The Pigeon Pie Mystery

Princess Alexandrina, known as Mink, is the daughter of an Indian Maharaja but was born and raised in Victorian England. When her father dies suddenly amid scandal, she discovers she's penniless. But then Queen Victoria allows her to live in one of the residences at Hampton Court Palace. Mink and her Indian maid, Pooki, start to settle in and make friends. But when the obnoxious General-Major Bagshot dies of arsenic poisoning after eating one of Pooki's pigeon pies at a picnic, Pooki is suspected of murder and Mink must find the true criminal before her loyal maid is hanged. Hannah Curtis narrates with a proper English accent and in a tone befitting the subject matter. She also creates unique voices for the many characters. Among the highlights are the voice of the blustery and lecherous Bagshot, the lower-class English accents of various tradesmen and servants, the voice of the outraged head housekeeper, and that of the visiting paleontologist from America. This is an engaging and downright fun listen for fans of the cozy. A Doubleday hardcover. (Aug.)