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    Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor novel
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    Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor novel
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    Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor novel

    Written by G.M. Malliet

    Narrated by Michael Page

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Max Tudor has adapted well to his post as vicar of St. Edwold's in the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. The quiet village seems the perfect home for Max, who has fled a harrowing past as an MI5 agent. But this new-found serenity is quickly shattered when the highly vocal and unpopular president of the Women's Institute turns up dead at the Harvest Fayre. The death looks like an accident, but Max's training as a former agent kicks in, and before long he suspects foul play. As the investigation unfolds, Max becomes more intricately involved. Memories he'd rather not revisit are stirred, evoking the demons from the past which led him to Nether Monkslip.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateSep 27, 2011
    ISBN9781611204414
    Author

    G.M. Malliet

    Agatha Award-winning G.M. Malliet is the acclaimed author of two traditional mystery series and a standalone novel set in England. The first entry in the DCI St. Just series, Death of a Cozy Writer, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and was nominated for Macavity and Anthony Awards. The Rev. Max Tudor series has been nominated for many awards as have several of her short stories appearing in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Strand. The Augusta Hawke mysteries, of which Invitation to a Killer is the second, are her first novels set in the U.S., where she and her husband now live. www.gmmalliet.com

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    Reviews for Wicked Autumn

    3.5/5

    57 ratings53 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      It is apparent from the beginning who will be the murder victim: the bossy, imperious head of the local Women's Institute. Nor is it a spoiler to give away the method of the murder, a peanut allergy, leaving the "who" and "how" to be discovered. The derogatory remarks were just as insulting to the victim after her death when one would expect a softening of ire. In fact, there were no truly pleasant characters and most were misogynistic to some extent. Helping the police is the village priest, Max Tudor, a former MI5 agent, who sounds like an enticing inclusion. Malliet tried to give him some character by reflecting on why he left MI5 to become a priest, but it was out of place in the story, did not help the character development, and frankly, was unconvincing. In fact, the entire dramatis personae were cut-out characters expected to people an English village murder, in this case sadly lacking.This was my first Malliet. Needless to say I won't be trying another.
    • 2/5
      This cozy mystery was too slow for my tastes, with much too much exposition. It was Chapter 10 before anything of consequence happened. Pages and pages of rambling descriptions. I did like the main character, an ex-MI5 agent turned Angelican priest, but I can't put up with the writing in this case. Unfortunately I won't be continuing the series.
    • 3/5
      Malliet's St. Just series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, a tongue-in-cheek homage to the classic drawing-room mysteries, so I was very excited to pick up the first in her new series, WICKED AUTUMN. The Max Tudor series is not off to an auspicious start. While St. Just grabbed me from the beginning and had me laughing in delight, WICKED AUTUMN was a hard slog. I had to make myself keep reading so I could get to the end and write my review. Max Tudor is a former MI5 agent, now a village priest in charming Nether Monkslip. The horrid Wanda Batton-Smythe, head of the Women's Institute, is murdered. Since we are told early and often of Ms. Batton-Smythe's life-threatening peanut allergy, I hardly consider it a spoiler to disclose the method of murder. Yes, Death by Peanut. I could see that coming from miles away. Will Max need to dive into the murder investigation? Will Max have at least one potential love interest with which to flirt? Is there an obligatory New Ager with whom he gets on well despite their fundamental philosophical differences? Is there a stuffy former military man who thinks he's the center of the universe? Yes, all these and more cliches abound. Where DEATH OF A COZY WRITER subverted the genre with gentle mocking, WICKED AUTUMN seems to be trudging along in its well-worn footsteps. The major problem is character development, of which there is precious little. You might think that a former MI5 agent who decides to become a priest would be complex and nuanced, but this is sadly not the case. Max seems to be acting the part of the amateur detective with a dark past, rather than embodying it. The same is true of his supporting cast. The New Ager has no dimension beyond her New Ageyness. Likewise, wealthy antiques dealer Noah is just that -- a caricature of a wealthy antiques dealer. I found not a character with enough personality for me to relate to. This, coupled with a predicable, plodding mystery, made for a book I was glad to see the last page of.Source disclosure: I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
