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A Murder of Magpies
A Murder of Magpies
A Murder of Magpies
Audiobook8 hours

A Murder of Magpies

Written by Judith Flanders

Narrated by Susan Duerden

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

It's just another day at the office for book editor Samantha Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with gossipy author Kit Lowell, whose new book will deliciously dish the dirt on the fashion industry. But little does she know how much trouble Kit's book is about to cause. Before it even goes to print. When police inspector Field turns up at the venerable offices of Timmins Ross, asking questions about the undelivered package that was addressed to Sam, she knows something is wrong. The messenger sent to deliver the package was murdered, and then Kit goes missing. Suddenly, Sam's nine-to-five life is turned upside down and she is propelled into a criminal investigation. Someone doesn't want Kit's scandalous manuscript published and unless Sam can put the pieces together in time, they'll do anything to stop it.

With her deliciously fun, cleverly written debut novel, acclaimed author Judith Flanders introduces readers to an enormously enjoyable, to-smart-for-her-own-good new amateur sleuth, as well as a colorful cast of characters including Sam's witty assistant, effortlessly glamorous mother, and the handsome inspector Field. A whip-smart, impeccably crafted mystery, this tremendously entertaining novel will have readers flying through the pages.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 24, 2015
ISBN9781622316038
A Murder of Magpies
Author

Judith Flanders

Judith Flanders is the author of the bestselling ‘The Victorian House’ (2003) and ‘Consuming Passions’ (2006), as well as the critically acclaimed ‘A Circle of Sisters’ (2001) – a biography of Alice Kipling, Georgiana Burne-Jones, Agnes Poynder and Louisa Baldwin – which was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award. She is a frequent contributor to the ‘Daily Telegraph’, the ‘Guardian’, the ‘Evening Standard’, and the ‘Times Literary Supplement’. She lives in London.

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Reviews for A Murder of Magpies

Rating: 3.4609374257812497 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

128 ratings19 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Samantha “Sam” Clair is a book editor with a London publisher and Kit Lovell is one of her favorite authors. His newest book – about a Spanish fashion designer whose death was almost as interesting as his life – is sure to be a mega-hit. But there are people out there who don’t want it published and Sam’s employer is being very careful about vetting the manuscript for possible libel. Then Kit appears to disappear. And Sam is like a mother hen who must take good care of her chicks – she feels compelled to find Kit. The more she learns, the more she believes that Kit has come to a bad end. It isn’t as if she has nothing else to do. The publishing company’s largest-selling author has just turned in an awful manuscript and Sam must tiptoe around the author’s ego to make it publishable. A Murder of Magpies is a lovely mystery, with just a dash of romance and a slew of eccentric characters. I’ve read one non-fiction book by this author – about the Victorian home – and am amazed that one author can be a be equally accomplished writing both fiction and non-fiction. Amazing!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A fun and funny debut for Flanders and her unwitting detective figure, editor Samantha Clair. When one of Sam's writers, Kit Lovell, goes missing right before his book exposing a corrupt Italian fashion house is supposed to be published, she gets involved in the search for him. Sam has a strong and distinctive voice, which is crucial in a detective novel told in the first person. Sam most reminds me of Kinsey Millhone: she is sarcastic and direct, but also has a soft side that very few people apart from the reader ever see.It takes awhile to establish some aspects of her character clearly, though...it wasn't until late in the book that I realized that she's supposed to be in her 40s, and there's some confusion as to just what *kind*of editor she is. An acquisitions editor? That must be the case, because during her investigation she encounters a man she describes as Kit's editor...which was very confusing. Also, that character is called "Atworth" the first time we meet him, and "Atwood" subsequently. Also confusing.There's a lot about the plot here that's improbable: would a police officer so quickly involve both Sam and Sam's powerhouse-lawyer of a mother in a murder investigation? And why, oh why, do female detectives have to be set up with a love interest in the very first installment of a series? Overtly feminist characters, it seems, can only be made more palatable by showing how neurotic they are in their relationships with men. Maybe Jake Fields, Sam's cop/boyfriend is just a fling...but it doesn't seem that way. Still, Flanders' wit is what pulls the whole thing off. I love the fact that the elite club Sam has to infiltrate early on is called "The Groucho Club," a place where "if you're not worthy of being a member, you're not worthy, full stop"--that's a nice twist on Groucho Marx's famous line about not wanting to join any club that would have him as a member. And I also enjoyed Sam's musing about "what you called a group of editors--a chatter of editors?"I'd read more in this series, just to see how Flanders develops this character.Note: I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Murder mystery in the publishing industry featuring slightly neurotic middle aged british editor and her crazy lawyer mom. Enjoyable read, not least beacuse the characters are quite engaging and the inner look at publishing is neat. Supposed to be very funny, but apparently not my sense of humor.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting with decent characters. Hope the series continues. Plot perhaps a bit convoluted. Nonetheless, likes the writing style
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny, fast paced, surprising mystery with a forty year old protagonist who works in a publishing house. A writer's manuscript is stolen, and before the book is over money laundering, stalker fans, formidable mothers, and innovative authors are involved in quite a tangle. I like the stubborn, furious, opinionated protagonist very much. The policeman's involvement is a little unlikely, but I liked it anyway.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love that this book features a middle-aged protagonist without her having to be omni-competent and nearly omniscient. The mystery was solid, the writing excellent, and the characters engaging. The near omni-competent mom raised an eyebrow, but even that feels right.

