The Mystery of the Sycamore


Read by Sharon Kilmer

(4.2 stars; 133 reviews)

Instead of prison time, former governor, Samuel Appleby, sentences his former rival, Daniel Wheeler to imprisonment on his homestead with a very strange addendum.

He then endeavors to convince Mr. Wheeler to endorse his son’s candidacy for governor with a promise of commuting his sentence. In the meantime, Samuel Appleby is murdered in Wheeler’s home.

The discovery of the identity of the murderer has many twists and turns filled with love, devotion, gumshoe dialog, and weird circumstances that will delight the listener in a most unusual way. (Summary by Sharon Kilmer) (7 hr 22 min)

Chapters

The Letter that Said Come 24:45 Read by Sharon Kilmer
North Door and South Door 25:24 Read by Sharon Kilmer
One Last Argument 24:34 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Big Sycamore Tree 24:47 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Bugle Sounded Taps 26:05 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Other Heir 25:20 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Inquiries 24:09 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Confessions 22:44 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Counter-Confessions 24:05 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Phantom Bugler 23:26 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Fleming Stone 24:27 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Garage Fire 23:29 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Sara Wheeler 23:29 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Rachel's Story 23:01 Read by Sharon Kilmer
The Awful Truth 25:26 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Maida's Decision 24:52 Read by Sharon Kilmer
Maida and her Father 24:03 Read by Sharon Kilmer
A Final Confession 28:06 Read by Sharon Kilmer

Reviews


(5 stars)

once the story got to the murder it was great!. Great reading and plot and ending.

nursenancy


(5 stars)

Interesting mystery. Good reader! So what if Massachusetts wasn’t pronounced right!!

Very enjoyable


(5 stars)

Excellently read, this is a murder mystery with a relatively closed cast of suspects, providing ample opportunity to become intrigued by and invested in the characters. There are quite a few mysteries and plot twists besides the murder itself. Fleming Stone, our detective character, doesn't come into it until quite near the end and there's very little investigation as Stone is occupied untangling contradictory accounts for the majority of the time, but we hear a little about the investigative steps taken once we read the end. The premise on which much of the book is founded, and which forms the relationship connecting the principal characters, is quite unique and a great hook to get your attention early on.

Good story, reader not quite so much


(3 stars)

I'm sorry, but this is not a favorite reader of mine. she frequently mispronounces words - in this case, Massatooses was incredibly annoying, since it is used so often! For a native English speaker, she really needs to clean up her act! The story was good enough, just full of distracting mispronounciations. 2 stars for the reader, 4 stars for the story.

another good story


(4 stars)

I had a hard time getting started, but by chapter 3 I understood where we were headed. I love this era of mysteries, so I overlook a lot. For example, the prose, the attitudes, and the way the stories go on and on. But this story had more dingalings and morally bankrupt characters than usual!

good mystery and we'll read


(5 stars)

this is a well done mystery for the time period. Fleming Stone to the rescue again. He is egotistical and reserved, showing up only when things are a total mess. Nice to have the book read by a single reader.

Meh


(3 stars)

Story is based on a couple of unlikely premises. There's a kind of deus ex machina e nding. The reader is fair but makes some odd pronunciation errors including pronouncing Massachusetts as Massatussis throughout the novel.


(3 stars)

The story was fair to middling. The reader was mostly competent, but if I have to hear her say “Massa- toosis” one more time I think I ran a flaming stick into my ears.