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Preview
  • Murder in the Barn

  • The Arnold Landon Series, Book 1
  • By: Roy Lewis
  • Narrated by: Steven Crossley
  • Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (95 ratings)

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Murder in the Barn

By: Roy Lewis
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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Summary

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
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What listeners say about Murder in the Barn

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

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

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1 person found this helpful

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

Roy Lewis never disappoints

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

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    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.

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

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    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.

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3 people found this helpful

  • 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.

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  • 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.

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

The atmosphere created by the author of the surrounding countryside and the aura of the old barn.

I enjoyed the story and the northern accents which the reader used to create the characters - to great effect.
I also enjoyed being taken back to the early nineteen eighties when things were, in many ways, so very different but human nature was the same.

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

Perfect narration

Steven Crossley is one of the best narrators and he does a wonderful job here. I thought the book interesting and agree with the review that describes the main character as boring but, that’s part of his appeal. Arnold Landon is a character you can identify with and even if you don’t warm to him you can’t dislike him either.
I will be getting the next book in the series.

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3 people found this helpful