An Absolute Scandal
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Rosalyn Landor
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By:
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Penny Vincenzi
About this listen
Set during the boom-and-bust years of the 1980s, An Absolute Scandal follows the lives of a group of people drawn together by their mutual monetary woes when the great financial institution Lloyd's undergoes a devastating downturn.
For Nigel Cowper, this means the destruction of his family business. His wife, Lucinda, is willing to do everything she can to help him - except give up her irresistible lover. The powerful, charismatic banker Simon Beaumont and his wife, a highly successful advertising executive, lose everything they worked so hard to acquire. But the ultimate tragedy is something that neither one could have anticipated.
The well-to-do are not the only ones suffering: a self-sufficient widow is suddenly deep in debt; a single mother struggles to maintain a comfortable home for her children; and a schoolmaster and his frustrated wife find that financial problems deepen the cracks in their troubled marriage.
As their lives begin a downward spiral, these characters intersect in ways they never saw coming. Written in what has become her signature style of both wit and candor, Penny Vincenzi draws back the curtain and offers an inside view of the greed and social power plays that occur behind the closed doors of upper-crust society...where money isn't everything. Sometimes, it's the only thing.
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In Northern California two successful CEOs are both indispensable to their growing companies' futures. Both are brilliant at the power game. But the difference between them is huge. One is a man, the other a woman. In this riveting novel, Danielle Steel explores what that means as she takes listeners into the rarefied world of those at the pinnacle of international business and reveals the irrevocable choices they make, what drives them, and how others perceive them. The heady drug of power impacts everything they do.
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Predictably enjoyable...
- By An Amazon Customer on 03-23-14
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The Heart's Invisible Furies
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Cyril Avery is not a real Avery - or at least that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
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Outstanding. A Must listen.
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By: John Boyne
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Shadow of a Century
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- Unabridged
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Mary Doyle arrives in Dublin in 1913, doomed, she fears, to a life of domestic service. Instead, however, she finds herself deeply affected by the social and political turmoil of a fledgling nation struggling for independence. Suddenly, all that was once inevitable is no longer a certainty as she is embroiled in the very heart of the Easter Rising.
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Loved this book!
- By Amazon Customer on 11-14-20
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Girl Alone
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Aged nine Joss came home from school to discover her father's suicide. She's never got over it. This is the true story of Joss, 13 who is angry and out of control. At the age of nine, Joss finds her father's dead body. He has committed suicide. Then more recently her mother remarries and Joss bitterly resents her step-father who abuses her mentally and physically.
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Great!
- By Lexi on 06-22-18
By: Cathy Glass
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Past Imperfect
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- Unabridged
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Damian Baxter is hugely wealthy and dying. He lives alone in a big house in Surrey, England, looked after by a chauffeur, butler, cook and housemaid. He has but one concern--his fortune in excess of 500 million and who should inherit it on his death.
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Read Snobs instead
- By cristina on 02-14-13
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Hello from the Gillespies
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For the past 33 years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled ‘Hello from the Gillespies’. It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself - she tells the truth....
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Engaging
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Life Skills
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This book starts out great-
- By erin on 12-01-06
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Things We Never Said
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- Unabridged
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When Catherine learns that she is dying, she remembers the words her husband once jokingly uttered and decides to leave him the ultimate posthumous gift: a time capsule containing photographs of their life together along with tape recordings in which she recounts every secret she ever kept, every unspoken thought whether loving or treacherous - the things they never said.
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Boring couple, Boring Book
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The Woman Who Stole My Life
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In her own words, Stella Sweeney is just "an ordinary woman living an ordinary life with her husband and two teenage kids", working for her sister in their neighborhood beauty salon. Then one day she is struck by a serious illness that lands her in the hospital for months.
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First Part? Good. Second Part? Ugh!
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44 Scotland Street
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie
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- Unabridged
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The brilliant Alexander McCall Smith became an international sensation with his New York Times best-selling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels. His award-winning wit, made famous through that series, is fully on display in 44 Scotland Street.
