Tightrope

By: Simon Mawer

Narrated by: Kate Reading

This captivating historical thriller brings back Marian Sutro, ex-special operations agent, and traces her romantic and political exploits in post-World War II London, where the Cold War is about to reshape old loyalties.

As Allied forces close in on Berlin in spring 1945, a solitary figure emerges from the wreckage that is Germany. It is Marian Sutro, whose existence was last known to her British controllers in autumn 1943 in Paris. One of a handful of surviving agents of the Special Operations Executive, she has withstood arrest, interrogation, incarceration, and the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp, but at what cost? Returned to an England she barely knows and a postwar world she doesn't understand, Marian searches for something on which to ground the rest of her life. Family and friends surround her, but she is haunted by her experiences and by the guilt of knowing that her contribution to the war effort helped lead to the monstrosities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When the mysterious Major Fawley, the man who hijacked her wartime mission to Paris, emerges from the shadows to draw her into the ambiguities and uncertainties of the Cold War, she sees a way to make amends for the past and at the same time to find the identity that has never been hers.

A novel of divided loyalties and mixed motives, Tightrope is the complex and enigmatic story of a woman whose search for personal identity and fulfillment leads her to shocking choices.

©2015 Simon Mawer (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Hard to follow

I found it really hard to follow and at times it was very tough to figure out which character was narrating.

Well-written and thought-provoking

I think this would be a great book for a book group. I’ll be thinking about this story for a bit and would love to debrief with someone about it.
It is a sequel to Simon Mawer’s book Trapeze, but the story is told through the as the account by another character in the story.

Mawer does an impressive job with his descriptions—Maybe even a little too good for me at times. Also, I think the choice of telling Marianne’s story through the limited perspective of another character is interesting as well. At times, when I grew increasingly disgusted by her character, I wished the narrative was being told first hand so that I would have had direct access to her thoughts and might have felt more sympathy towards her. The narrator was besotted by Marianne, so his perspective is suspect. The plot kept my interest, though, and I’ll be mulling it all the over for some time. Her choice to become a secret agent as a young adult had long-reaching consequences. Is her resulting life to be vilified or pitied? Or some combination? And how can this contradictory perspective be applied today?

Too much sexual content

What was the story about again? I am on chapter 49, which is giving lots of grace to when this will pick up. Too much sexual content and what’s the story again? Boring.

Repetitive - A sequel that should stand alone.

This novel is #2 (Trapeze introduces us to Marian and her exciting lifestyle)

It was ok - even though I wasn't exactly thrilled by Tightrope, it was still an ok novel that explorers some pretty deep and dark themes. my problem - I guess - was that I was expecting a novel similar in theme to the first. A little action, a little intrigue, suspense and fun spy knowledge and terminology. instead of all of that, I listened to a story that was wholly character driven with a slow plot lacking true suspense.
Passages in this novel were quite repetitive - on more than one ocassion, I think the author used "copy + paste" because characters would describe an event or person word for word from just a few chapters prior. it doesn't seem like a big deal, but trust me, it happens enough to make you almost want to roll your eyes.
I had a hard time liking (or connecting) or even admiring any character in this one - which is different from the first. Marian went from a somewhat aloof but still passionate patriot that was willing to do whatever it takes (admirable courage/dedication) to a actual unlikable/acidic with somewhat unbelievable lifestyle choices. I never worried for her - I didn't care what was happening to her as she turned into a self serving disenchanted has been. She was bitter about who she was and who she becomes.

Not my favorite and it wasn't the type of novel I was looking for or expecting considering it was a sequel.

Intrigue

Interesting flawed heroine. A story with lots of questions wrapped up in the end but not too neatly.

Gripping

Captivating story. Performance is good, but different character voices are too similar. Overall a good read.

Marvelous!

A perfect marriage of plot, character and prose. Kate Redding's vocalisation is suitably sensational. Bravo!

Brilliant character study yet must read 1st book

Those who have written bad reviews probably did not read the first book in this series or don't know French. Also, if you are a francophone, francophile, or WWII historian, these books will be a special treat and add appreciation both to the writing and excellent narration. I was fascinated with the character of Marianne Soutro and hated to have her story end. Finally, I can't believe how many uptight prudish ladies out there that have left comments saying how they were offended by sex Scenes! Really!

Not as compelling as Trapeze

The story is very bland. Marian is navigating post-war and post-traumatic stress by walking a tightrope between middle class-marriage, espionage and counter espionage. But her independence and expertise are blurred by her sex drive and affairs that seem to ward off the post war traumas and lackluster civilian life. In the end, the author walks a tightrope between writing a spy novel and/or a sex-driven psychodrama. Disappointed.

Wonderful second book

This was a wonderful sequel to her first book trapeze. Very interesting and intriguing if you enjoy WWII stories about woman a must listen