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14 quintessentially British audiobooks for chilly weather listening

As far as I know, the British don’t have a term like the Danish hygge to describe the concept of coziness, but there’s something about dreary London Town or the English countryside that makes me feel extra warm and content in cold weather. Think of afternoon tea in front of the fireplace, or sipping brandy after a dinner party. Think of the hand-knit scarves and overcoats, the jumpers! (Why is jumper such a delightful alternative to sweater?)

Now that the temperature has dropped here in Louisville (cool enough for me to pull out my jumper), I’m enjoying longer walks with Daisy, which means extra audiobook listening. British-narrated audiobooks immerse me in the setting, and some of my absolute favorite narrators have delightful accents. 

I know I’m not the only one who loves an audiobook narrator with an accent. Today I’m sharing 14 titles featuring amazing British narrators and immersive English settings. There’s a little something for every reader on this list, whether you like gritty mysteries,  romantic classics, or witty British humor.  

Readers, I know you have some favorite British books to share. I’d love to hear them, whether they’re great on audio or on the page. Leave a comment below and add to our list of cozy British stories.

Quintessentially British Audiobooks
Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh

Author:
Who says bedtime stories are just for kids? Winnie the Pooh is timeless, and there’s nothing like a warm, cozy tale of friendship to end your day on a happy note. This audiobook version features talented British actors Stephen Fry and Judi Dench, who bring the Hundred Acre Wood to life. Listen to "Pooh Goes Visiting" and other stories as a family readalong or as part of your introvert self-care routine. (2 hours) More info →
Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

An iconic literary heroine from an iconic female author. Pick up this gothic romance for confessions of love, wandering the English countryside, and timely themes. Brontë's famous novel was astonishingly modern for 1847, so if you never read it in high school, now is the perfect time to read this atmospheric classic. If you were forced to read it back then, give it another try. Thandie Newton’s excellent narration may be the ticket this time around. (19 hours) More info →
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Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

Nikki has spent most of adulthood distancing herself from her family's Sikh traditions, but when her father's unexpected death leaves the family in dire financial straits, she finds a new job teaching creative writing at London’s Punjabi community center. Due to a miscommunication, the Sikh widows show up to class expecting to learn basic English language skills, and Nikki isn't sure what to do. One day, a student brings in a collection of sexy stories to read in English. The women are intrigued, and Nikki quickly realizes that beneath their prim and proper exteriors, the widows hold romantic histories and fantasies in their hearts. Beneath this heartwarming tale of community and the power of storytelling is a compelling mystery. I couldn't stop listening to find out what happens next. Narrated by Meera Syal. (10 hours 34 minutes) More info →
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First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen

First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen

Author:
Who really wrote Pride and Prejudice? That mystery drives this literary thriller, which plunges the reader into the world of first editions, secondhand books, and zealous collectors. When a young librarian discovers a document that casts doubt on Austen’s authorship of Pride and Prejudice, she struggles to clear her beloved author of plagiarist charges before it’s too late. Lovett flips back and forth between the time when Jane was writing her best-known story and today’s desperate race to prove her innocence. Lovett’s love of books permeates every page. Farfetched? Of course, but piles (stacks?) of fun for booklovers. Lovely on audio, as narrated by Jayne Entwistle. (11 hours) More info →
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The Thursday Murder Club  (The Thursday Murder Club Book 1)

The Thursday Murder Club (The Thursday Murder Club Book 1)

Author:
This fun mystery reminded me so much of Angela Lansbury and Murder She Wrote, and it holds appeal for readers aged 18 to 80-something and beyond. Plus, it looks like the first in what will be a series! It's set in a retirement community, where four friends meet in the Jigsaw Room every week to chat about unsolved crimes. This group of 70-somethings call themselves "The Thursday Murder Club." When bodies start piling up in a live and local case, they set out to catch a killer. Completely charming, and so well-narrated by Lesley Manville. More info →
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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Author:

Flavia de Luce is a precocious 11 year-old chemist and amateur sleuth. In the summer of 1950, she finds a dead bird on the doorstep of her family's crumbling manor house, a stamp affixed to its beak. Later that day, she comes across a dead man in the garden. For Flavia, these mysterious events are both frightening and exciting. She says, "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life." Thus follows her investigation, a delightful coming-of-age mystery starring one of the most charming heroines ever written. This series is FABULOUS on audio; narrated by Jayne Entwistle.

