The Second Midnight
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The Second Midnight
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Narrated by:
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Leighton Pugh
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By:
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Andrew Taylor
About this listen
A secret mission…
1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover.
A terrible choice…
When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.
A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…
Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…
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Critic reviews
‘An epic, punchy thriller from a fantastic storyteller’ The Times
Praise for Andrew Taylor:
‘If you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, you’ll love Andrew Taylor’ Peter James
‘Effortlessly authentic … gripping … moving and believable. An excellent work’ C. J. Sansom
'Taylor has long been the pre-eminent chronicler of beautifully atmospheric historical crime' The Times
‘A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era’ Financial Times
‘This is how historical crime should be written, with rich authenticity underpinning a twisting plot’ The Times
‘One of the most reliably enjoyable of historical novelists’ The Sunday Times
‘An atmospheric pleasure, full of twists and memorable characters’ The Times
‘With a fast-moving, complex plot underpinned by solid but unobtrusive research and plenty of drama and intrigue, Taylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it’ Guardian
‘Once again, Taylor combines his detailed research with a deviously twist-laden storyline’ Observer
‘A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill, and it will have you desperate to search out a quiet corner to continue your acquaintance with it’ Daily Telegraph
'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
'A hugely engaging, atmospheric historical thriller with not one but two smart and lovable protagonists. Andrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers' Antonia Hodgson
‘Andrew Taylor’s historical crime novels have proved a benchmark for the genre’ Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses
‘Taylor remains to my mind at the top of the list of historical novelists writing in English today’ Reviewing the Evidence
What listeners say about The Second Midnight
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-06-23
Good story we’ll told
Good story well told, about a different war time, and the life after for interesting characters.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 01-11-24
Astonishingly Good
This review attempts not to give spoilers. I came to this audiobook after the Marwood and Cat series that people sometimes call the Ashes of London series. I was so pleased to have selected this title. This novel of intrigue swells and flicks with surprises that constantly testifies the skill of Andrew Taylor in maintaining listener or reader interest. The landscape of the novel is European and the narratives moves across a number of threads that are all part of the whole. There are characters that grip, characters that are easy to dislike, characters that are insecure and somewhat damaged. Basically like real life. Listeners can be assured of engagement with this tremendous novel. I tried to avoid reading about this novel and was pleased that I did. The freshness and immediacy of the novel was all the more. It is why I also dislike movie trailers that simply condense the plot. This is a more complex novel that those in the Marwood and cat series, but that does not mean it is harder to listen to or come to grips with. It is an involving and energetic performance by Leighton Pugh. He is exemplary. His pronunciation of foreign names and placed are so natural. This is one of my favourite listens of the year. It deserves to be listened to by so many others. Go for it, I am so pleased I did.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane T
- 06-06-22
Brilliant
I love Andrew Taylor’s books but this one is the best by far! The characters are so well drawn and the plot is exciting, drawing you in at each turn. I just didn’t want it to end! Its description of a boy surviving WW2does not do it justice as it is the story of his life and how events shape his future. The narrator was excellent bringing it all to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tim Chalk
- 30-10-23
Excellent multilayered narrative
I really enjoyed Taylor's Marwood novels and was curious to see how he'd handle the shift from seventeenth to twentieth century - happy to say her was more thank equal you the challenge! Really well narrated too. Just the right amount of variation to differentiate the characters without histrionics and phoney accents
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rex Schneider
- 04-10-20
Excellent WWII spy thriller
This is my 821st Audible book and I'd rate as one of the 5 most enjoyable. Convincing spy thriller, unusual for the genre in that there are plenty of characters that I really liked and was rooting for. Excellent evocations of wartime London and Prague.
This is the first in a series of three loosely-related novels. The others (Blacklist and Toyshop) are also excellent - but not yet available as audiobooks. I hope very much that they're also recorded and released soon, preferably with the same narrator - he did a very good job here.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Winnie
- 12-06-21
excellent listen
had listened to other works by author. very different setting but original and absorbing. I would recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 24-10-23
Engaging, excellent story and narration
The need for sleep, stopped me from listening to this in one sitting. Absolutely brilliant.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Justinn
- 10-11-21
Missing sections of text
I'm a big fan of this Ashes of London series by the same author, but this is a class below. A disappointing and disjointed story (I thought the story was abridged at one point, but checking the text proved otherwise). I would no recommend overall.
Excellent narration mind you...
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