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The Oxmarket Aspal Murder Mystery

A John Handful Mystery, Book 2

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The Oxmarket Aspal Murder Mystery

By: Andrew Hixson
Narrated by: Michael Grinter
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About this listen

An old widow is brutally killed with a vicious blow to the back of her head. Suspicion fell immediately on a local man Marcus Dye whose clothes revealed traces of the victim’s blood and hair. Yet something is amiss and the Suffolk Constabulary believe he is innocent and they ask John Handful to help save the man from a lifetime in prison.

©2017 Andrew Hixson (P)2019 Andrew Hixson Genre Fiction Mystery Psychological Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives
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As with the first story, this is ok as a short listen, I'd not want to listen to a full ten hour novel about this John Handful though. This story was more interesting than the first one, John is working a cold case which ends, predictably, with John surrounded by all the players, ... not in the library but in the pub - at least I think it was the pub, it had a barman so pub or country club while he regales them all with how he, the marvellous John Handful, brilliantly solved the mystery and points the finger at the murderer ... it's really not my cup of tea.

The narrator in this book is far superior to the first one, however, he's still pretty terrible, and sounds like a spluttering old man, which makes the bedroom scene between John and his 'fiance' even more shudder inducing.

I received a free review copy in exchange for my honest review.

OK if you like grandstanding private detectives

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This is a short English who done it. My biggest problem with it was the narrator and I am sad to say I was glad it wasn't longer story, which s what I prefer. The story it's self was interesting and had a lot of characters but with the narrator it was hard keeping them all straight. I am not sure if it was the just narrator but the story felt like it was set in the past (kind of on the lines of an Agatha Christie) so was surprised when one of the characters got an Amazon delivery, setting it firmly in the present. Either way if you can get past the narrator it is a good who done, it with everybody gathered around for the big reveal.
John Handful is called in when his old friend believes a man was wrongly convicted of murdering his landlady. John decides to stay in the village, so he can observe the suspects more closely in the hopes that his presence will cause the killer to panic and real themselves. As well as a landlady she was also a cleaner for a number of the villagers and unfortunately she had gained a reputation as being nosy. Is that why she was killed? She saw something she wasn't meant to see. He soon finds a clue the policed missing in there investigation, the fact that she suddenly brought computer ink for a printer she didn't use. But why would that lead to her death? And what was she printing? Armed with a number of photos John looks in the past to find his answers.
As I said I didn't like the narrator. Not only was he wrong for he character (too gruff that made 'll the characters sound the the same) but the recording wasn't good. At the start of each chapter he sounded like he had moved and was to far away from from the mike and then would get loud as he came back in range.
I was given this free review copy Audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Who done it

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A simpel crime story. It could use some editing.
The characters are unlikeabel, but it maybe because of the narrator, who is not doing a good job.
The sound goes down every time a new chapter starts, and then slowly returns to the previously level.

Ok, but not great

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This is a decent who done it with twists n turns to keep you hooked but when a book becomes an audiobook the narrator can really enhance or dull a good story and for me this narrators reading did not enhance it.
The sound is a bit echo/tinny and there’s an annoying buzzing noise at the end of the last chapter before the epilogue, it doesn’t sound like a professional recording. His dictation is not particularly clear and when he’s portraying female character his delivery is rushed and difficult to understand.
The reading of the sex scene should have sounded sensual maybe a bit erotic but it didn’t come across that way, in fact it just made me wince.
Unfortunately I feel that this book is better read than listened to.

Oxmarket Aspal

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I really enjoyed the story. The character and the case was interesting, unfortunately the narrator has spoilt it for me. He wasn't my cap of tea.

Great book

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