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Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall

Author:
A hefty, believable, meticulously researched fictional take on Tudor England in the Cromwell era. Cromwell is one of the more mysterious characters of history, and Mantel does a solid job of filling in the blanks. The readers with great taste I rely on for recommendations are split on this one: some love it, some hate it. Either way, this 2009 Man Booker Prize winner is widely praised for its inventiveness. I picked a beautiful red copy up at a library book sale a few years ago and it’s been mocking me from my shelves ever since: it might be time to pick this up on audio instead, because I hear Simon Slater's narration is fabulous. (23 hours) More info →
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And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None

Author:
This is the world's best-selling mystery—and when I found out the audio version was read by Dan Stevens, I couldn't resist. (Loved it.) Ten strangers are lured to a deserted island, and then they begin dying, one by one, victims of a disturbingly wide range of murders. They share one thing in common: each has something in their past they would prefer to keep hidden. Who is the murderer, and will any of them survive? (6 hours) More info →
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A Quiet Life in the Country

A Quiet Life in the Country

Author:
Lady Emily Hardcastle and her companion Florence Armstrong just moved to the English countryside, hoping to pursue leisurely interests and enjoy neighborly gatherings. After a few days of regaling one another with tales from their top secret past, Emily and Flo find it impossible to sit still. When they discover a dead body in the woods, they eagerly offer to help investigate the murder. Much to the village's surprise, these two ladies are exceedingly skilled at detective work. They’re also hilarious; their witty banter makes for a delightful listening experience, as narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden. (7 hours 43 mins) More info →
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Magpie Murders

Magpie Murders

Editor Susan Ryeland has worked with Alan Conway for years, putting up with his eccentricities for the sake of his bestselling detective series. Every Atticus Pünd mystery novel feels pretty much the same to Susan by now, each one set in a small English village, following an Agatha Christie-like formula. When Susan reads Conway’s latest, however, she finds there might be more to the fictional mystery at Pye Hall. The more she reads, the more she becomes convinced of a real life mystery between the pages. A tale of greed and gruesome murder prompts Susan to investigate in this clever novel-within-a-novel, narrated by Samantha Bond and Allan Corduner. (15 hours 47 mins) More info →
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The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day

Author:
I waited far too long to read this one. Jim Mustich, author of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die, and I chatted about Ishiguro’s famous novel on Episode 165 of What Should I Read Next. If you’re craving a road trip through the English countryside, or you just saw the Downton Abbey movie and need more stories of upstairs-downstairs dynamics, this book is for you—especially as narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith. Stevens, longtime butler of an English country estate, takes a much-needed vacation to drive through the country and visit friends. Over the course of his trip, he reflects on his past exposing his quiet and unseen role in history. This book is indeed worth reading in this lifetime. (7 hours) More info →
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Quick Service

Quick Service

Author:
This hilarious standalone novel is a perfect introduction to Wodehouse's quirky humor. Beatrice Chavender is visiting her sister just outside of London. At breakfast, she takes a bite of "inferior ham." and soon everyone around her suffers the consequences. Sprinkle in some romance, and plenty of ridiculous antics, and this novel is simply a joy to read. It leaps off the page like a 1940's MGM musical or an Oscar Wilde play. If you enjoy British humor, this is a must-read. Narrated by Simon Vance. (5 hours 23 minutes) More info →
Persuasion

Persuasion

Author:
Pride and Prejudice should be read in the spring; Emma in the summer. But Persuasion is for colder months. Don't bother starting at the beginning with Austen's earlier, brighter works. Go straight to her sixth and final published novel. This the last novel Austen completed before her death, and it's darker and more serious in tone than her earlier works. With its themes of love, regret, and fidelity, this is my favorite Austen novel—at least some of the time. Juliet Stevenson is one of my favorite narrators for Austen's works. (8 hours 42 minutes) More info →
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The Complete Sherlock Holmes

The Complete Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle's circle of friends included James Barrie, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Oscar Wilde. I like to imagine these men, among other literary icons, at their private soirees and seances, parsing out plotlines over glasses of brandy. These conversations likely inspired several of Sherlock Holmes' adventures, which are perfect when you're in the mood for iconic British characters, settings, and themes. Narrated by Simon Vance, the audiobook enhances Holmes and Watson's witticisms and quibbles as they gather clues. (58 hours) More info →

Are you an Anglophile in your reading life? What excellent British audiobooks would you add to this list?

P.S. 15 terrific audiobooks you can listen to in 6(ish) hours (or much less), and 7 ways to discover your audiobook style. Click here to check out the full audiobook archives.

