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Holy Disorders

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Holy Disorders

By: Edmund Crispin
Narrated by: Paul Panting
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About this listen

As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse – discover the delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin. Crime fiction at its quirkiest and best.

Holy Disorders takes Oxford don and part time detective Gervase Fen to the town of Tolnbridge, where he is happily bounding around with a butterfly net until the cathedral organist is murdered, giving Fen the chance to play sleuth. The man didn't have an enemy in the world, and even his music was inoffensive: could he have fallen foul of a nest of German spies or of the local coven of witches, ominously rumored to have been practicing since the 17th century?

 Cosy Crime Thrillers Dark Humour Detective Fiction Historical Literature & Fiction Mystery Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime Funny Witty Thriller

Critic reviews

"I very much enjoy Edmund Crispin, who's extremely frivolous, with a marvellous comic sense" (P.D. James)

"Fen at his very best" (New York Times Book Review)

"Holy Disorders, uncannily recreates the mood of an antiquarian ghost story" (Washington Post)

"A master of the whodunnit… he combines a flawless plot, witty dialogue, and a touch of hilarity" (New York Times)

"Beneath a formidable exterior he had unsuspected depths of frivolity" (Philip Larkin)
All stars
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Over the top story, but enjoyed the now passé flowery style of Oxford prose. Also enjoyed the description of war time West Country cathedral city with its pubs, the cathedral itself and ecclesiastical society. The description of the train and the journey, and the characters in the carriage were of the time. The story itself is convoluted. I did finish it with no trouble.

Nostalgic description of an England now passed

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Not one of Crispin's best. Nothing acutely wrong with it, it's just kind of dull. Shame as Buried For Please and Glimpses of the Moon are wonderful

Good reader, fairly naff story

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This is another Gervase Fen that could have been so much better. The main story was fine and there are some amusing moments, but there are also some long and tedious pieces about local witchcraft, and the reading of a diary which had nothing to do with the story. I found the main character to be irritating and rude, whereas in some of the other books he’s very amusing. Not one of the best.

So so

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A good performance and easy going detective story with engaging characters. Spies and murder bring a war time Britain to life.

Excellent boys own adventure

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Classic Crispin with some laugh out loud moments and another of his homage to M R James ghost stories. I guessed the killer early on but this didn't spoil my enjoyment.

Great Fun

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