
A Simple Murder
A Mystery
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.76
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Richard Waterhouse
-
By:
-
Eleanor Kuhns
About this listen
1796: When traveling weaver and former soldier Will Rees learns that his son David has run away he immediately sets out after him. After tracking him down at a Shaker settlement near Durham, Maine, Will unexpectedly finds himself heading a murder investigation.
As he adapts to the ways of the Shakers, he begins to discover that some members of the community may hold clues to solving the case, but uncovering those clues will also reveal dark secrets that could threaten the whole community. Meanwhile, the body count continues to rise.
In this outstanding debut, Eleanor Kuhns has crafted an atmospheric and authentic portrait of a compelling time in history that will leave listeners on the edge of their seats.
©2012 Eleanor Kuhns (P)2012 AudioGOListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Beautiful Blue Death
- Charles Lenox Mysteries Series #1
- By: Charles Finch
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, likes nothing more than to relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist the chance to unravel a mystery. Prudence Smith, one of Jane's former servants, is dead of an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison.
-
-
I like cozy
- By Sheryl on 05-21-12
By: Charles Finch
-
The Shadow District
- By: Arnaldur Indridason
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A 90-year-old man is found dead in his bed, smothered with his own pillow. On his desk, the police find newspaper cuttings about a murder case dating from the Second World War, when a young woman was found strangled behind Reykjavik's National Theatre. Konrad, a former detective, is bored with retirement and remembers the crime. He grew up in "the shadow district", a rough neighborhood bordered by the National Theatre. Why would someone be interested in that crime now?
-
-
A slow burn!
- By Rosemary Wells on 12-12-17
-
A Rising Man
- By: Abir Mukherjee
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. He is immediately overwhelmed by the heady vibrancy of the tropical city, but with barely a moment to acclimatize or to deal with the ghosts that still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation that threatens to destabilize a city already teetering on the brink of political insurgency.
-
-
Warning - Same book was issued May 5, 2016
- By Katharine on 07-04-17
By: Abir Mukherjee
-
A Morbid Taste for Bones
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cadfael's return to his Welsh homeland for a visit proves a rather discomfiting homecoming when an honorable nobleman turns up in a patch of forest with an arrow embedded in his chest. There are questions about the arrow, the man's daughter needs Cadfael's help, and a very odd burial takes place.
-
-
Very pleasant if not much of a mystery.
- By Zenjen on 04-15-10
By: Ellis Peters
-
The Body in the Garden
- A Lily Adler Mystery
- By: Katharine Schellman
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London 1815. Newly widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden. Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she's willing to leave the matter to the local constables - until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned, Lily realizes she's the only one with the key to catching the killer.
-
-
Limited enthusiasm
- By John S. on 06-07-20
-
Deadly Scandal
- The Deadly Series, Book 1
- By: Kate Parker
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olivia Denis is a content young wife with a carefree life in late 1930s London. Then her world is shattered with the violent death of her husband, Reggie. The police want to call it a suicide and close the case, but Olivia knows Reggie couldn't possibly have fired the fatal shot. Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat?
-
-
Insipid Heroine
- By James on 08-14-17
By: Kate Parker
-
A Beautiful Blue Death
- Charles Lenox Mysteries Series #1
- By: Charles Finch
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, likes nothing more than to relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist the chance to unravel a mystery. Prudence Smith, one of Jane's former servants, is dead of an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison.
-
-
I like cozy
- By Sheryl on 05-21-12
By: Charles Finch
-
The Shadow District
- By: Arnaldur Indridason
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A 90-year-old man is found dead in his bed, smothered with his own pillow. On his desk, the police find newspaper cuttings about a murder case dating from the Second World War, when a young woman was found strangled behind Reykjavik's National Theatre. Konrad, a former detective, is bored with retirement and remembers the crime. He grew up in "the shadow district", a rough neighborhood bordered by the National Theatre. Why would someone be interested in that crime now?
-
-
A slow burn!
- By Rosemary Wells on 12-12-17
-
A Rising Man
- By: Abir Mukherjee
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Sam Wyndham, former Scotland Yard detective, is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start after his experiences during the Great War, Wyndham has been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. He is immediately overwhelmed by the heady vibrancy of the tropical city, but with barely a moment to acclimatize or to deal with the ghosts that still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation that threatens to destabilize a city already teetering on the brink of political insurgency.
-
-
Warning - Same book was issued May 5, 2016
- By Katharine on 07-04-17
By: Abir Mukherjee
-
A Morbid Taste for Bones
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cadfael's return to his Welsh homeland for a visit proves a rather discomfiting homecoming when an honorable nobleman turns up in a patch of forest with an arrow embedded in his chest. There are questions about the arrow, the man's daughter needs Cadfael's help, and a very odd burial takes place.
