Murder in the Barn cover art

Murder in the Barn

The Arnold Landon Series, Book 1

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Murder in the Barn

By: Roy Lewis
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £19.99

Buy Now for £19.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Meet Arnold Landon, mild-mannered history buff turned amateur sleuth. Murder in the Barn marks the beginning of an addictive new series, featuring an unlikely hero whose passions run deep.

IT STARTS WITH A SIMPLE PLANNING REQUEST …

Rampton Farm, Northumberland, has always been a gloomy, godforsaken place. Now it’s earmarked for demolition—to make way for just another tawdry amusement park. It will be progress, and nothing can stand in the way—except perhaps Arnold Landon, the Planning Officer who must glean the lie of the land.

Medieval architecture is Arnold’s passion. And scouting the grounds, he makes a thrilling discovery: the Old Wheat Barn. He is captivated the moment he crosses the threshold; its walls echo with whispers of the past. Then and there, he realizes he must save it from the developers. But his efforts meet with hostile resistance. And then the barn offers up its most shocking secret yet …

A dead body, sprawled in the straw.

What other crimes lay hidden in the dark history of the barn? Arnold won’t rest until he uncovers the truth.

Originally published as A Gathering of Ghosts, fans of Elly Griffiths, Peter James, P. D. James, Damien Boyd, Helen H. Durrant, JD Kirk, Bill Kitson, and Peter Robinson will devour this intriguing mystery.

©1982, 2012, 2021 Roy Lewis (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing
Amateur Sleuths International Mystery & Crime Traditional Detectives Exciting
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Sedleigh Hall Murder cover art
Broadland cover art
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller cover art
The Landscape of Death cover art
The Crossing cover art
The House in the Woods cover art
An English Garden Murder cover art
Diary of a War Crime cover art
Detective Sebastian Clifford, Books 1-3 cover art
The Bookshop Murder cover art
Silent as the Grave cover art
The Snowdonia Killings cover art
The Huntsmen cover art
A Body on the Beach cover art
The Body on Scafell Pike cover art
A Spoonful of Murder cover art

What listeners say about Murder in the Barn

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    30
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    40
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A relatively pleasant way to pass the time.

An interesting story well read. With enjoyable descriptions of past history and landscapes. A pleasant way to pass the time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Roy Lewis never disappoints

Another totally different character & settings for a mystery & murder. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Downbeat

It’s very hard to make a hero who is dull and considered boring by all his colleagues to be anything but for the reader. Unfortunately the author didn’t succeed for me. The planner come detective is a tedious little man.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

"My land, my application."

A planning application to allow one man's farmland to be converted for use by sale to a dubious leisure pursuits company sees the investigator for the Planning office take a personal interest when he discovers an old barn on the land to be older by some 300 years than previously established by historical records.Tempers rise as planning permission is disputed, to the senior Planning Officer's distress.

A marvellous introduction to the main character, Arnold Landon, and unusually set in 1980s rural Northumberland, England, before the advent of mobile phones. With very visual description and a slow paced, rather gentle mystery, this is not an action filled story but one to savour and enjoy. The excellent narration by Steven Crossley further enhances the enjoyment, each protagonist given the own individual voice.

Simply delicious, I'll be looking out for any further books in the Arnold Landon series in the future. This Audio book is currently free for download through the Audible Plus programme

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Original and equally thoroughly enjoyable

Such an original story, the narrator matches the flow of the story and all characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Slow and plodding giving an easy listen

I enjoyed learning about history, which is a part if the story.

A tale of families now and some forgotten, but still live on in minds.

Brilliantly read with excellent voice characters.

For me I loved listening as I knitted.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

totally lovely

Steven Crossley delivers a first class performance reading a delightful "crime thriller". Beautifully slow, delightfully enjoyable a wonderful story that totally grows on a listener. Take the time to slow down and enjoy this story and you won't regret a second.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

so so

I liked the imagery and historic detail, but the main protagonist was rather plodding. He was not quite savvy enough to be engaging, nor did he have humour or confidence. But, I finished the book and I'd put it in the category of non compelling bed time reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Planning permissions made fascinating.

Roy Lewis's "Murder in the Barn" is a perfect blend of mystery, investigation, appreciation for history, and dry, witty humour. Arnold Landon is an unusual but excellent protagonist. Just like with the Eric Ward series, Lewis manages to make seemingly unbearably boring areas fascinating - in this series, it's planning permissions and land disputes. I understand some might find the book too slow, but I loved it and especially enjoyed the bits explaining historical building methods. I can't wait to read the rest of series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Great.

I really enjoyed this book. The lead character was great, with his love of wood and its history, along with the planning department, being the main components throughout the book. It is set in the 80's but that just lends a ambience and nostalgia. The narration was good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!