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    Bristol House
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    Bristol House
    Unavailable
    Bristol House
    Audiobook12 hours

    Bristol House

    Written by Beverly Swerling

    Narrated by Kristen Sieh, James Langton and Christian Coulson

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In the tradition of Kate Mosse, a swiftly-paced mystery that stretches from modern London to Tudor England

    In modern-day London, architectural historian and recovering alcoholic Annie Kendall hopes to turn her life around and restart her career by locating several long-missing pieces of ancient Judaica. Geoff Harris, an investigative reporter, is soon drawn into her quest, both by romantic interest and suspicions about the head of the Shalom Foundation, the organization sponsoring her work. He's also a dead ringer for the ghost of a monk Annie believes she has seen at the flat she is subletting in Bristol House.

    In 1535, Tudor London is a very different city, one in which monks are being executed by Henry VIII and Jews are banished. In this treacherous environment of religious persecution, Dom Justin, a Carthusian monk, and a goldsmith known as the Jew of Holborn must navigate a shadowy world of intrigue involving Thomas Cromwell, Jewish treasure, and sexual secrets. Their struggles shed light on the mysteries Annie and Geoff aim to puzzle out-at their own peril.

    This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid historical fiction. Beverly Swerling, widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, delivers a bewitching and epic story of a historian and a monk, half a millennium apart, whose destinies are on a collision course.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 4, 2013
    ISBN9781101605295
    Unavailable
    Bristol House
    Author

    Beverly Swerling

    Beverly Swerling is a writer, consultant, and amateur historian. She lives in New York City with her husband.

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    Reviews for Bristol House

    3.5/5

    58 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Ah, this book. Bristol House and I never really meshed, sadly. Despite my best efforts to immerse myself in Annie Kendall's story, I never felt that committed to it. Truth be told, this book got set aside more than once while I was reading through it.

      Now, I find it necessary to mention that I'm still dipping my toes into the waters of historical fiction. What most caught my eye about Bristol House, was that there was a paranormal bend to it. Stories that interlace the past and the present fascinate me. Add in the fact that this was set in England, and you had my attention. If only I had been able to fall in love with Annie as a character, I might have honestly enjoyed this more.

      See, Annie is a bit of a prickly character. Although Swerling definitely lays out what Annie might not be quick to let others in, it never felt exactly right. When Geoff was set in her path, quite coincidentally I might add, that aspect of her personality became even more glaring. I admit, I was happy that there was no instalove here. However that didn't drown out the fact that Geoff was just too convenient of a character. There was little to no tension, and really little to no relationship growth. It made the two of them dull, in my opinion, and I wasn't interested in following along with them.

      What I did enjoy most of all though, were the flashback scenes to the life of Annie's ghostly visitor. Dom Justin's life was full of intrigue, and danger. His chapters would catch me up in their vivid descriptions, and have me eager for more. I suppose that's most likely why Annie's chapters felt so much flatter. Dom Justin's life was just so much more interesting that anything Annie was involved in.

      I don't know what else to say, really. It just all felt too convenient when it came to the mystery here. Clues that fell perfectly into place, and were somehow laid out expertly despite the fact that they were from an entire other time period. Geoff, with his much too perfect characterization falling right into Annie's path at the right time. Never mind the fact that the had all the hookups that Annie needed to accomplish her task. Even Annie's backstory, while I appreciated the fact that she wasn't a pushover, felt contrived.