-
-
Very pleasant if not much of a mystery.
- By Zenjen on 04-15-10
By: Ellis Peters
-
The Body in the Garden
- A Lily Adler Mystery
- By: Katharine Schellman
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London 1815. Newly widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden. Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she's willing to leave the matter to the local constables - until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned, Lily realizes she's the only one with the key to catching the killer.
-
-
Limited enthusiasm
- By John S. on 06-07-20
-
Deadly Scandal
- The Deadly Series, Book 1
- By: Kate Parker
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olivia Denis is a content young wife with a carefree life in late 1930s London. Then her world is shattered with the violent death of her husband, Reggie. The police want to call it a suicide and close the case, but Olivia knows Reggie couldn't possibly have fired the fatal shot. Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat?
-
-
Insipid Heroine
- By James on 08-14-17
By: Kate Parker
-
Our Kind of People
- By: Carol Wallace
- Narrated by: Suzanne Barbetta
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helen Wilcox has one desire: to successfully launch her daughters into society. From the upper crust herself, Helen's unconventional--if happy--marriage has made the girls' social position precarious. Then her husband gambles the family fortunes on an elevated railroad that he claims will transform the face of the city and the way the people of New York live, but will it ruin the Wilcoxes first? As daughters Jemima and Alice navigate the rise and fall of their family--each is forced to re-examine who she is, and even who she is meant to love.
-
-
Listened to it three times
- By Antoinette on 09-30-23
By: Carol Wallace
-
The Anatomist's Wife
- Lady Darby Mystery, Book 1
- By: Anna Lee Huber
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage - a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down, as accusations and rumors swirl.
-
-
A good read.
- By sslarigo on 01-22-15
By: Anna Lee Huber
-
Murder in the Crypt
- A Redmond and Haze Mystery, Book 1
- By: Irina Shapiro
- Narrated by: Wendy Wolfson
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a young man is found stuffed into the tomb of a medieval knight, Parish Constable Daniel Haze is tasked with investigating his first solo murder case. Suspicion instantly falls on the only stranger to arrive in the village of Birch Hill just before the crime took place, but the American captain proves to be an unexpected asset. A former soldier and a skilled surgeon, Jason Redmond is not only willing to assist Haze with the investigation but will risk his own safety to apprehend the killer.
-
-
Gross
- By Lorraine Harwood on 07-06-20
By: Irina Shapiro
-
Midnight at Malabar House
- The Malabar House Series, Book 1
- By: Vaseem Khan
- Narrated by: Maya Saroya
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As India celebrates the arrival of a momentous new decade, Inspector Persis Wadia stands vigil in the basement of Malabar House, home to the city's most unwanted unit of police officers. Six months after joining the force she remains India's first female police detective, mistrusted, sidelined and now consigned to the midnight shift. And so, when the phone rings to report the murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, the country's most sensational case falls into her lap.
-
-
Feminist Fiction from a Male Author
- By Prinny abraham on 09-18-20
By: Vaseem Khan
-
Murder on Black Swan Lane
- By: Andrea Penrose
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both.
-
-
Tedious
- By Kathi on 10-02-17
By: Andrea Penrose
-
The Witch's Daughter
- By: Paula Brackston
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the hands of the panicked mob: the Warlock Gideon Masters, and his Book of Shadows. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had and making her immortal. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.
-
-
Lots of potential...
- By Paisley on 03-09-13
By: Paula Brackston
-
Some Danger Involved
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 1
- By: Will Thomas
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a position with "some danger involved", he chooses downtrodden Llewelyn, a gutsy young man with a murky past.
-
-
Clever writing!
- By Kathi on 01-13-17
By: Will Thomas
-
A Rare Interest in Corpses
- Lizzie Martin Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Ann Granger
- Narrated by: Glen McCready, Maggie Mash, full cast
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1864 when Lizzie Martin takes up the post of companion to a wealthy widow who is also a slum landlord. Lizzie is intrigued to learn that her predecessor disappeared, supposedly having run off with an unknown man. But when the girl's body is found in the rubble of one of the recently demolished slums around the prestigious new railway station at St Pancras, Lizzie begins to wonder exactly what has been going on.
-
-
Corpses Aren't Cute
- By Linda Brimmer on 01-01-22
By: Ann Granger
-
Murder on the Oxford Canal
- DI Hillary Greene Series, Book 1
- By: Faith Martin
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet DI Hillary Greene, a police woman fighting to save her career. Not only has she lost her husband, but his actions have put her under investigation for corruption. Then a bashed and broken body is found floating in the Oxford Canal. It looks like the victim fell off a boat, but Hillary is not so sure. Her investigation exposes a dark background to the death. Can Hillary clear her name and get to the bottom of a fiendish conspiracy on the water?
