Member Reviews

The audiobook narrator is brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed his performance. I didn't quite realise that this was a Why-Dunnit and not a Who-Dunnit. It was really well done but not quite my cup of tea.

This is more of a legal drama rather than a murder mystery which is what I thought that this would be.

Was this review helpful?

The narrator is absolutely superb!
The plot is quite intricate and the author clearly relied on his own legal experience to make this courtroom drama as entertaing and absorbing as possible, but for me it was the narrator who turned listening to the book into an unforgettable experience.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book! You can tell the person who wrote it is well versed in the criminal and trial world, this came across very strongly in this book. I always enjoy books that incorporate real trial action, when we’ll-written, and this book more than fulfilled this.

Some interesting characters are developed in this book and the story moved along well with some very good plotting, and some good twists in the story as it moved along. This was a very good foray into the fiction world for this author and I look forward to reading more from him.

This worked very well as an audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narration.

For anyone who enjoys a good legal thriller I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

Murder at the Bailey appealed to the crime nerd within, causing me to pick this up, and gave a familiar experience of being within the criminal justice system – albeit one that is not very modern! Sadly the audiobook didn’t work too well via NetGalley and broke the ability for me to immerse myself within the story. I have however been able to listen to this via an alternative provider and thoroughly enjoyed it. The criminal barrister background of the author is evident throughout and adds to the realism of the story. The narrator was also the perfect choice for the book and I was able to visualise the story, almost like a crime drama spanning over a few episodes. The story was gripping and kept me listening to the end. I couldn’t wait to start listening again each time I put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who has worked within the criminal justice system or enjoys crime/thriller novels. Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Milner and W.F. Howes Ltd for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed the book but would have preferred to read it than listen. The narrator was good but audio books just seem to take too long especially as I only listen for a limited amount of time. I probably didn't do the book justice. In future I will look out ebooks by this author.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful romp through the criminal underworld and most famous court in the land, full of underhand dealings and skullduggery amongst the defendants, jurors and barristers.
I absolutely loved listening to this, some real chuckle moments and each side does their utmost to out do the other. The characters were beautifully described and wickedly brought to life by a perfect narration.
Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

***Audio ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review ***

The book starts with the killing of a well-known criminal right outside of the Bailey; the perpetrator was arrested at the scene, but seems an old suspect for this case and pretty mild mannered. There follows interlinking narratives explaining how we got to this point.

A really enjoyable 'yarn'! This book is fast paced and kept my interest throughout. The narrator did a really good job of distinguishing the characters from each other. I would definitely recommend this, particularly as a chill out but engaging holiday read.

Was this review helpful?

Although I finished this, I do have some issues with it - mainly that it was too long and gave stereotypical portrayals for most of its characters. It needed more editing which would have prevented the story delving into unnecessary details. The narrator keeps things moving and provides distinctive voices for each character, which I liked, but they are stereotypical - gangsters, policemen, lovers etc. This made it feel dated and the details, slowed the pace so that everything plodded along at the same pace. This could have been more exciting, sadly its not.

Was this review helpful?

This took me a couple of try's to get into but on a long rainy drive home it finally clicked and I really enjoyed this book. Not for everyone but if you perceiver it is quite a fun mystery.

Was this review helpful?

DNF.
The narrators voice changes for each character is great but the story failed to grab me. At 18% I won’t be continuing.

Was this review helpful?

Stories in reverse can be very entertaining when done right. This one however did not do it for me. There were detailed descriptions of oddly specific things that added nothing to the story, while the main plot itself felt unevenly executed. It felt like the author did not care much about it , only used the plot only as an ill serviced vehicle to deliver his clever humor and inside knowledge about the legal framework.


I will mention that the narrator did a fabulous job with the voice acting.

Was this review helpful?