      Thus, the three star rating. I'm on the fence, and I know that this is more of a "It's not you, it's me." situation when it comes to this book. There is definitely a group of readers out there who will love this. Bristol House does do an excellent job of weaving together two time periods, and sharing a healthy dose of Jewish history with the reader. I just wanted much more than I was offered in this story.
    • 5/5
      Brilliantly written and unique. Full of twists and turns!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book! It was a very well-researched, engaging story that kept my interest to the end. Unlike many books that finish the story at the first denoument, the author continued the story, answering the many questions that I would have asked had she not. I truly appreciate the author's efforts in creating this well-rounded mystery.
    • 4/5
      4.0 out of 5 stars - a novel that inspired the researcher in me!This is a complex and intriguing story that blends history and present day with a time-bending element that keeps the reader turning the pages late into the night -- with a computer handy to delve deeper, searching for details to seek further understanding.Dr. Annie Kendall, a recovering alcoholic and architectural historian, is engaged by the Shalom Foundation and its charismatic leader, Philip Weinraub, to search for Judaica that was thought to be from the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and discovered by a man known only as the Jew of Holbern. Her mission will be difficult as in 1530s Tudor England, Henry VIII is on the throne and religious unrest had reached such a point that no Jew would be publicly identified as such.Soon after she is settled in Bristol House, a beautiful apartment in the heart of Holborn, London, Annie opens the door to a back bedroom and sees a Carthusian monk. This vision, along with the strange black and white mural that covers the entire wall of her new bedroom, sets her on a different investigative path that spans centuries and uncovers a relationship between the past and present day events. While meeting with an archivist from the British Museum, Annie meets Geoffrey Harris who happens to be a dead ringer for the monk who had appeared in her back room! Geoff, a television journalist who focuses his exposes on politicians and other elected officials, is intrigued by the events that have transpired and joins Annie in her pursuit for answers to the mysteries.The meticulous research by the author is evident and the history fascinating and absorbing. I can't remember the last time I learned so much while reading a novel! I highly recommend it.Comp copy from the publisher.
    • 3/5

      This story takes place in England, present day, and toggles back & forth in time to 1535, the Tudor period. Lately, almost all of the books that I've read are using this storytelling technique. I was a fan of it when authors began using it, but now it's just overused. I find that one story is almost always superior to the other, and this book is not the exception.
      The better story in this case is the historical tale set in Tudor England, involving secret treasure, original sin, speckled eggs, monks and Jews being persecuted & executed by Henry the VIII.
      The present day story involves an American architectural historian looking for ancient religious treasure. To help her solve all of the puzzles presented, she conveniently meets & falls in love with a handsome news investigator who has family ties to the past that she's investigating. How convenient.
      Overall, not a bad read, but nothing spectacular either.







    • 3/5
      This was a good story that reminded me of a Dan Brown novel, but was geared toward a female audience. It's a bit far fetched, but entertaining nonetheless.Annie Kendall is an American working in England on assignment to find ancient artifacts dealing with the Jew of Holborn. While there, she meets Geoffrey Harris who is an investigative journalist. Annie also begins to see a ghost in the flat she is staying in. Geoffrey luckily believes her story and encourages Annie to observe the message this ancient monk seems to be trying to show her.Murders, intrigue, mystery and a race against time all make this a compelling book. I enjoy any books from the Tudor period. It was a bit more of an involved read than I expected. A smart, thriller.
    • 5/5
      a most excellent 5 star read. my head is full of information, that's a good thing!Oh my gosh this was an excellent book and the definition of a literary thriller although…isn't it redundant to call a book "literary" aren't all books by their very words literary…:)This is the first but, not the last book I will read from this wonderful author Beverly Swerling. On her website about this book it says “A 21st century woman and a 16th century monk, Their destinies on a collision course – linked by a code that has defied solution for five hundred years” …wonderfully said!This story was told in Modern day and 1535 Tudor London . There are ghosts, murderers, Jews, Christians, priceless artifacts, underground tunnels, a deranged madman, an unbreakable code, a love story or two and a special “waiting place” all in this wonderfully detailed mystery and history lesson!Architectural historian Annie Kendall has somewhat of a shady past and is trying to restart her career so she takes on an assignment by The Shalom foundation that will take her to London where she has been hired to find some pieces of Judaica that have been lost somewhere in time by someone known only as “The Jew of Holborn” …The Foundation puts her up in Bristol House where she starts to see and hear strange things. It seems there is an ancient ghostly Carthusian monk trying to communicate with her who looks exactly like the very handsome man and investigative reporter Geoff Harris that she had just met the evening before. As Annie and Geoff both become more engrossed in this supernatural mystery, they embark on a deadly whirlwind of an exploration to try to figure out just what it is the Monk is trying to warn her about.
    • 4/5
      Combining the stories of a research assignment undertaken by desperate scholar and recovering alcoholic Annie Kendall and the preoccupations of sixteenth-century Carthusian monks, Bristol House is fast-paced, conspiracy-driven historical fiction of the best kind. Swerling’s ghost story provides illumination on Thomas Cromwell’s dealing with the church while linking it to modern-day religious politics in this excellently researched novel.
    • 2/5
      Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. It never fully drew me in and I was never excited to continue reading it. There was nothing wrong with the writing, but it was overly complicated and too bogged down by details. I felt like it was trying too hard to be too many things. It was trying to be a historical fiction novel with elements of the paranormal. It was a romance as well as a mystery/thriller that also attempted to teach the reader about Tudor times. It was all too much. I mean, it even included a shadowy organization. Overall, it was a poor man’s Da Vinci Code.I think the plot could have been interesting, but there were too many coincidences and I was bored while reading about the history. It was also quite jarring to move between the perspectives of three different characters during different times. It never fully formed into a coherent novel. Perhaps simplifying and editing would have helped.This book had potential, but unfortunately never followed through. I probably won’t be reading any of Beverly Swerling’s other novels.
    • 5/5
      a most excellent 5 star read. my head is full of information, that's a good thing!Oh my gosh this was an excellent book and the definition of a literary thriller although…isn't it redundant to call a book "literary" aren't all books by their very words literary…:)This is the first but, not the last book I will read from this wonderful author Beverly Swerling. On her website about this book it says “A 21st century woman and a 16th century monk, Their destinies on a collision course – linked by a code that has defied solution for five hundred years” …wonderfully said!This story was told in Modern day and 1535 Tudor London . There are ghosts, murderers, Jews, Christians, priceless artifacts, underground tunnels, a deranged madman, an unbreakable code, a love story or two and a special “waiting place” all in this wonderfully detailed mystery and history lesson!Architectural historian Annie Kendall has somewhat of a shady past and is trying to restart her career so she takes on an assignment by The Shalom foundation that will take her to London where she has been hired to find some pieces of Judaica that have been lost somewhere in time by someone known only as “The Jew of Holborn” …The Foundation puts her up in Bristol House where she starts to see and hear strange things. It seems there is an ancient ghostly Carthusian monk trying to communicate with her who looks exactly like the very handsome man and investigative reporter Geoff Harris that she had just met the evening before. As Annie and Geoff both become more engrossed in this supernatural mystery, they embark on a deadly whirlwind of an exploration to try to figure out just what it is the Monk is trying to warn her about.
    • 3/5
      This was a very complicated historical read and one that I just couldn't keep interested in… The writing was very good but the detail about monks from the 1500's couldn't hold my attention.
    • 5/5
      Prepare to be fascinated when you read this historical thriller toggling back and forth in time from present day England to the 16th century Tudor period. Some authors are content to continue on a path they know to be successful. Historical fiction novelist Beverly Swerling has taken a different tack by presenting Bristol House, successfully intertwining history, romance, the supernatural, and mysteries of religious relics.Present day. Architectural historian Annie Kendall begins a three month research project in London to locate long missing artifacts for Shalom Foundation. Her assignment—“Find the Jew of Holborn.” If she can do that, she will discover the secrets and locations for specific ancient artifacts brought back to Europe from the Holy Land by the Knights Templar and find the connection between present and past. More so, successfully completing this assignment would give her back a sense of self worth and credibility in her professional life lost long ago before she walked into an AA meeting. Days after she moves into Bristol House for the three-month assignment, she meets Geoffrey Harris, dead ringer for the ghost she just met the afternoon before in the back room of the house.1535. King Henry VIII is executing Carthusian monks from the London Charterhouse who oppose him replacing the pope as head of the church. Thomas Cromwell plays his intrigue with power. The Jew of Holborn distributes his relics. How is the monk whose ghost Annie saw connected to the Jew? If he continues his story, will he be able to save her from danger?Swerling writes convincingly of the Tudor Period. She transports us to an enigmatic and treacherous world complete with codes to be broken, a mysterious mural with a secret, and back stories of the 16th century characters. The complex plot has many twists and turns. Readers must concentrate, but are given a huge pay-off at the end when the story coalesces into a mesmerizing journey through dark and mysterious corridors. Some sexual and gritty scenes pop up. The old style font used for the 16th century chapters is quite pleasing as are the maps of old London and Bristol House.If you are looking for a light beach read, save Bristol House for another day. If you love history, intrigue and the supernatural, embrace this book as a history-stocked fascinating journey.Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont