The Lost Empress

Jefferson Tayte Genealogical, Book 4

By: Steve Robinson

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

From acclaimed author Steve Robinson comes a bold new Jefferson Tayte mystery.

On a foggy night in 1914, the ocean liner Empress of Ireland sank en route to England and now lies at the bottom of Canada’s St Lawrence River. The disaster saw a loss of life comparable to the Titanic and the Lusitania, and yet her tragedy has been forgotten.

When genealogist Jefferson Tayte is shown a locket belonging to one of the Empress' victims, a British admiral’s daughter named Alice Stilwell, he must travel to England to understand the course of events that led to her death.

Tayte is expert in tracking killers across centuries. In The Lost Empress, his unique talents draw him to one of the greatest tragedies in maritime history as he unravels the truth behind Alice’s death amidst a backdrop of pre-WWI espionage.

This is the fourth book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series, but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.

©2014 Steve Robinson (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Alright, except for....

I liked the story, but there were time when I was quite mixed-up because I am bad at remembering names and on numerous occasions, I was confused about who was who.

Nevertheless, I like the series and I am in for more.

I do however have 3 complaints:

•I hate it when the bad-guys blab out their evil schemes to someone at the end and that’s how they get caught. Hidden mics etc, feels lazy.

•Does the author have a contract with Mr Goodbar? The product placement felt extremely contrived.

•Regarding the narrator: That was NOT EVEN CLOSE to a Québécois accent! I live in Québec, we do not sound like Parisians. Perhaps by default, my ear is too finely tuned to that detail and it’s not fair to expect an English narrator to understand the nuances?

History revealed

Another well written and cleverly plotted Tayte sequel. The back and forth between the present and 1900's is well delineated and clues are provided to the audience that had not been revealed yet to the investigation: a present day murder and Tayte's main focus...Did Alice survive the Empress sinking?

Such a challenging story to write while being interesting and fun the entire way with a rather surprising end. Simon Vance made it enjoyable and his female voices are amazing.

Not the author's best, but worth listening to

I found myself becoming extremely annoyed with the protagonist. All along the way there were many opportunities to "come clean." And to my mind Tate was pretty slow on the uptake about who was the guilty party. BUT, because I'm a history lover, it was still worth listening to.
I think Simon Vance usually does an amazing job but on this book it seemed he was trying too hard for Tate's American accent, like Ralph Fiennes in Maid in Manhattan.

Ludicrously contrived

Another well narrated Jefferson Tayte mystery, this one with a plot that unfortunately borders on the ludicrous. Alice’s various actions in the face of an eloborate spying plot against Britain involving her family just don't seem at all credible and the whole narrative structure crumbles as a result. Pity - the historical context (Empress of Ireland) is very interesting and real.

Another great story!

From start to finish the story keeps you wrapped up and waiting for more. Well worth the "read". Thank you!

No 1890 census

There is no 1890 census. Pretty bad that such an important genealogist didn’t not know that. Otherwise I enjoyed it

The Lost Empress

This is the first in this series that I’ve read. Out of order I know, but there was something that caught my interest and I’m so glad I did! I will return to the others in the series in time as this was an enjoyable listen.

I appreciated the peek into historic events as they intertwined with these families lives. The dual story lines of past and present was most enjoyable.

I recommend this to all.

he did it again

great yarn, love the back & forth in history style, and the historical accuracy.
amused by the few time he messes up the British vs. American wordings.

Can it get any better?

Robinson has me hooked with Jefferson Tayte mysteries. Love the depth of the plots and terrific characters. Simon Vance narrates Robinson’s books perfectly. Great duo 👍

Mystery

The skeletons in the closets of so many families are apparently so secret that sometimes people are willing to go so far as murder to keep them buried. I had no idea this was part of a series but it's definitely unlike anything I have ever read before. It was well written and covered a sad part of history.

Excellent

Loved the story and a great follow on from the other titles. The fact that the stories are based around real historical events adds to the enjoyment. More please

Great book

Love the Jeferson Tate books, and this one is as good as they get. Simon Vance also adds his talent to the story.

Excellent read again.

All of Steve Robinson’s books I have read or listened are enthralling and have you engrossed from beginning to end. Moving on to book 4.

Thank you.

Glad I tried again

My first experience of this author and series didn’t quite work. I am so glad I came back and tried again.This story had me hooked from the word go. Train journeys , car journeys, washing up any excuse to carry on listening . The book travelled from the present to the past seamlessly and the narrator made the journey even better. The Story flowed and you very quickly became involved, the characters gained your sympathy or your dislike. I look forward to moving on to book 5

BRILLIANT!!

I loved the past and present woven together to produce a very brilliant plot of historical intrigue and modern day technology. The narrator is great at doing the character voices so it's easy to listen too. I enjoy family history anyway and to have it used in a thriller makes a great story.

Another good Jefferson Tayte tale

Really enjoyed this book a good continuation from the previous books in the series. Looking forward to the next.

Riveting

What an utterly brilliant book!!!
This would make a fabulous film!!!
Full of mystery and intrigue, paths turning in every direction, leaving you utterly gob smacked.........

good read

Excellent twist and turns author keeps you engaged engrossingy tantalizing very good twist at the end

so absorbing

everything about this was just sheer pleasure to listen to, looking forward to the next one

great listen

this is the first time I have listened to a Steve Robinson audio having READ his previous books. Nothing is lost in the spoken word, and I would recommend that you download the first of the series. The books do stand alone but the main character develops as the series goes along. First class writing!