14 quintessentially British audiobooks for chilly weather listening

184 comments

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  1. Laura B Duxbury says:

    A Quiet Life in the Country- TE Kinsey
    I was so happy to see Lady Hardcastle on your list! These books are the best cosy mysteries & the audio is spot on!!! Highly recommend!

    • Pam Hall says:

      Totally agree. On the third one now. These have been giving me so much joy. There are funny and relaxing. So good on the commute and I also listen as I set up my classroom and labs.

    • Missy G says:

      Agree on Wolf Hall. I abandoned the audio version because it was so difficult to understand which characters were speaking or being referenced. The story was completely lost to me!

    • Anne says:

      I listened to Wolf Hall and enjoyed it very much. I think, though, that my background knowledge of English history came in handy. It is a complex story!

    • Sophie says:

      I feel the same. Loved the book, not sure I could do it on audio. Also, I remember some rather gruesome parts. I can take that in a book, not quite in an audio version.

    • Katherine says:

      For me, listening to it was what made it “doable.” All those Thomas figures got confusing but the narrator did such a fantastic job that I had no trouble keeping track and was totally immersed.

    • Sally Eilersen says:

      I found it to be a fascinating listen. I ended up listening to the entire series. Now that my commuting days are over, I listen to shorter books – on my hourly walk.

  2. Meg says:

    I like the recording of Winnie the Pooh you suggested, but it pales in comparison to the one read by Alan Bennett. It’s brilliant!

      • Jill W. says:

        Also, if you have not read the Winnie the Pooh stories as an adult, they are a must read. So many funny details and nuances that you do not pick up on as a child.

  3. Lauren says:

    I love this list! Can’t wait to check some out! I would add The End of the Affair by Graham Greene and narrated by Colin Firth. Sooooooo good. He won an award for the narration!

    • Christie n MT says:

      Yes! I was just introduced to Lisa Jewell last year & quickly inhaled several of hers back to back. I’ve wondered why her books aren’t mentioned on WSIRN?
      What would you call her genre, cozy mystery? I don’t see her on book lists without entering her name, perhaps just marketing?
      I’ve listened to them all on audio & loved every one of them.

  4. Cady says:

    Not a book I’d ever thought I’d pick up but the local library had an audiobook of David Tennant reading Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. James Bond, but not as we know him … It’s completely different to the films, and David Tennant could read the phone book and keep me interested.

      • Kate Slotover says:

        Yes, we were completely spellbound by this audiobook, I loved it so much I think they’d be great listening even for people who don’t have children to keep entertained. A treat. Agree with the earlier comment, too, about David Tennant and the phone book. So true.

  5. Jaia says:

    It’s non fiction, but Bill Bryson’s books set in England are wonderful on audio. I particularly loved The Road to Little Dribbling.

  6. Guest says:

    84 Charing Cross is fabulous as an audiobook and I love the British characters and their “keep calm and carry on” attitude of getting on with things even in the midst of hardships after the war.

    Bill Bryson is an American but sort of an honorary Brit after living there for decades and writing some of my absolute favorite books about the UK. Notes from a Small Island is a phenomenal audiobook and laugh out loud funny!

  7. Lindsey says:

    I love mysteries and Sherlock Holmes. This fall I’ve been really enjoying the Bewitched by Chocolate cozy mystery series by HY Hanna. They’re set in a tiny Cotswold Village and with magic and chocolate are perfect for fall, I think. I also just finished the Agatha Christie book, “The Pale Horse” which I really enjoyed.

    • Christa says:

      Have you read the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton? Those are really fun and set in the Cotswolds as well. She also did the Hamish MacBeth series set in Scotland. I’m going to check out HY Hanna, thanks!

      • Kate says:

        Yes! My 90 year old grandfather and I read Hamish together and both look forward to every new release. They’re great on audio!

    • Dona Scott says:

      The Stephen Fry reading of Sherlock Holmes is a favorite. I’ve listened to it several times. Also love the audio version of the Veronica Speedwell series.

  8. Siv Gunhild says:

    My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell, stories from his childhood spent in corfu when his family were escaping the english autumn.

    Travels with my aunt by Graham Greene. A newly retired bank clerk is reluctantly whisked away from his quiet dull existence by his mysterious, eccentric aunt. Read it first in my teens and i Just loved the character of the aunt.

