Murder in the Gunroom
Gelesen von Anthony Wilson
H. Beam Piper
(4,373 Sterne; 416 Bewertungen)
The Lane Fleming collection of early pistols and revolvers was one of the best in the country. When Fleming was found dead on the floor of his locked gun room, a Confederate-made Colt-type percussion .36 revolver in his hand, the coroner's verdict was "death by accident." But Gladys Fleming had her doubts. Enough at any rate to engage Colonel Jefferson Davis Rand—better known just as Jeff—private detective and a pistol-collector himself, to catalogue, appraise, and negotiate the sale of her late husband's collection.
There were a number of people who had wanted the collection. The question was: had anyone wanted it badly enough to kill Fleming? And if so, how had he done it? Here is a mystery, told against the fascinating background of old guns and gun-collecting, which is rapid-fire without being hysterical, exciting without losing its contact with reason, and which introduces a personable and intelligent new private detective. It is a story that will keep your nerves on a hair trigger even if you don't know the difference between a cased pair of Paterson .34's and a Texas .40 with a ramming-lever.
(Summary from the text) (6 hr 52 min)
Chapters
Bewertungen
Very good book
mikezane
(5 Sterne)
This story really kept me guessing, I didn't see the clues until the very end. A detective turned gun collector is hired for an exorbitant amount to sell some old guns. Being the smart fellow he is, he realizes that the woman who hired him means for him to investigate a murder at the same time. There are quite a few people with motives, but whodunit? You'll have to listen and find out. :-)
Quite a Good Mystery
Tamara
(5 Sterne)
excellent characters excellent story and read very well. A good pace to action and character development. will look for more by this author!
An interesting murder mystery
David
(3,5 Sterne)
This story had twist and turns. I enjoyed the murder mystery filled with fun characters. The story is well read for sure.
Ed
(5 Sterne)
Very nice, good reader — thank you! I’ve read lots of Piper’s SF and always enjoyed it. He also spins a good contemporary tale.
A great period detective tale
Akku
(4,5 Sterne)
I loved this one. Obviously the author is known as a great science fiction writer so this was somewhat different. Pipers political views get an airing and there’s a wonderful section or two where one character is a science fiction author! Piper also name checks one of the magazines he wrote for. It tickled me that he did so. It’s delightfully “of its period” and I felt really engaged with the story and characters. The reader is a good one too. Not familiar with other stories he’s read but I’ll keep an eye out (ear out?) for him again. Very enjoyable
Excellent Reader
Bibliophile
(4 Sterne)
Such a fantastic reading. The story itself didn't always hold my attention, but that may not be the book's fault, and I enjoyed the touches of humour here and there. While not as enthusiastic as some reviews, I nevertheless recommend this book if you're generally a fan of or like the American detective story. It is very much in the American tradition, relative to its period anyway, so it may not be to your liking if you favour the traditional British style of murder mystery or indeed the more AKG American style.
No just for gun collectors
ListeninginChicago
(4 Sterne)
Piper certainly knows the history of guns around the world, but he's struck a nice balance in this mystery. There's a fair amount of various collectors gushing over their collections, but not so much that it slows down the plot. I also was guessing until the end. Anthonysvoice does a good job reading this solo project for Librivox. The only voicing is to indicate feminine speakers - otherwise, it's a straight reading.
Something different from Piper
Paul Busman
(4 Sterne)
I've known Piper as the author of a lot of Golden Age Sci Fi, and this detective story is a real departure. It's a nice twisty tale with TONS of details about antique guns. I first thought I'd find that boring, but it was actually pretty interesting. I'd guess Piper was a serious gun collector. Give this a try.