• A Lady in the Smoke

  • A Victorian Mystery
  • By: Karen Odden
  • Narrated by: Mary Sarah
  • Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (319 ratings)

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A Lady in the Smoke  By  cover art

A Lady in the Smoke

By: Karen Odden
Narrated by: Mary Sarah
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Publisher's summary

Following a humiliating fourth season in London, Lady Elizabeth Fraser is on her way back to her ancestral country estate when her train careens off the rails and bursts into flames. Though she is injured, she manages to drag herself and her unconscious mother out of the wreckage, and amid the chaos that ensues, a brilliant young railway surgeon saves her mother's life. Elizabeth feels an immediate connection with Paul Wilcox - though society would never deem a medical man eligible for the daughter of an earl.

After Paul reveals that the train wreck was no accident, and the inspector who tried to prevent it dies under mysterious circumstances, Elizabeth undertakes a dangerous investigation of her own that leads back to her family's buried secrets. Not only are her dowry and her reputation at stake; Paul's very life hangs in the balance when he is arrested for manslaughter. Now Elizabeth must risk everything for the man who has found a place in her heart. As the trial draws near, and Parliament prepares for a vote that will change the course of the nation, she uncovers a conspiracy that has been years in the making. But time is running out to see justice done.

©2016 Karen Odden (P)2017 Tantor

Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks for Mystery Lovers and Hopeless Romantics


Both romantic stories and mysteries can cause your heart to beat a bit faster—so naturally, the two make a perfect match! Filled with tension and suspense, the audiobooks on this list will keep you guessing about both the mystery itself and when the lead will end up finding the person of their dreams. Whether you prefer contemporary novels or a bit of historical fiction thrown into the mix, here are the very best mystery romance listens to get your pulse racing.

What listeners say about A Lady in the Smoke

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Annoying Narration

Loved the story, the setting, the amount of detail in the writing. Very good plot and pacing. It is a compelling story. I persevered despite the extremely distracting narration.
The narrator was VERY bad at accents, including the one for which she read the main character. She puts far too much force on consonants, clips things unnecessarily, and has too breathy of a delivery but she does convey emotion. I suspect she would be fine with her own dialect. The male voices were considerably better than her female ones.

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13 people found this helpful

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

R.e.a.d.e.r.

The narrator made me unable to read the book. It might have been a good book but I couldn’t handle the slow, weird, breathless, whining voice. Accents are just mediocre.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story

excellent story! loved this historical mystery although I found the narrator's breathless perfection so excruciating at times I could scarcely listen!

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11 people found this helpful

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

story ok, odd accent

Story is mildly entertaining, due to information about railroads, medical practices and Victorian social norms. Narration was distracting, due to bizarre and inconsistent accent.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Really bad British accents

Very hard to listen to. The poorly done accents constantly distracted from the story. Annoying.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining.

The train line plot was nicely done. Though the main character is smart she's pretty predictable. The doctor and journalist were much more interesting and seemed to rob the scene every time.
The narrator has a beautiful voice, her male and female characters were believable. However, the cadence and intonation she uses for the main character make her sound as she is about to weep all the time, which was kind of annoying.

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8 people found this helpful

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

A well crafted story

My only quibble with this book is the title, which seems to have little to do with either the plot or the characters. Please overlook this tiny flaw and proceed to enjoy an excellent mystery wrapped in a very natural romance. I throughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end, and I look forward to more from this author!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

FANTASTIC.... SIMPLY FANTASTIC!

Having read hundreds of books of many genres, this one has to be in at least the top ten! It is simply fantastic!! The story totally absorbing from the first words to the last ones. And the narration, one of the best I have ever heard. The interwoven and overlapping stories were totally believable as were all the characters. And Mary Sarah renders each voice, both male and female, so distinctly, and her ability to switch from one character to the next seems totally effortless. Just a superb read made all the better by listening to it.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Thrilling

Rarely does a book transport me so vividly to the time and place of the story. However, The fine narration along with the well woven Story captivated me so, I often felt part of the story!
I hope this will become a series!

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2 people found this helpful

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

Her voices are divine!

great story, in very attached to these characters! the reading is done so well, I loved it

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1 person found this helpful