    I also loved Elinor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman

    None of these are mysteries but they Will make you feel good

  9. Susan says:

    Wolf Hall is fantastic on audio! One of my favorite experiences ever. You’ll want to jump on Bring Up the Bodies (book 2)next.

  10. Kristin Fields says:

    I love Rhys Bowen’s English cosy mystery series, Her Royal Spyness on audio. Bowen is a Brit living in the U.S. This series is about the royal family. The accents are delightful!

  11. Such a fun list! I echo the praise for Juliet Stevenson and Thandie Newton as narrators. I listened to Newton’s Jane Eyre last year, and it was so good! Wodehouse and Christie are always good choices. Harry Potter narrated by Jim Dale is a different feel than the books on this list, but if your kids are anxious for some British fun, he’s an amazing narrator! He’s also narrated Around the World in 80 Days.

  12. Melitsa says:

    Small island andrea levy
    White teeth zadie smith

    When I think of the UK these books come to mind that share what is was like for our diverse population.

    Not to be missed.

  13. Sara Gentry says:

    I just finished listening to the audiobook of The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan, and I LOVED it. I usually prefer to read fiction with a hard copy, but listening to this book has made me want to try more fiction on audio.

  14. Gloria says:

    I have to disagree on the Winnie-the-Pooh audio you have suggested. Blackstone Audio’s version with Peter Dennis is hands down the best way to listen – he nails it. It is a classic in our family and something I can put on (again and again) in the car that will make us all happy, from age 4 and up.

  15. Carrie Kitzmiller says:

    The Veronica Speedwell mysteries by Deanna Raybourn, narrated by Angele Masters, are delightful on audio!
    Also, on a more serious note, Anne Perry’s World War I series, beginning with No Graves As Yet, narrated by Michael Page, are wonderful.

  16. Victoria says:

    We just call it cosy 😀
    I don’t listen to audio books but love the TE Kinsey books. Any of the vintage crime fiction in the suite of British Library Crime Classics. Dorothy L Sayers and the Jill Paton Walsh follow ons. Also Ashley Weaver, Carola Dunn (Daisy and Cornish series),the Miss Seeton books and Catriona McPherson (these last ones have dark story lines so not for the faint hearted)

    • Beth says:

      Thank you for these! There are some new to me authors to check out—I’m a bit of an Anglophile and was disappointed to see I had read most of the books in the original post.

  17. Jennifer says:

    Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James, read by Mary Jane Wells in a gripping accent is set in June, but seemed perfect for dreary weather. I couldn’t wait to see how it resolved.

  18. Debbie says:

    Josephine Tey, Dorothy Cannell, and Barbara Pym are great British listening experiences. Anne, thanks for the list – as an HSP audiobook lover, I have to take into account those added sensibilities so that I can sleep at night!

  19. Carolyn says:

    I just finished The Complete Sherlock Holmes narrated by Stephen Fry and it was brilliant. 62 hours but worth it! My daughter and I are listening to The War I Finally Won which takes place in England during WW2 and it is also good.

    • Beverly says:

      The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won are both terrific reads and I’m now going to go find the audio versions!

  20. Donna says:

    For romance fans, I cannot recommend enough Stella
    Riley’s “Rockcliffe” series, which begins with “The Parfait Knight”. (“Parfait” is “perfect.”). The entire series is narrated by the brilliant and wonderful Alex Wyndham. His voice is magical.

    Along the same lines, Laura Kinsale’s books are all narrated by Nicholas Boulton who sounds a bit to me like Cary Grant and shares
    his comedic timing.

    No mention of English romance books is complete without mentioning Georgette Heyer, and many of her books benefit from brilliant narration, including Phyllida Nash and Richard Armitage.

    When I think of English atmosphere and audio, I also can’t help but think of “Harry Potter” with Jim Dale narrating.

  21. Sarah says:

    I absolutely love this list! I’m going to read or listen to every one. If you like cozy mysteries, where in book or audio form, I highly recommend the Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen.

  22. Julie R says:

    I’ll second the Maisie Dobbs recommendation.
    I also want to add Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. They are narrated by Jenny Sterlin who does an excellent job!

  23. Adrienne says:

    Transcription by Kate Atkinson. I could listen to Fenella Woolgar every day of my life and never get tired of her!

    Also, The War that Saved My Life was wonderful on audio.

  24. Maria Wilson says:

    I am close to finishing the Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George. Donada Peters is the narrator and she hits the accents perfectly. This is a must-read series for Inspector Gamache fans with great character development and lots of twists to the plot.

