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Mr. Toppit
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
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Mr. Toppit
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Publisher's summary
“And out of the Darkwood Mr. Toppit comes, and he comes not for you, or for me, but for all of us.”
When the Hayseed Chronicles, an obscure series of children’s books, becomes world famous, millions of readers debate the significance of that enigmatic last line and of the shadowy figure, Mr. Toppit, who dominates the books. The author, Arthur Hayman, an unsuccessful screenwriter mown down by a concrete truck in Soho, never reaps the benefits of the books’ success. The legacy passes to his widow, Martha, and her children - the fragile Rachel, and Luke, reluctantly immortalized as Luke Hayseed, the central character of his father’s books. But others want their share, particularly Laurie, the overweight stranger from California who comforted Arthur as he lay dying and has a mysterious agenda of her own that will change all their lives, for buried deep in the books lie secrets which threaten to be revealed as the family begins to crumble under the heavy burden of their inheritance.
Spanning several decades, from the heyday of the British film industry after the war to the cut-throat world of show business in Los Angeles, Mr. Toppit is a riveting tale of the unexpected effects of sudden fame and fortune. Not since Jonathan Coe’s What a Carve Up! has a novel managed to capture a family and a society to such wonderfully funny and painful effect.
Charles Elton worked as a designer and editor in publishing before becoming a director of the literary agency Curtis Brown. Since 1991 he has worked in television and has been executive producer in drama at ITV since 2000. Among his productions are The Railway Children, the Oscar-nominated short Syrup, Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Northanger Abbey, and the recent series Time of Your Life.
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Luke Hayman has lived his life in the shadow of another Luke: the main character, named Luke Hayseed, in a series of books written by his father, Arthur. Throughout the books known as The Hayseed Chronicles an unseen character named Mr. Toppit keeps Luke Hayseed busy with an array of nearly impossible tasks; Luke Hayman has spent his days on the equally daunting task of convincing fans of the books that fact and fiction are two different things. But when an American tourist named Laurie finds a connection with Arthur during his dying moments in England and then brings The Hayseed Chronicles to an American audience the books become an international phenomenon that Luke and his family can’t escape.
In Mr. Toppit, Charles Elton weaves together the stories of pre-Hayseed Arthur and his wife, Martha; Luke and his sister, Rachel; and Laurie and her mother, Alma, to detail all the ways that unseen people (absent fathers, deceased children, lost siblings) can influence us. Narrator Simon Vance adjusts his voice for each character, giving Luke, Rachel, Martha, and their friends and neighbors unique English accents; saddling Laurie with a West Coast twang (and a slightly masculine voice to match her not-very-delicate personality); using a raspy, aged voice for Laurie’s nursing home-bound mother. But his narration mostly done from Luke’s point of view is classic coming-of-age, taking Luke from prep school exploits to post-grad rebellion without missing a beat. Blythe Copeland
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By: Neil Gaiman
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Edited by David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 359
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 216
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Story4 out of 5 stars 217
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories, some classic, others impending, selected and introduced by David Sedaris.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included
- By Terri Kirk on 07-13-12
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Blue Monday
- Frieda Klein, Book 1
- By: Nicci French
- Narrated by: Beth Chalmers
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,712
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,544
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,545
Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place. The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for just such a child.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Engrossing thriller - an easy "read"
- By Hilary on 08-15-13
By: Nicci French
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The Brightest Star in the Sky
- A Novel
- By: Marian Keyes
- Narrated by: Caitriona Keyes
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4 out of 5 stars 79
The Brightest Star in the Sky follows seven neighbors whose lives become entangled when a sassy and prescient spirit pays a visit to their Dublin townhouse with the intent of changing at least one of their lives. But what will this metamorphosis be and who will the sprite choose?
