I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was mostly a coming-of-age book more than a murder mystery, but the secrets underlying the main characters were fun to wait out. I loved the narrator and the story of the two Bridget Kellys in Agatha Christie's home. Highly recommended and thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the enjoyment. 4.5 stars

When a young nurse trainee Bridget Kelly, is scrubbed from her program in the early days of WW2 because of a dosing mistake, she is sent to the hinterlands with a group of children being evacuated from London. Her group is domiciled in Agatha Christie's south Devon estate, hardly the farthest from action that might have been determined safe, I never really identified with the main character--but certainly respected her for her guts and determination to always do the right thing. The book, beautifully narrated by Moira Quirk, is a bit of a train wreck, one which I could never stop for long. Things happen at a pace that kept me listening. This book talks about the effects of WW2 on ordinary Brits--folks who are patriotic to their core, but most involved with their own families and the long term stress they experience.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and HarperAudio in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to digging in to DEATH AT GREENWAY based on the synopsis. I'm a sucker for historical fiction/mysteries - and if there's any direct connection to Agatha Christie, well all the better. Unfortunately, this didn't hit the mark for me.

Told mostly from the POV of one character, Bridey Kelly, there are random chapters thrown in haphazardly from the viewpoint of other characters that end up making the narrative feel disconnected (especially the chapters randomly narrated by one of the children). While there is a mystery to be solved, and people end up dead, overall this was much more a historical fiction than a mystery. It felt overly stressed that both nurses were hiding a past from each other and from everyone at Greenway. Which detracted from the dead body mystery that ended up feeling like a side story after thought. The book was more about the war and children being sent to the country for safety than anything else - which isn't exactly what I was expecting.

Moira Quirk does a decent job with the audiobook performance but didn't make enough of a clear distinction between voices that sometimes it was confusing to know which character was doing the narrating.

Some may love this, it just fell flat for me.

This book felt so authentic to the time period and the author reveals at the end just how much research she did to write this book. I was unaware of the fact that Agatha Christie opened her Summer home up to displaced children during World War II, to protect them from the bombings in London and I found this fascinating. The characters and dialog were wonderful and I wanted to know more about Bridey and Gigi. As the story progressed, some of their history was revealed giving the reader more insight into them and the actions that they took. It is so well written that I felt like I too was at Greenway while reading this book. I also loved the narrator of this audiobook and felt that she conveyed the emotion of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day.
Described as a mysterious thriller, Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day was more historical fiction. Based at the home of Agatha Christie, I was expecting more of a Christie-style mystery, but unfortunately, the book did not deliver. The mystery wasn't thrilling or intriguing and was lost within the main character's personality. Bridey's war experiences left her with panic attacks and a lack of trust. She hides her feelings and doesn't want to get too close to those around her. Although those traits are typical of her circumstances, it leaves the reader detached from the story. The story fluctuated between multiple characters, and some detracted from the book's purpose. For example, chapters narrated by one of the children seemed pointless and silly.
Narrator Moira Quirk's British accent lent itself to the story. Quirk's tone and speed were well done; however, some characters' voices were over-accentuated and detracted from the audio.

I really enjoyed listening to this historical mystery about a lesser known aspect of WWII. The narrator did a fantastic job of transporting the listener to the location. Hearing the accents associated with the characters, both upper class and lower, made the setting come alive. I listened to this at 1X to be sure to catch all the intonations.

And what a location it is! Right on the brink of the ocean, in the vacation estate of Agatha Christie -- a location that appears to be idyllic for the children being sent from the bombing in London in the hopes they will be safer. As it turns out, there is a lot of intrigue going on leading up to the end of the war, and safety is questionable. The backstory involving spies (listeners) is fascinating, but what really shines is the author's characterization. The story is told from several people's perspectives, but at the center is Bridey, a young nurse sent to help care for the children at Greenway. Bridey is complexly drawn, but so are the secondary characters. The overall feel is of a group of people who move from complete strangers into deeply intertwined relationships.

As befits a group holed up at Agatha Christie's home, there are some deaths and the compelling mystery of who could be responsible...all of which Bridey gets caught up in. The plot is particularly interesting in the way in which it adds to our understanding of the characters. Rader-Day also gives us much to think about: the nature of one's sense of self, city vs. country perspectives, class distinctions, marriage in the 40s, the affects of guilt, and so much more. This is the sort of book that reviewers will often claim would be better with fewer plot lines, but I felt that each enhanced the other in Rader-Day's hands.

Thanks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. Great setting and atmosphere. Agatha Christie's house plays a much larger role than Agatha Christie. Enjoyed the characters, the time period and the setting.

This book was a study of wartime friendship between two unlikely women, Bridey and Gigi. Bridey is a young student nurse. She’s gotten herself into a bit of trouble, that might end her career before it’s even started. But her supervisor offers her the opportunity to redeem herself by stepping in to oversee twelve children, all under five years old, set to be evacuated from London during WWII. Gigi, says she’s a nurse, oddly with same exact name as Bridey, Bridget Kelly. Gigi is her nickname. But Gigi is anything but a nurse.

The group arrives at Agatha Christie’s country home, Greenway. This is based on a true happening. The house presents the character, but Agatha Christie only makes a brief cameo appearance or two. She’s not really involved in the story. An older couple, the Arbuthnots, have rented Greenway to create the evacuation nursery, and they are also part of the group. Mrs. Arbuthnot only wishes to keep the children safe.

