8+ Addictive British Mystery Audiobooks on Audible

On a chilly winter's night, there's nothing better than cozying up next to the fire with an enchanting, British mystery novel. Need to get things done? These addictive mystery novels also come in audio form!

I've rounded up my list of the best mystery audiobooks for anglophiles - let's dive in!

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Looking for a great, British mystery novel on Audible?

From the first time I read And Then There Were None as a kid, I simply haven't been able to stop searching for my next "favourite" English detective. I've read all the Sherlock Holmes stories. I simply can't find new British mystery series quickly enough.

That said, being lawyers, my husband and I read, read, read all day at work. And with a new baby, I need my hands free to do approximately one million chores while catching up on my mystery novels. So, as those of you who've been following the blog for a while know well, I am 100% an audiobook aficionado. I love being able to take in a novel while doing other things - blogging, driving around, doing laundry, working off the pinot grigio at the gym...All the books I list below are available as "normal" books, as well, if you have more reading time than your writer. 

In this list, I don't limit myself to any specific type of British mystery - so this collection contains everything from quaint, Cotswolds, cozy mysteries to psychological thrillers. No true crime though. I like my grisly scenarios to be purely fictional.

Don't have an audible subscription yet?
​Visit Audible to sign-up and get two free audiobooks and start your free trial! Incidentally, if you're getting a major head start on the Christmas shopping, an Audible membership also makes a great gift for the auditory learner in your life!

Here's my round-up of the best cozy, British mysteries, that I've found, available on Audible!

Curious about great British TV shows?
​Check out my list of Best Shows on Acorn & Britbox!

Tips for finding the perfect cozy mystery audiobook

With audiobooks, unlike "normal" books, finding the right fit is two-fold - you need both the perfect book and a very talented narrator.

​The narrator can't go too over-the-top with the various characters' voices, must interpret the book in a way you like, and, generally, you have to be OK with them becoming the voice in your head for at least a few days!

​I'm happiest when I find a series that I can keep relying on - and don't worry, there are quite a few of those below.

​Links below take you to the Amazon page for the books - just select "audiobook" to get the audiobook, rather than the physical book. Amazon's audiobooks are managed through Audible.

Best British Detective Audiobooks,
available on Audible

The Thursday Murder Club Series,
​Richard Osman.
Read by Fiona Shaw/Lesley Manville

The Thursday Murder Club series, now in its fourth installment, follows the mystery-solving antics of the eponymous club, comprised of "pensioners" (read: older people) solving complex mysteries from the confines of the nursing home (though, really they're often out and about). Using the skills they picked up in their diverse range of employment in younger life (from spy to...less-than-law-abiding), the residents will win your heart and tickle your funny bone.

​Lesley Manville, the original narrator, is excellent. Presumably playing Princess Margaret in The Crown and staring in Anthony Horowitz's TV adaptations took up a little too much time and she gave the job to Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia), who is, also, perfect for the job.

The Word is Murder - by Anthony Horowitz, read by Rory Kinnear  ​

The newest endeavor from the aforementioned Midsomer Murders alumnus and British mystery books author extraordinaire, Anthony Horowitz, The Word is Murder follows a fictionalized version of the crime fiction king Horowitz himself, as he becomes involved in the investigation of an up-market London murder, investigated by a unique, and mysterious, former detective, Daniel Hawthorne.

The Word is Murder is the first novel in a series, as well. You'll recognize narrator Rory Kinnear if you're any fan of British TV, in addition to James Bond. Kinnear is not my favorite of my narrators, as he struggles with women's voices, just as a heads up if you're picky like me. The book series is worth a few squeaky character renditions from the narrator.

Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz, read by Samantha Bond

Also by Anthony Horowitz, Mapie Murders, and its sequel, Moonflower Murders, follow the adventures of publishing editor-turned-sleuth Susan Ryeland, the death of whose author/client (and writer of cozy murder mysteries) leads her into a mystery straight out of one of the novels she usually edits. A book-within-a-book, you'll plunge into the 1950's post-war detective novel that the victim himself was writing when he was murdered. Can you and Susan use the fictional murder to solve the modern murder?

