I listened to an audio ARC of this novel.

The story: I found the story to be intriguing! It was somewhat of a closed door mystery, although no one was ever stuck in the estate. It had many red herrings to who could be the murderer, who the mystery woman was, and the ending was very satisfactory in how all of the elements are explained.

The narration: The narrator was excellent. It was very clear amongst the many characters who was whom, and it was narrated with an intensity that really lent to the ramp up to the ending.

I will definitely read or listen to other books that come out in this series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrator was a great choice as well. I think he added an additional level to the story telling. The book took a few chapters to suck me in, but once it did, I was trying to make room in my schedule so I could listen to more. Mr Quayle is an absolutely lovely character and I'm excited to read more books that feature him. There was plenty of suspense. Every time I thought I had it figured out the author threw in another twist. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys suspense and good story telling.

3.5 stars

This is a cozy murder mystery set in 1920’s England. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters & story to light. It was easy to imagine the garden & the characters in the Manor. Hooked from the first line!

Multiple twists, kept me guessing until the end. Good mystery, definitely recommend and excited for the series to continue!

Highly recommended for readers who love to read historical fiction murder mystery. Fans of Agatha Christie will have to try this one! 🙌

I really enjoy how Rafe Beckley narrating this whole story, he did a good job and I hope he'll narrate the second book as well.

This is a well written and well crafted murder mystery, with a nice pace, suspicious characters and a fascinating old Manor setting with secret passages.

Filled with riddle about a missing heirloom, an unknown murdered woman, and a family whose keeping secrets makes this book is so hard to put down!

The case is not that simple and so many suspect makes this one hard to guess. But if you look closely at the clues given, you might solve this one!

I have a good time creating theories about who is the real culprit and I'm very surprised to read the big reveal at the end!

Overall, this is a brilliant and unpredictable mystery book!
It's a good start for a new series and I'm really looking forward to read the next book coming out in March 2023!

I received an advanced audiobook for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial Audio, and Anthony Slayton.

It’s 1925 and there’s been a murder of a mysterious woman at Lord Unsworth’s party. His secretary, Mr. Quayle, works to figure out the murder as no one in the family is safe from suspicion & old family secrets are uncovered.
This story and its tone was quite reminiscent of old murder mysteries such as those by Agatha Christie. Lots of family secrets, moments of suspicion on everyone, and vibes that just screamed 1920s England. I was kept guessing as to who the murderer was until the very end. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, but there were a few times I got a bit lost at the beginning of the plot but I was able to quickly reorient myself. The story honestly won’t be super memorable to me for long. I already had to look up character names when thinking back through the summary. However, if you’re in the mood for Hercule Peroit but have already read all of those books, “A Most Efficient Murder” will happily scratch that itch.
3.5 ⭐️
*Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

4/5

“That’s the trouble these days. No one has the common decency to be stabbed in their own gardens anymore”.

When the reclusive Earl of Unsworth’s first party in over a decade is spoilt by murder, His Lordship’s loyal and efficient secretary, Mr Quayle, must unravel a web of red-herrings and buried secrets before the murderer can strike again…

Mr Quayle is relatively new to the position of secretary, however, his history and experience enables the Earl to have the utmost confidence in him and his abilities. It was unique to have a private sleuth and the lead detective with their own personal history, which enabled them to work together, rather than at odds with each other.

This was a great read, with a steady pace, interesting characters and enough wrong turns to keep you guessing! This is the first in the Mr Quayle series and I will definitely be reading book 2!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for my ARC in return for an honest review.

Wonderful start to a new mystery series in England. Mr Quayle is a very intriguing character and I'm excited to learn more about him and his relationships to the people around him.

The Earl of Unsworth gathers his family for a very special announcement. He has no children and is getting on with age, so it is obvious where this will be going. But then, the body of a young woman is found in the garden of his estate. The Earl's young niece found her, and before the police can even get there to investigate, the Earl tasks his loyal secretary Mr. Quayle to contain the situation, squash the scandal, and, if he can, solve the murder. But saving the family name is priority number one.
Not one of the guest steps forward, when Inspector Wintle arrives and asks if anybody recognizes the dead woman, she seem to be a complete mystery. But soon, people start disappearing, a riddle takes hold of the crowd, the inheritance is questioned, and long-lost secret relationships come to light. While Quayle deftly, with tact and dedication, is hunting the killer, it becomes evident that none of the guests has a clear conscience; they are all lying through their teeth.
A perfect cozy Agatha Christie-like murder mystery that is historically compelling and doesn't veer off into pastiche territory. The thing I admired the most about the book is how it subtly modernized the genre; even if we are dealing with several WWI wounded soldiers, it is fast-paced, moving like a freight train, and never feels gimmicky.

I really enjoyed listening to this book! The story was engaging and kept me coming back to turn on the audiobook every time I was able to. I thought I knew where the plot was going, but I was definitely mistaken, as the twists and turns in the plot kept me on my toes the whole time. This is a solid murder mystery set in 1920s England that will keep you coming back to find out what happens all the way to the end. The narration was also well done and highlighted the storyline rather than distracting from it.

The Earl of Unsworth’s is a withdrawn fellow and now he throws his first party in over a decade. Darn, it is spoiled by a little thing called murder.
I do not wish to disturb you, your grace, but there is a body in the garden…

The setting is England, 1925 when a strange young women is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle.

And, the prime suspect is on one of their own. Now it is Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth’s terribly efficient secretary’s, task to uncover the true culprit and save the House of Unsworth from scandal and ruin.

Good book, but not my favorite narrator.

This book had so much potential I think, and I feel like it just fell a bit flat for me. I still enjoyed it though!

In a Nutshell: A classic old-time mystery, full of Agatha Christie feels. The story is mostly formulaic (dead body, loads of characters who aren’t revealing all, twists galore on the journey, a big reveal at the end). The author’s approach that combines humour and sarcasm makes a difference. What elevates the experience further is the brilliant audiobook narrator.

Story Synopsis:
1925. (Taking the year info from the blurb. I don’t recollect the audiobook revealing the time period at all.)
When the introverted and bookish Earl of Unsworth threw a party to celebrate his dear niece’s birthday, the last thing he expected was to hear of a dead body being found on the castle grounds. His secretary, Mr. Quayle, is immediately given charge by His Lordship of making sure that the police find the murderer, and nothing more, especially no damaging secrets about the Unsworth family.


Where the book worked for me:
✔ I enjoyed the quirky humour in the story. It pokes fun at the snooty upper classes of the Britain of yore without going overboard.
✔ Quayle, a secretary who “loved Sherlock Holmes and Arsène Lupin”, makes for an interesting investigator, being intelligent, subtle, understanding, and diplomatic, unlike most popular fictional detectives.
✔ There is a wonderful old world charm to the story. It brought the time period alive.
✔ In a strange irony, it is a slow-moving story written in a very quick pace. I never felt the rhythm of the story dragging. Right from the first chapter, the proceedings kept me gripped.
✔ The audiobook narrator. *chef’s kiss!*

Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ While I do read mysteries, there are very few books that impress me with their style of reveal. Most end up info-dumping towards the climax. This was no exception. The ending scenes are typical mystery fare, what with a whole load of confessions and revelations toppling out one after the other.
❌ I am also a bit tired of the ‘characters keeping a secret’ trope. In this book, almost every character has at least one secret that he/she doesn’t reveal or lies about until later.
(Note that the points above wouldn’t matter to a mystery fiction lover. Unlike most readers, I am not a huge fan of this genre for these very reasons.)

The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 8 hours 20 minutes, is narrated by the amazing Rafe Beckley. This was a mystery with a whole load of characters, and yet not once did I feel confused about who was speaking., From a quivery-voice for old Butler Perkins to the dominating vocals of Lady Constance, Beckley hits the right note for every character. He makes even the bland chapter titles sound wonderful! I enjoyed every minute of his narration.


All in all, I did enjoy this mystery, which is not something I can say for most mystery fiction novels I read. (I don’t know if I would have felt the same had I actually read the book – the plot stuck to the tried-and-tested formula and didn’t venture into anything novel.) That said, if Rafe Beckley is the one to narrate the subsequent adventures of Mr. Quayle, ooh la la! Count me in!

4 stars. (3.5 for the story. Jumping upwards for the audiobook.)

My thanks to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Most Efficient Murder: The Mr. Quayle Mysteries, Book 1”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

The very private, bookish Earl of Unsworth hosts his first party in over a decade, but it goes awry when an unknown young woman is found murdered in the garden. When the police arrive, they quickly start asking questions of Lord Unsworth and his aristocratic family, which of course they don’t appreciate. Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth’s secretary, is asked to keep an eye on the investigation while also conducting an investigation of his own. Mr. Quayle’s primary goal is to keep any scandal away from the family. Secondly, he does want to discover who the murderer is, regardless of his or her social position. He also knows the lead detective on the case – they served together in the war – which helps a little.

