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IndianaHappyTraveler

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Captivating!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-29-24

This book was one that was hard to stop to attend to other duties. I enjoyed the narrator’s using various voices for the different characters, as it helped to keep the speaker straight. The story is wonderful. I did watch the series back when it was aired, but it did not measure up to the book which gave a much deeper understanding of the difficult circumstances Natalie and her uncle underwent, as well as the life of the German and Russian elite in the early war years, before the US entered the war.
Will I listen to this again? Yes! Right now I am listening to the follow-up book, War and Remembrance, which I find just as engrossing, if not more so.

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Unbelievably…..believable!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-24-22

NARRATION:
The quality of this narration was excellent and I experienced no difficulties accessing or downloading the audio version to my devices. I could easily switch from my phone to my iPad and even follow along in the eBook with the spoken words being highlighted, which I found incredibly helpful when foreign words or phrases were used.

The narrator’s pleasant speaking voice and ability to add different accents to various characters, made it easy to listen to, and brings the story to life for the listener.

BOOK CONTENT:
Compelling story—once started, I listened until the end (4:30AM)!

What an opening scene! Anyone who listens to it will be “hooked” into the story, and Mr. Lyntton successfully reels us in to the conclusion!
I happened to have read the 2nd book in the series (“Hyde Park Deception”)before this book, and was glad I did, as this book refers to a few incidents in “Hyde Park”, which gives perspective into the timeline of Jack Steel’s life. As in “Hyde Park”, I found the characters and plot to be well-developed, and well paced. The descriptions of locations are realistic, reflecting the author’s actual experiencing of them. Events move along as expected, until…suddenly they don’t! There are 2 main story lines that move in parallel: Jack’s assignment in Russia, and his wife Sandy in England. The hand-off between storylines is smooth. The tension builds throughout, until there are shocking events that bring both storylines to a climax and satisfying conclusion.

. The importance of international cooperation in maintaining peace is clearly depicted. What is particularly disturbing is the sense that the covert actions of the men in key positions in various governments is not only possible, but in fact have/are happening—if not in these specific areas of international concern, in others that are just as significant. How easy it is to hoodwink the populace into believing whatever the powers-that-be want them to believe is clearly depicted in the story, uncomfortably mirroring events of the last few years, both in the US and in overtly fascist states.

A geopolitical thriller—yes, the book is that. An action-packed, adrenaline rush—ABSOLUTLEY! But, on a more thoughtful level, this is a warning to be willing to look more deeply at events than what the state wants it’s people to see. In order to prevent falling prey to propaganda being fed to the public for the benefit of those in power, we need to be willing to listen with an open mind to and read what other objective people are saying, to develop a broader and more accurate view of issues.

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Exciting new recording of a gripping Thriller!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-20-22

NARRATION:
The narrator is a virtuoso of languages and dialects, and he uses his repertoire to bring to life the characters in the story. As one listens to the story, one can visualize the scene and the speakers acting in it, which brings the listener into the story. A pleasant speaking voice with a clean, proper English accent makes this an easy book to listen to. The recording quality is excellent and I had no problems with the Audible version that I downloaded and used.

THE BOOK:
Riveting story that took a complex episode in history and made it interesting and understandable to the reader. Using a multi-faceted character, a meticulously plotted storyline, Mr. Lyntton has produced a book that had me reading deep into the night. Just when I thought I understood the alliances of various key players, a shift in action revealed another layer of complexity that had heretofore not been visible.

The writing was so realistic and well researched that I had the sense that the author had lived in the location and perhaps experienced the events (or variations thereof) about which he was writing. Adding the Audible version to your Kindle version will allow one to learn the proper pronunciation of places and people in the Serbian-Croatia area that are not commonly pronounced today. Reading and listening at the same time adds depth to your experience.

I wholeheartedly agree with another reviewer (M. Sutton) who called this book “Another heart-stopping, pulse-pounding tale and plot to keep you guessing!”. A Not-to-be-missed recording!

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