Audiobooks by Stephanie Laurens

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens is back with a complex case in which her favorite sleuths must wade through the attendees of a ton house party to discover which one was moved to murder their host. When the genial and highly regarded Sir Montague Underhill is found murdered in his own orchard, Inspector Stokes is dispatched, together with Barnaby and Penelope Adair, to Patchcote Grange to uncover the culprit. But a fashionable house party provides a large cast of potential suspects, and when the investigators learn what business Sir Montague had been dabbling in, the challenge before them grows even larger. Richard Percival has bowed to familial pressure and agreed to attend a tonnish house party at Patchcote Grange, where the gathering’s unabashed aim is to introduce eligible gentlemen to suitable young ladies. Two of Richard’s elderly aunts have assured him that Miss Rosalind Hemmings will make him the perfect wife, and after meeting Miss Hemmings over dinner on the first evening of the party, Richard is sufficiently intrigued to be willing to learn—indeed, he’s even looking forward to learning—more of the unusually direct young lady. But on coming downstairs the following morning, he hears an anguished scream for help. On racing outside to the orchard from whence the scream came, he finds his possibly-intended standing over the very dead body of their universally well-regarded host, Sir Montague Underhill. This is clearly a matter for Scotland Yard, and Richard wastes no time in summoning Barnaby and Penelope Adair and Inspector Stokes to the company’s aid. For, indeed, very soon, it becomes blatantly clear that the murderer is one of those presently residing in the house. On arriving at the Grange, Penelope, Barnaby, and Stokes are confronted with a dauntingly large cast of potential suspects. Wedding through the throng takes time, but on uncovering Sir Montague’s private means of earning a little extra cash, it becomes ever more likely that his murderer is, indeed, one of the guests at the house. All too soon, the questions facing the investigators become whether Sir Montague learned a secret someone was desperate to conceal, and if so, what secret was powerful enough to compel an otherwise reasonable man to murder?"

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Liam Gerrard (Narrator)

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The Murder of Thomas Cardwell

"Number one New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a perplexing case in which her favorite sleuths must untangle a web of interconnected motives to identify the man who killed Thomas Cardwell. When Thomas Cardwell, an upstanding man-of-business, is murdered, Roscoe enlists the aid of the best investigators in London—namely Barnaby and Penelope Adair and Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard—to solve the puzzle of why anyone would want to kill a man as honest as Cardwell. Dispatched by Roscoe, London’s gambling king, to learn what “nefarious activity” an upstanding man-of-business has stumbled upon, Jordan Draper—Roscoe’s own man-of-business—arrives at Thomas Cardwell’s office to discover Cardwell very recently murdered. Soon, Jordan finds himself working alongside the Adairs and Inspector Stokes as they search for clues as to why anyone would kill a man as unthreatening as Cardwell. Unexpectedly, Jordan finds himself drawn to Cardwell’s family, especially Thomas’s sister, Ruth, and as the investigation progresses, the greater Jordan’s compulsion to find the murderer and bring the family resolution and respite grows. Clue by clue, motive by surprising motive, the investigators seek to identify Cardwell’s murderer and, along the way, uncover the “nefarious activity” he’d sought to bring to the authorities’ attention. But in a case cluttered with intertwined motives and a web of potential suspects related to each other as well as the victim, finding the kernel of truth amid the chaff is no easy matter. Only through enlisting the help of the investigators’ wider circle of supporters do they make any headway, and on the heels of uncovering a cascade of crimes, they finally—finally—close in on the man who murdered Thomas Cardwell."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Liam Gerrard (Narrator)

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Marriage and Murder

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a puzzling case in which her favorite sleuths must untangle a slew of secrets to expose a coldblooded murderer. When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon. Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs’ doorstep and begs their aid—and that of Stokes—in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry’s home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case. While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim’s sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola’s “secret admirer, H” has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H? As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?"

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Liam Gerrard (Narrator)