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1 out of 5 stars
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Terrible sound quality, worse narration
- By Jan on 02-23-10
By: Marian Keyes
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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- A Novel
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Juliet Mills
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 266
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 231
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Story4 out of 5 stars 230
When Ravi Kapoor, an overworked London doctor, reaches the breaking point with his difficult father-in-law, he asks his wife: “Can’t we just send him away somewhere? Somewhere far, far away.” His prayer is seemingly answered when Ravi’s entrepreneurial cousin sets up a retirement home in India, hoping to re-create in Bangalore an elegant lost corner of England. Several retirees are enticed by the promise of indulgent living at a bargain price, but upon arriving, they are dismayed to find that restoration of the once sophisiticated hotel has stalled....
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3 out of 5 stars
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Screenwriters Changed it for the Better
- By Carole T. on 06-05-12
By: Deborah Moggach
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The Perfect Lie
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond, Penelope Rawlins, Julia Franklin
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 55
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Story4 out of 5 stars 56
For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination, the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she's been keeping has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear - fast. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds the one thing she has been running from?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fun and Absorbing
- By Jen Griffin on 10-15-15
By: Emily Barr
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American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (A Full Cast Production)
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes, full cast
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62,418
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 57,003
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56,921
Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday.
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5 out of 5 stars
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New to Neil
- By Michael on 07-27-11
By: Neil Gaiman
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Secret Smile
- By: Nicci French
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story4 out of 5 stars 53
Miranda's sister Kerri has a new boyfriend. He's a handsome charmer who seems to dote on Kerri. But Brendan isn't the man he says he is. Miranda should know. She broke off her own affair with him just a few weeks ago when she found him reading her diary.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I want my 9 hours back
- By Ashley on 07-19-23
By: Nicci French
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The Playdate
- By: Louise Millar
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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Story4 out of 5 stars 49
Single mother Callie has come to rely heavily on her best friend Suzy. But Callie suspects Suzy's life isn't as simple as it seems. It's time she pulled away - going back to work is just the first step towards rediscovering her old confidence. So why does she keep putting off telling Suzy about her new job? And who will care for her rather frail daughter, Rae, while she is gone?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very Good
- By Delah on 05-03-12
By: Louise Millar
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The Poison Tree
- By: Erin Kelly
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 103
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 97
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Story4 out of 5 stars 96
Successful journalist Erin Kelly has electrified readers and critics alike with her debut novel The Poison Tree. In this scintillating work, Karen and her daughter Alice have established a safe, happy life free from the madness of Karen’s past. But when Karen’s former lover Rex is released from prison, her old associations intrude upon the present - and threaten everything she holds dear.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I couldn't stop listening the book.
- By Gladys on 07-29-15
By: Erin Kelly
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Gold Dust
- By: Kimberley Freeman
- Narrated by: Jennifer Vuletic
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 266
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 248
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Story4 out of 5 stars 245
Three women linked by their blood, their dreams...and their sins. From Leningrad in the '70s to America and London in the present day, Kimberley Freeman's new novel follows the lives of two sisters, Lena and Natalia, and their cousin, Sofi, as they move away from Russia and all they have known. Despite promising to always take care of each other, a pact to meet every winter is shattered as their lives change and long-held resentments begin to surface. Can that resentment turn to hatred? To murder?
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4 out of 5 stars
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It's just not the same without Caroline Lee
- By Maria on 12-04-17
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Down Cemetery Road
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: Julia Franklin
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 185
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 163
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Story4 out of 5 stars 164
When a house explodes in a quiet Oxford suburb and a young girl disappears in the aftermath, Sarah Tucker becomes obsessed with finding her. Accustomed to dull chores in a childless household and hosting her husband’s wearisome business clients for dinner, Sarah suddenly finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew, as her investigation reveals that people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A bit of a slog....
- By rhl60 on 01-26-24
By: Mick Herron
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Watermelon
- By: Marian Keyes
- Narrated by: Gerri Halligan
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 98
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
At 29, Claire is full of the joys of life - that is, until her husband leaves her on the day she gives birth to her baby. With a broken heart, a beautiful newly born and an expanding mirror image, she decides to visit her eccentric family in Dublin. There she starts to feel better. So much better, in fact, that James is in for a surprise when he decides to slither back into her life....
