Original mysteryNo. 2942 minHercule Poirot
At Wealdon Lodge, a country house weekend of sport, poker, and polished hospitality turns deadly when a quarrel ends in a death in the mist, drawing the Belgian Detective and his loyal companion into a web of jealousy, rivalry, gambling tensions, and carefully managed appearances where each conversation feels like a wager and betrayal waits for the final hand; inspired by historical crime of its era while remaining entirely fictional, A Game of Hearts is an original Golden Age–style mystery of pride, deception, and the dangerous moment when competition becomes motive. FOR LISTENERS This is an original Golden Age–style mystery presented as a respectful homage to classic detective fiction. All characters and events in this story are fictional. No affiliation, endorsement, or official connection is implied. QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS In a house full of competition, what turns resentment into murder first: humiliation, money, or wounded pride? SUPPORT & LISTENING OPTIONS Patreon (ad-free episodes, early access, bonus content – tiers from $2.99/month) Buy Me a Coffee (one-time support) PayPal (one-time tip) Spotify (follow the show) CHILDREN’S BOOK (Amazon) Sherlock Paws and the Diamond of the Nile CREDITS Written by Nocturnal Tales. Narrated by Nocturnal Tales. TAGS / KEYWORDS golden age mystery audiobook, country house mystery, card game murder mystery, gambling suspense fiction, jealousy and rivalry thriller, british detective fiction audio, misty lane murder case, period crime mystery, psychological whodunit, closed-circle suspects, classic-style deduction, historical-inspired crime fiction, manor house intrigue, full-length mystery audiobook, betrayal mystery drama
Free to listen, in full, with no account and no password. Your place is remembered in this browser, so you can stop and come back.
Every story on Nocturnal Tales is free, and stays free. Listeners who choose to give are the reason there is a new one tomorrow.
This is our work and what we live on: two of us, writing and producing a story every night. Giving here goes straight to us, rather than through a platform that can change its mind overnight. Why donations are important.
or
Give with PayPalPayPal opens in a new page. Monthly support is easiest to manage through the card option.
No story is ever locked. Payment is handled securely by Stripe — we never see your card details. You can change or cancel your support at any time, from this page, with no explanation needed.
Tell us what you made of this one. No account and no password — just a name.
Hercule Poirot
London in the fog, and a block of mansion flats in Battersea where a man has been found dead in his own bath. The dead man is an architect. He was seen alive the previous evening, the door was locked from within, and the water was long cold by the time anybody thought to look.
2 hr 18 minNo. 250
Lady Molly of Scotland Yard
The newspaper-reading public called it the Somersetshire Outrage, and to this day, as far as the public is concerned, it was never properly explained at all. A young shop assistant named Jane Turner is found in her lodgings at Weston, tied to a chair with a rope, a shawl over her head, half-slipping to the floor.
by Baroness Orczy
46 minNo. 249
Hercule Poirot
New Orleans, the spring of nineteen thirty-three. There are certain cities which, even before one has committed a crime in them, seem already to know the secret. Arthur and the Belgian Detective have come for a rest.
1 hr 14 minNo. 248
Max Carrados
It begins with Max Carrados greeting his friend Carlyle at the door and remarking that he has a mystery about him somewhere. He can hear it in the man's step. The mystery is a railway disaster.
by Ernest Bramah
1 hr 7 minNo. 247