The Black Tower, Louis Bayard
The Black Tower, Louis Bayard
1 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
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The Black Tower

Author: Louis Bayard

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 8 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook (DRM Protected)

Published: 08/26/2008

Synopsis

From the acclaimed author of The Pale Blue Eye, this literary thriller features Eugène Vidocq, a criminal who transformed himself into the world's first and greatest detective.After the execution of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI and the death of their son, the Dauphin, the Bourbon monarchy has at last been restored. Dr. Hector Carpentier leads a very quiet life, until he meets legendary police officer Vidocq, who has used his mastery of disguise and surveillance and his extensive knowledge of the Parisian underworld to capture some of the most notorious and elusive criminals. Now with the help of Carpentier, Vidocq may prove that the Dauphin lives, which could change the course of history.

About Louis Bayard

Louis Bayard is a critically acclaimed novelist, reviewer, and journalist who has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Salon.com, Ms., Nerve.com, and the Washington, D.C., City Paper. He is the author of The Pale Blue Eye and of Mr. Timothy, a New York Times Notable Book and one of People magazine’s ten best books of 2003. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his partner and two sons.

About Simon Vance

Simon Vance is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with over fifty Earphones Awards and thirteen prestigious Audie Awards. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Will on May 29, 2017

Louis Bayard likes to take on old authors and have some fun with their worlds. In this case he is channeling Dumas in a fun mystery/adventure set in 19th century Paris. Scars from the Revolution still bleed. Napoleon has had his Waterloo and the monarchy has been restored. But who is the rightful he......more

Goodreads review by Terry on February 19, 2012

_The Black Tower_ by Louis Bayard is a very enjoyable historical fiction/mystery set in Paris and its environs during the period of the Bourban Bourbon Restoration, with numerous flashbacks to the Terror of the Revolution. It is a period of huge turmoil and horror for France, where hope and possibil......more

Goodreads review by Jann on May 09, 2012

I realize this is my second 5-star review in a row, but this book deserves it! I have never read anything by Bayard before, although "Mr. Timothy" has been on my book shelves for at least a year. Reading this book was like unstacking a set of Russian nesting dolls. There were stories within stories,......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on July 02, 2009

The Black Tower by Louis Bayard (pp. 400) Bayard tells the story of the possible lost King of France (Louis-Charles) during the Restoration through the exploits of Vidocq, the famous and feared chief of the newly established undercover police force and a Parisian doctor. As historical fiction goes, B......more

Goodreads review by Liza on June 14, 2009

I think that I like historical fiction, but maybe I really don’t. There are a number of things that are almost inevitably true in historical fiction that drive me absolutely up the wall: There’s always a character (often the protagonist) who is wise beyond his time period Someone famous wanders throug......more

Quotes

“Another tour de force, an intense and gripping novel…This beautifully crafted thriller stands head and shoulders above other recent efforts to fictionalize Poe.” Publishers Weekly on The Pale Blue Eye (starred review)

“A compelling and sympathetic narrator instantly draws the reader into Bayard’s stellar third historical…Bayard keeps the reader guessing until the end…Few writers today can match the author’s skill in devising an intelligent thriller with heart.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Occasionally, a brilliant audio can improve upon the print original. Simon Vance’s skillful enactment of a cast the size of Balzac’s The Human Comedy is a joy…Most amazing is Vance’s portrayal of Vidocq, a criminal turned police inspector. A master of masquerade, Vidocq takes on many disguises, complemented here by unique voices. When uncloaked, Vance returns Vidocq to his natural speech…The pace is perfect, as Vance skillfully swirls the reader through a complex Restoration plot that is sure to please.” Publishers Weekly (starred review for audio)

“Bayard has been making a name for himself as a gifted writer of historical mysteries. This superb novel just might prompt more widespread acclaim…In addition to many fine, quirky character portraits and the visceral depiction of a chaotic France still reeling under the regime change, Bayard offers a rip-roaring plot full of smart and funny turns.” Booklist (starred review)

“Bayard’s ably written historical whodunit fills in the blanks of a timeless mystery…A brilliant example of the genre…Simon Vance intuitively understands the fun of this enterprise and attacks the narration with a headlong relish, voicing a cavalcade of characters from all strata of nineteenth-century Paris—from duchesses and marquis to thieves and prostitutes. Best of all is his portrayal of the fearsome Eugene Vidocq.” AudioFile

Awards

  • Christian Science Monitor Book of the Year
  • Indie Next List
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