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Dead Beside the Thames

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a confounding case that sees her favorite sleuths acting to save a friend wrongly accused of murder. When a detested viscount is found murdered by the banks of the Thames and Charlie Hastings becomes the prime suspect, Barnaby and Penelope Adair join forces with Stokes to discover the real story behind the unexpected killing. Charlie Hastings is astonished to find himself accused of murdering Viscount Sedbury. Admittedly, Charlie had two heated altercations with Sedbury in the hours preceding the man’s death, but as Charlie is quick to point out to Stokes—and to Barnaby and Penelope—there are a multitude of others in the ton who will be delighted to learn of Sedbury’s demise. As Penelope, Barnaby, and Stokes start assembling a suspect list, Charlie’s prediction proves only too accurate. Yet the most puzzling aspect is who on earth managed to kill Sedbury. The man was a hulking brute, large, very strong, and known as a vicious brawler. Who managed to subdue him enough to strangle him? As the number of suspects steadily increases, the investigators are forced to ask if, perhaps, one of their suspects hired a killer capable of taking Sedbury down. With that possibility thrown into the calculations, narrowing their suspect list becomes a futile exercise. Their pursuit of the truth leads them to investigate the many shady avenues of Sedbury’s life, much to the consternation of Sedbury’s father, the Marquess of Rattenby. Rattenby does not want Sedbury’s distasteful proclivities exposed for all the world to see, further harming the other family members who Sedbury has taken great delight in tormenting for most of his life. In the end, the resolution of the crime lies in old-fashioned policing coupled with the fresh twists Barnaby and Penelope bring to Scotland Yard’s efforts. And when the truth is finally revealed, it raises questions that strike to the very heart of justice and what, with such a victim and such a murderer, true justice actually means."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Napoleon Ryan (Narrator)

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The Meriwell Legacy

"New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with her favorite sleuths to unravel a tangled web of family secrets and expose a murderer, in this historical novel interweaving mystery and murder with a touch of romance. When Lord Meriwell collapses and dies at his dining table, Barnaby and Penelope Adair are summoned, along with Inspector Basil Stokes, to discover who, how, and most importantly why someone very close to his lordship saw fit to poison him. When Lord Meriwell dies at his dining table, Nurse Veronica Haskell suspects foul play and notifies his lordship’s doctor, eminent Harley Street specialist Dr. David Sanderson. In turn, compelled by a need to protect Veronica who is at Meriwell Hall as David’s behest, David calls on his friends Barnaby and Penelope Adair for assistance. However, as the fateful dinner was the first of a house party being attended by the local member of parliament (MP) and his family, the metropolitan police commissioners also consider the Adairs’ presence desirable, and consequently, Barnaby and Penelope accompany Stokes to Meriwell Hall. There they discover a gathering of the Meriwell family intended to impress the visiting Busseltons so that George Busselton, local MP, will agree to a marriage between his daughter and Lord Meriwell’s eldest nephew, Stephen. But instead of any pleasant sojourn, the company find themselves confined to the hall and grounds while Stokes, Barnaby, and Penelope set about interviewing everyone and establishing facts, alibis, and the movements of those in the house. To our investigators’ frustration, while determining the means proves straightforward, and opportunity reduces their suspect list, motive remains elusive, and their list of suspects stays stubbornly long. Then the killer strikes again. But even then, the investigators are left with the same suspects and too many potential reasons for the second death. What did the killer hope to gain? More importantly, will he kill again? At last, the investigators stumble on a promising clue, yet following it requires sending to London for information, and their frustration builds. As the clock ticks and they doggedly forge on, they uncover more and more facts, yet none allows them to identify which of their prime suspects is the murderer. Will they get the breakthrough they need, one sufficient to exonerate the innocent? When the answer arrives, they discover that the Meriwell family legacies are more far-reaching than anyone realized and that the crimes involved and the motivation for the murders is far more heinous than anyone imagined."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Napoleon Ryan (Narrator)