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Smith's answer to Maupin
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What listeners say about An Absolute Scandal
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Esther V. Skandunas
- 01-30-21
Loved it!
I truly loved this story and all of the characters in it. I enjoyed listening to the narrator, she did a fantastic job! The author captures many struggles of the heart, mind, and life's circumstances beautifully.
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Overall
- NMProf
- 11-12-08
A virtuoso performance!
The narrator, Roslyn Landow, does an amazing job with the voices of the numerous characters--men and women, all ages, all walks of life, with various regional British accents. The characters lives are intertwined in surprising and exciting ways in this novel of financial and romantic adventure. The novel's long, but I didn't want it to end!
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8 people found this helpful
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- Kesha
- 05-12-12
An Absolutely Wonderful Audiobook
I never thought 35 hours would fly by, but they did! An engaging story and impeccable narration make this an audiobook not to be missed. When the book ended, I found myself missing the characters.
Rosalyn Landor's performance is one of the best I've encountered in hundreds of audiobooks. She nearly rivals Jim Dale in her ability to distinctly voice a dozen or more characters. The story is read with such feeling and each character's voice suits his personality so well.
The story was standout as well. One of the markers of a great story for me is one where I am compelled to feel forgiving of characters who do seemingly unforgivable things. The characters are so well developed, which is especially commendable given that there are so many of them.
There are two things that keep me from giving the story five stars. First, the story is set in the 80's and early 90's, and while I found it easy to fall into the era, sometimes it seemed as if the author tried to stuff in too many cultural references to the era. While mostly the stage was set perfectly, there were a few instances where references to technology or pop culture seemed forced, and I actually found myself taken out of the setting rather then plunged further into it. Second, the ending was acceptable, but it could have been outstanding. I won't say any more so as not to spoil it for those who haven't read it.
All in all, a bargain at two credits.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall
- W.Denis
- 10-31-08
Don't miss it
This is a great book and a wonderful performance by Rosalyn Landor. She makes the author's cast come alive. The story line is somewhat like the Forsyte Saga brought up to date with unforgettable players interacting in ways that Galsworthy might have wished he could use.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Crystal Lynn
- 05-17-09
Fantastic!
Amazing! It's a gripping novel with interesting, multi-dimensional characters. The narrator is a phenomenon who gives utterly perfect body to every moment of this story. It was impossible to turn it off. A highly recommended listen.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Fran Foster
- 06-05-15
Incredibly Boring !!!
What disappointed you about An Absolute Scandal?
Absence of life in characters.
What could Penny Vincenzi have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Written more about characters and less about financial dilemma involving Lloyds of London.
What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?
Everything - as usual, she was perfect !!
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Absolutely cannot say - only listened to about an hour before nodding off to sleep.
Any additional comments?
Sorry I wasted a credit.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-06-23
Irritating
I kept listening to this incredibly irritating narrator hoping to hear some resolution of the Lloyd’s scandal but no luck. What a waste of time
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- Edlene B. White
- 02-24-13
It's Killing me.....
I admit it, I don't like this book. I down loaded An Absolute scandal based upon the reviews alone and I paid the price with the loss of brain cells. I couldn't even make it through 2/5 of the book. Very disappointed...all the different family situations couldn't bring me into their world. I listen, or read books to escape for awhile, this book, however kept me firmly planted it reality...
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2 people found this helpful
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- jaye
- 08-05-12
too long winded. too many intertwining characters
What would have made An Absolute Scandal better?
too many characters that intertwined.
What was most disappointing about Penny Vincenzi’s story?
i found it "overwritten".
What three words best describe Rosalyn Landor’s performance?
dull but reading an audiobook must be hard for the performer.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from An Absolute Scandal?
i did not read the whole book. i had to write down the characters on word to keep track of them and what they were doing. i bought two other books by her and hope they are not like this one.
Any additional comments?
maybe i shouldn't judge this book as i did not finish it. but i have read so many books and have finished most of them. the fact i just couldn't continue reading this says a lot.
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1 person found this helpful