The Scarlet Wench

The Nora Tierney Mysteries Book 3

By: M. K. Graff

Narrated by: Nano Nagle

In the third Nora Tierney Mystery set in England, American writer Nora awaits the arrival of a traveling theatre troupe who will stage Noel Coward's play Blithe Spirit at Ramsey Lodge in the Lake District. With her son six months old, Nora must juggle parenting with helping her illustrator and friend Simon Ramsey run the lodge. She's also hoping to further her relationship with the only lodge guest not in the cast: Detective Inspector Declan Barnes, ostensibly there for a hiking trip. When a series of pranks and accidents escalate to murder during a flood that traps everyone, Nora realizes her child is in jeopardy and determines to help Declan unmask a killer.

©2014 M. K. Graff (P)2015 Marnette K. Graff

Enjoyable.

Book 3 sees Nora once again involved in a murder mystery. This time the bodies are found in the lodge that Simon and his sister run and Nora lives in. After Simon was accused of murder in the last book, the lodge is suffering and Simon has had to invite a travelling Theater group to come and perform. The group arrive in a flurry but when some pranks and accidents escalate to murder, Nora finds herself having to go undercover, as such, in order to catch a killer.

So Nora is again, deep in the middle of trouble, but this time she also has her son to look after and this time it's in her home. She has to use every available advantage to help her this time, including Detective Declan Barnes whom is at the lodge on a hiking holiday.

I loved seeing Nora and Declan back together and this time involved! Those two work really well together and I loved seeing their relationship evolve. Then we have Simon and while he still has feelings for Nora, it's become more of friendship than anything and I was delighted to see him happy. We also get a bit of Val in this one too. It was so good to see all of them together again.

The mystery is, again, well written and developed. There is a load more suspects because of the group and you don't know for sure who is the culprit.

I love the feelings of these books. It reminds me of the old detective tv series that my parents used to watch. It's a simple murder mystery and an enjoyable series. I really hope we see more of these characters in the future.

What can I say about the narrator that I haven't said already. She still seems to take a breath at the wrong times but I think I'm finally getting used to it!! I didn't find it as annoying as I did the first 2. She has a great tone for Nora and has plenty for the rest of the characters and I can always tell who's talking, it's just the breaks in the sentence that she needs to get right! Also, there was still some glaring mistakes during the book. She stumbled badly at some stage and I heard a dog barking!! Little things like that make or break a narrator!

Another fun mystery!

Any additional comments?

Another fun Nora Tierney mystery! I think I liked this one best of all because of the theatrical references-- and once again, Graff had me guessing almost until the very end! Well planted clues, lovable characters!

Like a movie

I read the book and loved it but listening to it on audio brought out nuances that I'd overlooked. The actor had a lovely voice that was both soothing and entertaining; as she read I could see the story unfolding in my head.
I love audiobooks. When I am busy, they allow me to experience books differently than reading and watching a movie, it is like a movie in my head!
Scarlet Wench is a wonderful story to read but for a new experience I encourage you to listen to the audiobook!

Great book 3

This third book of the Nora series kept true to the characters from the other two books before it. However this new adventure kept my eyes on the page until the final paragraph, just like the rest. This book had some tragedy, humor and a bit of romance.
Ramsay Lodge is where Nora lives and is portrayed quite vividly and it has become a place, I would like to visit some day. Good story, characters and voice presentation.