I have to admit to a fondness for mysteries set on old English estates and a cast of interesting characters. The Unsworth family is an interesting set of characters. They are each well aware of their public face, but they all have their secrets that are slowly disclosed. The dead woman is not exactly a stranger after all. Their dialogue and interactions all felt real within the story.

A Most Efficient Murder is a solid mystery We’ve got a family with its fair share of issues, a riddle that supposedly leads to a small fortune in missing diamonds, and an estate without an heir. Mr. Quayle is a very competent sleuth and has a steady hand no matter who he’s questioning. I feel like we’re just discovering his personality though. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a good job. It was easy to differentiate between the characters and his tones and expressiveness let us hear their personalities.

Loved this well written mystery set in mysterious olde England. Reminded me of Agatha Christie but, frankly the book had better writing technique and vocabulary than Christie. Fast paced, had me on the edge of my seat for sure wondering who the murdered girl was then who carried out the nasty deed.

With thanks to the author, publishers BooksGoSocial Audio, and NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A classic early 20th-century English murder-mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie!

In the midst of a birthday party being thrown for his niece at his estate by Lord Unsworth, the body of a young woman is found. She was not an invited guest, and none of the other party-goers seem to know who she is or where she came from. Lord Unsworth's secretary, Mr. Quayle, is tasked with solving the mystery on his behalf, and must operate between Lord Unsworth's extended family and Scotland Yard, neither of whom is particularly happy with his assignment. When the finger of guilt appears to point to a family member who then vanishes, Mr. Quayle must work fast to overcome obstacles at every turn and uncover the true identity of the killer!

The author did a great job of keeping the story moving forward at all times, while the plot was sufficiently well woven to keep me guessing as to the killer's identity until practically the end. I enjoyed the setting of this story as well as its timeline, where the range of modern forensic techniques was not available and detectives had to rely on good old-fashioned policework to solve crimes. The characters were well-developed and represented wonderfully by the narrator, Rafe Beckley.

Overall a very enjoyable experience, and I look forward to the next installment in the Mr. Quayle mystery series!

3.5 out of 5.0

A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton is the first novel in a new mystery series based on the fictional character Mr. Quayle. Mr. Quayle is a World War I Veteran working as the secretary for an English Earl in the 1920's.

After a young lady is found murdered in the garden of Lord Unsworth's estate Mr. Quayle is assigned to assist the police detectives in the investigation as well as protecting the interests of the estate. As neither party is comfortable with this situation, this allows for some friction as they work together to solve the questions, who was this woman, why was she murdered and by whom.

Overall, the story was fairly standard mystery fare. A good mystery but nothing outstanding or revolutionary.

The narration however was the highlight of this experience. Rafe Beckley does an excellent job in giving each character it's own voice and his tone and pitch was very engaging in tense moments.

I recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in testing the audio format to see if would work for you.

When a young unknown woman is found in the Unsworth family garden, Quale and Inspector Windle must find out what happened. No one knows who the woman is, or do they? And who knows about the secret service entrance door leading to the garden?
And what does Arthur have to hide? It seems he knew the victim, but what is he hiding and why not tell the rest of the family? And what does the legend of the Unsworth diamonds have to do with a puzzle, which only Lord Unsworth should know about, yet strangely enough it also hangs on the whiteboard of the local police station.

The family gathers to celebrate Fanny's 18th birthday - Lord Unsworth, having no ‘heir or spare since his son Theodore, ‘Teddy’ died in the trenches - took Fanny in when her parents died. Yet, under English law, she is not allowed to inherit.
The rest of the family have flocked to the feast like vultures, in the hope that one of them will be designated as heir.
When the body of a young woman is found in the garden, Lord Unsworth asks his secretary Quale to be 'the eyes and ears' of the family, and to deal with the matter, at the best interest of the family, as slander and scandal would bring his house to ruin.

The somewhat weak story is carried by the sublime narration of Mr Beckley. And I can’t help it, I really like these kinds of detective stories: I find them soothing, and perfect for escapism - I can listen to it again, and again, and again.
It is the well-known successful long-standing Christie formula: a family gathering, corpses that seem to fall from every closet, distant heirs, secret affairs, estranged family ties, an old English estate, a legend, and of course the impeccable butler (Perkins).
I have been a fan of Agatha Christie’s novels ever since I was young, and I just love this type of mystery.