-
-
Not For Me
- By TexasTaz13 on 03-31-21
By: Faith Martin
-
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery
- Being a Jane Austen Mystery, Book 1
- By: Stephanie Barron
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel, countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband - a gentleman of mature years - is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the earl's nephew of adultery - and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help.
-
-
Finally the first four books
- By Rena on 06-05-20
By: Stephanie Barron
-
The Hanover Square Affair
- Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries
- By: Jennifer Ashley, Ashley Gardner
- Narrated by: James Gillies
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld.
-
-
Regency Reality
- By Nadine Gardner Author on 01-30-15
By: Jennifer Ashley, and others
-
So Shall We Stand
- By: Elyse Larson
- Narrated by: Vanessa Benjamin
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this, the second book of Elyse Larson's Women of Valor series, two friends caught in a frightening web of espionage are determined to search for truth and a way out.
-
-
ok read
- By joanie on 05-05-20
By: Elyse Larson
What listeners say about A Simple Murder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DONALD JOHNSON
- 08-22-12
A Simple Murder
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
At first the narrator took some getting use to, at times his voice was just bad.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Character that i like the most was the young son whom had a thing with his father. This relationship between father and soon was an all to often picture of real life.
What aspect of Richard Waterhouse’s performance would you have changed?
No it did not like it at first his voice took some getting use to but after a while i t was ok.
Did A Simple Murder inspire you to do anything?
No it did not.
Any additional comments?
I did like the history of the story as i am a fan of early American History not a bad book after all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe
- 02-28-19
Visit the Shakers
In A Simple Murder by Eleanor Kuhns, itinerant weaver Will Rees comes home in 1795 Dugard, Maine to find that his 14-year-old son, David, has run away from Rees’s farm. David has been under the care of Rees’s sister, Caroline, and her husband, Sam, who have been living on the farm in exchange for caring for David in the eight years since the death of Rees’s wife, Dolly. But now he has run away to join Zion, a Shaker community, and Rees goes there to locate his son. After meeting an angry David, who is determined not to return to his abusive aunt and uncle, Rees finds weaving work in the vicinity and decides to settle in the area for a while. Then the next morning, the local sheriff arrests Rees for murder at the accusation of Elder White. Fortunately, Rees can prove he was with the family who hired him to weave for them when Sister Charity was killed with a bash on the head.
Then, Elder White asks Rees to investigate the crime at the suggestion of David. Because it would be inappropriate for Rees as a man to be alone with one of the Shaker sisters in order to conduct interviews, the leaders arrange for Lydia Ferrell, a former Shaker, to act as chaperone, and she soon becomes Rees’s partner in detection. The investigation takes them into discoveries of further murders.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to A Simple Murder, though it did have its weaknesses. Kuhns has created an interesting community of Shakers and those the Shakers live among. In this community, we see the rigid social structure of the religious sect, especially their emphasis on celibacy and limited interaction between the sexes. We also see the prejudices against the Shakers by those outside that community, often based just upon their style of clothing. I gather from what others have said in their reviews that many of the depictions of the Shaker community are not very accurate and that the book would be stronger with more research into the book’s setting. Even an author of fiction, especially historical fiction, needs to do plenty of research to keep the details based upon fact accurate, so I’m hoping that Kuhns learned from the reviews of this book and studied up on the Shaker community more thoroughly for her later books.
The mystery in this book is interesting, giving a satisfying denouement, but most of the characters are somewhat flat. I did find that the various characters got confusing to me at times, and frequently I had trouble matching names with individual characters because they didn’t have strong distinctions between them. The romantic relationship between Rees and Lydia develops gradually over the course of the book, making them more believable than other characters. In addition, I found the character of David to be rounder than most, a realistic teenage boy who struggles with resentment of his father and wants the attention of Rees.
Richard Waterhouse performs the audio edition of this book. With a voice that seems well- suited for narrating this book, he adds strength to this novel. Some of the reviews of the print or Kindle version of the book indicate confusion in identifying which character is speaking, but Waterhouse uses distinct voices for each character that clear up any such confusion. His performance adds to the enjoyment of this book.
A Simple Murder contained some notable weaknesses, but it kept me drawn to the book, wanting to listen to learn what would happen next. Though I would have liked to hear more about the Shaker culture, the depictions of the community were vivid and well- drawn. I have already purchased the next book in the series and look forward to hearing what will happen with the characters next. I give this book four stars.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful