Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Closed Circle cover art

Closed Circle

By: Robert Goddard
Narrated by: Bill Wallis
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.00

Buy Now for £16.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Caught in the Light cover art
Into the Blue cover art
Sea Change cover art
Set in Stone cover art
Painting the Darkness cover art
Past Caring cover art
One False Move cover art
The Fine Art of Invisible Detection cover art
The Brief cover art
The Murder at Sissingham Hall cover art
Dirty cover art
The Blood Strand cover art
Outback cover art
Bethlehem Road cover art
A Hundred Thousand Dragons cover art
The Mammoth Book of the Adventures of Moriarty cover art

Summary

The year is 1931. The new and luxurious transatlantic liner Empress of Britain is on her eastward passage. Among the first-class passengers on board are two English confidence tricksters, making a discreet exit from a little awkwardness they have left behind them in the United States. A chance meeting on deck brings them a tempting new target in the shape of Miss Charnwood and her niece, the beautiful Diana, only child of the immensely wealthy Fabian Charnwood.

©1993 Robert and Vaunda Goddard (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd

What listeners say about Closed Circle

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    279
  • 4 Stars
    108
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    310
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    242
  • 4 Stars
    97
  • 3 Stars
    36
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

More twist & turns than a corkscrew

I’ve enjoyed most of the authors books over the years and have a vague recollection that I listened to this book on audio tapes over 20 years ago. One of the few benefits of my ageing memory is that I’d forgotten the story and so could be taken again on this rollercoaster of skullduggery as two fortune hunters get caught up in an intrigue of epic proportions. Twists and turns in the plot abound intermingled with an imaginative speculation as to the real cause of the First World War.

A most enjoyable book admirably narrated by Bill Wallis.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • rl
  • 04-07-18

Goddard and Wallis, a class double act.

Goddard and Wallis, a classy double act! Goddard's story telling flows from the page, truly a wordsmith of note, and Bill Wallis's
rich melodious voice compliments and enhances the book even more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

one of his best!

What did you like most about Closed Circle?

first discovered goddard in the early 90's, and went on to read everything i could find of his. missed this one, and extremely glad that i found it.

Have you listened to any of Bill Wallis’s other performances? How does this one compare?

no, but i will definitely look for more of his work.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes - but too long!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Page Turner, Brilliant .

A thrilling page turner , brilliant listen with more twists and turns and intrigue
An excellent narrator too, one of Robert Goddard's best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well written

This was an excellent tale of murder, mayhem and trickery and did keep my interest as the characters were so well developed and the plot skillfully executed. BUT ..... I wasn't very comfortable with the characters and their doubtful morals.

I am glad I read it though, but it is not Mr Goddard's finest in my opinion, not because of the writing or the plot but just because I felt bad about the main characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I don't think the narrator was a good fit

I have loved every Robert G book I've read, and that's a air few, but I just didn't believe this book at all and found myself hoping it would end so I could move on to the next in my library. I think the main problem was that the narrator seemed about 20 years too old to be the character he was reading. I found him dull and boring and couldn't even believe anyone would have sex with him when a sex scene appeared. For me his narration ruined the story as I just kept saying 'ugh. who cares'. The narrator isn't bad at all, but just not suited to this role.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Well below his best

Much as I enjoy the writing style, and the excellent narration, nothing could quite make up for the preposterous story. I much preferred Past Caring and Painting the Darkness.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I am a fan of Robert Goddard and have enjoyed all his books that I have read to date. This, though, is for me the best of the (already excellent) bunch. All the twists and turns you expect from Goddard, within a well researched historical setting. I couldn't help but like the main character, despite the fact that the more you learn about him, the more you feel you shouldn't! And Bill Wallis' narration only added to that, with the kind of voice that can melt your heart and which definitely conjures up the debonair and seductive Guy Horton, while the other characters are instantly recognisable in their own different ways. Altogether a fantastic listen that will keep you guessing to the end (and possibly beyond!)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Least enjoyable so far

Convoluted plot based on chance. So many lies told, very tangled, overall did not enjoy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable old fashioned tall tale

This book is in a very different style to my usual crime thriller of choice. Set in 1931 and written and performed in such language of the time, it took me a while to settle in to. However, I became engaged with the characters and the slightly outlandishly over the top plot. I raced through to the end (always a good sign!) and can recommend this as a very good “whodunnit” listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful