Shrines of Gaiety cover art

Shrines of Gaiety

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Shrines of Gaiety

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Jason Watkins
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.

The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost.

With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems.

©2022 Kate Atkinson (P)2022 Penguin Audio
Biographical Fiction Historical Literary Fiction World War I Fiction Mystery England War
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Brighton Belle cover art
The Wrong Sort to Die cover art
An Unfortunate End: A Lillie Mead Historical Mystery cover art
Night and Day cover art
Skelton's Guide to Blazing Corpses cover art
Hope for the Innocent cover art
The Murderer's Son cover art
A Report of Murder cover art
American Girl cover art
The Address cover art
The Sisters cover art
The Killings at Badger’s Drift cover art
Nobody's Sweetheart Now cover art
Smoke & Cracked Mirrors cover art
Trial by Battle cover art
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel: A Gripping Cozy Historical Mystery cover art

Critic reviews

"This is the perfect novel for uncertain times."(The Times)

"I can think of few writers other than Dickens who can match it." (Sunday Times)

"Brilliant." (Richard Osman)

What listeners say about Shrines of Gaiety

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,179
  • 4 Stars
    341
  • 3 Stars
    99
  • 2 Stars
    34
  • 1 Stars
    13
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,240
  • 4 Stars
    221
  • 3 Stars
    54
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    15
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,040
  • 4 Stars
    330
  • 3 Stars
    113
  • 2 Stars
    37
  • 1 Stars
    13

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous!

As always, a wonderful, immersive and surprising book from Kate Atkins, beautifully read by Jason Watkins. Intriguing story, unforgettable characters and a glimpse into a forgotten world.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

What a time in history!

An intriguing and convoluted story, featuring some great characters. I had no knowledge of the sleazy world of Underground London between the wars, what a revelation! I followed the comings and goings of Nelly Coker and her family with fascination, but I was disappointed in the rather rushed ending, Jason Watkins’ narration was fantastic and, for me, brought all the characters to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific

A superb story, intricately woven and made all the better for fab narration. Would make an excellent BBC six parter!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific

What a romp! Post Great War London in all its glitter and squalor; joy and despair; life and death. Kate Atkinson at her best. Brilliant narration by Jason Watkins.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Takes a while to get going

Wonderful narration but it was so slow to begin with, I nearly gave up! Interesting insight into the times and some great characters. It’s ending was a bit too abrupt.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

This amazing looping intricate story was a joy. And the narration was fantastic. I was sad when it ended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration, instantly forgettable story

All too often the narration of some titles is wanting. This is not the case here. What is present seems instantly recognisable as something already encountered. As an Audible member for some years now, this is not a title I will remember.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book

Gave you a wanting to know more.. more story and more details of the characters lives and backgrounds. A must listen .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great listen.

A fantastic reimagination of London between great war and great depression. Enjoy. I did. Thank you Kate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shrines of gaiety

Enjoyed this enormously, the way the story unfolds, the character coming to life under the expert narrator jason Watkins

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!