    I am definitely reading more from Ms. Flanders!

    I am also going to keep a closer eye on the local library book club picks, even if I can't go to the actual meeting - that's how I found this one, and it's certainly been worthwhile :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this mystery and I don't know why but I'm on the fence as to whether it's a cozy or not. Whatever it is, one thing is clear, Sam is a great protagonist to follow and she brings the wit. It was a nice look in at a publishing house and the characters that populated her office were worth meeting. I really enjoyed the turn the Toujours Twenty-one book thread took by the end. I liked Kit and was really hoping things would turn out okay for him as he's our main victim in the mystery. I also enjoyed Sam's mother, Helena. I did think Sam dwelt a bit too much on her mother's overall proficiency and if I'm honest, Sam's constant lament throughout that women are universally ignored from age 35 on, was a bit tedious too. Still, a main character needs some flaws and things that niggle at you so, I didn't really mind. Those weren't enough to put me off from Sam one bit. I liked Jack though I did feel he wasn't very strongly drawn a character. The mystery was well done as well and I did not work out the killer(s) and give lots of credit that it was a pretty well layered trail that worked it's way through the story to the final pages. Overall, very enjoyable with a great protagonist and peopled with other characters that often were quirky, annoying or otherwise interesting enough to be worth not just meeting but remembering. I've no idea if this will become a series (and I truly don't need one more series to add to my list of books) but if the author writes another, I'll surely read it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I’ll be looking for more books in this series about a London editor who gets caught up in solving a murder mystery. Although at times, the story seems a little ludicrous, it’s the characters that will keep me wanting more, that and the behind the scenes look at the world of publishing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is Judith Flanders' first mystery novel after a string of well-received non-fiction books including The Victorian House and The Victorian City. I have The Making of Home on my TBR pile but I haven't yet started it so I can't say first hand how enjoyable her non-fiction writing is yet, but her fiction was extremely entertaining. Samantha Clair is an editor for a publishing firm in London, where her purview is "women's fiction". Honestly, I liked reading about her job more than I enjoyed the mystery. Both were good, but the author's wit and dry humor really shine when Sam is in the office and interacting with her assistant Miranda. The writing is spare and blunt and it works really well. If it ever faltered it was in the build-up to Sam and Jake getting personal. One flirtatious voice mail was about the sum total of any "wooing". There are some out there who won't like this and call it completely un-realistic, but I know relationships that have started just like this and I appreciated that the author chose a rather no-nonsense approach to the relationship instead of the "romancing" that a lot of people seem to think is required for the sake of realism. It isn't - it's just more fun to read about. While I did enjoy reading about Sam at work the most, the mystery was still a good one. I'll concede that the final scene could be construed as TSTL, but there's room for argument. Otherwise, the mystery itself was clever and layered and the kind that is solved through research. I few connections Sam made felt a little forced but otherwise, I enjoyed watching the puzzle come together. I don't know if this is the first in a series, or a one-off, but I'd certainly welcome more and I'll keep an eye out and hope for further adventures.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Murder of Magpies is an engaging mystery that held my interest throughout. The story is told in the first person and main character, Sam (short for Samantha) Clair, is bright and funny. I also enjoyed reading about some behind-the-scenes at the publishing company where Sam works. Characters were interesting and varied – many different personalities, well-developed and nicely written.It was a quick and entertaining read. If this became a series, I definitely would read more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
