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The Sacred Art of Stealing cover art

The Sacred Art of Stealing

By: Chris Brookmyre
Narrated by: Caroline Guthrie
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Summary

Their eyes met across a crowded room. She was just a poor servant girl, and he was the son of a rich industrialist.

Er, no, this is a Christopher Brookmyre novel, although the eyes meeting across a crowded room part is true. Where it differs from the fairy tales is that the room in question was crowded with hostages and armed bank robbers, and his eyes were the only part of him she could see behind the mask....

©2002 Christopher Brookmyre (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"A thriller, love story, social satire and a warning against taking absurdism too seriously." ( Time Out)
"Chris Brookmyre is a genius." ( Daily Mirror)

What listeners say about The Sacred Art of Stealing

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book, truly dreadful choice for narrator

Echoing so many of the other reviews - why on earth did the editors not realise how awful the narrator's "American" accents were and quickly decide on a different approach? I'm ploughing on through as it's a book I've read many times and wished to listen to as part of the de Xavier series. The story and writing are vintage Christopher Brookmyre and great fun, but so badly let down by the performance. A real shame - please, if anyone from the publishers/production team reads these reviews, consider re-recording with a different narrator. Steve Worsley did a great job on the previous book in this series -bring him back!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

new narrator please.

worst American accent ever. Bad pronunciation of names and "allegory". Still Love this book though

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8 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

WORST AMERICAN ACCENT EVER!!!!

My initial relief at hearing a genuine Glasgow accent, having endured the first book in this series featuring a non-Glaswegian Scot struggling with the required accent and slang, was short lived when the opening scene unfolded featuring an American and a Mexican. Oh my giddy gosh, it is the worst attempt at an accent I’ve ever heard.

It turns out that there are several American characters in this book, and the differentiation between there voices was entirely absent. All the same. All horrible.

She also manages to mangle the pronunciation of some regular English words; I cite “disinter”, “Dadaist”, “sleight” and “allegory” (on her first attempt) as just some examples from memory.

I endured it all the way through because I like this author, and he tells a good tale with wit and flair. I will download the third part of the trilogy more in hope than expectation that the narrator will have the ability to deliver a performance worthy of the writing.

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7 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • GD
  • 07-11-17

Not a bad story, but the reader spoiled it

I love brookmyre. This isn’t his strongest one but it fits well as the appetiser for the much darker funnier “sequel” in snowball in hell.

Trouble is the narrator for this one is poor. Her “voices” not great and her own voice grates. And I say that as a Glaswegian!

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6 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Real disappointment compared to A big boy did it.

Really liked the characters and some scenes were really well done, like the bank robbery, but overall it dragged and dragged. The narrator's accents were definitely the worst I'd ever heard and were extremely off putting.

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5 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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AWFUL Narration!

Such a shame I have no idea about the story- the narrator's accents are so bad I couldn't stop laughing and didn't get more than 10 minutes in.

The only audiobook I've ever had I want a refund on!!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, rubbish accents

So really really enjoyable but the narrator really can't do American accents. Love Brookmyre though. One of my faves of his.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

A brilliant story of deception and crime laced dark humour. I love Chris Brookmyres novels which always have a devilish twist at the end that keeps you guessing.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

poor narrator for the text

narrator clearly chosen for Scottish accent but cannot do any credible accents otherwise and there are a lot of international voices, despite being set primarily in Scotland. the "American" accents are so bad they made me give up on this audiobook once, which I never do on account of the narrator. I have returned to this and am soldiering on because Chris brookmyre is a new favourite. someone new to him should try another of his many books on audible without this narrator.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story/errible accents.

The narrator did fine with the Scottish accents (she's Scottish) - but can't do an American accent to save her life .. This had the unfortunate result of constantly ejecting you from the narrative.

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1 person found this helpful