The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation


Read by MaryAnn

(4.6 stars; 429 reviews)

Marshall Allerdyke is driving through the night from London to Hull in response to an urgent telegram from his cousin. As he nears Hull, a beautiful woman stops his car to ask for directions to Scotland. Odd time to be traveling so far and in such a hurry, but Allerdyke's mind is elsewhere. When he finally arrives in Hull, he finds his cousin dead in his hotel room and a valuable consignment of jewels missing. Allerdyke's only clue rests with that woman hurrying off to Scotland.(Summary by MaryAnn) (8 hr 50 min)

Chapters

01 - The Midnight Ride 13:44 Read by MaryAnn
02 - The Dead Man 15:54 Read by MaryAnn
03 - The Shoe Buckle 16:54 Read by MaryAnn
04 - Mr. Franklin Fullaway 15:19 Read by MaryAnn
05 - The Nastirsevitch Jewels 14:51 Read by MaryAnn
06 - The Prima Donna's Portrait 16:18 Read by MaryAnn
07 - The Frantic Impresario 15:06 Read by MaryAnn
08 - The Jewel Box 15:33 Read by MaryAnn
09- The Lady's Maid's Mother 15:16 Read by MaryAnn
10 - The Second Murder 15:33 Read by MaryAnn
11 - The Russian Bank-Notes 14:28 Read by MaryAnn
12 - The Third Murder 14:34 Read by MaryAnn
13 - Ambler Appleyard 15:50 Read by MaryAnn
14 - Fifty Thousand Pounds Reward 15:20 Read by MaryAnn
15 - The Bayswater Boarding-house 15:30 Read by MaryAnn
16 - Mr. Gerald Rayner 14:46 Read by MaryAnn
17 - The Photograph 15:58 Read by MaryAnn
18 - Definite Suspicion 16:27 Read by MaryAnn
19 - The Late Call 14:50 Read by MaryAnn
20 - Number Fifty-three 14:58 Read by MaryAnn
21 - The Young Man who Led Pugs 15:06 Read by MaryAnn
22 - Thick Fog 15:30 Read by MaryAnn
23 - The Possible Death Warrant 16:03 Read by MaryAnn
24 - Concerning Carl Federman 16:13 Read by MaryAnn
25 - The Card on the Door 14:50 Read by MaryAnn
26 - Participant in the Secret 17:00 Read by MaryAnn
27 - The Millionaire, the Stranger, and the Princess 15:42 Read by MaryAnn
28 - The First Pursuit 15:18 Read by MaryAnn
29 - The Parcel from Hull 15:32 Read by MaryAnn
30 - The Packet in the Safe 15:16 Read by MaryAnn
31 - The Hyde Park Tea-house 14:25 Read by MaryAnn
32 - The Chilverton Anti-Climax 9:45 Read by MaryAnn
33 - The Smart Miss Slade 21:59 Read by MaryAnn
34 - Merrifield Explains 11:22 Read by MaryAnn
35 - The Allerdyke Way 8:51 Read by MaryAnn

Reviews


(5 stars)

superb mystery. well read and easy to follow. Some said it was complicated. I have to say I found it easy to follow. with regards to some offensive remarks whilst inappropriate by today's standards we are looking at a snapshot of life 100 years ago. I find that interesting and intriguing appropriate or otherwise.


(4.5 stars)

i think the amount of people in the storey made the storey more interesting. great narrator. good plot and kept me guessing. great book.


(3 stars)

Sometimes Fletcher introduces too many “deus ex machina” moments - as he does in this tale. The reader’s voice and cadence are pleasant, but there are far, far too many mispronounced words. If a great deal of a story takes place in Edinburgh, as is true here, then the reader ought to learn the correct pronunciation. Common words - Hull (the city), pallor, consul, countenance, brougham, and others — are mispronounced each time, as are some of the characters’ names. If there are foreign words or phrases, learn and practice the correct way to say then. This is all a huge distraction. I appreciate that volunteers are giving of their time and love to do this, but please, invest the extra half hour to check and learn correct pronunciations.

BEST DETECTIVE STORY IN YEARS


(5 stars)

I have always considered Fletcher and Doyle as the two best writers of this genre during their writing periods. This book solidifies my opinion. It is not merely that they have very good plots, but each has a gift of writing skill which brings the characters and the circumstances to vivid reality. This particular work might give the edge to Fletcher. I cannot praise MaryAnne too highly for her reading, lucid and well-paced. I would like to know one thing: why two names?

great listen One slight niggle


(4.5 stars)

This is generally a very well read book, I am quite used to American mispronunciation of British place names and this is generally forgivable for the less common, but please please learn how to pronounce Edinburgh when it is so often referenced in the early part of the book…. The story is rewarding and enjoyable and the reader does a lovely job bringing it to life

Good story


(4 stars)

l enjoy the reader. The story is a good mystery, but got a bit confusing with the number of characters close to the end. I could not remember all the names. I also didn't like the racial slurs that were used.

Excellent story


(5 stars)

Looking for more by JS Fletcher. Very good writing and live how the plots weave and wind, keeping me guessing all the while. Thank you to Mary Ann for the lovely reading of this story. Well done all!


(5 stars)

A good book, well read. I must say I don't know what the other reviewers mean about the introduction of too many people at the end; I thought it was just right. Maybe they have short attention spans.