The narration is spot- on, with a posh upper-class diction to complement the story, superbly read by Rafe Beckley.
I've already had a quick peek on Amazon, and luckily there will be a sequel, which I absolutely want to listen to. (A Rather Dastardly Death: A 1920s Murder Mystery (The Mr Quayle Mysteries Book 2, due March 2023) - which I really hope Mr Rafe Beckley gets to do the narration again.

This was my first audiobook via Netgalley. I waited a long time before opting for an audiobook, but it proved to be a fantastic experience: the book is easy to listen to via the Netgalley app. This story, together with the narration, was very enjoyable. I will gladly enjoy listening to it again, and have already placed the Mr Quale Mysteries #2 on my wishlist.

Thank you Netgalley and Booksgosocial for this awesome listening experience! Highly enjoyable, and a 5 star for me.

This is a something a little different to what I normally listen to or read and, I have to say, I quite enjoyed it.

First off, I must commend the narrator, Rafe Beckley, who was absolutely brilliant. He brought the story, the setting and the characters to life and I think if it wasn't for him, this book could have felt a bit flat. The voice for the butler was a particular favourite of mine.

This is a proper old-style, murder mystery. Without the benefit of the modern-day crime fighting techniques, Mr Quayle, along with the police, have a difficult task to discover who the guilty party is from the plethora of dodgy characters any of whom could have been responsible for the body discovered in the gardens of Unsworth Castle but their task is made more difficult due to the many secrets and lies that the suspects want to keep hidden.

I really enjoyed how the story and plot developed and played out; it was fun, engaging and with plenty of twists that kept me guessing and I very much look forward to following this series and can only hope the same narrator is used.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen and share my thoughts of A Most Efficient Murder.

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“A Most Efficient Murder” is a historical fiction murder mystery à la Agatha Christie. The story takes place in England in 1925, where a murdered woman is found on the grounds of Unsworth Castle. The Unsworth family soon finds themselves wrapped up in the police investigation and accusations fly. The family patriarch, Lord Unsworth, turns to his secretary, Mr. Quayle, tasking him with the job of finding out the truth behind the murder. Mr. Quayle soon finds himself tangled in a complicated web of lies, deceit, and an obfuscated Unsworth family history. While working at times in tandem with the police investigation, Mr. Quayle must unearth the facts amongst the vast red herrings. Will he be able to solve the murder? Does the murder have anything to do with the famous Unsworth lost diamonds? Will Mr. Quayle be able to ferret out the truth? After all, everybody lies.

Unfortunately, I find myself in the minority of readers who found this book lacking. Yes, it is a decent quick read. Yes, it fits the elements of a classic murder mystery. However, that is where the positives end for me. The story arc was rather formulaic. The characters were ho-hum, lacking in any real substance. Even Mr. Quayle, who is set up as the main figure in this book and in the future series, was generic and just plain boring. The plot dragged on, and I found myself losing interest at many points throughout. There were many red herrings, but I identified the murderer in the first quarter of the book, although I did not know the full extent of the murderer’s motives. The ending held some twists that I had an inkling were coming. The book just felt like an amateur attempt at mimicking an Agatha Christie novel.

My copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must comment on the narrator. I thought the narrator did an okay job. He was a little blasé at times to the extent I thought I could fall asleep to his narration. That being said, I’m not sure if that was due to his narration itself or the actual book he was narrating.

Overall, this book was simply middle-of-the-road boring. It might hold the interest of a young adult reader who is new to murder-mystery stories. As an adult reader who has been reading the genre for a while, I’d recommend skipping this book. The story just falls flat and is easily forgettable. I will not be reading any further books in this series.

Written in the style of traditional British Classic Crime, Mr. Slayton drew me right into this mystery from the very first page.

An unknown woman is found dead in the garden during a birthday celebration; everyone in the family is suspect. Lord Unsworth tasks his private secretary Mr. Quayle with the difficult job of solving the murder while protecting family interests and secrets he discovers along the way from the local police. This well-written mystery is full of interesting characters, plenty of suspects, and a few red herrings as we follow Mr. Quayle in his pursuit to the truth.

I listened to the audio version (thank you #netgalley !) and Rafe Beckley’s narration was superb.

This is the first in a series; I look forward to many more mysteries with Mr. Quayle at the helm!