
A Knife in the Fog
A Mystery Featuring Margaret Harkness and Arthur Conan Doyle
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Matthew Lloyd Davies
-
By:
-
Bradley Harper
About this listen
September 1888. A 29-year-old Arthur Conan Doyle practices medicine by day and writes at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, although gaining critical and popular success, has only netted him 25 pounds. Embittered by the experience, he vows never to write another "crime story". Then a messenger arrives with a mysterious summons from former Prime Minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to London immediately.
Once there, he is offered one month's employment to assist the Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell - Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes - agrees to work with him. Bell agrees, and soon the two are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End who knows how to use a Derringer and serves as their guide and companion.
Pursuing leads through the dank alleys and courtyards of Whitechapel, they come upon the body of a savagely murdered fifth victim. Soon it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted when a knife-wielding figure approaches.
©2018 Bradley Harper (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Queen’s Gambit
- By: Bradley Harper
- Narrated by: Danielle Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret Harkness, now in her early 40s, must leave England for her health but lacks the funds. A letter arrives from her old friend Professor Bell, her old comrade in the hunt for Jack the Ripper and the real-life inspiration for Sherlock Homes. Bell invites her to join him in Germany on a mysterious mission for the German government involving the loss of state secrets to Anarchists.
-
-
Vivid imagery & great characters!
- By TerAiko on 10-17-19
By: Bradley Harper
-
Dust and Shadow
- An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Breathless and painstakingly researched, this is a stunning debut mystery in which Sherlock Holmes unmasks Jack the Ripper. Lyndsay Faye perfectly captures all the color and syntax of Conan Doyle’s distinctive nineteenth-century London.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Wadie on 01-07-11
By: Lyndsay Faye
-
Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
- By: Stephen Fry, Washington Irving, M.R. James, and others
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
-
-
Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
-
The Five
- The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
- By: Hallie Rubenhold
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that "the Ripper" preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, but it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told.
-
-
Everyone needs to read/listen to this book
- By AAHickman on 12-05-19
By: Hallie Rubenhold
-
To Wake the Giant
- A Novel of Pearl Harbor
- By: Jeff Shaara
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt watches uneasily as the world heads rapidly down a dangerous path. The Japanese have waged an aggressive campaign against China, and they now begin to expand their ambitions to other parts of Asia. As their expansion efforts grow bolder, their enemies know that Japan's ultimate goal is total conquest over the region, especially when the Japanese align themselves with Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy, who wage their own war of conquest across Europe.
-
-
Simplistic in the extreme
- By DPM on 05-22-20
By: Jeff Shaara
-
The Eagle's Claw
- A Novel of the Battle of Midway
- By: Jeff Shaara
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spring 1942. The United States is reeling from the blow the Japanese inflicted at Pearl Harbor. But the Americans are determined to turn the tide. The key comes from Commander Joe Rochefort, a little known “code breaker” who cracks the Japanese military encryption. With Rochefort’s astonishing discovery, Admiral Chester Nimitz will know precisely what the Japanese are planning.
-
-
A good story
- By Mike West on 06-05-21
By: Jeff Shaara
-
Queen’s Gambit
- By: Bradley Harper
- Narrated by: Danielle Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret Harkness, now in her early 40s, must leave England for her health but lacks the funds. A letter arrives from her old friend Professor Bell, her old comrade in the hunt for Jack the Ripper and the real-life inspiration for Sherlock Homes. Bell invites her to join him in Germany on a mysterious mission for the German government involving the loss of state secrets to Anarchists.
-
-
Vivid imagery & great characters!
- By TerAiko on 10-17-19
By: Bradley Harper
-
Dust and Shadow
- An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Breathless and painstakingly researched, this is a stunning debut mystery in which Sherlock Holmes unmasks Jack the Ripper. Lyndsay Faye perfectly captures all the color and syntax of Conan Doyle’s distinctive nineteenth-century London.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Wadie on 01-07-11
By: Lyndsay Faye
-
Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
- By: Stephen Fry, Washington Irving, M.R. James, and others
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
-
-
Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
-
The Five
- The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
- By: Hallie Rubenhold
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that "the Ripper" preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, but it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told.
-
-
Everyone needs to read/listen to this book
- By AAHickman on 12-05-19
By: Hallie Rubenhold
-
To Wake the Giant
- A Novel of Pearl Harbor
- By: Jeff Shaara
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt watches uneasily as the world heads rapidly down a dangerous path. The Japanese have waged an aggressive campaign against China, and they now begin to expand their ambitions to other parts of Asia. As their expansion efforts grow bolder, their enemies know that Japan's ultimate goal is total conquest over the region, especially when the Japanese align themselves with Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy, who wage their own war of conquest across Europe.
