King Solomon's Carpet

By: Barbara Vine

Narrated by: Michael Pennington

Eccentric Jarvis lives in a crumbling schoolhouse overlooking the tube line, compiling his obsessive history of the Underground. A group of misfits are also drawn towards his strange house: Alice, who has run away from her husband and baby; Tom, the busker who rescues her; truant Jasper, who finds his terrifying thrills on the tube; and enigmatic Axel, whose deadly secret casts a shadow over all their lives. Damaged, dispossessed, outcasts, they are brought together in violent and unforeseen ways by London's dark and dangerous underground system.

©1991 Kingsmarkham Enterprises Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Fascinating

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to King Solomon's Carpet. I had read the book many years ago when staying in London and found the background information about the London Underground fascinating. As usual Barbara Vine portrays a variety of characters and intermingles them in her storyline. They are all fallible and as the story evolves around the Undeground, their fallibilities lead to their undoing.

Classic Vine

Ruth Rendell -aka Barbara Vine- really did know how to weave together seemingly disparate, believably eccentric characters with just enough suspense to keep you "turning the pages" so to speak. An enjoyable listen.

Long Time Fave

I read this book when it was first available and reading it this time, I was in love with it again. The London of the story is a sharp reminder of a city that works instead of one that exists a bit out of our reach, the way current London does. The mystery of all the Barbara Vine is hidden among a tale.The one that Mrs Rendell, Vine*s usual name,, does is to introduce the characters slowly, allowing the readers to know the characters intimately. This allows us to see them clearly and we know what that means. I love this book.

Addictive

Okay, I’m an anglophile and I’m fascinated by Londons Underground. Vine brilliantly intertwines historical facts here, makes the Underground the pivotal center of attraction. The characters and their tracts are compelling. The story is infinitely rich in detail and haunting. One of her very best.

Hated it.

Fine writing as always, but nothing but gratuitous nastiness. Everyone you like is hit with coincidental disaster. No reason for it. People of no account undo all those of account. And no retribution. Everyone gets wiped out. Why such meanness, Barbara?