    • 3/5
      I put off writing this review thinking that I might come to realize that I enjoyed the book more than I did, after all, Malliet is a very well regarded writer. This was the first of her books that I had read and I expected to really enjoy it. Without question, Malliet's use of words is excellent. It would certainly appeal to Agatha Christie fans (lots of suitable suspects and a generally unlikable victim) and I could see why she is often compared to Christie. I will most likely read another in the series to see how it develops.But. I did not find myself caring about Max, or the people in the village. I felt overwhelmed with all the character development of the individual members of the village and wondered if I would be required to learn this all over again in a second book. The main feeling I had was "get on with it". It seemed slow, even for a cozy. I also wondered if Max would have been able to solve the case if it had not been for the last-minute witness turning up. The conclusion was not worthy of the writing.
    • 4/5
      WICKED AUTUMN is a Max Tudor mystery novel written by G.M. Malliet and published in 2011. The title is Book #1 of a series of ‘Max Tudor’ mysteries.Max Tudor is a Parochial Vicar at the parish of St. Edwold’s in the village of Nether Monkslip. Max is a former MI5 agent, a village ‘heartthrob’ of sorts; an escapee to a peaceful, quiet village setting.When the head of the local WI (Women’s Institute), Wanda Batton-Smythe, is found dead in the Village Hall during the annual Harvest Fayre, Max’s talents as an investigator are put to the test.This title was recommended by Canadian author, Louise Penny. Both she and G.M. Malliet are published by Minotaur Books. The author has a wonderful website. I especially like the village map of Nether Monkslip.I am eagerly awaiting Book #2 of this series, A FATAL WINTER. ****
    • 4/5
      Wicked Autumn is the first in a projected series of the cozy village type. Our amateur detective is a former MI-5 agent who resigned in a crisis of conscience and become a C. of E. priest. He now serves as the vicar of several very small parishes.The mystery centers around the murder of the local Women's Institute leading light during the annual fete. The victim is quite thoroughly disliked and there are plenty of potential suspects.Malliet uses a humorous tone in the book and includes many sharp observations on the difficulties of small-town life. In the first 3 or 4 chapters there many very funny metaphors, but it's a case of a bit too much. This device should have been spread more equally through the novel.The solution to the mystery wasn't very satisfying; it seemed forced and off the main path of the plot. Other than that, this was an enjoyable book, and I'll pursue others in the series.
    • 2/5
      Way too much exposition at the end. Aside from that, an enjoyable cozy.
    • 3/5
      Malliet's St. Just series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, a tongue-in-cheek homage to the classic drawing-room mysteries, so I was very excited to pick up the first in her new series, WICKED AUTUMN. The Max Tudor series is not off to an auspicious start. While St. Just grabbed me from the beginning and had me laughing in delight, WICKED AUTUMN was a hard slog. I had to make myself keep reading so I could get to the end and write my review. Max Tudor is a former MI5 agent, now a village priest in charming Nether Monkslip. The horrid Wanda Batton-Smythe, head of the Women's Institute, is murdered. Since we are told early and often of Ms. Batton-Smythe's life-threatening peanut allergy, I hardly consider it a spoiler to disclose the method of murder. Yes, Death by Peanut. I could see that coming from miles away. Will Max need to dive into the murder investigation? Will Max have at least one potential love interest with which to flirt? Is there an obligatory New Ager with whom he gets on well despite their fundamental philosophical differences? Is there a stuffy former military man who thinks he's the center of the universe? Yes, all these and more cliches abound. Where DEATH OF A COZY WRITER subverted the genre with gentle mocking, WICKED AUTUMN seems to be trudging along in its well-worn footsteps. The major problem is character development, of which there is precious little. You might think that a former MI5 agent who decides to become a priest would be complex and nuanced, but this is sadly not the case. Max seems to be acting the part of the amateur detective with a dark past, rather than embodying it. The same is true of his supporting cast. The New Ager has no dimension beyond her New Ageyness. Likewise, wealthy antiques dealer Noah is just that -- a caricature of a wealthy antiques dealer. I found not a character with enough personality for me to relate to. This, coupled with a predicable, plodding mystery, made for a book I was glad to see the last page of.Source disclosure: I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
