The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield
Narrated by Bianca Amato, Jill Tanner
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
Two narrators trade voices across a story built entirely on secrets — and by hour three, you won't be sure which woman you trust more.
- Great if you want: gothic atmosphere, unreliable narrators, and literary mystery
- Listening experience: slow-burn and immersive — best consumed in long, uninterrupted sessions
- Narration: Amato and Tanner split the two leads cleanly, sharpening the dual-mystery tension
- Skip if: you need momentum — the pacing is deliberately, unapologetically languid
About This Audiobook
A reclusive and wildly successful author breaks her decades-long silence to finally reveal the truth behind her mysterious past. Vida Winter, known for spinning elaborate lies about her origins, summons young biographer Margaret Lea to record her real story—a Gothic tale involving the troubled Angelfield family, feral twins, and long-buried secrets. As Winter weaves her dark narrative of abandoned mansions, destructive fires, and haunting family legacies, Margaret finds unsettling parallels to her own hidden history. Both women must confront the ghosts of their pasts while navigating the treacherous territory between truth and fiction.
Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner deliver masterful performances that bring this atmospheric mystery to vivid life. Their voices capture the story's shifting moods, from whispered secrets to explosive revelations, while maintaining the Gothic romance's dreamlike quality. The dual narration enhances the novel's themes of duality and hidden identities, creating distinct voices for characters across generations. Setterfield's richly descriptive prose translates beautifully to audio, with the narrators' pacing allowing listeners to savor each carefully crafted sentence. The atmospheric production immerses audiences in a world where storytelling itself becomes both sanctuary and trap.