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Bleeding Heart Square
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
Nineteen thirty-four, London. Into the decaying cul-de-sac of Bleeding Heart Square steps aristocratic Lydia Langstone fleeing an abusive marriage. However, unknown to Lydia, a dark mystery haunts Bleeding Heart Square. What happened to Miss Penhow, the middle-aged spinster who owns the house and who vanished four years earlier? Why is a seedy plain-clothes policeman obsessively watching the square? What is making struggling journalist Rory Wentwood so desperate to contact Miss Penhow? And why are parcels of rotting hearts being sent to Joseph Serridge, the last person to see Miss Penhow alive?
Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of critically acclaimed crime novels, including the Roth Trilogy (ITV's Fallen Angel) and The American Boy, his best-selling historical novel which was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection. He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey Award, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America and two CWA Ellis Peters Historical Daggers.
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What listeners say about Bleeding Heart Square
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kaggy
- 23-02-18
A very satisfying experience
Set in the 1930’s, this makes a very refreshing change from my usual Victorian era historical novels. It also gives a fascinating insight into the volatile political landscape when none of the protagonists are yet aware they are on the brink of another devastating world war and are witnessing the development of fascism from a completely impartial and innocent perspective. Lydia is an aristocratic young woman on the run from an abusive marriage and who ends up living in the same house as Rory, a lovelorn young man who is still attempting to ingratiate himself with his ex fiancé. Underpinning all of this is the mystery of a woman who has left her home in dubious circumstances and whose story is intertwined with all the people in this story. All the characters are very richly drawn and superbly brought to life by the narrator John Banks. There are enough suspicious folk to make the ending a genuine surprise and overall this was an extremely enjoyable and enthralling tale. I have read a few books by Andrew Taylor and all of them have been excellent so I will certainly be back for more.
14 people found this helpful
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- Miss
- 27-02-17
Great story, well narrated
The narration was excellent including the female characters' voices. Intriguing story with interesting characters and a surprise ending.
7 people found this helpful
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- Bobby Cook
- 22-01-18
Good story telling well read
Really enjoyed this one. Especially as I know this part of London very well. More of a mystery rather than a crime novel, but nothing wrong with that
6 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 11-05-19
Thoroughly enjoyable
Superb narration, interesting characters. Would love to see it as a TV mini series very evocative of the era.
4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 24-12-17
Fantastic twists.
Wow. Loved it. Amazing narrator. Fantastic twists. Would read this author's work again. Well done.
2 people found this helpful
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- Alex
- 13-12-17
Excellent book
This is a very well written book. It is an excellent, integrated story with many interesting characters. The ending is satisfying. The narrator also does a fine job. I recommend heartily.
2 people found this helpful
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- Malcolm Blackwood
- 03-05-17
Another excellent Andrew Taylor story
I found this riveting. Well put together and well read. A nice little twist at the end.....
2 people found this helpful
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- Kirstine
- 30-08-21
An intriguing crime thriller
I've enjoyed a number of the author's books set in the turbulent 17th century and was interested to find this much more modern tale that also has a backdrop of troubled times in 1934 with the rise of fascism in Europe the brief popularity in this country led by Oswald Mosley and his black-shirts. Bleeding Heart Square is a run down area with a sinister reputation. The characters come together in a seedy boarding house previously owned by Miss Penhow. The central mystery is the disappearance of Miss Penhow who appears to have been tricked by the present owner, Joseph Serridge, into signing over her property to him with a promise of marriage. A young journalist and, Lydia, fleeing a wealthy, violent husband, become involved in trying to find out what happened to Miss Penhow. It's an intriguing story made even better by excllent narration.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-08-21
Protracted
Not even moderately good narration could lift a bloated, overly long story with a rushed and inconclusive end
1 person found this helpful
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- T S.
- 12-03-20
Disappointing book
Unfortunately I can’t recommend this book. Unlike The American Boy the plot of this book was really boring. Only listened to the end because I value my own commitment to books I download. The only audio book I could not finish won the best audio book prize of the year read by Colin Firth. That was most dull love (stalking) story created by a writer who knows nothing about men.
1 person found this helpful