    • 3/5
      Malliet's novel quickly ends with all the problems solved and the local residents returning to customary habits. This novel reminded me of the Grantchester series on PBS, but the time period differs. Nether Monkslip is a bucolic community in England, with a retired MI5 agent tending to the religion of his flock. Amid the joyous celebration for the beginning of autumn, a local woman dies under suspicious circumstances. Max and Detective Chief Inspector Cotton struggle to find the killer before another person dies. The local people are friendly, but guarded, and Max and Cotton misread the clues. Malliet writes a cozy mystery which omits graphic scenes of death. Max presents his reason for the change in profession, and drops a little sermon to the reader.
    • 2/5
      A vicar, a murder, what could be cozier. But the vicar is a former MI5 agent, and his old skills are reawakening.
    • 4/5
      A cozy mystery with some depth. Max Tudor is now a vicar in a quaint village but he was once MI5. When the village's busybody is found dead and suicide appears unlikely, Max helps the police investigate by talking to his fellow villagers and observing. Other characters are not well developed, at least in this first installment, but their conversations sometimes rise above the usual gossip. Similar in tone to Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series.
    • 3/5
      Liked the setting and the characters but the mystery did not pull me in too much. I would read another in the series (this is the first) because Max has potential as a lead character.
    • 3/5
      A nice cozy mystery series starter, though not enough action for my tastes. Most of the book was dialogue/interviews, though they are delightful ones, with a few flashbacks to the vicar Max's past as an agent in MI5. If I continue with this series, I'll be listening to the audio versions.
    • 2/5
      I thought this cozy murder mystery dragged. I like the author's St Just series and was expecting something similar in terms of tone and pace, but I found the pace here rather uneven and the character somewhat two-dimensional.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this. The mystery is complex and interesting, but the clues are all actually there in the text, which is somewhat rare.I also really liked the characters. The setting is rather too perfect, but the description makes it clear that the author knows this. Nether Monkslip is an idyllic village on the west coast of England. The village priest, Max Tudor, ordinarily has nothing more serious to worry about than who is going to be running what at the village bazaar. (As a parish pastor myself, I don't underestimate that!) But before he was called to ministry, Max was an agent with MI5, and when one of his flock is murdered, Max is determined to find out who did it, before anyone else in his care is endangered.Like the setting, Max is a little too perfect. He is handsome, articulate, kind, intelligent, sincere in his vocation, etc., etc. Good writing saves him from being appallingly dull. He is funny, and while sharp, he makes mistakes and misses things. The other characters are excellent as well, drawn in some detail. The author has a fine sense of what petty annoyances and upsets can fester, and how people deal with stress, and it makes for a very well written mystery.I'll be following the series.
    • 5/5
      Being a priest in the Church of England was not Max’s first choice, but one he was called to when his career as an M15 agent is shattered by an incident that occurred while he was on duty. Now coming into his own as a servant of God and to the people in his village, he nevertheless feels compelled to assist the investigators when one of his flock is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Max’s backstory comes to light little by little, and we learn how his past turned him from a capable policeman to the compassionate vicar he is now. A well thought-out mystery, with likable characters in a delightful setting. Beautifully written and highly entertaining, especially in this audio version, expertly performed by Michael Page.
    • 4/5
      Max Tudor left his life with MI6 behind because he wanted to connect with his more spiritual side and he wanted to do some good in the world with a more lasting effect. He is very fortunate to have been able to return to his studies, become ordained, pass through his curate years and finally become a vicar in an idyllic English town the like of which is rapidly disappearing.

