Audible Review: The Parisians by Marius Gabriel

This is the second historical novel by Marius Gabriel that I was lucky enough to snag on an Amazon sale. He is another author who mixes facts and fiction and tells a rich poignant tale. Kindle Unlimited members can get this for free and add the audible for a song!

Enjoy!

ASIN: B07KB3MGPP

Publisher: Brilliance Audio


Release Date: 1-17-2019


Length:
 13hrs-19mins

Source:
 Purchase Amazon/Audible

Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Paris, 1940. The Nazis have occupied the city - and the Ritz. The opulent old hotel, so loved by Parisians, is now full of swaggering officers, their minions and their mistresses.

For American Olivia Olsen, working as a chambermaid at the hotel means denying her nationality and living a lie, every day bringing the danger of discovery closer. When Hitler’s right-hand man moves in and makes her his pet, she sees an opportunity to help the Resistance - and draw closer to Jack, her contact, whose brusque instructions may be a shield for something more...

Within the hotel, famed designer Coco Chanel quickly learns that the new regime could work to her benefit, while Arletty, one of France’s best-loved actresses, shocks those around her - and herself - with a forbidden love.

But as the war reaches its terrible end, all three women learn the true price of their proximity to the enemy. For in the shadow of war, is anyone truly safe?

Listen to a sample:

My Review:

The Parisians
Marius Gabriel
Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Marius Gabriel’s WWII historical novel, The Parisians, is a fantastic piece of fiction based loosely on facts. In it he follows some real historical powerhouse people like Coco Channel, and the French film star of the 30s Arletty plus many factual Nazi officers who took up residence in the Paris Ritz as well as characters straight from his creative mind. One of those fictional characters is his main protagonist and French war heroine American born Olivia Olsen who came to France to paint but ended up being a huge asset to the French Resistance, she starts out an innocent girl but grows up fast during the occupation of Paris. He doesn’t pull any punches describing the huge differences between the have and have-nots during the war, the Paris residents versus the extravagances enjoyed by the Nazi officers staying at the Ritz. He also doesn’t pull any punches describing the torture inflicted on Nazi prisoners. It’s fast paced and unputdownable with unforgettable characters visually impactful backdrops and a period perfect narrative. This is a must read/listen for any fan of WWII era stories or anyone who loves fantastic historical fiction.

Narration:
The narration by Karissa Vacker is excellent, her French American and German accents are wonderful, the emotion throughout the entire book was perfectly timed and her depiction of both men and women was perfection.

Olivia Olsen came to Paris to paint, she didn’t plan on falling in love or that her lover would fall victim to the Nazis early in the occupation because of his anti German writing. When they killed him she vowed to do anything she could to make them pay. So she became a spy for the allies and resistance.

About the author:Marius Gabriel is a historical novelist. He is the author of The Redcliffe Sisters series, The Designer, The Ocean Liner, The Parisians and a number of other bestsellers. He has homes in Cairo and Lincolnshire.

About the Narrator

Karissa Vacker is an Audie Award Finalist and AudioFile Earphones award winning narrator based in Los Angeles by way of Texas. She is a classically trained actor with credits from major regional theaters and also enjoys a career in film and TV.
Karissa has narrated over 100 books in-studio for Penguin Random House, Hachette, Brilliance, Tantor, Dreamscape, Harper Collins and Scholastic, among others. She excels at narrating YA fiction, women's fiction, and suspense/thrillers.
Need an accent? Karissa brings Southern American, British, French, German and Scottish characters to life, and has proficiency with a number of other dialects.