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The Scarlet Papers
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh, Lucy Scott
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
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The Scarlet Papers
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Only she knows the truth. Only he can tell the world.
Vienna, 1946
A brilliant German scientist spirited out of the ruins Nazi Europe in search of a new life.
Moscow, 1964
A rising star of the British diplomatic service whose job is not what it seems.
London, the present day.
A once promising academic offered an opportunity to seal his place in history.
Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world, are bound by a single document:
The Scarlet Papers
The devastating secrets contained within teased by a brief invitation:
Tomorrow 11AM. Take a cab and pay in cash. Tell no one.
Critic reviews
"Smart, slick and totally gripping... The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph." (Tony Parsons)
"Look out for The Scarlet Papers... An engrossing adventure." (Steve Cavanagh)
"Grand in scope, and packed with fascinating insights." (Mick Herron)
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What listeners say about The Scarlet Papers
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
- The Curator
- 18-01-24
Not just MI5 getting tricked
I did very much enjoy this book and there’s some nice moments reflecting on a writer whose characters mock thrillers but the main character is a frustrated man and sometimes comes across as whiny and entitled while by the end there are so many red herrings that the final reveal left me a bit flat. Still , good fun.
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1 person 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
- Kate Gould
- 10-03-24
Brilliant, carefully crafted, multi-layered story
I loved how the story unfolded, piece by piece and person by person. It is beautifully written and narrated, and there are so many different layers to unpack and relish. If you love a great spy story, this is a fabulous listen.
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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
- Paul Lawson
- 11-11-23
A thoroughly engrossing listen
Novel of the year so far for me.Great plot,believable characters and detailed knowledge of the secret world of espionage add up to a first class thriller.
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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
- 02-01-24
Excellent read
The book reads like a true spy thriller. Sedimentary layers of truth are slowly revealed over 80 years of Cold War history from 1946 to the present day. A real page turner.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ms Anne Reyersbach
- 11-01-24
Intriguing spy story
Enjoyed the web woven by the author, though it became difficult to follow. There’s one mistake at the end where a post code is added to an address. Post codes were not used when this letter was (allegedly) written!
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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
- Anonymous User
- 28-03-24
A gripping tale
Intrigue, suspense, kept me guessing until the very end. The characters were fascinating. Will be reading more by this author.
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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
- 01-04-24
Great story!
Intricately woven story which kept me gripped. Great narration . Could listen to it agin easily.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-03-24
not much of a thriller
have listened to a lot of thrillers lately, this was not one of the best
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Silvine
- 22-08-23
Over complicated and convoluted plot
I listened to the end but was irritated by the cardboard cut out characterisation of cabinet ministers, frustrated academics and spooks generally.
Others have highlighted inaccuracies...'buggies' in the 1940s when people put babies into 'pushchairs' in those days. For me the most hilarious bloomer was Winston Churchill apparently having a 6 digit postcode in the 1940s. Something only introduced to the UK in the 1960s.
The narrators did their best. Some voices were profoundly irritating to me but that's just a personal view.
Not for the first time I've been beguiled by Sunday Times reviews that don't measure up to their promise.
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6 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
- Sararara
- 29-05-23
Complex and clever
Intense, multilayered and quite magnificent spy saga.
Each timeline is meticulously plotted and rich with detail, so much so that it took a while to settle into the story as it demands your full attention.
Everything matters and nothing is there without good reason.
The elegant blend of fact and fiction covers almost 100 years, peopled by flawed and credible characters with some blindsiding twists. A remarkable book.
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2 people found this helpful