Audiobooks narrated by Simon Slater

In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII's court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king's favor and ascend to the heights of political power England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king's freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph? In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death.

Hilary Mantel (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Wolf Hall

Tudor England. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is charged with securing his divorce. Into this atmosphere of distrust comes Thomas Cromwell - a man as ruthlessly ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

Hilary Mantel (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Wednesday's Child

Wednesday's Child is the sixth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from Past Reason Hated. When two social workers, investigating reports of child abuse, appear at Brenda Scupham's door, her fear of authority leads her to comply meekly with their requests. Even when they say that they must take her seven-year old daughter Gemma away for tests . . . It is only when they fail to return Gemma the following day that Brenda realizes something has gone terribly wrong. At the same time, Banks is investigating a particularly unpleasant murder at the site of an abandoned mine. Gradually, the leads in the two cases converge, guiding Banks to one of the most truly terrifying criminals he will ever meet . . . Wednesday's Child is followed by the seventh book in this Yorkshire-based crime series, Dry Bones That Dream.

Peter Robinson (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Two Steps Forward: A Novel

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project comes a story of taking chances and learning to love again as two people, one mourning her husband and the other recovering from divorce, cross paths on the centuries-old Camino pilgrimage from France to Spain. "The Chemin will change you. It changes everyone..." The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is a centuries-old pilgrim route that ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Every year, thousands of walkers-some devout, many not-follow the route that wends through quaint small villages and along busy highways alike, a journey unlike any other. Zoe, an artist from California who's still reeling from her husband's sudden death, has impulsively decided to walk the Camino, hoping to find solace and direction. Martin, an engineer from England, is road-testing a cart of his own design...and recovering from a messy divorce. They begin in the same French town, each uncertain of what the future holds. Zoe has anticipated the physical difficulties of her trek, but she is less prepared for other challenges, as strangers and circumstances force her to confront not just recent loss, but long-held beliefs. For Martin, the pilgrimage is a test of his skills and endurance but also, as he and Zoe grow closer, of his willingness to trust others-and himself-again. Smart and funny, insightful and romantic, Two Steps Forward reveals that the most important journeys we make aren't measured in miles, but in the strength, wisdom, and love found along the way. Fans of The Rosie Project will recognize Graeme Simsion's uniquely quirky and charming writing style.

Anne Buist, Graeme Simsion (Author), Penelope Rawlins, Simon Slater (Narrator)

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The Summer That Never Was

The Summer That Never Was is the thirteenth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from Aftermath. A skeleton has been unearthed. Soon the body is identified, and the horrific discovery hits the headlines. Fourteen-year-old Graham Marshall went missing during his paper round in 1965. The police found no trace of him. His disappearance left his family shattered, and his best friend, Alan Banks, full of guilt. That friend has now become Chief Inspector Alan Banks, and he is determined to bring justice for Graham. But he soon realizes that in this case, the boundary between victim and perpetrator, between law-guardian and law-breaker, is becoming more and more blurred.

Peter Robinson (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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The Secrets of Life and Death

Krakow, 1585 Summoned by the King of Poland to help save his dying niece, Edward Kelley and his master, alchemist and scholar Dr John Dee, discover a dark secret at the heart of The Countess Bathory's malady. But perhaps the cure will prove more terrifying than the alternative... England, 2013 Jackdaw Hammond lives in the shadows, a practitioner and purveyor of occult materials. But when she learns of a young woman found dead on a train, her body covered in arcane symbols, there's no escaping the attention of police consultant Felix Guichard. Together they must solve a mystery centuries in the making, or die trying...

Rebecca Alexander (Author), India Fisher, Simon Slater (Narrator)

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The Quick

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SLATEFor fans of Anne Rice, The Historian, and The Night Circus, an astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling "Doctor Knife." But the answer to her brother's disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England. In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction's most dazzling talents. Praise for The Quick"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."-Kate Atkinson "A cracking good read . . . Owen takes the gothic conventions of the vampire novel in a refreshing new direction."-Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches and The Book of Life "A good old-fashioned vampire novel . . . What fun."- The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice) " The Quick is that rare book that reviewers and readers live for: both plot- and character-driven, a stay-up-all-night reading romp. . . . This is elegant, witty, force-of-nature writing." -The Dallas Morning News "The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel." -The Economist "A seamless blend of Victorian London and rich imagination."-Tana French, author of In the Woods "A thrilling tale . . . This book will give you chills even on a hot day." -Minneapolis Star Tribune "Stylishly sinister . . . will have you sleeping with the lights on." -O: The Oprah Magazine "A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre."-Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall "A big, sly bucketful of the most tremendous fun . . . [Owen] weaves what's here with what's beyond as easily as J. K. Rowling does."- Slate "[An author of] prodigious gifts . . . Owen captures Dickens's London with glee and produces a number of characters Dickens would be happy to call his own." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette From the Hardcover edition.