-
-
Simplistic in the extreme
- By DPM on 05-22-20
By: Jeff Shaara
-
The Eagle's Claw
- A Novel of the Battle of Midway
- By: Jeff Shaara
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spring 1942. The United States is reeling from the blow the Japanese inflicted at Pearl Harbor. But the Americans are determined to turn the tide. The key comes from Commander Joe Rochefort, a little known “code breaker” who cracks the Japanese military encryption. With Rochefort’s astonishing discovery, Admiral Chester Nimitz will know precisely what the Japanese are planning.
-
-
A good story
- By Mike West on 06-05-21
By: Jeff Shaara
-
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
- Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D.
- By: Nicholas Meyer
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This "rediscovered" Sherlock Holmes adventure recounts the unique collaboration of Holmes and Sigmund Freud in the solution of a mystery on which the lives of millions may depend.
-
-
Did I Get the Same Book Everyone Else Got?
- By Troy on 08-28-13
By: Nicholas Meyer
-
The Librarian of Crooked Lane
- The Glass Library, Book 1
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she's descended from magicians, she's skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she's just an ordinary woman who loves books. She seeks answers from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won't be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.
-
-
Fun to be Back
- By Meg on 10-12-22
By: C.J. Archer
-
Alison Larkin Presents: The Secret Adversary, Murder on the Links, and The Mysterious Affair at Styles
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin, James Warwick
- Length: 24 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three critically acclaimed recordings are joined together in this dazzling Agatha Christie Triple Bill, read by award-winning narrators Alison Larkin and James Warwick, star of the Partners in Crime TV series on Masterpiece Theater.
-
-
Pitch perfect narration of Agatha Christie!
- By Mary Katherine Worth on 10-18-19
By: Agatha Christie
-
The Case of the Canterfell Codicil
- The Anty Boisjoly Mysteries, Book 1
- By: PJ Fitzsimmons
- Narrated by: Tim Bruce
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a literary niche for all tastes including those who think that either Agatha Christie wasn’t funny enough or that PG Wodehouse didn’t feature anywhere near as many baffling murders as he could have. The Case of the Canterfell Codicil is a classic, cozy, locked-room mystery written in the style of an homage to PG Wodehouse.
-
-
Relaxing old fashioned mystery
- By Laurie S on 11-01-22
By: PJ Fitzsimmons
-
The Whole Art of Detection
- Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
- By: Lyndsay Faye
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Internationally best-selling author Lyndsay Faye became enamored with tales of Sherlock Holmes and his esteemed biographer, Dr. John Watson, as a child and later began spinning these quintessential characters into her own works of fiction - from her acclaimed debut novel, Dust and Shadow, which pitted the famous detective against Jack the Ripper, to a series of short stories for the Strand Magazine, whose predecessor published the very first Sherlock Holmes short story in 1891.
-
-
Marvelous!
- By Gentleman Gamer on 05-16-17
By: Lyndsay Faye
-
Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel
- By: M K Wiseman
- Narrated by: Bernard Faricy
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I am afraid that I, Sherlock Holmes, must act as my own chronicler in this singular case, that of the Whitechapel murders of 1888. For the way in which the affair was dropped upon my doorstep left me with little choice as to the contrary. Not 12 months prior, the siren's call of quiet domesticity and married life had robbed me of Watson's assistance as both partner and recorder of my cases. Thus, when detective inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard required a lead - any lead - I found myself forced to pursue Jack the Ripper alone.
-
-
Solid story, subpar narration
- By Benjamin T. Sochor on 07-09-21
By: M K Wiseman
-
Songbird
- Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Detective Sergeant Chris Waters got the call at 05.29 that July morning. This is it, said DCI Reeve, you'll be first there, it's all yours, you're the crime scene manager. Suddenly, after months of waiting and wondering, Waters finds himself in at the deep end, and alone at the scene of a puzzling murder. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives at Kings Lake Central find themselves visiting familiar places and talking to some familiar faces, while old enmities reappear in the incident room. Before this is over, Chris Waters will need to make a career-changing decision.
-
-
Loved it...
- By Kelly on 09-20-19
By: Peter Grainger
-
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
- By: Theodora Goss
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents' deaths, is curious about the secrets of her father's mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father's former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture...a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes. But her hunt leads her to Hyde's daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns.
-
-
Cute, erratic, sloppy but not without charm
- By Rachel on 07-07-17
By: Theodora Goss
-
The Devil Aspect
- A Novel
- By: Craig Russell
- Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Czechoslovakia, 1935: Viktor Kosárek, a newly trained psychiatrist who studied under Carl Jung, arrives at the infamous Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane. The facility is located in a medieval mountaintop castle surrounded by forests, on a site that is well known for concealing dark secrets going back many centuries. The asylum houses six inmates - the country's most treacherous killers - known to the terrified public as the Devil's Six. Viktor intends to use a new medical technique to prove that these patients share a common archetype of evil, a phenomenon he calls The Devil Aspect.
-
-
ACTUALLY KEPT MY INTEREST THROUGHOUT!
- By Summer G on 12-15-20
By: Craig Russell
-
The Alienist
- By: Caleb Carr
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
-
-
Outstanding on several levels.
