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A Commonplace Killing

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A Commonplace Killing

By: Sian Busby
Narrated by: Robert Peston, Daniel Weyman
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About this listen

On a damp July morning in 1946, two schoolboys find a woman’s body in a bomb site in north London. The woman is identified as Lillian Frobisher, a wife and mother who lived in a war-damaged terrace a few streets away. The police assume that Lil must have been the victim of a vicious sexual assault; but the autopsy finds no evidence of rape, and Divisional Detective Inspector Jim Cooper turns his attention to her private life. How did Lil come to be in the bomb site – a well-known lovers’ haunt? If she had consensual sex, why was she strangled? Why was her husband seemingly unaware that she had failed to come home on the night she was killed?

In this gripping murder story, Siân Busby gradually peels away the veneer of stoicism and respectability to reveal the dark truths at the heart of postwar austerity Britain. Siân Busby was an award-winning writer, broadcaster and film maker. She published four books, including The Cruel Mother, a memoir of her great-grandmother which won the MIND Book Award in 2004; and a novel, McNaughten, which was published to critical acclaim in 2009. She was married to the BBC Business editor, Robert Peston, and had two sons. She died in September 2012 after a long illness and will be much missed.

©2013 Siân Busby (P)2014 Audible Studios Crime Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery Fiction Marriage Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

"A gripping murder story in which the veneer of stoicism and respectability is gradually peeled away to reveal the dark truths at the heart of postwar British society..." (Lucy Cavendish)
"A writer with a rare and singular dedication to authenticity...the atmosphere Busby evokes is as melancholic as Graham Greene The End of the Affair." (Valerie Grove, The Times)
"Siân Busby's final novel is a classic whodunit at its very best." (The Express)
"Elegant, spell-binding and unbearably sad...This deeply heartfelt crime novel brings a tear to the eye, for it shows what a fine novelist we have lost." (Daily Mail)
"A writer of rare subtlety." (Mail on Sunday)
"The dinginess of London in 1946 is brilliantly evoked...in this distinctive and engaging novel." (The Sunday Times)
"Illuminating...A Commonplace Killing by Sian Busby is rich in detail and peopled with beautifully drawn characters." (The Telegraph)
"A cracking book." (Lorraine Kelly)
"Extraordinarily atmospheric...a superbly accomplished and gripping piece of postwar noir" (The Times
All stars
Most relevant  
Most of this book is very good. The depiction of post-war London is excellent and the use of different viewpoints to tell the story makes it build to the climax in a subtle and interesting way. Unfortunately the climax doesn't really arrive. Sian Busby's husband's assertion that she finished the book before she died isn't really correct. The end of the story is there, but it is very obviously unfinished.

The narrator does a great job. I will certainly be looking for more of his work.

Should have been better than it is.

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Would you consider the audio edition of A Commonplace Killing to be better than the print version?

I really enjoyed that I could listen to this book whilst doing other things. Great story and narrator, if I didn't have audible, I just wouldn;t have the time to get through and finish books and this is just such easy listening.

What did you like best about this story?

So believable and easy to listen to

Which character – as performed by Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman – was your favourite?

There were so many it was hard to tell

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

trust your instincts

Any additional comments?

go ahead and enjoy

A great read, better than I imagined

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What made the experience of listening to A Commonplace Killing the most enjoyable?

Beautiful writing , well narrated .

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Commonplace Killing?

I don't think there was a particular moment, but the description of post war Britain was wonderfully authentic .

What about Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman ’s performance did you like?

A nice voice to listen to, well metered and good pacing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not particularly, it was a good book but not a page turning thriller, and it's a story based on character not really a tradition who-dun-it.

Any additional comments?

I had no idea under what incredible circumstances this book was written when I listened to it, I wanted to immediately listen to more books by the author. I found the explanation at the end very moving.

Not a Common Place book

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The title of this book tells it all. It isn't a modern detective story full of twists and turns. It is a beautifully crafted novel set in the 2nd world war. The description of the times and the people are well described. Well worth listening too!

Beautifully written

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Brilliant depiction of central characters , interplay between main characters really well played out , great mixture of humour and pathos .

Enthralling story line

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Is there anything you would change about this book?

More rounding of characters

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Telling the story in the two timelines

Have you listened to any of Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

If this book were a film would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

I think the writer showed great promise and it is a real shame her life was cut short.

Average book well read

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Would you try another book written by Sian Busby or narrated by Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman ?

I would try another book

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Commonplace Killing?

The sudden end,not expected

What about Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman ’s performance did you like?

The reading was outstanding .the final chapter by Robert was very moving

Did A Commonplace Killing inspire you to do anything?

Realise how much we owe to a few

Any additional comments?

No

Too many flashbacks

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If you could sum up A Commonplace Killing in three words, what would they be?

Engaging
Atmospheric
Thought provoking

Who was your favorite character and why?

I felt for lil - her life - what drove her to make the choices she did that ultimately led to her untimely death - a little bit of be careful what you wish for in the undertone to her life - she sadly had the ultimate escape from the life she dreamed of leaving

What about Robert Peston and Daniel Weyman ’s performance did you like?

A beautifully read book - very balanced not harsh - the characters were believable - I wanted to listen on - so many good listens can be spoiled by a bad performance this was brilliant
The end of the book was a very moving epilogue by the authors husband it moved me to tears but also gave an insight into the background of the book and author - I would love to read more of her work - a life that was sadly cut short but lived to the full

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In engaged me I was sad when it ended and looked immediately for the authors earlier books.

Any additional comments?

A must listen - the best I ve listened to in a long time

A must listen!!!

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A very moving story, good characterisation and easy to listen to. All tinged with sadness. Thank you for bringing this book to audible.

A melancholy view of post war London

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Set in London in the immediate post war period, this well written book catches the drabness, hardship and, even, despair of a country desperately trying to return to life as the wartime deprecation continues despite the supposed victory. It draws the reader into the humdrum, empty lives of the main protagonists and slowly reveals the story of the sad futility behind both life and death. It also illustrates vividly how much has changed at least materially over the past 70 years.
Read beautifully and with sensitivity, by Daniel Weyman, I would recommend this book to all with an interest in recent social history as well as all lovers of a well crafted detective story where forensic science was still in it's infancy and the policing was more focused on routine and everyday contacts.

Definitely not a commonplace story

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