The Black Tower

By: Louis Bayard

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2008 Louis Bayard (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Bayard and Vidocq- perfect match

A brilliant reading by Simon Vance whose beautiful and expressive voice brings the story-and the marvelous characters, to life. Carpentier and Bayard's evocation of Eugene Vidocq are a partnership worthy of Dickens. Genuinely mysterious, vivid, comic.. absorbing from beginning to end. One of the very best on audio.

A wonderful mystery with historical overtones

I'll start by saying that you do need a modicum of French history to really understand the mystery part of this novel: The disappearance and death of Louis XVII after the French Revolution was a source of intrigue for many - did the young prince (the Dauphin of France - the heir apparent) die in the Black Tower or did he escape? His body was not identified and there were rumours that he lived.....and so there were many men who claimed to be him emerge after the restoration of the monarchy following the abdication of Napoleon. This is the story of a young man whom others believe to be the surviving Dauphin, and their search for proof while evading those who wish the Dauphin to never be discovered and are willing to kill to keep that information secret.

Who are those others, the main characters in the story? The narrator of the story is the son of the doctor who attended the young imprisoned prince, and he is led into the investigation by the celebrated French lawman Vidocq, another actual historical figure - the first in the world to use plainclothes and undercover police, and the first private detective in spite of his previous life as a convict.

It's an enjoyable mystery; not a whodunnit as much as a whathappened - is the young man actually the young prince who escaped almost 25 years earlier and has been living in obscurity as a general Jack-of-all-trades servant? And if so, will they be able to prove it before those opposed to exposing him manage to silence all involved?

While I didn't at all mind that the reading was done without a French accent, I was bothered by the strongly identifiable British (Cockney) accent of Vidocq and a scattering of other characters. It served to take my mind out of 19th century France and into England, unfortunately. That was the only weak point in the whole audiobook, and I still highly recommend it.

Wonderful!

Great story and fantastic narration!! Loved this book! Charismatic characters mixed with wonderful narration, bravo!

Loved it!

Simon Vance does an amazing job narrating. The characters are memorable. I found the story engrossing and unique. Must listen for any French history enthusiasts.

Surprisingly funny historical mystery

I really liked this book. The narration was superb and the story, loosely based in fact, is extremely well written.

unexpected pleasure

the first three chapters were very confusing because of the introduction of people to the story fed of themselves had smaller stories that had to be explained. but after all of the introductions and all of the intrigues and storyline, a good story unfolds. I recommend this book to history Buffs, mystery Buffs, and to just enjoyable listening

Simon Vance is my FAVORITE!

Great tale with enough twists to keep the reader engaged! One of the best stories...no hesitation to give it 5 stars!!

Superb

Louis Bayard has written yet another exceptional historical novel. Perhaps even more than with his previous, the main characters are very, very well drawn. The story is fast paced and the details are fascinating.
Simon Vance is a treasure whose skills as a narrator ('narrator' is an insufficient term, 'performer' may be closer to the mark) must be protected at all costs! He, Roy Dotrice, Barbara Rosenblatt and only a few others are in a category all unto themselves.
In this work, Mr. Vance breathes life into characters (Vidocq in particular) already well defined by Mr. Bayard.
A truly great story and a truly great narrator.

Fascinating period of history, good mystery

The book deals with an engrossing mystery surrounding the fate of Louis-Charles, the Dauphin of France, the son of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. The detective in this case, widely believed to be the first private detective, is Vidocq, and the book is well worth reading just for this character. The writing is skillful, moving, and often very funny. It's hard to go wrong with Simon Vance, and he's chalked up another A+ with his narration of The Black Tower. Highly recommended.

Second Half Better Than the First

This caught my eye because of the narrator (Simon Vance, who is always fantastic), the time period (turn of the century 1800's France), and the genre (classic detective, in this case named Vidocq). The story got off to a slow start, but ultimately was an enjoyable mystery with wonderful doses of historical fiction. If I were rating just the second half, I would give it four stars. Worth a listen!