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The Killings at Badger’s Drift
- Midsomer Murders Mystery, Book 1
- Narrated by: John Hopkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
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The Killings at Badger’s Drift
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Summary
The Killings at Badger's Drift is the first spectacular instalment in the Midsomer Murders series and the story that inspired the ITV hit drama, now featuring an exclusive foreword by John Nettles, who played best-loved TV detective and star of Midsomer Murders, DCI Tom Barnaby.
The village of Badger's Drift is the essence of tranquillity. But when resident and well-loved spinster Miss Simpson takes a stroll in the nearby woods, she stumbles across something she was never meant to see, and there's only one way to keep her quiet.
Miss Simpson's death is not suspicious, say the villagers. But Miss Lucy Bellringer refuses to rest: her friend has been murdered. She is sure of it.
She calls on Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby to investigate, and it isn't long until the previously unseen seamy side of Badger's Drift is brought to light. But as old rivalries, past loves and new scandals surface, the next murder is not far away.
Critic reviews
"Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie." (The Sunday Times)
"A mystery of which Agatha Christie would have been proud.... A beautifully written crime novel." (The Times)
"Tension builds, bitchery flares, resentment seethes...lots of atmosphere, colourful characters and fair clues." (Mail on Sunday)
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What listeners say about The Killings at Badger’s Drift
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barre
- 18-04-22
Fantastic- 5 star
I have waited so long for this book to come available on audible, and it didn't disappoint. Loved every minute of it 😊
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 30-04-22
A great listen!
thoroughly enjoyed this audio edition. the narration was great. I'm really hoping all Caroline Graham book make it to audio. next one in series out soon! don't keep us waiting audible!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Nicola
- 11-11-22
Interesting
I thought I would listen to this having seen the TV programme. Much more complex and deeper characters - but not really gripping.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Lee
- 08-11-22
Not as good
As I remember. Read this years ago and thought I would revisit since it was in the BOGOF sale and it was a mistake. Found it very ploddy, of its time and boring really. Should never go back to books I’ve read years ago as I always end up being disappointed.
Rose tinted glasses maybe as I do enjoy Midsommer Murders.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Joanna Sheldon
- 05-07-22
Dreadful writing, dreary delivery
I tried to slog my way through the first few chapters but the writing is so awful and the reading so mediocre (as well as being too slow), that I had to bail. Makes Agatha Christie's writing look good. And, although her characters are cut-outs. her language skills limited, and her plots formulaic, at least Christie weaves an intricate web that entices and snares!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Richard Maidment
- 31-05-22
Cosy Crime at its best.
Having never read anything written by Caroline Graham before but having watched lots of the televised series, I was pleasantly surprised to find this audible very enjoyable and easy to listen to. The Narrator was very good. I especially liked the descriptions of the location which conjured up a 'chocolate box' cottage surrounded by cottage gardens, reminiscent of Agatha Christie in many ways.Amidst the gruesome scenes of crime, there is mirth with Joyce Barnaby's cooking failures, and Tom Barnaby's frustration with Troy's shortcomings. A Murder Mystery to solve in the heart of Rural England!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 17-04-22
Midsummer Murders - my favourite
I love Midsummer Murders and now I love the Audible books as well. Well written and well performed.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ADC21
- 23-08-22
So good I have listened twice
Much better than the TV show
so give it a go
great acting
good story
very laugh out loud at times
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-08-22
Absolutely fabulous
Another well-written and narrated story. Characterisations beautifully depicted, rounded and interesting. Please make more….
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MaggiJean
- 28-07-22
Really good,different to TV.
This was so different to the TV version, glad I took the plunge and will definitely be buying the next.
Characters very different to that , more complex and somewhat more human "warts an all" .
The narrator was excellent.
Strangely I do not remember this story being televised.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Lynch
- 09-11-22
I wanted to love this series but I just don't
I wanted to love this series as I have so loved the TV series over the years. And the forward by John Nettles sets the books up to be loved. Unfortunately they are just not what I expected. I have listened to the first two books and I almost can't believe these were written by a woman. They come off as being written by a sex starved adolescent boy. Don't get me wrong, they are not overtly graphic but everyone is thinking about sex or people's body parts, couples have sex every night, wrong pairings between siblings and parent/child, and all of the murders are due to sex. It's just kind of disturbing. Also Barnaby and his partner are real cads. In the second book a senile old guy almost dies due to their incompetence and unwillingness to just be good human beings.
John Hopkins does a great job of narrating the books and I truly love his voice. I am sorry that I will not be able to go on with the series if only for that reason. If you liked Midsomer Murders I'd give this a pass. This may be the first time I have ever said this but the TV show is far superior to the books.
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36 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 23-09-22
Ah, BLISS!
