An intriguing listen

This was an unexpected pleasure. It's not much of a murder mystery but it's a tale well told, full of interest and intrigue. There's a lot of storytelling so it comes over very well as an audiobook. The background of the middle ages is brought to life, as are the extraordinary gang of characters. Thoroughly recommended

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23 people found this helpful

Good, but...

I enjoyed this book a lot - it was well-written and well-read, with good characterisation, an interesting plot and a real sense of the horrific and terrifying impact of "the pestilence" upon Medieval Europe. The 4-star rating is due to the ending , which I thought was rather sudden and a bit weak, without enough real resolution, and with a plot twist which I thought was unnecessary and which damaged my immersion in the setting. So, a good listen, which offers (hopefully) genuine insights into Medieval Europe woven into a compelling and (largely) believable story - I only wish it had ended that way too.

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5 people found this helpful

Jolly good listen.

Wonderful story telling. Don't be tempted to read the last bits before you actually reach them. Excellent narration but just one tiny criticism, he could have taken a fraction if a second longer before moving onto the next chapter.

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2 people found this helpful

Not your usual murder mystery

Set in medieval England during the height of the Plague ,Company of Liars is a murder mystery with a difference. Told from the point of view of the eldest member of a band of disparate travellers brought together only by their desire to stay safe on the road; the story follows their journey and reveals their darkest secrets along the way.
Although there are times when the story lags a bit (some judicial editing would have helped tighten the plot and move the action along) it's a decent listen aided by the talented narrator.
The supernatural element of the book isn't always convincing although the culture of the time props this theme up enough not to jar too badly.
Unlike other reviewers I didn't find the ending disappointing just a little flat.
All in all this kept me going through some monotonous Lockdown days definitely worth a go!

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2 people found this helpful

So good I had to listen twice!!

This is a brilliant, gripping listen entwining the classic whodunnit with and within the tradition of a collection of travellers and their fireside tales from Boccaccio and Chaucer to Calvino. These travellers are going away-from not to; their mutual dependencies and secrets add to the intrigue. The intrigue meanwhile disguises a serious reflection on truth and lies, and how we value and judge each others actions and inactions. I thought about this novel and the outcomes and travails of each character for days... and then listened to it again, which enriched my understanding and appreciation of Maitland's work. I might listen a third time too...
David Thorpe's narration is wonderful. His characterisations are well constructed, using accent, pitch and pronunciation to locate the personalities of the characters. His pace and voice is a pleasure to listen to and in harmony with the writer's style and intentions for guiding, or even mis-guiding, the listener. It is hard for me to praise other narrators than the gravelly voiced Sean Barrett, but I am now a fully fledged David Thorpe fan too. Faultless.
I fully recommend this for anyone who likes their listens to carry them through, the aural equivalent of page-turners. Oh for a sixth star...

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1 person found this helpful

Compelling

Fantastic narration, compelling story, I was sad when it finished! I'll definitely seek out more from the author and narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

Northern accent brings Medieval plague to life

Company of Liars was quite a long, but very enjoyable listen. the characterisation by a single narrator was fantastic and really brought the book to life. The scene painting in the text was fantastic, evoking the gorey, stinking, damp and cold setting of the story.
The plot twist was not particularly well hidden, but enjoyable never the less.

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1 person found this helpful

A thoroughly great listen

I didn't expect this to be as good as it was. It's a good book but what really makes this recording top notch is David Thorpe's narration, which is first rate. Really gives you a feeling of being in the narrative, a born storyteller and I could have wished this twice as long...

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Good story poor editing

Enjoyed the story but the editing is poor. There is no pause between last sentence of a chapter and the beginning of the next so you don’t have time to think of the revelation that has just passed.

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Go by recommendations

I purchased this purely on the 5 * recommendations, and it really was an excellent listen. The narrator brought something extra to the story and characters and I was thoroughly engrossed. This is not something that I would have chosen if left to my own devices, so I'm glad that I followed other peoples urgings to purchase this one.

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