The Charm School

By: Nelson DeMille

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 24 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Something very strange -- and sinister -- is going on in the Russian woods at Borodino. In a place called Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School, young KGB agents are being taught by American POW's how to be model citizens of the USA. The Soviet goal -- to infiltrate the United States undetected.

When an unsuspecting American tourist stumbles upon this secret, he sets in motion a CIA investigation that will reveal horrifying police state savagery and superpower treachery.

©1999 Nelson DeMille (P)2009 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Riveting." ( Publishers Weekly)

fantastic Adventure

this was my first experience with a DeMille book. I am now a confirmed fan. the book is a never-ending roller coaster ride of Adventure, twist and unexpected turns. Flawed Heroes with protagonist that are evil beyond words. every time you think you know where the story is headed 2 mil gives it a complete right turn or even an about-face. a page Turner that you just do not want to put down. enough cannot be said about Scott Bricks' reading talents. he is probably one of the two with three best book readers working today. he is spot-on with his accents, tone, and vocal nuances that you completely visualize the circumstances of what she is reading. book that is highly recommended to all listeners for both quality of writing and reading.

Good story, poor narrator

I liked the story, despite its overall gloomy nature. Sadly, the narration I found to be sub-par. OK - the Russian accents and phrases did SOUND Russian. But the two main protaganists (male and female) were almost indistinguishable, as were pretty much all of the Russians. The two main CIA characters also sounded an awful lot alike, with painful, NY-type accents. Made extended conversation maddeningly difficult to follow. Wish it could have been a better listen.

One of the best books ever

This story is suspenseful and keeps you at the edge of your seat. The characters are all well written. I was leery with a book being as long as it was, in keeping my interest. I WAS SORRY IT ENDED!
If you like suspense, and intrigue you surely will want to read this. I choose “Audible” which I am glad I did because of some Russian names. I would have wasted my time on each one trying to figure out how to say them!

Fantastic story, characters, narration. ....!!

I was engaged from opening sentence to final word!! I cried, laughed, felt the fear and joy ...awesome on every level!

Narration is fantastic

I’m not sure I can be unbiased about how good the story is, I’d enjoy Scott Brick reading a telephone directory. The characters are difficult to fully grasp, the danger the characters are in seems a little far fetched. But the story is good, it’s exciting and I found myself totally feeling like I was in the Russian countryside with the characters. The narration, of course, was excellent.

Sam Hollis Needs His Own Series

After reading Plum Island I didn't think there could be a better Nelson DeMille book...I was wrong. The Charm School is the best Spy/Suspense/Thriller that I have read in a very long time. Great characters,, lots of plot twists and Scott Brick's narration was excellent as usual.

Excellent

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would (and have) recommend this book. I enjoyed the depth of the story, characters, and learning about US / Russian relations and Russian culture, all while being entertained.

What did you like best about this story?

This story has many unexpected twists and turns, and is very clever.

You can't stop listening

If you could sum up The Charm School in three words, what would they be?

suspenseful, surprising, entertaining

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Charm School?

When the 2 main characters arrive at the Charm School

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

amazing accents... you feel like you are listening to a russian

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the whole book. Couldn't stop listening. The narrator was amazing. I also read it years ago, but liked it even better this time!

Great book

I first read this when it was released. One of the books that made me love reading. Listening to it now just made me nostalgic for my youth sitting around and reading great fun books!! Take the time and listen to this for the first time or a second if it been a while, it’s worth it!!

Great early work by DeMille.

The story is deeply interesting, the characters are so well wrought, and the suspense is high. There are some awkward areas and a few passages that could have been shorter by a fourth. The dynamic with Hollis and Lisa became so cloying and patronizingly sexist I would have been pissed if I didn’t know that DeMille got better and better at that. Great book. You’ll be captivated.