      This little Eden has it's small problems one of which is a ' managing woman' who micromanaged every thing she cam in contact with, from the Women's Institute, the church fetes, and peoples little problems if she gets wind of them. The snake in the grass of this Eden puts a period to Mrs. B-S's existence at the village hall and Max has the misfortune to find the body. This jolt of reality brings back his old instincts and he is a help to the police in their investigation.

      I liked Max Tudor, the town and the story.
    • 5/5
      This is a delightful English cozy, complete with small village, a vicar, and the usual suspects a la Christie. It is no wonder Malliet has won the Agatha Award. Nether Monkslip's WI is getting ready for the autumn Fayre, with Wanda, the bullying head of the WI annoying everyone in the village. The vicar and a villager find her body in the Village Hall on the day of the Fayre, apparently dead of peanut poisoning. Everyone in the village had been aware of her allergy. The vicar is pulled into the investigation by the local police, having been an MI5 agent prior to becoming a priest. The descriptive setting and Malliet's characters seem very real. Malliet presents all the clues. Will the reader figure it out before the solution revealed? On my to read list is her previous book, [Death of a Cozy Writer}.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this little Max Tudor murder cozy. The first of two, I am seeking out the other. I especially liked the lyrics in the preamble.I sing a song of the saints of God,Patient and brave and true,Who toiled and fought and lived and diedFor the Lord they loved and knew.And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,And one was a shepherdess on the green:They were all of them saints of God--and I mean,God helping, to be one too.They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,And His love made them strong;And they followed the right, for Jesus' sake,The whole of their good lives long.And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,And one was slain by a fierce wild beast:And there's not any reason, no, not the leastWhy I shouldn't be one too.They lived not only in ages past,There are hundreds of thousands still;The world is bright with the joyous saintsWho love to do Jesus' will.You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,In church, or trains, or in shops, or at tea;For the saints of God are just folk like me,And I mean to be one too.~lyrics by Lesbia Scott, 1929~
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this cozy English village mystery. The story is centered around Max Tudor, former MI5 agent, turned Anglican priest in the picturesque village of Nether Monkslip.Surrounding him is a cast of colorful characters. Any of which may be involved in the murder of Wanda Batton-Smythe, a very pushy and callous woman who was the head of the Woman's Institute.I like how the chapters were arranged. First we have The Women, The Vicar, The Village, etc. Mixed into this whodunit is the story of Max and what led to his extreme career change from agent to priest.Looks like this is the first book in a series known as the "Max Tudor" mysteries. It seemed very believable to me, I was surprised by the ending and like how the author very lightly hints of a possible flirtation between Max and one of the village women.The story is short, but fun! This mystery series is definitely worth reading. I am eagerly awaiting more in this series.
    • 5/5
      When Wanda Batton-Smythe is murdered, there’s almost no one in the English village of Nether Monkslip who is going to shed a tear. She’s the kind of characters readers might very well want to murder if one of the other fictional characters doesn’t. Ms. Batton-Smythe has terrorized the good people of Nether Monkslip for years by browbeating them to volunteer for or donate to one or another of her charitable endeavors -- and then loudly berating them for not meeting up to her exacting standards. In a word, she’s toxic. Her death comes from a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, a condition everyone in town knows about, and she was apparently without her usually handy epinephrine injector. Police are suspicious, to say the least. Enter our hero, Max Tudor, the vicar at St. Edwold’s, who’s asked to discretely assist the constabulary. Why would a vicar be taken into the confidence of the police inspector? He’s relatively new to the religious life, having had a career in MI5, Britain’s internal Security Service.This sets the stage for one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time. This is no surprise. I was equally impressed when I read the author’s first mystery, Death of a Cozy Writer, which won the prestigious Agatha Award. I went back and looked at my review (see below). I could make some minor edits to it and it would fit nicely with Wicked Autumn. Plus I think Max Tudor might be even a better character than Ms. Malliet’s Detective Chief Inspector St. Just, who was introduced in Death of a Cozy Writer, and appeared in two more of her mysteries. This new series could go on for a very long time and fans of the traditional English mystery may want to get on the bandwagon early and read this wonderful book. ************************************************************From my earlier review of Death of a Cozy Writer: “Although G.M. Malliet has written a book reminiscent of Dame Agatha Christie’s mysteries, Death of a Cozy Writer has a decidedly modern feel to it. The writing is clever, in the very best sense of that word, and a bit edgy, with a little coarse language that would redden the ears of Sir Adrian’s "Miss Rampling" character just a tad. Ms. Malliet has a keen eye for sensory details and the skill to describe them deliciously. Her similes are spectacular. And yet, her writing doesn’t draw undue attention to itself, flowing along smoothly and effortlessly, or so it appears. Death of a Cozy Writer is a book anyone who cut their teeth on Agatha Christie’s mysteries will treasure.”
    • 3/5
