A Most Efficient Murder

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.

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!

England 1925

The body of a young woman has been found in the garden of The Earl of Unsworth's estate. Mr. Quayle, the lordships loyal secretary, is tasked with helping the police (Inspector Wintle) solve the crime. Guests and family members who were attending the party at the vast estate, claim to not know the dead woman.

No one seems to enjoy being questioned as they all have something to hide!

This was an engaging and fun audiobook with a fantastic narrator! I hope Rafe Beckley (the narrator) narrates future books in this series.

I thought this was an extremely clever and well thought out murder mystery/whodunit. It is reminiscent of old murder mysteries. I loved how the investigation progressed. Everyone had secrets and things to hide. I enjoyed the plot and that there were no slow parts. Everything flowed nicely and at a nice pace. This book played out like a movie in my mind. The characters were fun, interesting and engaging.


Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's England in 1925 and there's a party being thrown. The Earl of Unsworth is having a party after a respite of over ten years. Throwing a bit of a damper on the party spirit was the discovery of a young girl's body in the garden. No one seems to know her or at least that is what they claim.

Bring in a host of of family with some bearing their typically British stance and one by one the party goers are questioned. To this mixture is added Mr Quayle, a wonderfully efficient secretary of the ear's who works side by side with the powers that be to find the culprit. When a finger is pointed in the direction of a family member and said family member bolts for the door and escape, the plot thickens and one by one the devious, money seekers (diamonds are in the mix), and the not so devious are reveled.

I loved all the characters and the audiobook narrated by Rafe Beckley was just perfect with the stuffy British accent that was so wonderfully enticing and made the book come alive. I think the author paid tribute to Agatha C in his telling. Truly a 'Fun experience and I want to thank Anthony Slayton, Books Go Social, and NetGalley for a copy of this winner of a mystery which published in September.

What a fabulous book! Exceedingly well written story line with gentle humour and interesting characters.

That was really good!

Very good crime story set in XX century England. It gives the vibe of Sherlock Holmes or Poirot. If that does not convince you to read than I don't know what will.

Unfortunately I didn't figure out who was the murder which kept me on my toes till the end.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook and I had a great time. The narrator was great. Overall it was very entertaining experience.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a satisfying, quick read. Good twists and pacing. The narrator was great for this.

Earl Edward Statham of Unsworth is hosting a party for his high-society family, the first in some time. He wishes to make an announcement at his ancestral castle, however before he manages to do so, the festivities are interrupted when a woman’s body is found in the garden. Mr Quayle - Edward’s Secretary is asked to observe and conduct his own investigation into the murder in parallel with the police.

A classic nostalgic English murder mystery set in 1925. I normally tend towards modern or futuristic reads, but this was really enjoyable - quaint, with hints of Agatha Christie or similar, it’s definitely one to listen to cozily on a rainy day in front of the fire.


The Narrator was excellent with perfect intonation and great voicing of each character.

<b>A Most Efficient Murder</b> is the first book in the Mr. Quayle series. The very private Earl of Unsworth hosts his first party in over a decade, but unfortunately it gets marred when an unknown young woman is found murdered in the garden.

Mr. Quayle is Lord Unsworth's secretary and is very loyal to his employer. Once the police arrive, they quickly start asking questions of Lord Unsworth and his aristocratic family which doesn't go over well. Mr. Quayle is asked by Lord Unsworth to keep an eye on the investigation while also conducting an investigation of his own on the family's behalf. The lead detective on the case served in the military with Mr. Quayle during WWI which added an interesting dynamic to the investigation.

I love mysteries where the setting involves an old English estate and a cast of interesting characters. Set in 1925 England, this is a good old fashioned well-plotted whodunnit with an interesting cast of characters, family secrets, and lots of red herrings along the way. Mr. Quayle is a very capable amateur sleuth and I look forward to continuing on with this series. I listened to the audiobook which was magnificently narrated by Race Beckley. 4 stars.

3.5 stars

A very twisty & exciting murder mystery set between the wars in the English countryside. I really liked Mr. Quayle, the MC, & will be looking out for the next book in this series!

[What I liked:]

•The mystery builds up to a logical conclusion but also contains some twists I didn’t predict. It has a very satisfying ending!

•I really liked Mr. Quayle, the Earl’s private secretary & amateur sleuth. I look forward to finding out more of his backstory in future books in this series.