I didn’t really find this much of a mystery, and certainly not a suspense story, despite a couple of murders. I felt it was much more of a character study of Bridey, her ability to stand up to challenges, and the friendship she developed with Gigi. There is a touch of espionage involved, but I found it secondary to the friendship angle.

The writing is excellent. The narration brought the characters to life, from the older Arbuthnots to the children, and all the others, each had a distinct voice and delivery. Both did an exceptional job of setting the atmosphere of the small country town.

This was a riveting audiobook to listen to. I zipped though it quickly. I enjoyed it, but as I said, I didn’t find it particularly suspenseful or mysterious. For this reason, I've lowered my star rating. Still, it was a very good book, dark and atmospheric, lightened by the children.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

I loved the audiobook. Set at the home of Agatha Christie, with plenty of nods to her, this mystery was just right.

This was a pretty good book I felt it bogged a bit in the middle and I had a hard time getting back into it. This is a good historical cozy and I do have some library patrons who will enjoy this book very much.

Moira Quirk as always does a wonderful job at the narration!

Death at Greenway will appeal to book clubs and Agatha Christie fans. The characters are fascinating and complex. I loved the twists of the story and how the author stayed close to actual history of evacuation of the children to Greenway. The narrator was wonderful.

Damn it. This started out so well. But damn it crashed and burned


I didnt find this to be a mystery but historical fiction/literay. It focused much more on the war and the characters' lives in it than the murders.

Yes, characters had mysterious backgrounds and mysterious secrets. But they were mostly political and/or more human flaws rather than anything that revolves around creating suspense the murder.

Even within the genre of historical fiction/literary (and to be fair I'm not a reader of these genres) it meandered like a scenic dream through the mountains. And while I love a scenic drive through the mountains, I don't need it in a book that is supposed to be suspenseful.

The time jumps were jarring and often at times where suspense could have been built. It was like the time jump caused more meandering, somehow.

The narrator wasn't bad. She was good. The problem was that there are so many characters that she couldn't modulate enough for them.

The book did change POVs each chapter (though most were from Brighty's point of view). But either you need a cast or a narrator that could've handled more modulation for thr different characters

I really liked the narrator on this audiobook. The idea of setting a murder mystery during WWII at Agatha Christie's home was clever. I was surprised when I learned who actually committed murder, so the "who dun it" part of the novel was enjoyable. The protagonist was confusing to me- at times, I sympathized with her. At other times, I found her completely annoying. Other characters were not developed as much as they should have been. Some storylines seemed to be going somewhere only to have them left hanging. I'm not likely to recommend this audiobook.
I was given an ARC from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

#DeathatGreenway #netgalley

Bravo!!! A well researched historical novel about the nurses and children evacuated as refugees during World War II to the Greenway Home of Agatha Christie. The author did an EXCELLENT job tying in the real history of the time and place to weave in a "bit" of mystery. I did go in expecting more mystery but fell in love with the historical side of the story itself. The narrator of the audiobook did an amazing job in giving life to so many characters and making the reader feel all the emotions one might feel in the difficult situations during those times. I especially liked how the author even gave perspective for how the children themselves might have felt as well as the PTSD experienced by many. I learned so much about WWII Refugees that I had not known before and about the great Agatha Christie. I'm hoping more people will read this book and want to read more books by Lori Rader-Day as well as by Agatha Christie too! Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me listen to this wonderful story.

The evacuation of children from London during World War II, murder, espionage, and the lives of the characters who are staying at Agatha Christie's home in the country, this book is full of intrigue.

Greenway House was a place of refuge for children evacuated from London during the war., so some of the events are based on personal accounts.

4.5 stars for the brilliant Lori Rader-Day! Death at Greenway is a fantastic mystery set in World War II England. However, not typically of WWII novels, the mystery takes place at Greenway, the country home of Agatha Christie, arguably one of the greatest mystery writers of all time.
Bridey Kelly has come to Greenway House in disgrace. A terrible mistake at St. Prisca’s Hospital in London has led to her dismissal as a nurse trainee, and her only chance for redemption is a position in the countryside caring for children evacuated to safety from the Blitz.
Greenway is a beautiful home full of mysteries. The biggest mystery might be the other nurse, Gigi, who is like no one Bridey has ever met. Chasing ten young children through the winding paths of the estate grounds might have soothed Bridey’s anxieties and grief (she lost her own family in a bombing)—if Greenway were not situated so near the English Channel and the rising aggressions of the war.
When a body washes ashore near the estate, Bridey is horrified to realize this is not a victim of war, but of a brutal killing. As the local villagers look among themselves, Bridey and Gigi discover they each harbor dangerous secrets about what has led them to Greenway.
*Special thanks to William Morrow Audio and NetGalley for this audio version of this incredible novel.*

Alice has received a photograph of a beautiful gothic guesthouse along with an invitation to stay. Since the death of her father, Alice has been adrift, and with the cottage evoking feelings of deja vu, she decides to go for a visit. Sure the hotel has the secrets of her past, including the truth about the mother she has no memory of. But a huge storm and two dead bodies may keep Alice from uncovering her past…if she lives long enough that is