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Archangel

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About this listen

 When historian Fluke Kelso learns of the existence of a secret notebook belonging to Josef Stalin he is determined to track it down, whatever the consequences. From the violent political intrigue and decadence of modern Moscow he heads north - to the vast forests surrounding the White Sea port of Archangel, and a terrifying encounter with Russia's unburied past. Historical Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Russia Exciting Scary Stalin Fiction Mystery

Critic reviews

The best thriller for years
His best yet: a fast paced thriller, pulsing with suspense, that surpasses even the expertly handled tensions and twists of Fatherland
Robert Harris confirms his position as Britain's pre-eminent literary thriller writer with Archangel
A really gripping narrative, full of suspense and unexpected turns, which will keep you hooked until the climax on its final page... I have never read a thriller based in Russia which has such an authentic feel
Archangel is Harris's strongest book yet, confirming him as the leading current exponent of the intelligent literary thriller
As the suspense builds, the reader needs to turn the pages ever faster... with Harris's controlling foot on the narrative pedal, the reader has no choice but to ride, enthralled, towards the plunging abyss
I remained immersed in this marvellous book until its culmination arrived with depressing swiftness...Readers of Archangel are in for an exciting ride. They will also learn a lot
Nerve tingling... nobody is more adept... a talent for heart-poundingly tense story-telling and an ability to conjure up atmospheres almost palpable with menace
All stars
Most relevant
A missed opportunity.

What happened:

You’re iimpressed with the author’s craft, his ability to suck the reader in and to convince him that the price of admission is necessary. This is done, not immediately, but eventually, at an unhurried pace. The promise that is signalled in the foyer of the book, so to speak.

The alien (at least for western audiences) landscape is then drawn up with an instinctive verisimilitude. Yes, so far, so good. You slowly realise that Fluke Kelso, the protagonist, is in cahoots with the disembodied narrative as a sort of hybrid delivery vehicle to the real premise and underlying feature of the novel, the ghost of the legacy of Comrade Stalin-let’s call it Stalinism, as it is understood.

This is all done entertainingly, within the ease and mastery of Harris’s writing power, as he builds up the tension & suspense.

And then, after all that build up, at the immediate point that the secret is unveiled and we meet the secret face to face…

…he blows it…the whole bloody thing gets screwed up, the premise dissolves to ridiculousness and disbelief submerges us.

Why? Did the publishing deadline approach too fast and author just run out of time? Out of energy? Out of loyalty to the quality of wha he has previously written?

Who knows, it’ll just have to remain a mystery…and perhaps that was the trick Harris missed. Perhaps, he ought to have let the story play out to an indessive end.

But luckily, the first 80% of the book was good enough to rave about.

The narrator was excellent.

Then Ending is not worthy of the Beginning

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What did you like best about Archangel? What did you like least?

Someone told me that they could not put the book down and read it overnight, so it is probable that my expectations were too high.

What was most disappointing about Robert Harris’s story?

The story was over the top and technically sound was not even throughout.

Which character – as performed by Michael Kitchen – was your favourite?

I like Michael Kitchen but in this reading the quality of his voice did not come through for me.

Do you think Archangel needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Absolutely not

Any additional comments?

This is a second book by Robert Harris I listened to and the first one I liked enough to download Archangel.

Over the top

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I love RH and Archangel is up there with his best. But that’s no surprise. What is a surprise is the narrator - MK has created the best audiobook I ever heard. Bravo sir 👏🏻

Superb

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RH sets a high bar - I did enjoy Archangel but not as much say, Act of Oblivion.
The narrator took a bit of getting used to - if you have watched Foyles War you’ll know how Foyle runs his sentences into one another, seemingly pausing when he runs out and of breath. And his intonation almost sounded bored at times - and the pace rushed.

Enjoyed …but not as much as previous Robert Harris before is

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Amazing story and equally amazing narration. Such a superb and clever plot - kept me gripped throughout. Cannot recommend this enough! Just perfect.

Absolutely unmissable!

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