Corpus

Tom Wilde, Book 1

By: Rory Clements

Narrated by: Adam Sims

Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

This big canvas international spy thriller marks the beginning of a brilliant new direction for Rory Clements.

1936. Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland. In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror. Spain has erupted in civil war. In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers.

In an exclusive London club, a conspiracy is launched that threatens the very heart of government. When a renowned society couple with fascist leanings are found brutally murdered, a maverick Cambridge professor is drawn into a world of espionage he knows only from history books. The deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he finds to link the murders with the girl with the silver syringe - and even more worryingly to the scandal surrounding the Abdication....

©2017 Rory Clements (P)2017 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Rich in deceptions and intrigue...a standout historical novel and spy thriller." ( The Daily Express)

"Rory Clements's timely spy thriller set in the 1930s evokes a period of political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence. Corpus is fast-paced and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing." ( The Times)

Annoying pronunciation

An OK plot, but really annoying American and mispronunciations throughout. American pronunciation would be forgivable for the American lead, but for the British narrator to pronounce Magdalen College incorrectly and for a member of the aristocracy, and everyone else, to pronounce Moscow and several other words in the American way was just irritating. And who in Britain in 1936 would have said gotten? As this was throughout the story, it just became annoying. Plus words simply pronounced incorrectly. And I know it is 1930s England but did the female lead have to be quite so soppy and dependent on men to rescue her?

A promising start to a series

This was an intriguing story blending murder with the international politics of the day, namely Spanish Civil War, Mrs Simpson and the rise of Nazi Germany and Communism in Russia. It has a manageable list of characters but does take some time for the various threads in the story to come together. It wasn't until I was about two thirds of the way through the book that I was truly hooked. The plot was well thought through and the characters well developed with their individual 'history' explained so that I could understand their motives. The main character I found more perplexing. He isn't a classic hero more of an average guy who has issues from his past which have been eluded to. I think this helps to make him easier to relate to. I hope his character will be developed during the series. The historical context was fantastic particularly on the political issues around the kings abdication. Well worth listening too and I look forward to his next book in the series.

another American prof in Cambridge

if I'd realised this was another American lead in UK story- this time a Cambridge don - I wouldn't have bought this. The premise just doesn't work just to promote a US audience. irritated.

narrator did well.

Tom Wilde needs a Netflix series!

Accidentally started with the latest book in this series as a holiday read and instantly admired the heroic Tom Wilde, and could vividly picture the era this series is set thanks to the author, Rory Clements. The author does not hang around when moving forward with the plot, but manages to give each act and character sufficient time to digest.

With just the right amount of plot twists and plenty of characters in a remarkable era for Britain, I cannot recommend this series enough, and I think a Rory Clements commissioned Netflix series for the Tom Wilde books would be excellent. It is hard to not admire the tenacious Tom Wilde, and it the setting of Cambridge in comparison to London is refreshing.

Credit to the narrator who does a fantastic job with the characters!

Corpus

Enjoyed the book and the narration but one small observation would be that sometimes the narrators pause/ gap between changes in the scenes was undetectable and took a second or two to realise it had changed

Excellent

An intriguing story which keeps you guessing right to the end. Hope another book featuring Professor Wild will be available soon.

A bit of a slow start but we'll worth it.

Ok it is a bit of a halfway house between smokey room spy story and then high speed car chases. But a good story. A bit OTT at times but well worth the listen.

A History

Great, a bit long winded but a believable story. Will check out the author for more
A History

Fantastic

Loved it along with all the other books by this author
Cant wait for the next .

Intrigue and History

Great mix of historical fact intertwined with murder deceit and political intrigue a fast paced whodunnit which I couldn’t stop listening to.