  25. Missy says:

    One Day is December is SO good on Audio-best narrators I’ve ever heard. Not sure I would have liked it in print but their accents and performance made it one of my favorite books ever. I’ve listened to it several times.

  26. Dana says:

    This list couldn’t have come at a better time. Yesterday I was searching your website for new mysteries series after finishing all of Maisie Dobbs and Victoria Speedwell. I found your list of recommended mysteries with female protagonists but when I went to listen to them I wasn’t a fan of the readers. I realized I really just wanted a list of narrators with British accents and here it is. Thank you!

    • Jená says:

      Re: narrators with lovely British accents — I just finished listening to Amor Towles’s wonderful _A Gentleman In Moscow_. It isn’t set in England, of course, but I think Downton Abbey’s Mr. Carson would have been right at home in Count Rostov’s Hotel Metropol. More to the point, the characters are great company, and the narration is a delight.

  27. Pearl says:

    I loved Watership Down narrated by Peter Capaldi. Who would have thought a story about rabbits could be so exciting!
    Also agree Juliet Stevenson is one of my faves!

  28. Candace says:

    Jane Eyre is a wonderful intro to the somewhat challenging, but oh-so-rewarding Brit lit on audio; and as long as we’re mentioning glorious, cozy 19th Century English provincial stories, I heartily recommend The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, narrated by Alan Rickman. Opens with townsfolk and farm workers reveling around ancient bonfires on the heath – a broody, wild, autumn heath. Also Middlemarch by George Eliot, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Epic, sweeping, nails human nature like no other book, and breaks your heart with yearning and hope in the beauty of an ordinary life. Grab some tea, a blanket, and immerse yourself whilst doing needlecraft on a rainy fall day.
    Juliet Stevenson is also a wonderful narrator for Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (more of a summer read). Jim Dale reading Harry Potter is always worth a revisit, and he also reads the Peter and the Starcatchers series.

  29. Joan says:

    Can’t believe you haven’t read Wolf Hall! Do it! And follow it with Bring Up the Bodies. These books are a bit more work than the average novel, but soooo good.

  30. Glen says:

    Gaaahhhh! Do you realize my tbr list is getting longer than my shelves? How am I ever going to catch up? Although, this time at least, I find I have already read at least a few (maybe three) of the books listed above. I need fact the complete Sherlock I had to buy twice. (It’s now on the tbrr (to be re-read list) A puppy chewed up its spine once! Oh well, who needs to sleep. I’ll struggle thru!

  31. Gina Weems says:

    Ooohhh…by far my favorite!! Love your list!! And…The Royal Spyness Mysteries by Rhys Bowen. The Gown by Jennifer Robson. The Irish Country Books by Patrick Taylor. Sherlock Holmes read by Stephen Fry….long but wonderfully done! The Cormoran Strike novels read by Robert Glenister…had to look him up, his voice was SO nice 😉! And anything Jane Austen!!! I have hundreds of books on audio (almost all with an accent 😍) but have added so many more from your list and the comments!!! Well done!!

    • Meghan says:

      I second the Stephen Fry reading of Sherlock Holmes (though I’ve not tried the one Anne recommended – but how can you bead Stephen Fry?)

  32. Steph Marvin says:

    I recently realized how much I love listening to books set in England that have old houses, family secrets and a great narrator. I love listening to any Kate Morton books, but especially The Distant Hours. Also The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is perfect for this time of year! And anything Rosamunde Pilcher, but especially September for fall.

    • Andrea says:

      Me too!! I got hooked years ago with the Diary of Nella Last. Audible had it with Carole Boyd reading it – great!! I think there is a DVD called Housewife 49 but it didn’t interpret her writing the way I did, so I didn’t watch very much. So many great readers from England and Ireland. I could go on and on. I won’t! (For a bit of history and other misc. wonders, try The Hare with the Golden Eyes, read by Michael Mahoney – true story)

      • Sandra says:

        Totally agree with your Diary of Nella Last recommendation. One of my absolute favorite books and Carole Boyd is an incredible narrator. It is the true diary of a British housewife during WW II as part of the Mass Communication Project where citizens were encouraged to keep a diary of what they felt and how they managed during the build up to and for the duration of the war. Nella Last continued to keep her diary into the fifties! An amazing account. It was from Audible but doesn’t seem to be available anywhere now! So sad! What a loss!

  33. Emma says:

    It’s not quintessential, more stereotypical but I adore the Britishness of The Chronicles of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor. They are narrated by Zara Ramm and I think she captures it brilliantly!

