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A Curious Woman

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A Curious Woman

By: Jess Lea
Narrated by: Cat Gould
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About this listen

A funny, fabulous, cozy mystery filled with quirkiness and a sweet serve of lesbian romance.

Bess Campbell has escaped to the windswept Australian coastal town of Port Bannir, determined to begin her life again. She is loving her fresh start, thanks to her fun job running a hip gallery, her territorial chickens, and a lot of self-help books to find her new, better self.

Port Bannir local Margaret Gale runs an austere maritime museum, and rules her staff with an iron fist. She has no time for that crazy modern gallery or upbeat, earnest Bess sweeping around town on her hipster bicycle.

After a heated dispute over an antique collectible dildo, there's little hope Margaret and Bess will ever see eye to eye. But when Port Bannir is rocked by a senseless murder, both women find themselves implicated. Can they work together to expose the truth - or will the truth prove far too dangerous?

Contains mature themes.

©2019 Jess Lea (P)2019 Tantor Cosy Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Romance Suspense Funny
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A Curious Woman hits all the right notes for a page-turning cosy mystery. The plot is rich but not over complicated and I had no idea whodunnit until the reveal! The romantic elements were lovely I really enjoyed Bess and Margaret’s slow burn.
Excellent narration too - I can’t get Margaret’s voice out of my head!

Wonderful cosy mystery

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Great authentic Aussie accents - thank you, thank you, thank you - Cat Gould

The characters- frustratingly endearing, quirky & edgy.

A droll, laconic Aussie take on small town life as it collides, reels & resists the fast paced, big city corporate & artsy wheeling & dealing, trying to bring progress to its parochial ways. And all set against a simmering local backdrop of intergenerational angst & deadly secrets.

And it’s an intriguing who-done-it to boot.

I’m that dammed last-page-first reader - but still the plot reads as true as it slowly reveals itself through all its twists, turns & hiccups, and I avidly read towards its known resolution.

So where to next with the hapless heroines & their eccentric but tech savvy sidekicks?

Absolutely worth a read

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The characters are large, likeable (and not) and very very lively.

Great humour, with unexpected twists and turns. Bring on the audiobook sequel

Cracking good listen

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I very much like Australian stories that poke fun at us Aussies, that celebrate the quirks and sheer variety of people in this country. Much like elsewhere, there are good guys and villains, vanilla and outrageous, and when the Aussie self deprecating humour is added it really makes me smile widely.
If you’re not an Aussie, I’m confident you’ll still enjoy the two FMCs, their plethora of nemeses and liquorice all sorts of side characters. Have fun figuring out whodunnit and the possibilities of an HEA!

So much fun. Just read it already.

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Interesting characters, an unlikely romance, and a plot that will keep you guessing until the end. Has a level of complexity that is sadly missing in many other romances. Greatly enjoyed.

A cleverly woven story

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A fabulous audiobook. I felt entertained and engaged from the first page. Hilariously funny and at the same time sensitive and sweet. I giggled and laughed all the way through.
Wonderful narration as well.
Highly recommend!

Very entertaining

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Good mystery and characters especially for a debut novel, I really liked both main characters, I liked how Bess only softened Margaret a little.

Great Story

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Before anything else, I would like to commend the narrator of this story. The differentiation in Australian accents is so authentic, it was breathtaking. Thank you Cat Gould.

I don’t care for the negative reviews of this book, I’ve decided. This book is about a typical small town in Australia with a murder mystery and quirky main characters. I cannot begin to gush over the ice queen. I could listen to her commentary for days on end. She has haute and sarcasm down to a T! Tilda Swinton written all over it.

Describing Australian nature scene as a backdrop especially in small towns was weirdly calming and satisfying, as if I could smell the eucalyptus trees from the pages. I guess just one of the charms this book holds.

Hmmm

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Fantastic story that keeps you guessing to the end, with some great Aussie humour that makes you laugh out loud.

Hilarious

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What are the secrets of a small town that come back to haunt Margaret and her sister? Set in the Victorian countryside this is an entertaining and enjoyable read. It’s a realistic portrayal of women and their feelings. The slow and growing affection of the two protagonists, Margaret and Bess, who at first sight seem so opposite that the reader wonders if they’ll ever get together. Great sub plot stories with intriguing characters. And there’s a rooster and chickens!

Australian mystery with quirky characters

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