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Death of a Scholar

The Twentieth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew

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Death of a Scholar

By: Susanna Gregory
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

In the summer of 1358 the physician Matthew Bartholomew returns to Cambridge to learn that his beloved sister is in mourning after the unexpected death of her husband, Oswald Stanmore. Aware that his son has no interest in the cloth trade that made his fortune and reputation, Oswald has left the business to his widow, but a spate of burglaries in the town distracts Matthew from supporting Edith in her grief and attempting to keep the peace between her and her wayward son.

As well as the theft of irreplaceable items from Michaelhouse, which threatens its very survival, a new foundation, Winwick Hall, is causing consternation amongst Matthew's colleagues. The founder is an impatient man determined that his name will grace the University's most prestigious college. He has used his wealth to rush the construction of the hall, and his appointed Fellows have infiltrated the charitable Guild founded by Stanmore, in order to gain the support of Cambridge's most influential citizens on Winwick's behalf.

A perfect storm between the older establishments and the brash newcomers is brewing when the murder of a leading member of the Guild is soon followed by the death of one of Winwick's senior Fellows. Assisting Brother Michael in investigating these fatalities leads Matthew into a web of suspicion, where conspiracy theories are rife but facts are scarce and where the pressure from the problems of his college and his family sets him on a path that could endanger his own future....

©2014 Susanna Gregory (P)2014 Soundings
Crime Fiction Historical Suspense Fiction Mystery
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What listeners say about Death of a Scholar

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Medieval Murders!

A jolly entertaining tale, although Bartholomew the Medic, never fails to be a dreadful judge of character!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What happened to Cynric?

I love these stories and this was no exception. They are well written and generally well read but Cynric is a self confident and true Welshman. He would never have developed an educated English voice. It would be a matter of pride to him to keep his accent alive.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Lots of conviving

So many players all full of greed and deception as driving forces.
A difficult case for Michael to resolve, both with ingenuity and friends they finally accomplish their mission.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Continuing Audio Problems with this Series

I love David Thorpe's narration of these books and I love the way Susanna Gregory injects humor into them, they do literally a make me guffaw out loud but SO many of these books have audio problems - I have literally returned about six of them for this reason.

Either the audio skips mid sentence, or there are repeats, or the audio is very quiet and then suddenly very loud or muffled, it is a nonsense, and I have no idea why this isn't resolved as they are such popular books. They should sack the editor or production editor, whoever is responsible for checking them before the release them, it is so disappointing.

I struggle on because I love the books and also because Audible allows me to return the ones which you cannot listen to, but it really is a joke.

I also don't like the fact that, half way through the series, David Thorpe change all the characters voices. Cymric, the Welsh book bearer, who is Welsh in most of them, suddenly becomes English, Brother Michael (whose 'normal' voice I adore), becomes deep and throaty in some volumes which sounds odd when you're used to his more fey voice. I have discovered that the ones released in 2017 all seem to have the normal voices, and the earlier ones (not based on book publication but based on the audio release, the 2014 ones, tend to have different voices and accents, and this is not necessarily chronological in the series, so now I check in advance to see which year the audio was released as I got seriously muddled when he changed all the voices (Mind you, I AM easy to confuse).

But PLEASE sort out the audio problems and PLEASE also publish the rest of these books.

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8 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I was warned!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I suppose it is inevitable, but I find these stories getting a bit same old..

Would you recommend Death of a Scholar to your friends? Why or why not?

Not particularly.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I read the other reviews about the narrator but got the book anyway. Big mistake. I could not bear some of the voices, they were so irritating. This narrator is not a patch on the narrator of the previous books whose voice was very soothing but you knew which character was speaking. This narrator's voice is extremely jarring. I would not listen to another book read by him.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

I probably would.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

bartholomew

Enjoyed this story. Only problem is the main character is a bit of an old woman.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Red herring

Lots of red herrings and so many different plots going on as well as the usual intricate ins and outs of our usual characters life’s

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story but terrible delivery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No,unfortunately you have chosen the wrong person to read the book which is a great shame as I love Susanna Gregory's books and the story is good.

What other book might you compare Death of a Scholar to, and why?

Susanna Gregory writes with the historical accuracy of CJ Sansom and Michael Jecks but there is more humour in her books.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Thorpe’s performances?

Categorically NO

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

They aren't really those sort of books.

Any additional comments?

Please find another reader - the person who read the Piccadilly Plot and Death in St. James Park is so much better.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Strange

So all of a sudden Brother Michael has gone gruff Father William sounds like a dim wit youth, Klipersby seems to be a youth as well but worse of all Cynrics turned English!! 🤔 Brother Michael does start to sound more like himself as the book goes on but Cynric stays English. hopefully all will be normal in the next installment.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

didnt enjoy this one.

Thought plot line dull and really disappointing with narrator. I normally love him but he for some inexplicable reason changed the familiar voices of main characters which were horrid and in the case of Cinrick he went from welsh to cockney???? which was ridiculous

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