  34. RachSparkles says:

    Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series is FANTASTIC on audiobook! I also loved listening to the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas so much that I refuse to read it in print. I’m just waiting weeks to get the next audiobook from my library!

  35. Cyndie says:

    These all sound fantastic but the one that intrigues me most is the one that doesn’t even exist…a mystery involving Doyle, Barrie, Stevenson and Wilde. That mental image of the four sitting together over port or brandy parsing out their latest literary work and solving mysteries. Fantastic!

  36. Terry says:

    I absolutely LOVE the Peter Grant series (Rivers of London) by Ben Aaronovitch. They are urban fantasy – like Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, if you’ve read those. Grant is a London copper who is assigned to the Special Crimes Division – meaning those dealing with magical events. The series is narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith who is absolutely FANTASTIC. A little steamy in parts and sometimes a good bit violent in places, it’s still a series worth listening to.

    • Lisa Evans says:

      Terry, I just read through the comments HOPING someone would mention the Peter Grant series. I’ve been bingeing on Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s audio versions. I listen to audiobooks regularly, and I’ve never heard a better reader. He’s AMAZING. I find myself having to go back because I’ve gotten so caught up in how he’s said something that I’ve forgotten to pay attention to what he actually said. His accents are great, his pauses and inflections are perfect, and his British snark is spot-on.

  37. Terrie S says:

    So, I’ve never been able to listen to audiobooks while driving because I always doze off, but is it weird that this list has me excited that my potential internship site for next semester might involve a commuter train ride so I could listen to these gems?

    • Anne says:

      My (unsolicited) recommendation is to slightly increase the speed. Many readers find that the faster speed forces them to pay attention—in a good way.

  38. Michele G says:

    Everything Neil Gaiman reads aloud (and writes) is mesmerizing. Currently listening to The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene, which may be more in line with some of the other suggestions here. I’m really enjoying it. The reader is Joseph Porter. At first I found him to be a little underwhelming after listening to Gaiman, but he’s actually really good at adapting his voice to express different characters.

  39. Wendee Rosborough says:

    Dear Mrs. Bird by A J Pearce had a wonderful British narrator and so did My Not So Perfect Life by sophie Kinsella

  40. Donna says:

    Also despite the stellar narration, I immensely disliked “Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows.” To each her own, I suppose.

  41. Stephany says:

    Mary Stewart, who is probably most well-known for her Arthurian saga (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, etc.), also wrote several books with more modern settings. I recently listened to Nine Coaches Waiting, narrated by Ellie Heydon, and really enjoyed it. It contains a mystery, some danger and a bit of romance. I thought it was well-paced and well-written and is perfect audiobook for fall listening.

  42. Molly says:

    I’m loving Ruth Ware’s books on audio – all with great narration by Imogen Church and filled with “British-isms”

  43. Such a great and varied list!! A few I’ve read and loved (Jane Eyre, Sherlock Holmes), and a few from my TBR (Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, And Then There Were None). I wouldn’t call myself an Anglophile, but there’s definitely a lot of interesting contemporary literature coming out of the UK that I’m loving at the moment. Great round-up, Anne!

  44. M A Wilson says:

    I thoroughly recommend the Mapp and Lucia series, author E F Benson. Best reader if Prunella Scales, closely followed by Geraldine McEwan. Pre war social niceties, deliciously malicious characterisation, linguistic felicities abounding, these just slip down like a box of the most exclusive chocolates.

  45. AnneL says:

    I’m a big fan of the read/listen combo, especially for big fat British novels in long series.

    Two very different suggestions but both highly recommended-
    Anthony Trollope especially for those who have read Austen and want more cozy Victorian comedy of manners(I prefer the Barchester series to the Pallisers) I like Timothy West as a reader but Simon Vance is also good. The thing I love about Trollope is that he writes really recognizable women even though as a man of his time, he doesn’t seem to understand the behavior of his creations.

    Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles have just been re-released with a new reader by Audible (I believe they are going to be a TV series in the nearish future). Think Wolf Hall with a more swashbuckling and romantic hero and a sweeping story that ranges across Europe and Central Asia. David Monteath, the new reader for these has this great warm Scottish burr.

    • Candace says:

      Yes to Barchester series by Trollope! Such great characters, and I like what you said about his female characters – so true.