•The writing is very smooth, & there are some funny dialogue moments.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•The side characters didn’t get much character development, which would’ve made some of the big reveals at the end more impactful for me.

CW: murder, infidelity

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it is just my cup of tea! I found it a light but clever mystery. I loved listening to the narrator. He enhanced my enjoyment by making it more atmospheric with his British accent. The author did a great job bringing the characters to life, and I look forward to the continuation of the series. I have already downloaded the prequel novella to read soon. I highly recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers.

A Most Efficiant Murder by Anthony Slayton is a nostalgic, cozy mystery akin to those of A. Christie and L. Penny. Set in 1925 at the vast Unsworth castle in the English countryside. Heir to the family fortune is about to be unveiled when a surprise pronouncement is given that a body has been found in the garden. The pace of this mystery was perfect. The setting delightful. The author takes the reader on a interesting, who-dun-it plot that kept me guessing until the end. If you like cozy English mysteries then this one is for you. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

3.75 stars rounded up

I really enjoyed this mystery book. It had all the good elements of the regency times and it was a pretty quick to listen book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I saw on the author's bio that he watches Midsomer Murders and Poirot on repeat, and as I have those on auto record on my DVR, I thought I might like this book., and I was right! A Most Efficient Murder is written somewhat in the style of an Agatha Christie mystery: a crumbling heap of a castle, check; a gathering of family who become suspects, check; and a glorious Golden Age setting.

The Earl of Unsworth has gathered his family members for his first party in a decade, and he has an announcement to make. But before he can do so, the body of an unidentified young woman is found on the grounds. The Earl wants this murder solved quickly and with as little bad publicity for his family as possible, so he asks his secretary, Mr. Quayle, to handle proceedings. Mr. Quayle served with the Earl's son in the Great War, and the heir to the Earldom was killed during the war. Out of his admiration and sense of duty for his former commander, Mr. Quayle has offered his services to the family.

I enjoyed watching Mr. Quayle unravel the threads of the murder, and eventually reach the correct conclusion. And as I suspected, this is the beginning of Mr. Quayle's adventures, as the book is listed as number one in a series. I will look forward to seeing if Mr. Quayle stays with the Earl of Unsworth, or moves on to other fields.

I listened to an audio of this book and the narrator is perfect for the job. Anyone who loves Golden Age mysteries or even cozy style mysteries may love this book. It was jolly good!

A splendid charming and so English who dunnit! Great characters, twists and descriptions. Lovely read and worth the time invested.

This book is ideal for any one who is a fan of British historical murders. I could see this being made into a miniseries or TV show. The story is solid and evolves in a believable way. I would definitely read more from this series and author. I will definitely recommend this to my audience.

Decent listen. Narrator suited the plot. Suitable for listening on the go. I listened during car journeys. Good premise, characters unlikeable at points, would have liked to know more background. Descriptive and engaging. Would reccomend. Unsure if the cover art led me to believe th3 story would be different maybe.

Firstly.. great narration. My only issue is, it's a bit too slow, and since Netgalley doesn't have a 1.1 speedup, 1.25 was a touch too fast, so that was frustrating. But otherwise, lovely sound quality and vocals.
The story itself was very very good. Just enough twists to keep you guessing. Let's you think you're figuring things out, but still has some reveals at the end.
I felt that there were some set ups that dead-ended. Not sure if this was for future stories or just extraneous info, so maybe it needed a little more editing.
No real character connection but this is primarily a mystery, not much of a need to really feel strongly about any of the characters. If more were to come out with the main character, I'd definitely read them to get to know him and the family better.
A solid 4.5 stars. Strongly recommend for fans of British historical mystery (1920/30s).

A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton
(The Mr. Quayle Mysteries, Book 1)
Narrated by Rafe Beckley

This audiobook was fun to hear. The narrator was perfect for the story and I felt like I could see the location and story in my mind's eye. It's 1925 and the Earl of Unsworth's loyal secretary, Mr. Quayle, has been tasked with finding out who murdered a mysterious girl during a birthday party at the Unsworth Castle.

Mr. Quayle's assistance isn't exactly appreciated by the official investigators but at least the head inspector is someone who knows and respects him from the last war. Also, Mr. Quayle fought under Earl Unsworth's late son in the war and Earl Unsworth cherishes him for that reason. I really like Mr. Quayle and am glad that there will be a second book so we can once again follow his amateur sleuthing abilities.

