Madam, Will You Talk? cover art

Madam, Will You Talk?

The modern classic by the Queen of the Romantic Mystery

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Madam, Will You Talk?

By: Mary Stewart
Narrated by: Emilia Fox
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About this listen

The pioneer of romantic suspense, Mary Stewart leads listeners on a thrilling journey through a dangerous and deadly Provence in this tale perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym.

It sounds idyllic: a leisurely drive through the sun-drenched landscape of Provence. But Charity's dream holiday turns into a nightmare when she becomes embroiled in a sinister plot to kidnap a young boy. She soon finds herself in a deadly pursuit and must uncover who to trust . . . and who to fall for.

Whenever I look back now on the strange and terrifying events of that holiday in Southern France, I remember the minutes I spent gazing at the golden arches of the Roman aqueduct over the Gardon... the last brief lull before the thunder.

(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd©1956 Mary Stewart
Detective Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Romantic Suspense Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting

Critic reviews

The terrible thirsty heat of the Provençal summer, the noise of the cicadas, the dust of the country buses... the tension mounts steadily until it reaches breaking-point . . . an excellent tale of mystery.
She set the bench mark for pace, suspense and romance - with a great dollop of escapism as the icing. (Elizabeth Buchan)
A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors. (Harriet Evans)
Mary Stewart is magic.
All stars
Most relevant
I am slightly biased, but I love this book, and I was so pleased when I saw Emilia Fox was narrating. I first read it in my early twenties, my mother was a great fan, and I was quickly caught up in the intrigue of Mary Stewart's novels. The locations and story intrigued me, and made me want to experience these fantastic places for myself all my life (Australia is a long way from France, but I am thrilled that I have now visited them all). So it was a happy to see Audible releasing modern narrations of Mary Stewart titles.

As far as I know, Mary Stewart was the first to write romantic suspense novels, and they are all set in excellent locations. They do not follow on from each other - they are all works that stand alone with different characters.

Written in 1955, Madam, Will You Talk? does have some period language, and the vehicles are obviously set in that time space. However, I listen in the same way I listen to Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers, as period works. Mary Stewart's books have more suspense, but good plots - they were only 20 years old when I read them, now they are period!!

Filled with beautiful descriptions of rural France, historical Roman towns, car chases and the climate of France post WW2 and of course some romance, You tend to like the characters you are supposed to like, and treat the rest with suspicion.

So pleased to have this in my library - excellent

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This is one of my favourite books - what a joy to have it read by Emilia Fox; absolutely pitch perfect, completely faithful to the period in which it was written but still managing to sound fresh and contemporary. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Wonderful!

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Atmospheric and pictorial text, frightfully British, satisfyingly mildly tense, comfortable ending, clearly-defined characters and smooth plot.

Beautifully performed novel

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Beautifully written. The narration was cast brilliantly. I Caesar to sample more Mary Stewart books.

Excellent wonderfully descriptive

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I loved this book, a decorous and at times quite thrilling story. Super narration by Emilia Fox who is a perfect choice for romantic adventures in a more charming age with strong women characters.

Delicious escapism

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