    • Lori Biesecker says:

      Yes, yes, yes!!! I SO wish more of the titles were available in audio. I listen to these when I may not be able to fully concentrate the whole time — one’s mind can switch to something else (Where SHALL I move this perennial division?) and still keep up with the easy-going plot.

  46. Lindsay says:

    Glass by Alex Christofi and narrated by Julia Franklin and the fabulous Lee Maxwell Simpson is a hidden gem. Never expected to love a book about a stroopwafel obsessed window cleaner so much.

  47. Aimee says:

    David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, narrated by Simon Vance. He does such a great job of bringing the distinct and lively characters to life.

  48. Raela says:

    I wanted to say Jenny Colgan, but I suppose it would be more accurate to say they’re quintessential UK! Either way, I’ve enjoyed a good majority of her books on audio, particularly her releases since The Bookshop on the Corner.

  49. Bookertalk says:

    The Welsh countryside is just as fabulous as the green stuff over the border in England (thought I’d be a little patriotic today).
    Anything narrated by Juliet Stevenson is a hit for me. If you come across a narration by Martyn Jarvis don’t hesitate – he is superb

  50. Kam Hitchcock says:

    Many of Catherine Aird’s mysteries with Inspector Sloan are available. Robin Bailey narrates the novels brilliantly. They are full of very dry British humor.

  51. Kim says:

    You’re right, we don’t really have a term for cosy like Hygge, but the Welsh amongst us use the term Cwtch (pronounced kutch, rhymes with butch) which is like a hug or a cuddle. It fills people with warmth. I have Wolf Hall on my TBR list!

    So yes, I will at some point have a cwtch on the sofa, in my jumper, with the fire roaring and a good book! My next English read is Jamaica Inn, Daphne Du Maurier.

  52. Natalie Garrett says:

    Hello dear kindred spirits! Here is a list of 50 Britishy audiobooks that are cozy for fall & winter (broken down by genre)! If you get a library card and a libby or overdrive app you can listen to most of them for free:)

    Fantasy (with a dash of historical fiction, or vice versa:)
    1. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Susanna Clarke)
    2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu (Susanna Clark)
    3. The Binding (Bridget Collins)
    4. Lamplighter Series (D.M. Cornish)
    5. The Vega Jane Series (David Baldacci)
    6. The Old Kingdom Trilogy (Garth Nix)
    7. The Folk Keeper (Franny Bilingsley)
    8. A Curse as Dark as Gold (Elizabeth Bunce)
    9. The Lamplighter Series
    10. Spindle Fire (Lexa Hillyer)
    11. Winter Glass (Lexa Hillyer)
    12. My Plain Jane (Cynthia Hand)
    13. Kingdom On Fire Series (Jessica Cluess)
    14. Seraphina Series (Rachel Hartman)
    15. The Mapmakers Trilogy (S.E. Grove)
    16. The Flame in the Mist (Kit Grindstaff)
    17. Bitter Greens (Kate Forsyth)
    18. The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club (Theodora Goss)
    19. I, Coriander (Sally Gardner)
    20. The Shades of Magic series (V.E. Schwab)

    For kids at heart (but seriously enjoyable as an adult;):
    21. The Dark is Rising Sequence (Susan Cooper)
    22. The Wundersmith Series (Jessica Townsend)
    23. The Peculiar series (Stefan Bachmann)
    24. The Thickety series ( J.A. White)
    25. Riverkeep (Martin Stewart)
    26. Jacky Faber series (L.A. Meyer)
    27. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (Karen Foxlee)
    28. The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbitt)
    29. Treasure of Green Knowe series (L.M. Boston)
    30. Young Sherlock Series (Andrew Lane)
    31. The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
    32. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken)
    33. The Christmas Doll (Elvira Woodruff)
    34. The Disreputable Children of Ashton Place series (Maryrose Wood)
    35. Tameraire series (Naomi Novak)
    36. The Boggart (Susan Cooper)

    Cozy Mysteries:
    37. Hamish Macbeth Series (M.C. Beaton)
    38. Agatha Raisen Series (M.C. Beaton)
    39. The Charles Lennox mysteries series (Charles Finch)
    40. Christmas mysteries (Anne Perry)
    41. Max Tudor Mysteries (G.m. Malliet)
    42. A Week in Winter (Maeve Binchy)
    43. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series (Laurie R. King)
    44. Sally Lockhart Myeteries (Phillip Pullman)

    Darker Mysteries/ Horror:
    45. The House of silk (Anthony Horowitz)
    46. The Little Stranger (Sarah Waters)
    47. The Haunting of Maddy Clare (Simone St. James)
    48. Mistress of Death series (Ariana Franklin)
    49. The Anatomists Apprentice series (Tessa Harris)
    50. The Gower Street Detective series (M.R.C. Kasasian)

  53. Dara Miller says:

    Quick Service was the most delightful thing I’ve listened to in a long time. The book is hilarious, and Simon Vance is a masterful narrator. Thanks for the recommendation!

