The Cryptic Clue cover art

The Cryptic Clue

A Tea Ladies Mystery

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Cryptic Clue

By: Amanda Hampson
Narrated by: Zoe Carides
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

In ZigZag Lane, in the heart of Sydney's rag-trade district, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene find themselves in hot water. Having already solved a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, they have proved themselves a useful resource and earned the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their help to solve a plot that threatens security.
As if that's not enough, Irene gets a coded message directing her to the spoils of a bank robbery, which sends the tea ladies on a treasure hunt with an unexpected outcome.

There's also trouble brewing within the walls of Empire Fashionwear, where an interloper threatens not just Hazel's job but the very role of tea lady. It's up to Hazel to convince her friends to abandon their trolleys and take action to save their livelihoods - before it's too late.

©2024 Amanda Hampson (P)2024 Penguin Random House Australia Audio Amateur Sleuths Cosy Historical Mystery Women Sleuths

Critic Reviews

'A total joy!' Joanna Nell

'Sheer delight.' Country Style

'The Thursday Murder Club wish they had Hazel.' GOODREADS

'This hilariously dark crime novel about a group of tea ladies who accidentally become sleuths will have you enthralled!' Woman's Day

'The Tea Ladies is a delightfully intriguing romp, full of twists, turns, shocking discoveries. and scones.' Better Reading

'Crime, comedy and fashion, it's a layer cake of which any tea lady would be proud.' The Age

'A satisfying mystery, a trio of intrepid older women discovering their own strengths, and a window into a vanished past. I give it five TimTams.' Readings Books
All stars
Most relevant  
great story that I could relate to, in as much as the locations, I love, love, love Zoe Carides narrations.

Zoe Carides narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Zoe Carides is a fabulous narrator, she brings the characters to life with amazing voices and accents. The plot and the characters are great, can’t wait for the next one in the series.

Love the Tea Ladies series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved all the voices done by one person it was like there were many different people reading this book.
Entertaining story and great listen while driving to work.

Great entertaining story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I think l loved this even more than the first instalment, if possible! I never imagine l could have such affection for a character like IreneTurnbuckle, but l can’t get enough, she is so horrendous . The magnificent Hazel and her companions are so beautifully created, and Zoe Carides is just brilliant bringing them to life.

So beautiful and funny

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Possibly even better than the first book which I also loved. It was an entertaining story and it gave a wonderful glimpse into the changing time it was set in.

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
i've not come across this uthor or narrator before. Such a great story and beautifully narrated.

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Such an interesting story with the development of the Harbour Bridge as the backdrop. Really enjoying hearing about the tea ladies again in this lovely second book!

Love these ladies

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
development of the lovely ladies characters, intermingled with key historical events in Sydney's past - realistic conclusion

wonderful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Cryptic Clue by Amanda Hampson

The Cryptic Clue is the second book in the Tea Ladies series. The third book, The Deadly Dispute, will be released in April 2025.

A few years back, I read the first book in the series, The Tea Ladies, while I was staying in a hotel in Surry Hills, Sydney, which just happened to be where the book was set. I saw some of the locations and did a little self-guided walking tour, which was fun.

The Cryptic Clue is also mainly set in Surry Hills in 1966, but it has one of Sydney’s biggest tourist attractions, the Sydney Opera House, as a secondary location due to the introduction of a new character in the series (and love interest for Hazel), Oscar, a sound engineer working on the acoustics during the construction of the Opera House.

In addition to Hazel and Oscar’s relationship, The Cryptic Clue has a lot of different story arcs; the tea ladies’ jobs are under threat, Irene gets a coded message from her imprisoned husband, something weird is happening at the Catholic Church where Maude has taken a job, and Hazel is getting reading lessons. I was worried it wouldn’t all come together, but everything is neatly and expertly tied up in a satisfying bow at the end.

A big thumbs up 👍

Go read a book!

Body count: 2, all in the background, confirming The Cryptic Clue to be a satisfying cosy mystery.

A satisfying cosy mystery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love that this is set in the mid 60s. So many memories. The story is interesting, but I got tired of Betty's dumb character and Irene sounds and acts as if she is far too dirty for a job.

Amazing narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.