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The Night in Question

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

A lyrical and emotionally engaging novel infused with mystery and wisdom about love, friendship, and the power of forgiveness.

Florrie Butterfield—eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition—believes there can't be any more adventures or surprises in life to experience. Yet one midsummer's evening, there's an accident at Babbington Hall—the adult residence where she lives—so shocking and strange that Florrie is suspicious; is this really an accident? Or is she being lied to? Is she, in fact, living alongside a potential murderer? In her efforts to learn the truth, Florrie is forced to look back on her own life, with all its passions and regrets; she must confront her own bloody secret—and, at last, forgive herself. Above all, Florrie learns, through the help of her new friend, Stanhope, that you're never too old to have the life you've always dreamed of. When it comes to love, it's never too late.

Readers of moving fiction about late-in-life second chances such as Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove and Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will love this un-putdownable book.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 5, 2024
      Fletcher (House of Glass) expertly intertwines two mysteries in this eloquent and astute tale set in a British assisted living facility. The first mystery concerns Renata Green, manager of Babbington Hall, a retirement residence in the Oxfordshire countryside. Renata’s fall from her office window is witnessed by 87-year-old Florrie Butterfield, who roams the facility’s grounds in her wheelchair and is “as deaf as a saucepan without her hearing aids.” Residents suspect Renata jumped in a suicide attempt that has left her comatose, but Florrie, who chatted with Renata earlier in the day and found her to be uncharacteristically cheery and outgoing, believes she was murdered. Following that hunch, the octogenarian sets about investigating with the help of fellow resident and former schoolteacher Stanhope Jones. As they gather clues, Fletcher lights the fuse on the second mystery: who is Florrie, anyway? What’s behind the terrible secret she has trouble even thinking about in private? And what might she learn about forgiveness from her sleuthing with Stanhope? Fletcher points those questions in poignant directions, providing her unforgettable protagonist with resonant lessons about mending the past, all while maintaining satisfying tension in the central whodunit. This gloriously uplifting mystery will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the final page.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Jenny Funnell impeccably presents this mystery set in an English assisted-living facility. It becomes much more than a whodunit as it offers moving themes of love, friendship, and aging. Listeners meet invincible 87-year-old wheelchair-bound Florrie, who is investigating whether the fall of the home's manager was an attempted suicide or murder. As Florrie investigates, events from her life--presented with verve--inform her ideas. Funnell presents characters of a variety of ages whose accents ring true. Polish caregiver Magda's world-weary voice is noteworthy and hilarious. Funnell's measured presentation provides enchanting descriptions, clarity throughout the story's time changes, and moments of much needed humor. Listeners will feel like they're eavesdropping on people whose lives demonstrate that aging isn't necessarily the end of life's story. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from February 1, 2025

      In Fletcher's (Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew) latest, guilt connects a victim and an amateur sleuth, creating a rare, moving style of genre-blended mystery. When Renata, a manager at an assisted-living facility, falls from a third-story window at the home, 87-year-old Florrie is sure this was attempted murder. She refuses to let her missing leg stop her from pursuing leads and won't stop hoping that Renata will awaken from her coma. As Florrie and fellow resident Stanhope investigate, they discover a painful secret from Renata's shadowy past. Listeners learn that although Florrie has seen much joy in her life, she too has been marked by a traumatic event that left her believing she's unworthy of love or forgiveness. Narrator Jenny Funnell has a storyteller's voice. She is the neighbor who charms with warm yet surprising tales, reminding listeners that even quiet grandmothers once had full--and sometimes shocking--lives. Funnell's riveting delivery of the novel's twinned tensions of murder and emotional heartbreak is nearly impossible to pause. VERDICT Listeners touched by Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures but wanting more mystery will be enchanted.--Matthew Galloway

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from February 1, 2025

      When Renata, the manager of a retirement home in Oxfordshire, England, falls from the home's third-story window, 87-year-old resident Florrie jumps into action, sure that Renata was not trying to die by suicide but was the victim of attempted murder. Narrator Jenny Funnell provides a tender portrayal of Florrie, whose cheerful demeanor hides past hurt and trauma. Combining the tension of the unfolding mystery with a thoughtful consideration of aging, forgiveness, and loss, this production enthralls.

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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