      Max Tudor is a former MI5 agent who is now the vicar of Nether Monkslip. The novel opens with a Fayre where one of the women turns up dead. Max joins with the local law enforcement to solve the crime. I had a hard time with the New Age elements in the first third of the book. Once the narrative progressed past that point, they were not so pronounced. The village has its share of quirky characters. It leans more to the cozy side than to the police procedural. The vicar's past experiences afford him a less meddlesome role than that of most amateur cozy sleuths, particularly as his opinions are sought. I did not really like the way the novel was wrapped up. I would have preferred for the revelations to have come out a bit differently. Still, this is a good series debut. This review is based on an ARC loaned to me by a friend.
    • 3/5
      It took more than 100 pages to decide I would finish the 297 page book. It was just tedious more than anything. Perhaps Malliet is desirous of beginning a new series and so wants to fully develop her characters? I only know that had someone not knocked off this woman, I would have. She became much more sympathetic after death than she was in life, certainly.I had never previously encountered this writer, and will not go out of my way to read her again.
    • 4/5
      This book should appeal to fans of Agatha Christie. It is a “cozy” mystery, the first in a new series, set in a small English village. The main character, Max Tudor, is an Anglican priest who was formerly an MI5 agent, a past which serves him well in assisting the police with a murder investigation. The victim, Wanda Batton-Smythe, head of the local Women’s Institute, has a knack for bullying and antagonizing everyone in the village, so the list of suspects is large when she is found dead. Max’s past as an MI5 agent, the event that caused him to turn to the priesthood, and his criminal investigation talents all make for an atypical village sleuth. The importance of the Women’s Institute, its function in village life, and the infighting it engenders are of interest to Americans, who have no counterpart. And there is a hint of potential romance in the future for unmarried Max: possibly the sexy doctor’s sister or the earthy owner of the New Age shop?The characterizations are especially rich in this book. The village has a large cast of characters, all very well developed. There is a list of all the characters, along with descriptions, at the beginning of the book. I feel that I will have no difficulty remembering the village inhabitants when the next book in the series comes along. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it.
    • 4/5
      I always enjoy cozy mysteries, especially those set in little villages in England. The main character, Max, is an ex-MI5 agent who has been reborn as a vicar. He serves in a small English village. His experience in the MI5 comes in handy when a murder occurs at a village fete. I enjoyed the characters hope to read more in this new series.
    • 3/5
      An unpopular local busybody is murdered at the harvest festival in an idyllic small town in England. The vicar, a former MI5 agent, feels compelled to investigate.Good enough to finish, not good enough to inspire any desire to read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      "Wicked Autumn" was a delight and hit just the right spot for a good read on a gray Fall day. It features a flawed protagonist with a traumatizing past, set in a typically fictional English village (the comically named Nether Monkslip), with a deserving victim and several odd ball suspects. It's atmospheric, wry, and clever: all the things you want in a good cozy mystery. Some others here have said that the interjection of vicar Max Tudor's past took them out of the story, but for me these elements gave it a flavorful twist. Grab a cup of tea and an afghan, along with your sense of humor and satire, keep your knowledge of Agatha Christie handy, and then add a modern aggressively spiced chocolate, and you're ready to enjoy G.M. Malliet's "Wicked Autumn"!
    • 4/5
      For the most part, I really enjoyed this mystery set in a small English town. Wanda, the bossy leader of a women's charitable organization is found dead during an event, and since she was so irritating, most of the towns people are possible suspects in her death. The mystery was decent, and I enjoyed reading about the different nutty small town characters; however I did not care for Max, the main character. Max is the town's vicar and in the past he worked for the British government's anti-terrorism agency. The snippets into Max's past life pulled me away from the current mystery and were just kind of distracting. I will give new books in the series a chance hoping that some of these details were just given as background info for the first book.
    • 4/5
      As in all english villages, there is the 'superior' equal of the women's organization. In this case Wanda is much hated, feared and even used as a threat to small children to behave. Nonetheless, the 'fayre must go one' '''Shambles'' that it is. With good character development, scene setting this is a fine start to a new series. As always people have secret lives, whether it be the village C of E priest (MI-5 retiree) or just the hidden courtships of small villages, this makes for tangles and webs.After the death of Wanda, as no one is grieving, the task of determining the means and motives falls to the priest in concert with the local constabulary. A rather contrived ending, seems like the author got to a point where he couldn't go forward -- probably went back and added a couple of 'off hand' clues to justify the ending.
    • 3/5
      The first book in the Max Tudor Mystery series. Max Tudor is the Anglican priest for the village of Nether Monkslip. He is also a former MI5 agent. Nether Monkslip is shaken - sorta - by the murder of Wanda Batton-Smythe, head of the Women's Institute. Wanda was murdered during the Harvest Fayre. Wanda was running the farye with all the diplomatic skills of a Latin American dictator and was known to have had run -ins with numerous inhabitants of the village. The entire village is suspect in her murder. The local police ask Max to help them out. I had figured out fairly early the identity of the person that wanted Wanda dead, but not how it was accomplished.This is the first cozy mystery I have ever read. Because it's the first book in a planned series a lot of time is spent introducing the village and many of it's inhabitants. In some sections of the book there was paragraph after paragraph of character introduction. It was a bit too much at times. I would be interested in reading the second book in the series to see how some of the characters -- Max, Awena and Lily--- develop.