The story brings back the best of the old murder mysteries, so different from murder mysteries of today. There is a lot of traipsing around with a hoard of family members and friends following Mr. Quayle. He's determined to not let his employment with Earl Unsworth interfere with his finding the real murderer. He's doing this all for the memory of Earl Unsworth's late son, a person that I feel meant very much to Mr. Quayle. I hope in the next book we find out more about how the son and Mr. Quayle are so closely connected. I very much enjoyed this complicated murder mystery.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in a promising new detective series. As an avid fan of Agatha Christie books, especially those featuring Poirot, this book shares some similar qualities as the mysteries encountered by famous detective. Mr. Quayle is asked by his employer, Lord Unsworth, to assist the police in investigating the death of a young woman who was found in the garden on the night of a party. The party was in honor of Lord Unsworth's niece, Fanny, on her 18th birthday. But none of the family or friends gathered admit to knowing the woman. As Mr. Quayle digs into the mystery, we enjoy many of the elements of the golden age mysteries, including family heirs and inheritances, missing family heirlooms, estranged family members reappeared and old family manors with hidden passages. Most of the family members have opportunity to commit the crime, but what was the motive? Lady Constance, Lord Unsworth's sister, is desperate for her brother to name her son, Arthur, heir to the title since her nephew died in WWI, especially since it is her husband, Sir Robert, who is keeping the castle aloft with money for renovations. But it is no secret that Lord Unsworth wants to find a way to allow Fanny to inherit, something that Mr. Quayle and the previous secretary were working on, Mr. Quayle's predecessor having left under a cloud of suspicion some months ago. When the gardener's son ends up missing and is later found dead, Mr. Quayle knows that he saw something important on the night of the murder. The unravelling of the mystery leads him back to WWI and tracking the fates of many of the family members and ends with the final big reveal to the family in the drawing room, ala Poirot.
In addition to the obvious connection to Ms. Christie's novels, the connections to WWI reminded me of the Maisie Dobbs' series, at least the earlier books. I highly recommend to anyone who has read and enjoyed any of those novels or any fan of golden age mysteries. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Marred By Murder…
A party thrown by the usually unsociable and bookish Lord Unsworth is marred by murder in this hugely enjoyable and entertaining, traditionally styled mystery. Effectively portrayed in Golden Age style and set 1925, the reader is presented with an array of well drawn suspects and even more motives, as red herrings abound and more bodies pile, before a dramatic and, perhaps, unexpected denouement. This audiobook version is wonderfully and aptly narrated, adding nuance and atmosphere along the way making for the perfect listen. As an aficionado of the Golden Age of Crime, this did not disappoint but amply rewarded in droves. Billed as the first in the Mr Quayle mysteries, the second is now eagerly awaited.

Do you love British mysteries?! Well then, this is the next book for you! “A Most Efficient Murder” is the debut of the Mr. Quayle mysteries series. It follows Mr. Quayle in England 1925, as he investigates a murder on the grounds of the Unsworth Castle. Also, the audiobook was well narrated.

Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Last night I went to the theatre to see Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap which was great. The audiobook I am listening to now is A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton which is also a golden era novel and has Agatha Christie feels to it. This is a great old fashioned murder mystery, well plotted out beginning with a murder at a party at a country house. There’s a missing diamond necklace, secrets galore and red herrings. All over a thoroughly good British murder mystery. This is the first in a series and was narrated by Rafe Beckley who made it a pleasure to listen to. I am. now eagerly awaiting book 2! Many thanks to Netgalley and Books Go Social Audio.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Anthony Slayton for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for a Most Efficient Murder. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A Most Efficient Murder is set in England, 1925. The place is Unsworth Castle where the Earl and his family live. A young woman is found murdered on the grounds under mysterious circumstances. Soon the police come around asking questions. The family become angry at the police for asking so many impertinent questions. Mr. Quayle is Lord Unsworth’s efficient secretary. He’s tasked to find the real culprit and save them from scandal and despair.

I loved listening to this book! The narrator was awesome. Very old school British. The book reminded me of Agatha Christie books, which I love. Mr. Quayle was such a fun character and did most of the work. I just love murder mysteries set in grand houses.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys old school style 1920s murder mysteries!