The Paris Winter

A Novel

By: Imogen Robertson

Narrated by: Rebecca Night

There is but one Paris.
Vincent Van Gogh

Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, she stumbles upon an opportunity when Christian Morel engages her as a live-in companion to his beautiful young sister, Sylvie.
Maud is overjoyed by her good fortune. With a clean room, hot meals, and an umbrella to keep her dry, she is able to hold her head high as she strolls the streets of Montmartre. No longer hostage to poverty and hunger, Maud can at last devote herself to her art.
But all is not as it seems. Christian and Sylvie, Maud soon discovers, are not quite the darlings they pretend to be. Sylvie has a secret addiction to opium and Christian has an ominous air of intrigue. As this dark and powerful tale progresses, Maud is drawn further into the Morels' world of elegant deception. Their secrets become hers, and soon she is caught in a scheme of betrayal and revenge that will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.

Such a strange haunting story!

This novel left me pondering a darker Paris than the one I normally remember and enjoy reading about. In the end, though, I thought the novel well written and memorable.

Heroines Seemed Real

Although the young women moved to Paris to study art, the story went well beyond that. These ladies were relatable in a Belle Époque Paris.

Just enough mystery and murder for my sensitivities. No big turns or twist but a lovely read nonetheless.

The narrator is very good. However, she seemed nervous with the noises one wouldn't want from a professional. Though I think her accents and voices were spot on. If she is a new to the profession, I think she will become excellent.

Overall it was ok.

The narrator has a lovley voice and is a great but I was distracted by constantly hearing her swallow and smack her mouth. I assume this is an editing issue. The story was decent. Between chapters though, there are random descriptions of paitings, I imagine these are in the book....BUT random for an audiobook. I LOVE and appreciate art but this was out of nowhere and for me, disrupts the flow of the book/story.

Long book!

I did indeed struggle to finish the book. It was somewhat wordy. The narrator however, does a wonderful job of making the book come alive. Unfortunately, the book does ramble a bit and many times I found myself falling asleep on the story.

Almost stopped listening to this book

First I had to try not to hear the smacking of the narrator after I got over that it took about halfway through the book to really get into it. I really enjoyed listening then.