Restless

Restless has it all: richly drawn characters with depth, humanity and wit who find themselves drawn into a believable intrigue that captures you from the first sentence. Boyd's writing elegantly and effortlessly provokes thought on the issues of secrecy, intimacy, loyalty, and love. His grasp of the everyday routine of living adds grace notes of humor and warmth to a first rate story. The narrator is perfect - her intelligent and wry delivery brilliantly delivers Boyd's fascinating story. The combination of excellent writing, two interesting protagonists (one of whom would have made Le Carre's Smiley tip his hat in admiration after a successful dead letter drop) make this my favorite book of 2007!

Please, Audible, let us have more books by this author. This superb story of British secret agent activity in the US during WWII was one of the best boooks I have read in years. Its gripping tale held my attention from cover to cover. It was finely constructed and brilliantly written.

A compelling and beautifully written novel about a fascinating time in world history. I listened to it straight through in one weekend. Buy the unabridged version — you won’t want to miss a minute of Boyd’s amazing prose.

I'm not a big fan of spy novels, but this is almost in a class by itself. I was completely caught up in the story. Boyd does the details and the plot of the spy thriller very convincingly. And he's superb on local color as the action switches from England to Europe to the U.S. The reader does a magnificent job.

I enjoy many Audible selections and am a mystery as well as a novel fan. This book is one of the best listening experiences I have had thus far! The writing is especially fine. The characters are complex and deeply interesting. Haunting and modern. The reader did a wonderful job of portraying them.

There is an almost haunting quality to the narration and tone of the book that indicate the level of emotional detachment required to be ready to kill or do things or do seemingly innocuous things that could get her killed. Well, read, well written, and the tone / theme of the books sticks with me months later.

From beginning to the end it keeps you gripped and thinking “where is this going”? If you like intrigue, espionage and drama, you will enjoy Restless. Also, the narration by Rosemund Pike was well done; better than most. You should know that the novel starts well, slows and then meanders towards one of the best conclusions I’ve ever encountered. It kept me interested throughout. With the author titling this book Restless doesn’t do anything to the reader until the very end. Then everything becomes clear.

The alternative title for Restless should be "intrigue". There are several mysteries all going on at the same time: preWWII espionage, the main characters' unfolding lives and relationships, and shifts between the past and present on both levels.Restless also examines the question of betrayal on personal, interpersonal, and international levels. There are enough odd turns and odd characters to keep you guessing as to outcome. I did not like the main characters, but I cared what happened to them - that's good writing! Great read - a real page turner.

What secrets do we hold in our hearts? What bitterness and anger do we nurse, anticipating if not revenge, then at least resolution?
When Eva reveals her past as a British spy to her incredulous daughter Ruth, a door is opened into the lives of two formidable women. This novel is three stories, Eva’s story as wartime spy, Ruth’s story as a single mother in 1970’s Britain and finally the story of both woman united by the secret that has kept them apart.
Genre transcending, this story takes us on an absorbing journey through the early years of WW2, from Europe to Britain to the U.S.A to Canada and back to London. It is an exploration of the art of spy-craft, manipulation and deceit. It is insightful study of two young woman, both strong and intelligent, struggling to make a place for themselves in a world from which they are both slightly dislocated.
There is action, intrigue, romance; a clich? free plot and finally an unexpected and satisfying resolution for all concerned. The narration is outstanding, the story is well constructed, the plot ripples and the characters are deeply absorbing. A very worthwhile and highly recommended audio experience.

This is a well written novel about spying in Europe and the US before Pearl Harbor. Anyone who has enjoyed Alan Furst's WWII European spy novels would enjoy this one. I know I did.