     I really enjoyed this book for the most part. In the middle it got a little away from me with too many characters, and I think it would have been better keeping it a bit more simple, but overall was a pretty good read. The summary: a middlingly successful publicist finds herself in quite a predicament. Her go-to author has just turned in her annual book and it's a dud. Another of her dependable authors has turned in a book but it needs to go through the legal department in order to be defensible from libel. While trying to figure out how to make her best author's newest tome readable, her other author goes missing and is feared murdered due to the content of his new book. Of course, instead of letting the police handle the situation, the publicist decides to investigate and figure things out for herself. Does she beat the cops to the punch and solve the case? Does it really matter if she gets a new cop boyfriend out of the deal? Fairly light-hearted (as can be for a murder mystery anyway) and enough fun things thrown in to the investigation kept me reading until the end. Thank you LIbraryThing for the copy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is like the low-key professional version of a Stephanie Plum novel. Sam, the main character, is a book editor in a London publishing house - steadily employed, respected, and reliable. She prefers classic black suits to Stephanie's spandex. Her humor is dry rather than slapstick, her Lulu is a Goth receptionist, her Grandma Mazur is her posh, sophisticated, lawyer mother who can get more done in an hour than most people accomplish in a day. Her love interest is one, very steady cop instead of a dynamic duo, forever engaged in battle. All of these elements are fabulous for readers who have tired of Evanovich's exagerrated series. Unfortunately, the mystery plot is complicated by too many characters and complex financial details and Sam's character is occasionally inconsistent - she claims to lead a boring life and then jets off to Paris for a fashion show. If this is a proposed series, the characters need a little work but the author's mystery plotting needs extensive improvement.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I picked this off a list because it included London and publishing. And it was an OK read despite feeling a bit formulaic. There was a publishing story line but it wasn't quite enough to interest me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Judith Flanders’ A Murder of Magpies is an excellent addition to the pantheon of mystery novels set in modern London. Flanders’ examination of London’s publishing, fashion, and legal intricacies are reminiscent of J.K. Rowling’s portrayal of London highlife in The Cuckoo’s Calling without being derivative. Through her main character, Samantha “Sam” Clair, Flanders takes her readers into these worlds of high drama, conflicting personalities, and professional tension, while at the same time making them accessible. Sam Clair is the everywoman who takes her job seriously and is loyal to her friends, using these two qualities to become an amateur detective that any reader is sure to enjoy. She is not jaded by the opulence around her, nor is she taken in by it. The secondary characters are equally interesting on their own rather than just serving to forward the plot. From Sam’s mother, Helena Clair, to her neighbor, Pavel Rudiger, and Inspector Jacob Field, Flanders populates her novel with such a rich variety of characters that the reader can’t help but begin mentally casting them for the film adaptation. An avid author and historian of the Victorian era, A Murder of Magpies represents Flanders’ first foray into fiction and what a wonderful entry it is. Personally, I look forward to a follow-up with more of Sam Clair.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reading A Murder of Magpies will make you feel as though you've just been dished some of the juiciest dirt on the publishing business, and author Judith Flanders has found the perfect character to tell us all about it. Sam Clair has an infectious snarky wit that's almost impossible to resist. She is a very self-contained character who, for some reason, has chosen to live her life on the outside. It can't have everything to do with her annoyingly perfect lawyer mother Helena, and I'd love to know more. (Yes, that means I hope we'll be hearing more from Sam.)As clever as she is, she doesn't always get it right, and one of the funniest threads in the book concerns the trials and tribulations she has with her bestselling author and the author's latest book, which Sam believes is a total disaster. This editor thinks she has an inside edge on almost everything-- like when she goes to question someone because she thinks she-- as a middle-aged woman-- will get more out of the person than the police ever would. (She just may have something there.)Flanders really ups the ante on readers' sleuthing skills because what is originally thought to be a missing persons case morphs into something much larger and complex. Something that the police are going to have difficulty in handling but is perfect for the sharp eyes and minds of Sam and her mother. Watching these two women dig for the truth is worth the price of admission, and as I've already said, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about Samantha Clair.