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Once upon a Crime by P. J. Brackston
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Once upon a Crime

A Brothers Grimm Mystery

$17.96

Retail price: $19.95

Discount: 9%

This title is not eligible for purchase with membership credits. Why?

Narrator Kate Reading
Length 8 hours 25 minutes
Language English
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From New York Times bestselling author P. J. Brackston comes the prequel to Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints.

Gretel—yes, that Gretel—is now thirty-five, very large, still living with her brother Hans, and working as a private investigator.

The small, sleepy town of Gesternstadt is shaken to its pretty foundations when the workshop of the local cart maker is burnt to the ground and a body is discovered in the ashes. It is Gretel who notices that the cadaver is missing a finger. At first she does not see this as significant, as her mind is fully focused on a new case. Not that she doesn't want to investigate an intriguing murder, but her client is willing to pay over the odds, so she must content herself with trying to trace three missing cats. It is not until she is further into her investigations that she realizes the two events are inextricably and dangerously connected, and that the mystery of the missing cats will lead her into perilous situations and frightening company.

Gretel soon finds herself accused of kidnapping Princess Charlotte, locked up in the cells at the Summer Schloss, repelling the advances of an amorous troll, strapped to a rack in Herr Schmerz's torture chamber, and fleeing a murder charge. With dubious help from her brother (whose scant wits are habitually addled by drink), she must prove her innocence, solve the puzzle of the unidentified corpse, and find the stolen cats before they meet a grisly end.

P. J. Brackston is the author of several books, including The Witch’s Daughter, The Winter Witch, Nutters, Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints, Once upon a Crime, and The Case of the Fickle Mermaid.

Kate Reading is an Audie Award-winning narrator who has recorded hundreds of titles in many genres. She has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, in addition to being named Narrator of the Year and Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She has been recognized as Reader of the Year by Publishers Weekly and has appeared on Booklist's 2019 Top of the List for the American Library Association. She and her husband, narrator Michael Kramer, record at their home studio in Maryland, Madison Productions.

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Reviews

“A prequel to Gretel and the Case of the Frog Prints, this spoof of Brothers Grimm fairy tales will have readers laughing out loud.”

“Brackston sets her fairy-tale sequels in the Bavaria of 1776, blending fantasy and whimsy with a touch of satire. Another entertaining outing for those readers who like the idea of mixing fractured fairy tales with a little mystery.”

“An altogether delicious blend of historical fiction and fantasy.”

“Love of landscape and lyrical writing lend charm, but it’s Brackston’s full-blooded storytelling that will hook the reader.”

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