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The Gallows Curse

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The Gallows Curse

By: Karen Maitland
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

The year is 1210 and a black force is sweeping England. A vengeful King John has seized control of the Church, leaving corpses to lie in consecrated ground, babies unbaptized, and the people terrified of dying in sin. In the village of Gastmere, the consequences grow darker still when Elena, a servant girl, is dragged into a conspiracy to absolve the sins of the lord of the manor. In desperation she visits the cunning woman, who has been waiting for just such an opportunity to fulfil an ancient curse conjured at the gallows.

©2011 Karen Maitland (P)2011 Oakhill Publishing Limited Historical Mystery Exciting Scary Fiction Royalty Tudor

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Critic reviews

"Atmospheric and original." ( Woman and Home)
All stars
Most relevant
My first Karen Maitland book and wow—amazing, compelling and so imaginative, I just gobbled it up and I can't wait to get stuck into the next one. Having said that, the narration is rather annoying in places but the character is a castrati and described as having a high voice so I can't see how he could have portrayed it in any other way. Great stuff.

Loved it

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Another Karen Maitland , lots of wonderful ideas and conspiracies. I love the ideas and information how saints and cults are given and underpin the story. I had to google to find out where the fact and fiction intertwine. Makes you cry and wonder what else. Very gory but with wonderful twists and turns.
The reading a bit like the last needs a review of the narration but still worth the journey.

Dark times but en lighting reading

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No, it's not Brexit, but there is some irony in listening to this book in the immediate aftermath of the Referendum.
King John has isolated the country in a standoff with Rome, so his subjects are suffering under an interdict. (Not as all encompassing as this book suggests, if truth be told; baptism, and confession/absolution of the dying weren't forbidden, some feast days were allowed, inter alia.)
Left to itself, England is home to deception, superstition, witchcraft and perversion. And the shadow of a dodgy war in the Middle East scars returned veterans. (This is the 13th century, nothing like the 21st, is it?)
I didn't enjoy this as much as "Company of Liars", neither story, nor narration (same reader). The bulk was recounted in an Italian accent; one main character was Italian, but he was a eunuch, portrayed with an exaggerated high pitched voice - higher than a child's, improbable even for a castrato. The story is based on major historical and theological errors, beyond poetic licence, and I'd like to have been spared some bad sex.

England's out of Europe -chaos reigns!

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If you could sum up The Gallows Curse in three words, what would they be?

Informative, interesting, clever

Who was your favorite character and why?

Raffaelle. Terrible but historically correct, procedure happened to him as a child. This turned him into a rather sad and pathetic character, but with inner strength.

Have you listened to any of David Thorpe’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but it was amazing. The different characters he takes on makes this book so enthralling. One of the best, if not the best I've listened to

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

What happens to raffaelle as a child and what happens to Finch, another child

Any additional comments?

Excellent. Just downloading a company of liars by same author and narrator

Clever story

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Really loved this, read the book a few years ago, listening to this great story, well narrated added a new dimension.. Thanks guys.. Nikki

Great

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