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An Absolute Scandal: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,104 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Penny Vincenzi, master of the contemporary blockbuster, returns with a moving, engaging portrait of people coping with a notorious financial disaster and its unpredictable emotional repercussions. Set during the boom-and-bust years of the 1980s, An Absolute Scandal follows the lives of a group of people drawn together by their mutual monetary woes when the great financial institution Lloyd's undergoes a devastating downturn. For Nigel Cowper, this means the destruction of his family business; his wife, Lucinda, is willing to do everything she can to help him—except give up her irresistible lover. The powerful, charismatic banker Simon Beaumont and his wife, a highly successful advertising executive, lose everything they worked so hard to acquire; but the ultimate tragedy is something that neither one could have anticipated. The well-to-do are not the only ones suffering: a self-sufficient widow is suddenly deep in debt; a single mother struggles to maintain a comfortable home for her children; and a schoolmaster and his frustrated wife find that financial problems deepen the cracks in their troubled marriage. As their lives begin a downward spiral, these characters intersect in ways they never saw coming. Written in what has become her signature style of both wit and candor, Penny Vincenzi draws back the curtain and offers an inside view of the greed and social power plays that occur behind the closed doors of upper-crust society . . . where money isn’t everything. Sometimes, it’s the only thing.
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"I'm a big fan of Vincenzi and this one wasn't bad! I was skeptical about reading a novel/drama about the financial markets but the characters were likeable and even though it was 400+ pages, I breezed through it. Would definitely recommend it, as well as her others. "
— Melissa (4 out of 5 stars)
An Absolute Scandal Listener Reviews
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" Lots of characters so I'm glad for the cast list at the start of the book but really moves along well. "
— Reba, 2/19/2014 -
" Too long and too much. "
— Bill, 2/13/2014 -
" I love Penny Vincenzi. Excelloent escape reading. She makes you feel right at home in Britain. "
— Jeanne, 2/11/2014 -
" Great summer read! We have spent a fair amount of time in England, and have heard about the Lloyd's of London travesty--this helps and I will google to learn more. "
— Ellie, 2/11/2014 -
" Extremely long .. yet worth every paper cut , it taught me patience and the value of the company of books , shared a crazy year with this book in my bag all the time , i practically lived 2 lives , the real world & penny's world "
— Omnia, 2/5/2014 -
" My very favorite from all the Penny Vincenzi books! "
— Adriana, 1/31/2014 -
" I've always enjoyed her books-very easy reading ! And they're usually tremendous value for money as they're HUGE books !! "
— Lynda, 1/26/2014 -
" Okay, but not as good as her other books "
— Bess, 1/25/2014 -
" Why oh why did I insist on finishing this book? Nothing much happens -- certainly nothing unexpected -- and every time I closed the book, I was surprised at how many pages I had left to slog through. Vincenzi's book has been publicized as a "summer" book, and put with "chick lit," but light beach reading it is not. Well, unless financial disaster, people with way more money than you, and working mother diatribes are your idea of beach reading. "
— Stephanie, 1/20/2014 -
" This book was ok...nothing spectacular, and even a bit cumbersome at times. Wouldn't recommend it. "
— Jenny, 1/15/2014 -
" Interesting could be the word. Definitely compelling, otherwise I wouldn't have read such a big book in such short time, though the subject is not compelling for me (finance and so forth). "
— Flavia, 1/14/2014 -
" 3.5 Again I really like her style and character development. I just wish she could tell the story with fewer pages. "
— Linda, 1/9/2014 -
" I felt this book kind of waffled on then dribbled out at the end. I mean, what happened to the court case that was such a big part of the first half? She's written better. "
— Kate, 12/26/2013 -
" It got me through a 23-hour train ride. "
— Lucy, 12/10/2013 -
" Her trilogy still holds out as her best books. That may also be because I read them first. This had a different plot but similar themes- surprise death, many affairs. I still enjoyed it and will continue to read her others. "
— Tina, 11/15/2013 -
" I'm a big fan of Vincenzi and this one wasn't bad! I was skeptical about reading a novel/drama about the financial markets but the characters were likeable and even though it was 400+ pages, I breezed through it. Would definitely recommend it, as well as her others. "