The narration of Murder at the Bailey from narrated by Mark Elstob is simply amazing and adds much to the book's enjoyment.
Henry Milner's expertly delivered story is really enjoyable and believable particularly since the author himself is a criminal lawyer. The humour content is very welcome.
Would thoroughly recommend this book and particularly the narration version to any legal mystery fan.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked the narration on this audiobook and I liked that the chapters were quite short, it made this an easy read (or listen!). I enjoyed that this was set in London, as I haven't read a legal crime book set in the UK before, they are usually all set in America. I will be checking out this author's other books, despite this not being a genre I tend to read a lot in! An enjoyable book.

Was this review helpful?

I don’t really know how to describe my feelings about this book! I was very excited to read it but the narrative just did not draw me in and I found myself wanting to finish it more to know how it would end rather than because I was enjoying it so much I just had to know the ending.

The storyline follows a loan shark who was quite notorious and looked for, who is shot at the Old Bailey. The killer was arrested on the scene then we are introduced to Adrian Stanford who will be taking the case. There are several twists and turns and many characters with particular interest in this case.

I think I found the narrative, as mentioned above, a bit difficult to follow, and I wasn’t as hooked in as I had expected to be! I have read other crime novels and those hooked me a bit better. Somehow I found myself spacing out of the story and really not understanding what is happening.

However I will say that the concept and story is incredibly fascinating and I haven’t read a legal crime novel before that is set in London and got to see a barrister’s perception.

Not too bad of a listen but not one that blew me away either - so very on the fence about it.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this audiobook. Not only are the characters distinct and memorable, the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing them all to life – you wouldn't think it was just one guy who was doing it. The story was brilliant and twisting, and I can't wait to see what Henry Milner does next. I particularly liked the Sherlock Holmes-obsessed junior barrister as well as Half-Pint. What a brilliant novel! Please sign up the same narrator for next book!

Was this review helpful?

What makes this book is the author’s unique ability to use his own criminal law knowledge to expertly give us a witty, entertaining narrative, weaving characters and their shenanigans to create nothing short of a masterpiece!
I loved this audio book! The narrator was also exceptional, bringing each character to life with such great accent.
This was a fast paced novel with short, immersive chapters and the best court room drama I have read for a long time!
Cannot wait to see more from this author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC. How thankful and lucky am I!

Was this review helpful?

This book took me a while to get into but once I did it was an enjoyable way to spend several hours.

Was this review helpful?

Old fashioned murder mystery storyline I found it hard to get interested and heavy going had to keep going back to previous chapters not my type of book

Was this review helpful?

Exceptional piece of literature - wonderfully written and with great depth. Twisty and nervy in places with a lovely sense of London life running through the back ground!

Was this review helpful?

Henry Milner uses his professional background as a criminal lawyer to great effect here, providing us with insights in this courtroom drama, which I listened to on audio. It is superbly narrated by Mark Elstob, not once did he lose my attention, he made the disparate characters all come vividly alive, it is over 8 hours long. There is no mystery of whodunnit here, a notoriously ruthless loan shark has walked free from the Old Bailey, only to be shot dead in broad daylight and in front of numerous witnesses outside the court. The perpetrator is dressed in barrister's clothing and makes no effort to escape, just waits to be arrested. He asks to be represented by the well known lawyer, Adrian Stanford, who rushes back from holiday for his police interview.

Chief Superintendent Stokes is determined to get a murder conviction, he cannot bear the thought of losing, he is on the cusp of retirement after a long career in the police. The case seems cut and dried, surely the verdict is all but predictable? Particularly as the trial is going to be presided over by the judge known as 'Mack the Knife' known for his harsh hardline approach to defendents, but he is distracted by issues at home. And why is criminal underworld king, Jake Davenport, showing such great interest in the case? This is a fun and entertaining debut and listen which I think will appeal to many readers, with a great cast of characters, one of my favourites being Daniel and his uncanny ability to intuit and deduce answers to questions that baffle others. Many thanks to the audio publisher for this wonderful book.

Was this review helpful?