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    Party Girls Die in Pearls: An Oxford Girl Mystery
    Party Girls Die in Pearls: An Oxford Girl Mystery
    Party Girls Die in Pearls: An Oxford Girl Mystery
    Audiobook11 hours

    Party Girls Die in Pearls: An Oxford Girl Mystery

    Written by Plum Sykes

    Narrated by Moira Quirk

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    About this audiobook

    The New York Times bestselling author of Bergdorf Blondes takes us back to the decadent 1980s in this comic murder mystery set in the tony world of Oxford University.

    It’s 1985, and at Oxford University, Pimm’s, punting, and ball gowns are de rigeur. Ursula Flowerbutton, a studious country girl, arrives for her first term anticipating nothing more sinister than days spent poring over history books in gilded libraries—and, if she’s lucky, an invitation to a ball.

    But when she discovers a glamorous classmate on a chaise longue with her throat cut, Ursula is catapulted into a murder investigation.

    Determined to bag her first scoop for the famous student newspaper Cherwell, Ursula enlists the help of trend-setting American exchange student Nancy Feingold to unravel the case. While navigating a whirl of black-tie parties and secret dining societies, the girls discover a surfeit of suspects. From broken-hearted boyfriends to snobby Sloane Rangers, lovelorn librarians to dishy dons, none can be presumed innocent—and Ursula’s investigations mean that she may be next on the murderer’s list.

    Clueless meets Agatha Christie in this wickedly funny tale of high society and low morals, the first book in Plum Sykes’ irresistible new series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMay 9, 2017
    ISBN9780062675118
    Author

    Plum Sykes

    Plum Sykes was born in London and educated at Oxford. She is the author of the novels Bergdorf Blondes, The Debutante Divorcée, and Party Girls Die in Pearls. She is a contributing editor at World of Interiors and American Vogue. She lives in the English countryside with her daughters.

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    Reviews for Party Girls Die in Pearls

    4/5

    54 ratings2 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book was just pure, unadulterated fun. It really was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had in a while. I read Sykes' two other novels, and did not think they were that great. The writing here is far better than in those two books, and the characters far more charming. I loved all of the delicious details of 80s fashion, Oxford life, and British upper middle class/upper class mores. It is a very light and funny read, and it is definitely the literary equivalent of champagne. I really hope Sykes writes a bunch more of these. I loved all of the over-the-top characters in their beautifully described over-the-top fashion. Nancy, the New Jersey girl on her year abroad, was the best character. An utterly enchanting read.
    • 5/5
      My family recently went on our summer vacation where I was thrilled to make a small dent in my ever growing TBR by reading nine books, all of which were fun reads (exciting in and of itself because I tend to be a picky reader). The two clear standouts were Party Girls Die in Pearls and Eden by Jeanne Blasberg, two very different but equally fabulous reads. In Party Girl Dies in Pearls, Plum Sykes crafts a clever tale filled with memorable and mostly likeable characters set at Oxford University in the mid-1980’s. Sykes’ sly, witty, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek method of telling Ursula’s adventure makes Party Girl Die in Pearls a highly entertaining tale that kept me laughing and marveling at Sykes’ incredible storytelling skills. The mystery was well-done and realistic, and the resolution of the crime was highly satisfying and thankfully not easy to puzzle out. The many twists and turns added both suspense and at times humor to her story.Having experienced the 80’s in my teens, I thoroughly enjoyed the many 80’s references including Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, tube tops and huge hairstyles. Sykes also employed footnotes to explain or comment on certain references; these footnotes added greatly to the ingeniousness of the book. I highly recommend Party Girls Die in Pearls and cannot wait for the next Oxford Girl Mystery.