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.The story is set in the London publishing world. Samantha "Sam" Clair, the protagonist, is a book editor and the narrator. Her client, Kit Lovell, goes missing. Kit is a fashion journalist at the Sunday News whose dishy manuscript on the fashion industry has also disappeared. Inspector Jake Field shows up at Sam's office to investigate.I enjoyed Sam's voice. I was immediately drawn in by both her humor and by the vivid descriptions she provides of everything and everyone. The supporting characters are also introduced in a timely fashion as the plot progresses. We meet Sam's colleagues and clients, her neighbors, and, especially, her flamboyant and charismatic mother, Helena.On the downside, I feel there was undue emphasis on the legal sub-plots. It was difficult to keep track of the companies and/or characters involved. The story dragged and I lost interest. I was glad that I was nearly finished and only hoped for a satisfying ending.Overall, the book was a disjointed disappointment. Although it started well, the story became bogged down by a complex legal maze that I found hard to follow. The conclusion seemed rushed and far-fetched.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This delightful mystery combines great characters, enjoyable intrigue, and a tongue-in-cheek look at the publishing world- what's not to love? Well written and witty, this wonderful series debut pulled me from the opening paragraphs. The mystery is rather complicated but unfolds well, and the glimpses of Sam's life in publishing bring a welcome element of humor to the story. I love a good mystery, especially one not soaked in blood or graphic violence, and will definitely be looking for other offerings from this author. I think this book would appeal to anyone who likes Alan Bradley or Elizabeth Peters mysteries.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Witty publishing world mystery with intelligent, independent (only occasionally grumpy) midlife female main characterSince Samantha (Sam) Clair is a non-flashy middle-aged woman who works as a book editor and lives a quiet somewhat solitary life with just a few close friends, people tend to seriously underestimate her intellect, her powers of observation, her pointed sarcastic wit, and her won’t be brushed off or appeased determination. When one of her authors goes missing and police seem more interested in his yet to be published tell-all exposé than finding him Sam starts her own investigation. Readers who enjoy the challenge of puzzles may feel differently, but while I loved this smart, funny book and its good-hearted but sometimes grumpy main character, the solving of the mystery was the least interesting part of the story for me, especially when characters were systematically analyzing the meaning of clues. What I did like was following Sam around to see what she’d say and do next. One moment she’d be flattering an egotistical bigwig, lulling him into thinking this frumpy older woman respects and reveres him, but when that bigwig was dismissive or not forthcoming with information she was hoping to sweet-talk out of him she’d turn on a dime and dish out a devastating faux-innocent put down that would silence the room and then walk out without looking back, no longer interested, with me running along behind her.I also enjoyed being there for Sam’s interactions with her high-style gossipy author, her whip-sharp ultra-competent lawyer mother, her willing to innovate outside the box editorial assistant, and her reclusive never leaves his apartment neighbor. Sam has a somewhat skeptical attitude toward the nascent romance developing between her and the lead detective that’s refreshing because it’s so non-starry-eyed, and this book’s inside look at the world of publishing can’t help but be entertaining for bibliophiles. A fun book, especially if you’d like a slightly older, intelligent, independent woman as your main character. I read an advanced review copy of this book given to me at no cost by the publisher. Review opinions are mine.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Think there was too much build up about the humor in this mystery. My expectations were high. But A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders did not come through for me.The beginning introduced Sam or Samantha Clair, a middle aged book editor whose usual days are filled with meetings. A police inspector comes to her office and asks her questions about a missing manuscript. She meets with Kit Lowell, a gossipy, fashion journalist who has written an unusual rich and famous book that points to a family and police cover up of a murder. Kit thinks that organized crime might be involved. Kit is gay and obsessive compulsive with every couch pillow in its place. I thought he was far more interesting than the main character.Kit goes missing and Sam reluctantly has to invite her mother’s help. Her mother is a dynamic attorney in a big firm and she always seems to be perfectly put together and has a wealth of knowledge including how to pick a lock, any lock. I was able to imagine her very quickly and felt more comfortable with her than her insecure daughter, Sam. Sam’s romance seemed very shallow to me. The story moves quickly but I had a hard time keeping my interest in it. I got excited whenever Kit or her mother appeared. I think some of the humor was just too obvious for me to enjoy. I would be interested if the author wrote a mystery centering about the two characters that I really liked. I received this Advanced Reading Edition as a win from FirstRead but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.