Audible Book Review: Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett

This was an easy cozy mystery with a hint of romance.

Death in the English Countryside
Murder on Location Series, Book 1
By: Sara Rosett
Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Series: Murder on Location Series, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 03-20-18
Language: English
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25

Publisher's Summary
Location scout and Jane Austen aficionado Kate Sharp is thrilled when the company she works for lands the job of finding locations for a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but then her boss, Kevin, fails to return from a scouting trip to England. Kate travels to England to salvage Kevin's and the company's reputation before word gets out that he is missing.
Things go from bad to worse when Kate arrives in Nether Woodsmoor, a quaint village of golden stone cottages and rolling green hills, only to find no trace of Kevin except his abandoned luggage. Even the rumpled, easygoing local scout they consulted, Alex, doesn't know where Kevin might be.
Increasingly worried about Kevin and with an antsy director waiting for updates about the preproduction details, Kate embarks on a search that includes a pub-crawl and cozy cottages as well as stately country manors. But Kevin remains missing, and she begins to suspect that the picturesque village and beautiful countryside may not be as idyllic as they seem.
©2014 Sara Rosett (P)2018 Tantor

Review:
Kate Sharp, who has a solid background on Jane Austen, is thrilled when the location company she works for is engaged to find locations for a new film adaption of Pride and Prejudice. Her boss and mentor, Kevin, traveled to England to scout properties but he didn’t return when scheduled. Kate flies to England to try to locate Kevin. Initially she tries to keep it quiet that Kevin is missing but it is hard to keep secrets in a small English village.

After Kate tours the local pubs, she begins to work with local contact Alex. He is more than happy to show her the beautiful manor properties that he and Kevin were looking at. Kate meets the affable owner, the arrogant and resistant property manager and a seductive, jealous owner.

Unexpectedly Kate and Alex uncover evidence of foul play. The local DCI is quick to focus on Kate as a suspect, questioning ever movement since she arrived in town. Kate determines to investigate herself trying to discover what secrets are hidden in this lovely village.

This is an easy cozy which takes a little bit of time to build into the mystery. Kate has relationship baggage that makes her not a particularly warm character. On the other hand, Alex, who happens to be an America who has relocated to the area, tends to be welcoming and gracious, although a bit mysterious himself. The building friendship between Kate and Alex is a very soft romance element.

The mystery clues are pursued with Kate’s plodding persistence. The DCI is a wonderful intense character who adds to the story along with the quirky property owners. I liked the location scounting element and the setting provides beautiful descriptions. The tie to P&P gives a touch of interest for Austen fans. The light with just a touch of romance makes a nice cozy for fans of the genre.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Sarah Mollo-Christensen. She manages the British and English accents well and helps the story move along by keeping Kate’s introspective moments from dragging. The narration helps to make this an easy listen.

Source: 9/29/18 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.