at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Lavender and his trusty sidekick Constable Woods are sympathetic characters around whose lives the stories are told.
The narrator does a great job creating all the different accents and portraying convincing female voices.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- murder mystery fan and Cpsychol
- 07-01-18
A favourite Narrator performing a excellent book
Where does The Sans Pareil Mystery rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I would rank this in my top ten. I enjoy murder mystery books with some relational depth to and between the characters, the combination of Karen Charlton's writing and imagination with Michael Page's excellent narration is a great find. I have a job that has more than enough tension and real life concerns, so it is therapeutic to get lost in a good book.
What other book might you compare The Sans Pareil Mystery to, and why?
There is a warmth and depth to the book, just enough edge and murder mystery, but warmth in the unfolding of the key characters. I would compare it to the Max Tudor series, different century, but the characters have a steady reflective no nonsense approach, but with a nod to their romantic and family lives.
What does Michael Page bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Michael Page is an excellent narrator and performer. He gives depth to the characters, I've enjoyed his narration of all the Max Tudor series, and Elizabeth Edmonson's final three books. It has been a pleasure to find him narrating the Inspector Lavender series
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Gentle tension at times, and occasional laughter.
Any additional comments?
Karen Charlton is an excellent writer, it is a great pleasure to find her books being read by some one as skillful as Michael Page.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- RED
- 16-11-17
Good and fast paced
An enjoyable story with interesting characters based at the time of Bonaparte's rampage across Europe, the book gives a bit of insight of what it was like to live at that time. If you like mystery and history, you will probably enjoy this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Edith McNulty
- 25-06-20
Sans Pareil
Karen Charlton is a wonderful writer I have read all of her 5 books 📚 hope it is not too long before her next one
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nat M
- 18-01-20
Brilliant listen
The reader for this story really made it come to life. The storyline was gripping and very well written. Would highly recommend. Now onto the next Detective Lavender book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- CharmayneFB
- 14-05-17
A brilliant start to this series
For an audio book of just over 10 hours, not a single minute was dragged out or spent filling out the plot. Each character was given the right amount of detail and the story was great in the attention to historic detail.
I loved the use of period slang peppering the tex. The narrator's different character voices meant I could easily tell who was 'speaking'.
I'm looking forward to more in the series, especially as I've realised Stephen Lavender was a real Principal Officer with the Bow Street Magistrates Court.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- adrian
- 01-05-20
Lavender is on the case
I'm really hooked on this series. The research that has gone into the book has made it feel Victorian, because the attitudes of Victorian society not lost in the the story. Wonderful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- J. Rogers
- 31-08-19
Great Historical Mystery Book
Found this author quite by chance and The Sans Pareil Mystery is the second book I have listened to. The narrator, Michael Page, brings the characters to life and his voice is very easy to listen to. I would definitely recommend giving this author a try,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann Barton
- 09-09-21
what an enjoyable book!
The plot was clever and not too convoluted; the characters were multi-faceted and believable; the historic period and description was accurate as far as I could tell. I was almost watching it happen before me. This would make a super film or TV series! I can't wait to listen to the next in the series!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Xwing
- 29-11-23
Loving This Series
Karen Charlton presents a lyrical, well structured and iron clad plot that is historically accurate and immersive! My 2nd book in this series and I’m absolutely loving it! The narrator nails 19th century England further adding to the wonderful quality of its escapism.
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