Rotten to the Core

About This Audiobook

T.E. Kinsey’s *Rotten to the Core* is a deliciously twisty vintage murder mystery that blends the charm of a bygone English village with the grit of a knife in the ribs. Set in 1911 Littleton Cotterell, where an unseasonable heatwave has the orchards bursting with early apples, the story kicks off with a body—stabbed, dramatic, and inconveniently placed in the one spot where gossip spreads fastest. Kinsey doesn’t just trot out the usual suspects; she fills the town with sharply drawn characters who’ve got hidden agendas, old grudges, and more secrets than a country parlor game. The prose is crisp, the dialogue crackles, and the plot unfolds with the precision of a master lockpick, making this a standout for fans of cozy mysteries with a side of danger.

The audiobook edition, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, elevates the experience with a performance that’s equal parts velvety and venomous. Knowelden nails the accents—no shrill caricatures here—just the gentle lilt of rural England, punctuated by the occasional growl of a suspicious local. She balances humor and horror flawlessly, whether she’s voicing the prim village spinster or the blustering squire with something to hide. The pacing is snappy, the production crisp, and the immersion complete. If you love mysteries where the real crime is the town’s collective hypocrisy, this one’s for you.