The Second Midnight, Andrew Taylor
The Second Midnight, Andrew Taylor
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

The Second Midnight

Author: Andrew Taylor

Narrator: Leighton Pugh

Unabridged: 13 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 01/28/2020


Synopsis

From the international bestselling author comes a World War Two tale of one boy’s fight for survival in Nazi Europe A secret mission… A terrible choice… A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…

About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the groundbreaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed TV drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, The Scent of Death, and The American Boy, a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.

He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times), and the CWA's prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator and the Times.

He lives with his wife, Caroline, in the Forest of Dean.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nursebookie on February 05, 2020

I really enjoyed this World War II / Historical Fiction read that deals with a father son relationship, espionage, allegiances, and relationships. This book was originally published in 1987 and reissued on Jan 28, 2020, and is a part of a trilogy, but is essentially a standalone. In ‘The Second Midn......more

Goodreads review by Glen on January 20, 2020

I won this book in a goodreads drawing. Hugh is the failing son of an envoy. When the envoy is given an important mission after Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, he has to take Hugh with him. Hugh catches the eye of a Nazi Colonel and the Colonel's daughter. Not too bad, but My attention wandered.......more

Goodreads review by CLM on February 18, 2020

A dark historical novel that begins with an arrogant Englishman going to Prague on a minor mission, accompanied by his son, just prior to WWII. When things get unexpectedly dangerous, he flees, leaving his adolescent son as a hostage. Unbelievably, Hugh survives, taken in as the gardener's assistant......more

Goodreads review by Hallie on February 07, 2020

The blurb for Andrew Taylor’s The Second Midnight promises a thrilling story of war and survival. When I read it, however, I got an awkwardly paced story lacking any true thrill. I felt incredibly bored as I waited for Hugh to actually get to Czechoslovakia. Then, when he is left behind, Taylor shar......more

Goodreads review by Kirsty on December 08, 2010

This tale of Andrew Taylor's hasn't yet been reissued like other of his earlier works. I tracked down a secondhand copy to give it a try. I can see why it hasn't made a reissue as it's not as mystery based as his other work. I enjoyed it all the same. Hugh is a young teenager in London, somewhere be......more


Quotes

‘An epic, punchy thriller from a fantastic storyteller’ The Times Praise for Andrew Taylor: ‘If you like C. J. Sansom, or Hilary Mantel, you’ll love Andrew Taylor’ Peter James ‘Effortlessly authentic … gripping … moving and believable. An excellent work’ C. J. Sansom 'Taylor has long been the pre-eminent chronicler of beautifully atmospheric historical crime' The Times ‘A breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era’ Financial Times ‘This is how historical crime should be written, with rich authenticity underpinning a twisting plot’ The Times ‘One of the most reliably enjoyable of historical novelists’ The Sunday Times ‘An atmospheric pleasure, full of twists and memorable characters’ The Times ‘With a fast-moving, complex plot underpinned by solid but unobtrusive research and plenty of drama and intrigue, Taylor brings the 17th century to life so vividly that one can almost smell it’ Guardian ‘Once again, Taylor combines his detailed research with a deviously twist-laden storyline’ Observer ‘A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill, and it will have you desperate to search out a quiet corner to continue your acquaintance with it’ Daily Telegraph 'Taylor's mastery of plot and character show to great effect in a story that has a depth few other historical crime novels can match' Sunday Times 'A hugely engaging, atmospheric historical thriller with not one but two smart and lovable protagonists. Andrew Taylor is one of our finest storytellers' Antonia Hodgson ‘Andrew Taylor’s historical crime novels have proved a benchmark for the genre’ Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses ‘Taylor remains to my mind at the top of the list of historical novelists writing in English today’ Reviewing the Evidence