Murder at Everham Hall

I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes at first when Marius Quin, our ‘brilliant’ but broke mystery writer, started monologuing about how *real* detective work would make his next book a hit. ‘Oh great,’ I thought, ‘another self-insert protagonist.’ But Benedict Brown’s writing won me over by making Quin’s arrogance *funny*—and George Blagden’s performance sells it. His Quin sounds like a man who’s one failed royalty check away from selling his typewriter, yet still delivers lines like, ‘The butler didn’t do it. Butlers are *boring*,’ with the confidence of a man who’s never met a butler. The supporting cast is just as vivid: Blagden’s voice for Lady Everham is all icy veneer, while the local constable’s flustered exasperation had me laughing out loud during my commute. The plot hums along, with Brown seeding clues that feel fair but not obvious. I particularly loved the scene where Quin ‘interviews’ suspects by feeding them plot twists from his own books—Blagden’s delivery makes it clear who’s lying by how they react to the absurdity. My two quibbles: the romance subplot feels tacked on (Quin’s chemistry with the female lead is lukewarm at best), and the final reveal hinges on a detail that’s *just* a little too convenient. But the audio production is flawless—no distracting edits, and Blagden’s pacing keeps the tension high even during exposition. If you’ve ever groaned at a clichéd detective trope, this book is for you. It’s *Knives Out* meets *The Secret History*, but with a narrator who sounds like he’s having the time of his life. I’d listen to Blagden read a grocery list, but here, he’s got material worthy of his talents.