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Death in Fine Condition

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Death in Fine Condition

By: Andrew Cartmel
Narrated by: Olivia Dowd
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About this listen

Cordelia knows books. An addict-turned-dealer of classic paperbacks, when she's not spending her days combing the charity shops and jumble sales of suburban London for valuable collector's items, she's pining for the woman of her dreams and nimbly avoiding her landlord's demands for rent.

The most elusive prize of all, her white whale, has surfaced—a set of magnificent, vintage Sleuth Hound crime novels. Gorgeous, and as rare as they come. Just one problem. They're not for sale. Still, that won't stop a resourceful woman like Cordelia… One burglary later, the books are hers. Unfortunately, the man she's just robbed turns out be one of London's most dangerous gangsters, and now he's on her trail and out for blood.

Cordelia's best laid plans to pay the rent and woo the object of her affections start to fall apart, and she realises she may have placed herself in the crosshairs of a villain torn straight from the pages of her treasured novels.

©2022 Andrew Cartmel (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd Amateur Sleuths Cosy Detective Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Suspense
All stars
Most relevant
When will something happen?
Full disclosure. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m nearly finished and I’m still waiting for something, anything to happen.

Chapter 22 and still no murder to solve!

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I’ve been enjoying Cartmel’s other titles but this is impossible to finish. The female lead totally lacks likability

Disappointed

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The main character has a strange sense of entitlement, which never engages sympathy. I nearly returned the book early on, and wish I had. I persevered because I’d listened to others by this author, and some of the characters in the Vinyl Detective series have roles or are referred to.

Not good

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An entertaining twist on the Vinyl Detective universe, we have a new protagonist, cheerfully self absorbed and self-entitled who fits in tidily to the dramatis personae of the rest of the canon and presents a outsider's perspective on the usual crew.

A bit more edgy than the other novels, it's nicely plotted with a twist or two and well paced.

I was pleased to see another Cartmel story available and I think the new character and perspective works well. Thanks Andrew!

And for my taste, the narration was spot on. Well done you.

another enjoyable Cartmel story

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I love the vinyl detective books but couldn't get past chapter nine (tried a few times) main character gave me the &*^% repetitive and felt like the editor must have skimmed it. Such a letdown. Wish I could return it for a credit. Andrew I don't think you can write from a female perspective... well not as the main character. I'll know to pass on any with this character again.

Disappointing

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The book inches along as the author describes most actions and objects in excruciating, unnecessary detail, seemingly unable to distinguish between what's important and what's not. Added to this, he uses a repetitive style that he might think is quirky or even humorous, but is basically sophomoric. As this is by no means Cartmel's first book I suspect that the repetition and the painful weight of trivial description are just padding as he gropes around trying to make something of the extremely repulsive protagonist. I'm fine with the fact that Cordelia is amoral, avaricious and misanthropic, but boring, naive and stupid I can't abide. Even worse, she has such a high opinion of herself that even after all her trials and tribulations she is still the same conceited numpty at the end. I listened to this because it was free; if I'd spent a credit on it it would have been returned for refund somewhere about chapter 12.

So bad I had to keep listening

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