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Tightrope

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Tightrope

By: Simon Mawer
Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
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Returned to an England she barely knows and a postwar world she doesn't understand, Marian searches for something on which to ground her life. Family and friends surround her, and a RAF officer attempts to bring her the normality of love and affection, but she is haunted by the guilt of knowing that her contribution to the war helped to develop the atom bomb. Where, in the complexities of peacetime, does her loyalty lie?

©2015 Simon Mawer (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd
Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction War
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A good female spy story. Quite exciting. I did get a bit confused with first person and third person sometimes though.

A good war story

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I loved both the books in this two part story of Marianne Sutro. The stories stand alone but I had read The Girl several years ago and then ordered Tightrope because I’m a fan of Simon Mawer’s books but not realising it was a sequel. It didn’t disappoint and the fluent narration and complex story set in the aftermath of WWII invite one into the world of counterespionage and the interwoven lives and loves of the principal characters. It’s beautifully written like all of this authors books which describe complex characters in intriguing places and firmly set in the period of modern history chosen. Reading or listening to these books is as vivid an experience as going to the cinema. Thank you.

Excellent follow up to The Girl Who Fell from the sky

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What made the experience of listening to Tightrope the most enjoyable?

Being able to pick up Marian Sutro's story from where the previous book finished. I Like Simon Mawer's writing style his characters are believable and it is interesting as the plot moves from the end of WW2 to the early part of the Cold War

What did you like best about this story?

Marian Sutro,she is a survivor, hardened by her SOE training & working undercover in France, her experience of prison,the Gestapo & the concentration camps.She remains true to herself, clinging to the wreckage of what's left of her personality, trying to do what she thinks is right and using what she has been taught to achieve this. I suspect many of the SOE agents returned psychologically scarred by their experiences, not all were feted, Simon Mawer has done a good job of showing what it was like for just one of them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Marian leaving the cottage in the middle of the night, with the intent of killing herself, to put an end to the suffering caused by her experiences.

Any additional comments?

Listen to The Girl Who Fell From The Sky before listening to Tightrope. They are both excellent books.

Excellent sequel to The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

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Where does Tightrope rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Would have been right up there for Simon Mawer's writing, but the narration let it down

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tightrope?

Too many to list

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator nearly lost me at the beginning with his pronunciation of Vevey (Vee-vee) but I stuck with him...unfortunately it didn't improve. Worst of all was his whispery voice for Marian. I understand he had to make a distinction between her and the other (mainly male) characters, but whispery is sooooo not Marian - she's feisty, courageous and confident in her own considerable abilities

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

I bought this as I loved Simon Mawer's The Girl who Fell from the Sky, and wanted to see what happened to Marian. His writing and characterisation are superb, just a pity they didn't stick with the same narrator for Tightrope

Great book, irritating narrator

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I know what other reviewers meant about the narration. Truly grating...the inflexions at the end of sentences was pretty irritating. Not one I could listen to for long periods. His voice changed the compelling heroine of Girl who Fell from the Sky into a simpering floosie...

Overall, it was one way to wrap up the life of Marian but a bit disappointing, for her as much as me! I almost wish I hadn't picked it up.

On the fence about a sequel that didn't need writing?

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