— Melissa, 10/19/2013 -
" took a little while to get into, but once I did I could not put it down. "
— Sgitt2214, 10/18/2013 -
" bloody long but god it was good, appropriate that I read it just after the 2008 crash "
— Ange, 8/22/2013 -
" In a word this book is too long by about 300 pages, i'm used to her longer stories but i'm usually kept captivated (sheer abandon for example) i only finished this to tie up the loose ends and not because it was a 'page turner'. Its a shame! only read this if you have a spare month!!! "
— Gemma, 7/5/2013 -
" A fun read for the train, but not my favorite Vincenzi. "
— Alison, 5/23/2013 -
" I really enjoy Penny Vincenzi's books. But as always, she has so many characters. I always have to go back to the front of the book where thankfully she has listed all of them out...But other than that, a great book! "
— Paige, 1/19/2013 -
" was an ok book..not actually my kind of reading but good enough now onto another "
— susan, 12/8/2012 -
" Not the best Vincenzi...a little slow at the beginning, but its still a good story. "
— Kristy, 11/24/2012 -
" Funny and easy to read "
— Sue, 7/1/2012 -
" How the meltdown at Lloyds affected families. Very realistic. "
— Max, 5/4/2012 -
" Amazing novel. I read in within a week. I was hooked with at the beginning. A definately must read. "
— Lissa, 9/23/2011 -
" Another great story from a great story-teller. As usual, a BIG read. I don't know how she does it. She must be exhausted by the time she's finished writing. "
— A.J., 9/9/2011 -
" Another great story from a great story-teller. As usual, a BIG read. I don't know how she does it. She must be exhausted by the time she's finished writing. "
— A.J., 5/23/2011 -
" This book kept my interest all the way through. I could not wait to find out the end. The characters and events are quite interesting and even captivating. <br/>I only gave it a 3, however, because I didn't really like the way it ended. "
— Dianne, 4/29/2011 -
" bloody long but god it was good, appropriate that I read it just after the 2008 crash "
— Ange, 4/28/2011 -
" I really enjoy Penny Vincenzi's books. But as always, she has so many characters. I always have to go back to the front of the book where thankfully she has listed all of them out...But other than that, a great book! "
— Paige, 4/27/2011 -
" omg. it was and absolute scandal trying to read this alright! lol! i mean there were so many things going on i was just like "wait..... huh slow down" but i the end i was in tears! but i loved how Blue and Lucinda ended up together. "
— Manu, 4/26/2011 -
" Set in the last days of England's Thatcher era, story of the fall of several rich families who invested in Lloyds parallels recent economic conditions in US. Very readable, soap opera style pacing. "
— Mom, 3/31/2011 -
" was an ok book..not actually my kind of reading but good enough now onto another "
— Susan, 3/18/2011 -
" I picked this up off a friends bookshelf when I didnt know what to read and My gosh I was hooked. Penny's writing style was so easy to read and relate to I really enjoyed this novel! Very interesting plot and chaacters too, Worth the time I think. "
— Eliza, 2/19/2011 -
" I tried to get into this book as I had read another of Penny Vincenzi's books and remembered enjoying it, but when it took me a week to read 100 pages, and I found myself glancing around the room in boredom whenever I finally gave up. "
— Nicole, 2/17/2011 -
" Too long and too much. "
— William, 2/1/2011 -
" Am re-reading this - have to re-read my Vincenzis every so often! Good escapism, don't need to think about it, just wallow and enjoy! "
— Jennifer, 1/23/2011 -
" Penny Vincenzi is a great author- never has written a bad book, in my opinion. I LOVE long family sagas and this one was great! "
— Andrea, 12/15/2010 -
" This is the book that never ends. I could not believe how long it took the last 200 pages to pass. It's a shame too since I really was enjoying the first 400 or so. "
— Lauren, 7/29/2010 -
" some parts of it did drag on but loved it :D "
— Siddy, 5/19/2010
About Penny Vincenzi
Penny Vincenzi is the international bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including Sheer Abandon, An Absolute Scandal, The Best of Times, and the highly successful Lytton family trilogy. Before becoming a full-time novelist, she worked as a journalist for Vogue, Tattler, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications. She was also the first fashion editor at Nova, a seminal woman’s magazine of the 1960s, known as Britain’s “style bible.” Penny has four daughters and divides her time between London and South Wales.
About Rosalyn Landor
Rosalyn Landor is an English-born television, theater, and multiple-award-winning audiobook narrator. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has won numerous Audie awards and AudioFile magazine Earphones awards.