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Shrines of Gaiety

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Shrines of Gaiety

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Jason Watkins
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.

The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost.

With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems.

©2022 Kate Atkinson (P)2022 Penguin Audio 20th Century Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Thriller & Suspense World War I Fiction Biography Mystery England War

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Critic reviews

"This is the perfect novel for uncertain times."(The Times)

"I can think of few writers other than Dickens who can match it." (Sunday Times)

"Brilliant." (Richard Osman)
All stars
Most relevant
This is such a good story with so many interesting characters brought to life by Jason Watkins, his different voices and accents are superb! I did not want it to end!

Brilliant!

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This was the book for a club book night I couldn’t attend but listened to anyway. A good ‘page turner’ that skips around time periods with unexplained cliffhanger moments which keeps you listening so you can find out what led to the various events. Really enjoyed the story while driving and made being stuck in traffic jams significantly more tolerable!

Good cliffhangers!

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Great story and characters. Easy listening to Jason Watkins. Very enjoyable book to listen to.

Usual quality from Atikinson

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Super narration. So clear and really helped to bring the characters to life. I enjoyed the story too. Lots of characters and fast moving.

A very enjoyable listen

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Absolute perfection. Gripping story and Jason Watkins is off the scale brilliant as the reader

Sublime

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