Lauren Owen (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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The Quick

You are about to discover the secrets of The Quick - But first you must travel to Victorian Yorkshire, and there, on a remote country estate, meet a brother and sister alone in the world and bound by tragedy. In time, you will enter the rooms of London's mysterious Aegolius Club - a society of some of the richest, most powerful men in fin-de-siecle England. And at some point - we cannot say when - these worlds will collide. It is then, and only then, that a new world emerges, one of romance, adventure and the most delicious of horrors - and the secrets of The Quick are revealed.

Lauren Owen (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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The Hanging Valley

The Hanging Valley is the fourth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from A Necessary End. A faceless corpse is discovered in a tranquil, hidden valley below the village of Swainshead. And when Chief Inspector Alan Banks arrives, he finds that no-one is willing to talk. Banks's frustration only grows when the identity of the body is revealed. For it seems that his latest case may be connected with an unsolved murder in the same area five years ago. Among the silent suspects are the Collier brothers, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the area. When they start using their influence to slow down the investigation, Banks finds himself in a race against time . . . The Hanging Valley is followed by the fifth book in this Yorkshire-based crime series, Past Reason Hated.

Peter Robinson (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Strange Affair

Strange Affair is the fifteenth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from Playing With Fire. When Alan Banks receives a disturbing message from his brother, Roy, he abandons the peaceful Yorkshire Dales for the bright lights of London, to seek him out. But Roy seems to have vanished into thin air. Meanwhile, DI Annie Cabbot is called to a quiet stretch of road just outside Eastvale, where a young woman has been found dead in her car. In the victim's pocket, scribbled on a slip of paper, police discover Banks' name and address. Living in Roy's empty South Kensington house, Banks finds himself digging into the life of the brother he never really knew, nor even liked. And as he begins to uncover a few troubling surprises, the two cases become sinisterly entwined . . . 'The Banks novels are, simply put, the best series now on the market' Stephen King

Peter Robinson (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Power Play

The pulse-pounding new thriller from Richard & Judy and Zoe Ball Book Club author, Tony Kent. The enemies aren't at the gate - they're already inside. When controversial US presidential candidate Dale Victor is killed in a plane explosion, along with hundreds of other passengers, it appears to be a clear-cut case of terrorism. The suspect has even confessed to the bombing. But as criminal barrister Michael Devlin is about to discover, everything is not as it seems. Also suspecting there are other forces at work, intelligence agent Joe Dempsey is driven to investigate. Who would have wanted Victor out of the way - and would commit mass murder to do it? As the evidence begins to mount, everything seems to point to the very top of the US government. And now someone is determined to stop Dempsey and Devlin from discovering the truth. At any cost. With countless more lives on the line, together Dempsey and Devlin must find a way to prove who's really pulling the strings and free the White House from the deadly grip that has taken hold of power. 'An intricate, twisty minefield of geopolitics and absolute power gone rogue. Kent has outdone himself with this one.' DAVID BALDACCI 'A gripping conspiracy thriller' IAN RANKIN

Tony Kent (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire is the fourteenth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from The Summer That Never Was. In the early hours of a cold January morning, two narrow boats catch fire on the dead-end stretch of the Eastvale canal. When signs of accelerant are found at the scene, DCI Banks and DI Annie Cabbot are summoned. But by the time they arrive, only the smouldering wreckage is left, and human remains have been found on both boats. The evidence points towards a deliberate attack. But who was the intended victim? Was it Tina, the sixteen-year-old who had been living a drug-fuelled existence with her boyfriend? Or was it Tom, the mysterious, lonely artist? As Banks makes his enquiries, it appears that a number of people are acting suspiciously: the interfering 'lock-keeper', Tina's cold-hearted step-father, the wily local art dealer, even Tina's boyfriend . . . Then the arsonist strikes again, and Banks's powers of investigation are tested to the limit . . .

Peter Robinson (Author), Simon Slater (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Simon Slater