A Sally Lockhart Mystery: The Tiger in the Well: Book Three [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Philip Pullman (Author), Anton Lesser (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2008

A stranger is watching. . . .

It’s 1881, and life has been good to Sally Lockhart. Unlike most Victorian women, Sally is completely independent, with her own successful business and a comfortable home for her young daughter, Harriet. But Sally’s whole world is about to collapse. A stranger emerges, claiming to be both her husband and Harriet’s father and threatening all that she has–her business, her child, her very sanity. Sally realizes with growing horror that there is a guiding hand behind this deceit: someone who hates her so passionately that he has devoted years to bringing about her ruin. And there’s only one man that could possibly be. . . .

From the award-winning author of His Dark Materials comes a richly layered adventure of suspicion and intrigue–and the third acclaimed Sally Lockhart mystery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A suspenseful, textured mystery. Especially fine is his use of details--19th-century London comes alive here. Remarkable, too, is the way Pullman interweaves subplots...those who have enjoyed Sally's adventures before, as well as those new to the series, will find this a fascinating read, pulsing with life."--Booklist (starred review)


From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Sally, now 25, is comfortably settled with her child, Harriet, her work, and her London friends. But when a complete stranger claims to be both her husband and Harriet's father, Sally's whole world comes crashing down around her. With nowhere to turn, she escapes with Harriet into the slums of London's East End--and finds help in some unexpected quarters.

"Pullman is fast becoming a modern-day Dickens for young adults. The setting is the same, the strong eye for characters is there, as are the brooding atmosphere, the social conscience, and the ability to spin plot within plot. Sally Lockhart is now a young woman, left alone with a toddler. Nothing prepares her for the shock of receiving a summons from a man she has never even heard of, suing for divorce and the custody of her beloved Harriet. Sally struggles against the net closing around her, seeking to find out who is persecuting her and why. The writing style is lively and direct, and there's lots of action. This is a suspense novel with a conscience, and a most enjoyable one."--School Library Journal.  


From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Listening Library (Audio); Unabridged edition (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739371533
• ISBN-13: 978-0739371534
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.2 x 5.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,388,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( P ) > Pullman, Philip

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars First audio-book I've ever enjoyed, and ever finished!, July 7, 2011

By 

A. E. Berigtold "Travel_Crazy" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Sally Lockhart Mystery: The Tiger in the Well: Book Three (Audio CD)

This is far and away the best audiobook I've ever heard. I picked it up at a library sale, and popped it in the car cd player not expecting much. I was blown away. Anton Lesser is amazing. I never thought I could like the audiobook experience more than the good old paper book experience, but this changed my mind, big time! All the different voices and accents make you forget it's just one guy doing it all. Loved it!

Our heroine does faint at the very end of the book, but at that point it's fully justified. This romp through the sinister side of Victorian England is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I wouldn't insult this book by categorizing it as a "mystery," which makes me think with a shudder of rehashed plots and two-dimensional characters and dull prose.

Nor would I call this book a work for juveniles by any stretch of the imagination, any more than Orwell's 1984 is a juvenile book. While this novel may well be appropriate for and appreciated by some mature high school students, I would not lightly share it with any pre-teens. There are veiled references to child sexual abuse, and some references to prostitution. Set in gritty times, the novel reflects its era. Any reference to sex or adult themes in the book is tasteful and plot-driven, but an adult considering buying this book for a child based on its "juvenile" status should be aware, and be wary. It is certainly not appropriate for your average 9-12 year old, as the Amazon listing suggests.

Happily for those of us over age 12, it is written to enchant readers of every age. Whether you love it for its clever plot, its "in the trenches" view of the people and places of Victorian London, its subtle criticism of social mores of the time, its gentle flag-waving for socialism, its weaving of Judaic lore into the tale, or its simply fearless and fear-inspiring heroine, you WILL love it!

Now, when can I expect to see the movie version of this gem?...

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant reading by Anton Lesser, November 22, 2010

By 

ML "mom of 2" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sally Lockhart Mystery: The Tiger in the Well: Book Three (Audio CD)

Anton Lesser gives one of the best audiobook performances I've heard. This was an engrossing, thrilling reading with wonderfully realized vocal characterizations.