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A Family of His Own

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the quintessential question of what family means to a Cynster in this tale of the last unmarried member of the Cynster Next Generation and the final mission that opens his eyes. Toby Cynster is not amused when informed that his new mission is to be his last in the shadowy service of Drake, Marquess of Winchelsea. Courtesy of Toby being the last unmarried Cynster of his generation and the consequent marital obsession of his female relatives, he will be given no more excuses to avoid society and, instead, expected to devote himself to finding a suitable bride. But Toby sees no point in marrying—thanks to his siblings, he has plenty of nephews and nieces with whom to play favorite uncle, and he has no thoughts of establishing a family of his own. But then the mission takes an unexpected turn, leaving Toby to escort the irritatingly fascinating Diana Locke plus the three young children of a dying Englishman from Vienna to England. Diana is no more enthused about their journey than Toby but needs must, and forever practical, she bows to events and makes the best of things for her godchildren’s sakes. She is determined to see them to safety in England and does her best to ignore her nonsensical and annoying awareness of Toby. But then their journey becomes a flight from deadly pursuit, and their most effective disguise is to pass themselves off as a family—the sort of family Toby had been certain he would never want. Through a succession of fraught adventures, Toby, Diana, and the children lean on each other and grow and mature while furthering their ultimate aim of reaching England safely, and along the way, Toby and Diana both learn what having a family actually means to them, individually and together, and each discovers the until-then-missing foundation stone of their future lives."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens explores what happens when fate tosses two people who had no intention of marrying each other into the hothouse of a noble betrothal under the avid eyes of the ton. A gentleman seeking a suitable wife is forced by fate and unhelpful circumstance to become engaged to a lady who had no idea that in selflessly assisting him she was auditioning for that part. In the leadup to her tenth Season, Meg Cynster—known to the ton’s eligible bachelors as Miss Prim—takes to the country to ponder the question: If not marriage, then what? She has yet to find an answer when she comes upon a supremely elegant curricle, drawn by a pair of high-spirited horses presided over by an unconscious gentleman. Others present know where he’s staying, but can’t manage the horses. With no real choice, Meg accepts the responsibility and drives the gentleman home. Unfortunately, he’s too inebriated to just leave, so she rouses him enough to help him inside. But then others arrive, and Meg learns the gentleman is none other than Drago Helmsford, the notorious Duke of Wylde—and in order to protect her reputation, she and Drago are forced to declare that they are engaged. Although a shocking surprise for everyone, by all measures, the match is highly desirable. Meg and Drago have no option but to allow the engagement to stand until the end of the Season, when they can quietly call it off. Consequently, they have to keep the fact that their engagement is a sham an absolute secret from everyone, including all members of their families. Through the ensuing whirl of the Season, with all eyes focused avidly on them, they duly pretend to be an affianced couple—roles that, to their surprise, come to them remarkably easily. With every member of their families and all the powerful in society being unrelentingly encouraging, both Meg and Drago, with eyes wide open, start to consider the possibility that marrying the other might just be the answer they’d each been seeking when they’d first met. Then accidents start happening and quickly escalate to attacks, and it becomes clear that someone is intent on preventing Meg from marrying Drago. Why is unclear, but with the threat hanging over them, the Cynsters and Helmsfords rally around to ensure Meg makes it to the altar. But even after the wedding, when Drago and Meg retreat to his estate, the attacks continue until, with their hearts and future on the line, Drago and Meg risk all in a gamble to expose the faceless villain and bring the ever-present danger to an end."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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Miss Flibbertigibbet and the Barbarian

"A story of two people thrown together on a journey of discovery that defines what each most want of life, love, and family: a gentleman wishing to buy a fabulous horse and a lady set on protecting her family find common ground while pursuing a thief who upends both of their plans. Nicholas Cynster rides up to Aisby Grange determined to secure the stallion known as the Barbarian for his family’s thoroughbred breeding stable, only to be turned away by the owner’s daughter. Nicholas retreats but is not about to be denied by any lady, no matter how startlingly beautiful and distracting. Lady Adriana Sommerville knows Nicholas will be back and resigns herself to having to manage his interaction with her aging father. She successfully negotiates that potential quagmire only, at the very last moment, to discover that the horse is missing. Stunned, Addie insists on setting out in pursuit and is not so silly as to refuse Nicholas’s support. But as they follow on the heels of the Barbarian, their adventures and encounters open their eyes to the prospect of a more enduring partnership. Yet before they can follow that trail farther and before they can lay hands on the horse, through shock after shock, their pursuit uncovers a complicated plot that strips away masks and rescripts everything Addie and her siblings thought they knew about the Sommerville family."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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The Time for Love

"New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens explores what happens when a gentleman intent on acquiring a business meets the unconventional lady owner, only to discover that she is not the biggest or the most lethal hurdle they and the business face. Martin Cynster arrives at Carmichael Steelworks set on acquiring the business as the jewel in his industrialist’s crown, only to discover that the lady owner is not at all what he expected. Miss Sophia Carmichael learned about steelmaking at her father’s knee and, having inherited the major shareholding, sees no reason not to continue exactly as she is—running the steelworks and steadily becoming an expert in steel alloys. When Martin Cynster tracks her down, she has no option but to listen to his offer—until impending disaster on the steelworks floor interrupts. Consequently, she tries to dismiss Martin, but he is persistent, and as he has now saved her life, gratitude compels her to hear him out. And day by day, as his understanding of her and the works grows, what he offers grows increasingly tempting, until a merger, both business-wise and personal, is very much on their cards. But a series of ever-escalating incidents makes it clear someone else has an eye on the steelworks. The quest to learn who and why leads Martin and Sophia into ever greater danger as, layer by layer, they uncover a diabolical scheme that, ultimately, will drain the lifeblood not just from the steelworks but from the city of Sheffield as well."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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Foes, Friends, and Lovers

