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A Bird in Winter

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A Bird in Winter

By: Louise Doughty
Narrated by: Clare Corbett
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About this listen

OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES OF APPLE TREE YARD SOLD

'Louise Doughty leads her unnerved readers into dark territory.' HILARY MANTEL

'Clever, twisty, propulsive.' CLAIRE FULLER

'Doughty is a brilliant storyteller who knows how to build suspense to breaking point.' The Times

The latest from the Number One Sunday Times Bestselling author Louise Doughty

Bird is a woman on the run. One minute, she's in a meeting in her office in Birmingham - the next, she's walking out on her job, her home, her life. It's a day she thought might come, and one she's prepared for - but nothing could prepare her for what will happen next. As she flees north using multiple disguises, Bird has to work out who exactly is on her trail, and who - if anyone - she can trust. Like many people, she has fantasised about escape for a long time, but now it's actually happening. Is her greatest fear that she will be hunted down, or that she will never be found?

©2023 Louise Doughty (P)2023 Faber Audio Espionage Psychological Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic Reviews

'Louise Doughty leads her unnerved readers into dark territory.' HILARY MANTEL

'Doughty is a brilliant storyteller who knows how to build suspense to breaking point.' The Times
All stars
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Too many things it dragged on and on the story became boring and predictable same story repeated

The narrator’s voice

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I really enjoyed the engaging and credible female protagonist. I felt I had a good understanding of her relationships and thinking. Fantastic images of Iceland.

Gripping and well written tale

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Listened to a podcast of the author speaking of this book! What a tale, a tale with twists, turns, heart-wrenching, beauty, and suspense. Also, wonderfully narrated! Loved it!

Fabulously suspensful

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This book had pluses and minuses. I liked the way you were kept 'in the moment', always wondering what would happen next, and always very present to the current situation. However, there were a lot of gaps. eg. Where did Vikram come from - perhaps I nodded off and missed something. the Flavia thing was just really not good enough - surely true loving relationships require some sort of closure - not just left hanging the way this one was. Lots of vagueness about relationships and characters - perhaps meant to be like that to keep you wondering. Even the title - clever but ... The clanger was the ending. The end was just so unsatisfying and so unresolved. Are we to think that she is just left in exile - a terrible fate, no relationships, no connection to her own culture etc. I now realise that there will be another book, but I won't be reading it. No - it wasn't bad, but it could have been better.

A lot of loose ends ...

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I enjoyed every moment of this book - a spy thriller with a female protagonist which is about betrayal and secrets but also about loss, connection and reconnection . I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an easy to follow but in depth story .

Wonderful story - great narration

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Disappointing at the end. I had hoped for something that would not leave me wondering

Maybe there is a sequel

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It is written with significant detail, and performed well. But the destination? Oh my? Perhaps something more substantial from the effort in content would have been appreciated.

So detailed - journey to where?

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Unusual story. Srong independent women on the run from sinister forces. Ending left to your own imagination.

Great descriptive language

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Good story initially but peters out and becomes mediocre. High energy and compelling but disappointing towards the end.

Disappointing

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.