A Shot in the Dark, Mydworth Mysteries - A Cosy Historical Mystery Series, Book 1 by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards kicks off another charming mystery series from the authors of the best-selling Cherringham audiobooks.

Audible Summary: "Sussex, England, 1929. Mydworth is a sleepy English market town just 50 miles from London. But things are about to liven up there, when young and handsome Sir Harry Mortimer returns home from his diplomatic posting in Cairo, with his beautiful and unconventional American wife, Kat.

No sooner have the two arrived, when a jewel robbery occurs at Harry's aunt's home - Mydworth Manor. The police are baffled and overwhelmed with the case. But Harry and Kat have an edge in the hunt for the dangerous culprit: not only do they have certain useful "skills" they've both picked up in service of King, President and Country, they also have access to parts of English society that your average bobby can't reach ...

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This audiobook was an easy purchase for me, as not only do I enjoy two other cosy mystery series from this publisher, Lubbe Audio, but it combines the authors of one (Cherringham) and the narrator of the other (Bunburry). As I wait - rather impatiently - for new books in those series, I took my first trip to Mydworth, where Harry Mortimer and his his wife, Kat, arrive with quite a splash. It's unusual to have a happily-married young couple as the amateur sleuths in a story like this, but they make such a good team that it was a very welcome change. Harry's unguarded devotion to his wife and the pride he took in her skills and successes was a delight, and made him far more likeable.

As with all Lubbe productions, this audiobook featured their signature jangly musical intro - which I'm not especially fond of. This one sounds a bit like someone is playing thePink Panther theme on a spinning-ballerina jewellery box, and rather louder than necessary, but then the story's heroine cannot be called shy or retiring, so it certainly set the tone.

Mydworth is another excellent cosy mystery series from Lubbe, and it was the perfect audiobook to take my mind off the tumult in the world right now. It's a short enough adventure that it didn't seem daunting to embark upon at a time when my attention is being pulled in 100 different directions at once, but it still packs a punch.

Told in the traditional house-party format, the crime seems to be quite straightforward; a robbery gone wrong. But things are never quite as simple as they first appear, and none of the distinguished guests are above suspicion. By the end of the story, Harry, Kat, and Aunt Lavinia feel like old friends, and I can't wait to find out what mystery the Vicar has in store for them next.

I think my other half would have a lot of empathy with Harry, especially here:

The narrator, Nathaniel Parker, was a joy to listen to, as ever. He has the perfect classic, refined voice to bring out the best in aristocratic characters from the roaring 20s, and even manages Kat's American accent without it sounding too false or out of place in the English village. He has such a soothing voice that he makes a wonderful narrator for cosy mysteries, and I knew the story was in good hands from the start. Though hearing Parker talk about Harry's friend "Alfie" at the beginning was quite odd, as it took me straight to Bunburry!

I've already put book 2 on my wishlist, and I'd heartily recommend the Mydworth series to fans of Cherringham and Bunburry, but also to listeners who enjoy T. E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series, which is set in a similar period.

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