The Silent Boy cover art

The Silent Boy

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The Silent Boy

By: Andrew Taylor
Narrated by: Leon Williams
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About this listen

From the No. 1 bestselling author of THE AMERICAN BOY comes a brilliant new historical thriller set during the French Revolution. Selected as Historical Novel of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times, and picked as one of Radio 4’s Crime Books of the Year.

Paris, 1792. Terror reigns as the city writhes in the grip of revolution. The streets run with blood as thousands lose their heads to the guillotine. Edward Savill, working in London as agent for a wealthy American, receives word that his estranged wife Augusta has been killed in France. She leaves behind ten-year-old Charles, who is brought to England to Charnwood Court, a house in the country leased by a group of émigré refugees.

Savill is sent to retrieve the boy, though it proves easier to reach Charnwood than to leave. And only when Savill arrives there does he discover that Charles is mute. The boy has witnessed horrors beyond his years, but what terrible secret haunts him so deeply that he is unable to utter a word?

Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Urban Fiction England French Revolution

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Critic reviews

Praise for The Silent Boy:

‘In this taut thriller, Andrew Taylor deftly weaves unobtrusive historical research with a page-turning plot’ The Times, Books of the Year

‘Great tale, great history, great Taylor’ Radio 4, Crime Books of the Year

‘Taylor has not only succeeded in constructing a labyrinthine plot that is gripping to the last page, but he also created an entirely believable child, traumatised but resolute, whose plight is the fuel for true suspense’ Guardian

‘As a writer, Taylor wears his learning lightly and shares with Hilary Mantel the capacity to take the reader directly into a vanished world’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Taylor is a wonder; once again he marries flawlessly integrated historical detail … and a knotty and involving mystery as strong as anything in the historical crime fiction field. I suspect Taylor should start clearing a space next to his current writing trophies’ Financial Times

‘Don’t keep quiet about The Silent Boy. Tell everyone: it’s a really excellent page-turning thriller set in a fascinating period in Anglo-French history’ Robert Goddard

‘Many elements of The Silent Boy bring Dickens … It is utterly gripping, extremely well executed and suspenseful to the last’ Spectator

'Taylor's mastery of plot and character show to great effect in a story that has a depth few other historical crime novels can match' Sunday Times

'I enjoyed this book very much indeed. I found the evocation of late 18th Century England, and the French exiles, effortlessly authentic, the hunt for Charles gripping, and the portrayal and first-person narrative of the helpless, traumatised, yet strong and resourceful little boy moving and believable. An excellent work.' C J Sansom, author of Revelation

‘A gripping and atmospheric thriller – the perfect blend of dark suspense, appealing characters and fascinating history. I loved it!’ Antonia Hodgson, author of The Devil in the Marshalsea

All stars
Most relevant
I loved this book literally could not put it down. The narrator was good except for his habit of mis pronouncing certain words. Are these books not checked before release?

Excellent story.

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This is a delightful book a modern classic of Dickens Tale of Two Cities Great characters the central figures a delight Charles's story told as if in his mind a great idea, Savill a plausible hero. A brilliant twist at the end. Well done to the author Mr Taylor..I highly recommend you lend your ears to hear this tale. Let us not forget the narrator Leon Williams for his brilliant performance

Delightful A must to hear

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The mispronunciation of some relatively common words was irritating,eg gable pronounced as gabble. I’m surprised that there isn’t a proof listening.

Disappointing narration

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I've read most books by Andrew Taylor and this one's definitely in my top ten!

Cracking good tale!

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What did you like most about The Silent Boy?

The tale is atmospheric and rattles along

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Silent Boy?

The discovery of the corpse in the boathouse.

How could the performance have been better?

Too many mispronunciations:
gable pronounced gabble, gavel pronounced gavelle, primly pronounced prime-ly all occur within one hour!
Failure to read ahead leads frequently to dmeaning being misrepresented.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

Look out for more written by Andrew Taylor, but only if there is a different narrator.

Super story, poor narrator

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