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5 out of 5 stars
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A fun read, every time
- By Audrey Smith on 01-06-23
By: Marian Keyes
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Knots and Crosses
- Inspector Rebus, Book 1
- By: Ian Rankin
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 812
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 704
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Story4 out of 5 stars 706
Detective John Rebus' city is being terrorized by a baffling series of murders…and he's tied to a maniac by an invisible knot of blood. As the ghoulish killings mount and the tabloid headlines scream, Rebus cannot stop the feverish shrieks from within his own mind. Because he isn't just one cop trying to catch a killer - he's the man who's got all the pieces to the puzzle…
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4 out of 5 stars
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I've Read Mixed Reviews and Can Marry Them
- By Steve Mac on 02-13-16
By: Ian Rankin
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Falling Off Air
- By: Catherine Sampson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 185
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Story4 out of 5 stars 43
Robin Ballantyne's life is finally coming together. After learning she was pregnant with twins and being abandoned by her irresponsible boyfriend, Adam, she's settling into life as a single mother. But one night, after putting the children to bed, she hears an argument and suddenly, a body falls past her window. Running outside, she finds the body of Paula Carmichael, a renowned activist.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Rich, developed and unusual
- By Hannah Coale on 02-02-05
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The Boy Who Could See Demons
- A Novel
- By: Carolyn Jess-Cooke
- Narrated by: Bruce Mann, Carolyn Jess-Cooke
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 112
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
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Story4 out of 5 stars 105
Dr. Anya Molokova, a child psychiatrist, is called in to work at MacNeice House, an adolescent mental health treatment center. There she is told to observe and assess Alex Connolly, a keenly intelligent, sensitive ten-year-old coping with his mother's latest suicide attempt. Alex is in need of serious counseling: He has been harming himself and others, often during blackouts. At the root of his destructive behavior, Alex claims, is his imaginary "friend" Ruen, a cunning demon who urges Alex to bend to his often violent will.
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5 out of 5 stars
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HOLY COW!!! Give me more, please!!!
- By Mary on 09-15-13
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Hero: A Simon Serrailler Short Story
- By: Susan Hill
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 129
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
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Story4 out of 5 stars 111
When Simon Serrailler was a rookie constable with the Met, he did something reckless in the course of a night's work which caused a man's death. But his act was praised by his colleagues, and he was called a hero. Years later, now a detective chief superintendent who has been badly injured in the course of duty, he receives a medal for bravery at Buckingham Palace while recollecting that fateful night of his early career, when chance disguised itself as bravery.
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4 out of 5 stars
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This 'story' makes no sense to me
- By Pamela Donaldson on 05-10-17
By: Susan Hill
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I Predict a Riot
- Murder, Extortion & Carrot Cake
- By: Colin Bateman
- Narrated by: Adam Moore
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 72
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4 out of 5 stars 28
Walter has a rubbish job, so has Margaret. But when they meet through a dating agency, neither is who they seem. Margaret's married for a start, and Walter's encounter with her husband, Billy, leaves him black and blue. Billy's a dodgy accountant for politician and racketeer Pink Harrison, who is about to come unstuck.
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5 out of 5 stars
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PICK ME PLEASE PICK ME WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF FUN
- By Louise on 10-19-08
By: Colin Bateman
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Divorcing Jack
- A Novel
- By: Colin Bateman
- Narrated by: Glen Murrant
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Dan Starkey is a journalist in Belfast, who shares with his wife, Patricia, an appetite for drinking and dancing. Dan meets Margaret, and things begin to get out of hand - terrifyingly, she is murdered. Before long, Dan is a target himself, racing as fast as he can against time to crack the mystery.
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3 out of 5 stars
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This Belfast Gal was unimpressed
- By Barbarama on 09-30-23
By: Colin Bateman