- By lyl on 12-30-12
By: Caleb Carr
-
Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula
- The Adventure of the Solitary Grave, from the Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes, Book 1
- By: Christian Klaver
- Narrated by: William David Kirby
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes London's most beloved detective encounters his most deadly foe, and the results will be unlike any Sherlock Holmes adventure before it!
-
-
Terrible
- By Meep on 11-19-15
By: Christian Klaver
-
Murder on Black Swan Lane
- By: Andrea Penrose
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both.
-
-
Tedious
- By Kathi on 10-02-17
By: Andrea Penrose
What listeners say about A Knife in the Fog
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Charles
- 12-04-22
Outstanding!
Harper weaves a masterful and entertaining tale, intertwining copious historical facts with delightful dashes of fiction to give us a stirring glimpse of what may have been.
Davies's performance is that of a Master thespian.
I have listened twice and have the book. Much like Conan Doyle's famous detective mysteries, I will read and re-read this, finding new delights with each fresh instance.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Timothy S.
- 04-13-23
phenomenal
A quick read and immersive story. Something to pick up for your personal collection.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mastiff Enthusiast
- 01-25-21
great story by a local author
i meet Mr Harper at my local gym and after taking to him, quickly logged into audible to buy this book. i like to support local but this was a real treat. well written, suspenseful, and historically accurate. it reminded me s lot of The Alienist that i watched on TV. great historical tidbits and wonderful characters. i look forward to reading more of his writings.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ron Coley
- 04-12-25
Margaret! Stong character. Hope there are more stories on the way. Love to see the movie.
Great narrator. Wonderful sense of time and place. Well paced. Unique twist on classic tale.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gail N.
- 05-02-19
Mixed, because of the horrors described
I generally steer clear of anything to do with "Jack the Ripper" or violence against women of any kind. But I was intrigued by this debut novel by a former Army surgeon and pathologist because of the historical characters he has peopled his story with. The author, Dr. Bradley Harper, is certainly in his element. I have long wondered what would draw a person into the the profession of medical examiner. I think this novel helped me to understand that it is perhaps a desire to solve murders and bring justice and closure to violent crimes.
I found that I could generally avoid most of the disturbing descriptions with a few 30-sec skips, but still found the theme upsetting. I gratefully acknowledge that a brave and intelligent, but caring, woman is given a prominent role and portrayed as some who, as in the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, can proclaim:
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
The story is based on the real biographies of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; his mentor and inspiration for Shelock Holmes, Dr. Joseph Bell; and the author and human rights activist Miss Margaret Harkness. This gives the story a real piquancy and makes their relationship quite believable, although not factual in the case of Miss Harkness.
The narrator was generally very good, but his truly awful rendition of a German accent cost him a star. However, his Scottish burr is genuine and captivating.
For anyone interested in the Bell-Doyle relationship, there is a great TV series produced by the BBC and WGBH starring Ian Richardson as Dr. Bell. The pilot for the series is "Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle - The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes". The four subsequent episodes are grouped under the title "Murder Rooms - The Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes." Both are available as DVDs from Amazon.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laura
- 07-04-22
Excellent!
This is the first book in the series. I read the second book in the series first - which features Margaret Harkness prominently while Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dr. Bell are relegated to cameos. This book has the three characters working together to identify Jack the Ripper. I very much preferred the format of this book versus the second and hope the author chooses to explore these three characters working together as forensic technology is slowly being developed in Victorian England.
The story of Jack the Ripper has often been told but the way it is told here with some minor fictional twists is so interesting. The story is narrated by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and takes place after he has written the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. The entire story is from his point of view and is told years after the events. The exploration of the crime scenes [including autopsies and other evidence] by the characters and hearing their process as they reached their conclusions was fascinating. There is some nice humor sprinkled throughout.
I listened to this in one sitting and was saddened when it ended as I had so enjoyed spending time with these characters. It was time very enjoyably spent and I highly recommend this excellent book. There is a great epilogue at the end which provides information from the author about all of the real life individuals depicted in this book.
The narrator, Matthew Lloyd Davies, was perfect. He did various voices for all the characters - including a great voice for the "tour guide" for one of the crime scenes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TerAiko
- 12-27-18
Great fun!
I don't typically read fiction based in this time frame, but it was recommended by a friend. I'm so glad I listened! The narrator is fantastic and brought the characters to life. The plot was well paced and delicious! You'll be happy you took the time to enjoy this gem.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- teddi1961
- 04-13-20
Great literary works!
I was unable to complete the physical book simultaneously with audio as the book had to be returned to library. However, I did complete with the audio alone and was very pleased with the accuracy of real happenings in the material. Readers can "see" what the protagonists were doing, "visit" the locations they search for clues, and the "feel" their process of thinking that took place to concluded the "business." I will read other material by this author. I believe this author, and this book in particular, is one that will be entered into the "classics" as time passes!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mel
- 09-21-20
VAMRC
Fast paced with enough turns and surprises to get and keep your attention. I will read the next novels. Excellent narration
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!