"A gentleman searching for a purpose in life sets out to claim his legacy, only to discover that instead of the country residence he’d expected, he’s inherited an eccentric community whose enterprises are overseen by a decidedly determined young lady who is disinclined to hand over the reins. Gregory Cynster arrives at the property willed to him by his great-aunt with the intention of converting Bellamy Hall into a quiet, comfortable, gentleman’s country residence, only to discover the Hall overrun by an eclectic collection of residents engaged in a host of business endeavors under the stewardship of a lady far too young to be managing such reins. With the other residents of the estate, Caitlin Fergusson has been planning just how to deal with the new owner, but coming face to face with Gregory Cynster throws her and everyone else off their stride. They’d anticipated a bored and disinterested gentleman who, once they’d revealed the income generated by the Hall’s community, would be content to leave them undisturbed. Instead, while Gregory appears the epitome of the London rake they’d expected him to be, they quickly learn he’s determined to embrace Bellamy Hall and all its works and claim ownership of the estate. While the other residents adjust their thinking, the burden of dealing daily with Gregory falls primarily on Caitlin’s slender shoulders. Yet as he doggedly carves out a place for himself, Caitlin’s position as chatelaine-cum-steward seems set to grow redundant. But Caitlin has her own reasons for clinging to the refuge her position at Bellamy Hall represents. What follows is a dance of revelations, both of others and also of themselves, for Gregory, Caitlin, and the residents of Bellamy Hall. Yet even as they work out what their collective future might hold, a shadowy villain threatens to steal away everything they’ve created."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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The Meaning of Love

"What happens when a love left behind doesn’t die? Melissa North had assumed that after eight years of not setting eyes on each other, her youthful attraction to—or an infatuation with—Julian Delamere, once Viscount Dagenham and now Earl of Carsely, would have faded to nothing and gasped its last. Unfortunately, during the intervening years, she has failed to find any suitable suitor who measures up to her mark, and she is resigned to ending her days an old maid. Then she sees Julian across a crowded ballroom, and he sees her, and the intensity of their connection shocks her. She seizes the first chance that offers to flee, only to discover that she has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Within twenty-four hours, she and Julian are the newly engaged toast of the ton. Julian has never forgotten Melissa. Now, having inherited the earldom, he must marry and is determined to choose his own bride. He had assumed that, by now, Melissa would be married to someone else, but apparently not. Consequently, he is not averse to the path Fate seems to be steering them down. And, indeed, as they discover, enforced separation has made their hearts grow fonder, and the attraction between them flares even more intensely. However, it’s soon apparent that someone is intent on ensuring their married life is cut short in deadly fashion. Through a whirlwind courtship, a massive ton wedding, and finally, blissful country peace, they fend off increasingly dangerous, potentially lethal threats, until, together, they unravel the conspiracy that has dogged their heels and expose the villain behind it all."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Secrets of Lord Grayson Child

"New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the world of the Cynsters’ next generation with the tale of an unconventional nobleman and an equally unconventional noblewoman learning to love and trust again. A jilted noblewoman forced into a dual existence half in and half out of the ton is unexpectedly confronted by the nobleman who left her behind ten years ago, but before either can catch their breaths, they trip over a murder and into a race to capture a killer. Lord Grayson Child is horrified to discover that the London Crier, a popular gossip rag, is proposing to expose his extraordinary wealth to the ton’s matchmakers, not to mention London’s shysters and Captain Sharps. He hies to London and corners the Crier’s proprietor—only to discover the paper’s owner is the last person he would have expected to see. Izzy—Lady Isadora Descartes—is flabbergasted when Gray appears in her printing works’ office. He is the very last person she wants to meet while in her role as owner of the London Crier, but there he is, as large as life, and she has to deal with him without giving herself away! She manages—just—and seizes on the late hour to put him off so she can work out what to do. But before leaving the printing works, she and he stumble across a murder, and all hell breaks loose. Izzy can only be grateful for Gray’s support as, to free them both of suspicion, they embark on a joint campaign to find the killer. Yet working side by side opens their eyes to who they each are now—both quite different from the youthful would-be lovers of ten years before. Mutual respect, affection, and appreciation grow, and amid the chaos of hunting a ruthless killer, they find themselves facing the question of whether what they had deemed to be wrecked ten years before can be resurrected. Then the killer’s motive proves to be a treasonous plot, and with others, Gray and Izzy race to prevent a catastrophe, a task that ultimately falls to them alone in a situation in which the only way out is through selfless togetherness. Only by relying on each other will they survive."

Stephanie Laurens (Author), Matthew Brenher (Narrator)

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