  54. Charlotte G says:

    I’ve been catching up with my thrillers lately and just read two that would fit in this category perfectly.

    THE TURN OF THE KEY Ruth ware (Scottish Highlands)
    INTO THE WATER Paula Hawkins ( North England?)
    TTOTK was my book of 2019
    ITW most people have loved this but I struggled.

  55. j says:

    I’m always astonished when there are listings of favourite audiobooks that list the title and author and yet fail to announce just as importantly, the name of the recording artist responsible for the work. Isn’t that voice the key to that audio?Odd…

  56. Mary Richard says:

    I would add all twenty of novels in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series. David Mamet described them as “a masterpiece” (New York Times). They have been described as “addictively readable” (Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune), and “the best historical novels ever written” (Richard Snow, New York Times Book Review), which “should have been on those lists of the greatest novels of the 20th century” (George Will).

  57. Mary K says:

    I’d like to add the Heathcliff Lennox series, beginning with Murder at Melrose Court, by Karen Menuhin, the daughter-in-law of violinist Yehudi Menuhin. They’re delightful and often make me laugh out loud!

  58. Mary K says:

    Oops, in my previous post, I forgot to credit narrator Sam Dewhurst-Phillips as the mesmerizing reader of the “Heathcliff Lennox” mystery series, beginning with “Murder at Melrose Court” by author Karen Menuhin, daughter-in-law of violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Sam Dewhurst-Phillips is outstanding!

  59. Laurel says:

    The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan is a wonderful audible book. The added musical interludes were perfectly placed, the reader was excellent, the story was delightful!

  60. Pam says:

    I’d add the Maisie Donna mystery series, by Jacqueline Winspear. So good, and several books in the series. The first one is entitled “Maisie Dobbs”.

  61. Sandra says:

    Don’t forget Rosamund Pilcher books. The Shellseekers read by Helen Johns, and Coming Home (40+ hours!) also read by Helen Johns…both of these are wonderful. with Coming Home especially magnificent. I found these for sale on the Chirp app at a ridiculously low price during a special sale. Several of her other books are available on Libby and elsewhere, some read by Jilly Bond.

    I love this list and agree with so many suggestions. Love the comments and generous sharing of favorites!! Grateful for so many audio books to add to my list!!

  62. Tim says:

    As an English person, may I say that I do not have an “accent ” 🙂 Bernard Cornwell’s “Harlequin” is an excellent experience of being an archer in battle against the French during the hundred years war.

  63. Jaime says:

    I loved Quick Service so much, I made my family listed to it on a road trip last year. It was wonderful! I just finished listening to A Quiet Place in the Country. My favorite description in the whole book: he was “possessed of slightly less charm than a blocked drain. “

  64. Patti says:

    Recently I discovered the writing of Barbara Pym – stories set in post-WW2 England (think the first few seasons of “Call the Midwife”). “Excellent Women,” and “A Glass of Blessings,” are the two I’ve listened to so far, both beautifully (and unusually) narrated by Mary Sarah. Not much “happens” in these books – they are definitely character-driven. Reading – and reflecting afterwards – I got serious Jane Austen and Jan Karon (Mitford series) vibes.

  65. Susanna says:

    Can’t believe the whole Harry Potter series isn’t written as a recommendation!! Jim Dale is incredible and every novel is fantastic, for all ages.

  66. Debra C Benton says:

    Crazy. I looked for T.E. Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle in my library and they only have it in German?? Then I looked on Libro and it was nearly $50. What?? Any insights from anyone, was it an incredibly popular or very rare book?

  67. Deirdre says:

    Currently in the middle of Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series (part of Discworld), and I love the books and the narrator, Stephen Briggs, so much! He does the Nac Mac Feegles’ Scottish-inspired accents with such flair I feel like I am going to melt into a puddle of love and laughter. Definitely a cozy British series!

    These are my first Terry Pratchett books and seem like as good an introduction to Discworld as any. I am smitten! Just look up “Tiffany Aching series” to make sure you get the series order correct.

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