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Lie Down with Lions

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Lie Down with Lions

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: Emma Fenney
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About this listen

From terrorist conspiracies in Paris to guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan, Lie Down With Lions is the thrilling tale of suspense and deceit from master of the spy story, Ken Follett.

A Dangerous Romance
In Paris, rival spies Ellis and Jean-Pierre both fall in love with Jane, and all three become gripped in a tangled web of lust and deception as they battle terrorist conspiracies. Ultimately Jane can marry only one and chooses Jean-Pierre.

A Fight for Freedom
In Afghanistan the Mujahedeen are fighting to free their country of the Soviet invasion and the newlyweds travel to the Valley of the Five Lions to help the cause as doctors. Fierce fighting means they must find a way out of the line of fire.

A Perilous Escape
Help unexpectedly comes in the form of Jean Pierre’s nemesis, Ellis, and knowing both men have dangerous secrets, Jane must once again choose who to trust if she is to make her escape over one of the most remote mountain ranges in the world . . .

 20th Century Historical Romance Suspense Thriller & Suspense Espionage

Critic reviews

Sheer suspense
A deadly romantic triangle, a clandestine mission with global stakes, an exotic location, a plot as gripping and ingenious as Eye of the Needle . . . engineered to perfection with breathless acceleration . . . I couldn’t put it down
Vintage Follett . . . tense, vivid, exciting
All stars
Most relevant
The narrator is mainly to blame for this wish, but not totally. One of Follett's poorest books.

Makes you wish Ellis would push Jane off a cliff

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Exciting storytelling, true Ken Follett style and detail. Narration by Emma Fenney was excellent, kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, excellent.

Edge of the seat stuff .......

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Exceptional storytelling, superbly narrated. Such prescience, hard to believe Follett wrote this in the 80s.

Totally gripping!

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A very different approach to this Afghan war. This story highlights the tragedy of the Afghani people.

Typical Follett - great story

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I enjoyed this novel, not least for the perspective of Afghanistan during the period that the Russians were fighting the war rather than the Americans. However it was spoiled for me by a lengthy part of a chapter that had cringeworthy descriptions of sex between two of the protagonists. There is (in my view) extensive use of the c*** word, and I think a lot of the description verges on sexist. Of course, I speak as a women reading the work of a male author, but I couldn't help feeling that he was writing out some of his own fantasies.
I think that the narrator was excellent, particularly in her reading of the passages that I have mentioned.
Ken Follett writes great yarns and has no need to 'enhance' his books in this way. Definitely less is more!

Interesting novel set in Afghanistan

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