The Strike novels, by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister ​

Originally written under a nom de plume, Robert Galbraith, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was ultimately revealed to be the author of the New York Times best-selling audiobooks nearly 10 years ago now. Like Harry Potter, the books start off well, but really pick up and build as time goes on.

​Following the will-they-won't-they between private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, a young woman who first arrived in his offie as an unwanted temp, as they get their fledgling detective agency off the ground, I promise you won't be able to turn them off. Strike and Robin solve all sorts of cases, from catching a serial killer at the end of the most grisly of the novels, to a cold case murder of a young physician, and, most recently, infiltrating a cult to liberate a wealthy young man. They're my favorite audiobooks, without any competition.

The 5th installment, Troubled Blood, is an incredible 31 hours of Robert Glenister. Looking for more Strike? Check out 5+ Mystery Novels like Cormoran Strike.

No offense to the other narrators on this list, but veteran British actor Robert Glenister is by far my favorite audiobook narrator of all time. Excitingly, Glenister joined the cast of C.B. Strike, the TV series adaptation of the novels, a few years ago, playing Jasper Chiswell, in Lethal White. 

Cherringham (series) by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards, read by Neil Dudgeon  ​

A small-town-Cotswolds mystery series, with a will-they-won’t-they between the two main characters, and read by Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby from Midsomer Murders, Neil Dudgeon.

​Need I say more...??

Sarah Evans is a local British woman/mum, returned home after a messy divorce, and Jack Brennan her New York City detective transplant, finding himself living in a barge on the River Thames after being widowed. I'd put Cherringham on the far end of the cozy mystery series spectrum. Small town, often quaint crimes, stately homes, and a bumbling police chief? You bet. This small village has far more than its fair share of murders.

The books are each comprised of three short stories a piece and come out fairly quickly (they aren’t all out yet in Audible format). So once you've burned through what's currently on Audible, keep an eye out for the new ones, once Dudgeon takes a break from filming Midsomer. Busy man! 

Shaftesbury, Dorset

Murder of Roger Ackroyd - by Agatha Christie, read by Hugh Fraser ​

Read by the famous sidekick from the iconic Poirot, Hugh Fraser, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd often tops the lists of best murder mysteries ever, which is saying something, as it was written by the Queen of Crime herself, the second-best-selling British writer, Agatha Christie, author of more than 70 classic murder mysteries. Fraser actually has voiced a number of Christie's audiobooks, if the classics are what you're after.

The Mousetrap Murders - by Helena Marchmount, read by Nathaniel Parker ​

This was a more recent discovery of mine. Read by Nathaniel Parker, yes, Inspector Lynley, it's a fun play on words, centering on the main character's move to Bunburry, the home of his deceased aunt, as he learns more about his family history and the inevitable demise of some villagers. Entrepreneur-turned-gentleman of leisure takes up the case!

​And, even better - it's a series!

The Whisky Business Mysteries - by Melinda Mullett, read by Gemma Dawson.

The list wouldn't be complete without a wonderful Scottish mystery audiobook series.

Focusing on a photojournalist who unexpectedly inherits an up-and-coming Scottish distillery from her uncle, Abigail Logan, the series follows Logan as she heads up to The Highlands, only to find the distillery under siege and an unfriendly group of distillers who aren't happy about her arrival on the scene. The series doesn't disappoint, providing more than its fair share of cozy Scottish scenes, and a few charming, Highland gentleman, along the way.

Extra Credit: Tana French, 
In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad),
​read by Steven Crossley

And just to round out our little tour of the British Isles with a bit of extra credit from Irish-American author Tana french, In the Woods is the first book in an addictive mystery series.

Following detective partners attempting to solve a shockingly-personal cold case, I promise the novel will leave you wanting more. With a will-they-won't-they between the main characters, wonderful audiobook reading by Steven Crossley, and the allure of a cold case involving a personal life element, it's an addictive into to French's detective novels.

​For fans of murder mystery, French is a bit of a departure. The each police detective doesn't necessarily carry over from book to book, the crimes aren't always neatly solved, and the murders sometimes aren't even murders. But her writing is enthralling and the books are an excellent homage to our favorite genre, if not as neatly satisfying as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Listening! I hope I gave you some food for thought as you search for your next addictive, British mystery audiobook! Don't forget to drop your "favourites" in the comments below - I'm always looking for a new listen! xx

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