The Tightrope Walker

By: Dorothy Gilman

Narrated by: Ruth Ann Phimister

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

“They’re going to kill me soon,” begins the note Amelia discovers in an antique hurdy-gurdy. From that moment on, the shy young woman finds herself doing all kinds of things she never thought possible. Between newfound intimacies and a risky journey into the past, Amelia comes to see herself in a whole new light. The scrawled note drives Amelia to find out what happened to the person who wrote it, identified only as “Hannah.” Who was Hannah? Was she really murdered? Amelia’s investigation leads her to dizzying new heights of romance and danger. Like a tightrope walker, she must not look down—especially when she finds herself in situations uncannily similar to those Hannah faced just before her murder. Like the Mrs. Pollifax mysteries for which Dorothy Gilman is famous, The Tightrope Walker features a spirited and unpretentious heroine and an intriguing mystery, enhanced by colorful settings and characters. Ruth Ann Phimister’s skillful narration adds a personal dimension, making you care about Amelia and the fascinating and dangerous people she meets.

©1979 Dorothy Gilman Butters (P)1999 Recorded Books

Delightful, deep and light at the same time.

Filled with quirky humanness, suspense and psychological insights. A very enjoyable, touching and heat-warming listen.

Complex and Delightful

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I love how the characters develop throughout the story and all the pieces twist into an intricate pattern. The ending was absolutely delightful!

So fun to listen to

I read Tightrope Walker many years ago and don’t remember liking it much. There is a touch of “seeing” and “hearing” things that aren’t there, and maybe that’s why. I was never much for clairvoyance or paranormal. However, listening to it read by this fine narrator minimized the memory I had of it. I connected with Amelia Jones and love how she became a strong woman through the things she endured. It is an exciting murder mystery, and every time I thought we were at the climax, there was another plot shift. Dorothy Gillman tidies up everything at the end, which I appreciated. So often mystery writers seem to rush to the end as if to say, “Ok, all done!” This time around, I wholeheartedly recommend Tightrope Walker to mystery lovers.

Love Mrs Pollifax so tried this book by Dorothy Gilman!

This was a good listen - a little more drama than a cozy mystery. (Not as relaxing as a cozy usually is). Some charming characters, well written & narrated overall.

Surprisingly Delightful

This story took me by surprise, and I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. It's also a pleasant time piece.

A+ Mystery with Engaging Characters and Plot

Where does The Tightrope Walker rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the top ten for sure. Because I am a huge fan of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series, ao I decided to give her stand alone books a try. The characters were well developed and the mystery kept me riveted right until the end.

What did you like best about this story?

I really like Gilman's writing style, the way that she creates believable characters and draws you into the story so that you care about what happens to them. The mystery was well done and very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Ruth Ann Phimister’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I have not. Ruth Ann Phimister's narration was quite nicely done and I began to believe she truly was the voice of the main character, Amelia.

Love Dorothy Gilman, Loved the narrator!

I am a big Mrs Pollifax fan, so the Tightrope Walker was branching out for me. I am so glad I found this! The story was interesting and the chase kept me engaged... and I loved the narrator. Ruth Ann Phimister was fresh and she owned her character. Looking for my next listen soon.

Great book, bad performance

This is one of my favorite books, but I can't stand this performance. The names are mispronounced and the narrator doesn't sound at all like a 22-year-old. Her voice is raspy and she doesn't do character voices well at all, though I admit her Maine accent sounded pretty good.

Slow start but story flows very welL

I liked the twists and turns of the plot. The narrator was very good too

A real page turner

The story and narrator kept me on the edge of my seat mentally. Loved the twists and turns cleverly interlaced in a compelling story.