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The Sussex Downs Murder

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The Sussex Downs Murder

By: John Bude
Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
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About this listen

 “Already it looked as if the police were up against a carefully planned and cleverly executed murder, and, what was more, a murder without a corpse!”

Two brothers, John and William Rother, live together at Chalklands Farm in the beautiful Sussex Downs. Their peaceful rural life is shattered when John Rother disappears and his abandoned car is found. Has he been kidnapped? Or is his disappearance more sinister - connected, perhaps, to his growing rather too friendly with his brother's wife?

Superintendent Meredith is called to investigate - and begins to suspect the worst when human bones are discovered on Chalklands farmland. His patient, careful detective method begins slowly to untangle the clues as suspicion shifts from one character to the next.

©2015 Introduction © Martin Edwards (P)2015 Soundings Cosy Crime Fiction Mystery Fiction Disappearance

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Good yarn ,outdated of course and I worked out in early chapters who did it. Of course set at a time before modern technology, but still did not spoil the story. A typical Inspector Meredith yarn.

Enjoyed this book.

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I would have sacked all the cops for incompetence. The culprit was obvious from the beginning.

pathetic.

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If you could sum up The Sussex Downs Murder in three words, what would they be?

This is an early classic mystery, from the days when a detective story was above all an intellectual puzzle. The detective is gentle and well-drawn, without the convoluted personal life that is de regular in modern whodunnits. The author plays fair with the reader, and doesn't fall back on the device of introducing totally implausible backstory to explain the denouement. He takes you with him as the though processes unfold.

What did you like best about this story?

This is classic old-fashioned detective fiction, in which the reader is invited to follow the thought processes of the police. There are quite a number of twists and turns in the plot, some of which I 'got' and some not; but that's what makes this kind of book fun.

Have you listened to any of Gordon Griffin’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Gordon Griffin is a very accomplished narrator. He has got just the right inflections for English of this period, and suggests the different characters by a subtle and effective change of voice. A joy to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't expect to be 'moved' by a detective story, but the denouement of this was clever.

Any additional comments?

I'm afraid I have not followed instructions and answered the questions set, but they didn't frame the review I wanted to give!

A enjoyable (and to me, unknown) classic

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The plot is very complicated but only for Chief inspector Meredith. Not even half way through it becomes all too obvious what the solution is but of course you have to finish the book just in case you are wrong. Unfortunately the plot was all too simple.

Pretty obvious plot

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Great story, enjoyed the narration- evoked tbe period. The 'thinking aloud' plot device a bit repetitive at times , but overall a good story.

Narration on the money!

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Exceedingly well crafted plot, stimulates the reader's mind with twists and turns. Well read by Gordon Griffin. Would be good to have the Cheltenham Square Murder by Bude in the same format

Well crafted

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not of this time obviously , but still entertaining. Perfect holiday listening.

Yet another ripping yarn

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This is a simple, linear whodunit in the classic British tradition. The twist is simple but fun and means ot can be worked at far more easily than a Christie. Made all the more enjoyable for me by the setting as I work and grew up in the area of the story so enjoyed hearing all the locations as they were in the 1920s/30s. Good value if purchased with the Kindle book

classic British whodunit....

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Quite a gruesome topic for a book written in the 1930s I thought. Old fashioned style of writing and language but I very much enjoyed it.

Kept me guessing for a long time.

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