The TV show of Midsomer Murders (at my house we just call it “Barnaby”) is one of our favorites ever. We started watching it quite a few years ago because we kept going through detective series so quickly and missing them when we were done, so I set out to find the program with the most episodes. At the time, Midsomer was 6 or 7 seasons and that looked like a LOT. We decided to watch them slowly, to stretch it out. And they kept making them. And we never finally caught up — almost. I’m still a few episodes behind in the Neil Dudgeon era, and he doesn’t make me as feel as happy and comfy as John Nettles always did, and I couldn’t stand the whole baby thing, but I’m comfortable enough with him, And we’re still watching.
But I was SO surprised when I came across Badger’s Drift as an audiobook! Of course, I knew they began as books, and I’d even looked them up and found that at least the first few were the same plots — one book, one tv episode — but it hadn’t occurred to me to get them as books. However, when I started reading this very first one, I was hooked right away. The books are so different from the shows, full of so much more detail, and you get to be inside Barnaby’s mind, Troy’s mind— *he* is a very different character and much more interesting, I think. TV Troy is adorable and we love him, but book Troy seems much more realistic, somehow, and a good contrast to offset his boss’s solid, thoughtful essential *goodness*.
I won’t say anymore — and anyway, I’m only partway through — I just had to give it a great review because I’m elated to’ve found them. They’ve only recorded three so far, I think, and hopefully my library will get them eventually, so I won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for the series, but I did find them during the summer-end sale, and bought the three I could get in English, and I’ve been going back and forth between reading the print one from the library, and listening to the Audible one. I’m in easy-chair-fluffy-blanket-hot-tea ecstasy. :) 🚪🛋📖☕️👓🪟 It’s going to be a happy beginning to this autumn. 😊🎧 📚👏🏽
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ms. Patty
- 13-11-22
Maybe I’m too critical
I know the books came before the TV series, but I wish they could do a ‘do over’ regarding Barnaby and Troy’s dispositions. They are entirely too grumpy, even rude. I prefer the TV characters.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Audible Customer
- 19-11-22
Sooo Good !!
I have watched this series on BBC 3 times now. My favorite show and hope to travel across the pond again just to take the tour where the filming took place. I purchased the books to get more insight into the characters and to see how close they tried to follow the author's writing. Understanding that TV must really just hit the highlights in the hour they have. I'm now on book 3 and have been so happy to see the book is followed enough to recognize, and the brilliance of the producer! If you truly are a fan of this series you will feel like it's Christmas morning - what a gift and the narrator is amazing!
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wild Wise Woman
- 25-09-22
I used not to be a fan
This was offered as a Daily Deal, I think, and as I love the genre, I bit. I was hesitant, because I had watched the first season of the tremendously popular TV program, and found it predictable and dull. I am so happy I took a chance on the book! The writing is dazzling, the characters rich and full, the stories, erudite and engaging. Will continue to listen!
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gr
- 24-09-22
Good police procedural
A good solid crime story and murder mystery. A lot of interesting characters and an entertaining story. I liked Chief Inspector Barnaby. Wish I could find more of these audiobooks at the library. John Hopkins was the narrator he did a good job, but I did find it a bit hard to follow in the audiobook format.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 20-01-23
For Once, the TV Series Doesn’t Get in the Way
You’ll find the best review in the first cut of this recording: John Nettles’ comparison of the TV series he starred in with the books upon which that series was based. He’s right: Sergeant Troy is less likeable in print but far more interesting. The plot, so pared down for TV, is exponentially more complex and satisfying. The book, as they say, is better than the movie.
But Nettles misses one central aspect of the book that the TV series replicated faithfully: somehow, the screen writers conveyed much of the cadence of Caroline Graham’s superbly crafted prose. At this, my first encounter with it, her tone struck me as remarkably familiar.
Of course, though Nettles invites you to imagine your own versions of Barnaby, Troy, Joyce, and Cully, I defy you to do it. No, the onscreen portrayals stay with you throughout. Which is fine. Especially as I suspect John Hopkins of attempting, successfully, I think, to recreate John Nettles’ delivery.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dylan
- 09-12-22
This is where it all started …
Many many years ago I remember watching the 1st episode of Midsomer Murders which was The Killings at Badgers Drift.
I loved the intro by John Nettles as I think we always take it for granted that tv/movie versions of the books remain faithful.
I feel that the books are both different and the same as what we see on TV and for good measure too. If I was listening to a carbon copy of what I saw on TV in 90 mins I would have felt cheated.
I love that John Hopkins is the narrator. I loved him in Midsomer as Dan Scott and always felt his stint on the show was cut much too short. So it’s like having a little bit of TV in the audiobook.
Overall I will listen to this again and will complete the audiobooks as they come out.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephanie
- 11-11-22
Even More Than I Expected
I have to admit I came to this book through the television series and did not think it would be possible to exceed the satisfaction I had with that presentation. Delighted to say it was a total new experience with subtle shades of familiarity. Will now be devouring these books the way I did the TV presentation.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Person of interests
- 28-09-22
he sounds like Barnaby
John Hopkins did a great job as narrator. He actually mimicks John Nettles perfectly. story was good but that was expected.
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3 people found this helpful