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The Midnight News

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The Midnight News

By: Jo Baker
Narrated by: Katherine Manners
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About this listen

 'A tour de force' IRISH TIMES

'Riveting and moving' NINA STIBBE

'Gripping' THE TIMES

'It had me by the throat' EMMA DONOGHUE

LONDON, 1940. As enemy planes fly over the city, twenty-year-old Charlotte Richmond is trying to make the best of things. She has a dull but steady job at the Ministry of Information, a friend to share gin and secrets with, and an attic room of her own. All she has to do is keep her head down. She knows where her father will send her if she makes a nuisance of herself again.

But amid the chaos of the Blitz, Charlotte's grip on reality starts slipping. Is someone following her in the blackouts, or is her mind playing tricks on her? In a city where nothing is safe, it's hard to know who to trust - until she meets the boy who feeds the birds . . .

'A late-night page-turner that will keep you guessing till the end' JOANNA QUINN

'Glorious' RED

'Exquisite' DAILY TELEGRAPH

'I stayed up late reading and was glad' SARAH MOSS©2023 Jo Baker (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited 20th Century Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Exciting War England
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I really wanted to like this book as it came highly recommended from a trusted source. However, I struggled to get through it. I thought it overly long and I found myself willing the author to get to the point of the story. When she did, I felt a bit let down and the tale wrapped up a little too quickly - in the last 7 minutes in fact!

Overall, I feel rather disappointed.

Overly long and wrapped up a bit too quickly

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I really enjoyed listening to this book. Having read the other reviews, I appreciate that some might find it takes a bit to get going, but I actually enjoyed the scene setting and the explorations of the relationships, characters and historical context. I found the blitz and the subtleties of everyday coping with it was fascinating. I was also thoroughly absorbed during her time at Summer Fields. I do agree that the ending was a little wrapped up quickly in a single conversation which was a shame and it felt a little shallow. I would have far preferred for the ending to be played out more. I can't imagine that Charlotte would have been quite so void of emotion as it appears in this final conversation. The narration was wonderful and the different accents/intonations to distinguish the characters was perfect.

Wonderfully Read

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Slow start but then picks up pace. was rooting for Charlotte all the way. Loved it

Great Stort

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This was one of the strangest books I have listened to or have read. It was hard to differentiate between what was reality and what was imagined. Due to the superb narration, however, I found I wanted to keep listening and was pleased that I did as the ending made everything clear. I would suggest it is a book worth persevering with as it is thought provoking.

Strangely compelling.

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Beautifully written. Couldn’t put it down and will be recommending it to friends and suggesting for our book club

Beautifully written, couldn’t put it down and just loved it. Will highly recommend it to friends. Thank you.

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