Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Scorpion Deception

Author: Andrew Kaplan

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-28-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 49 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

In Switzerland, a brutally efficient hit squad storms the U.S. embassy, stealing classified files and leaving no witnesses alive. Under intense political pressure to find those behind the attack - with Congressional leaders demanding military action - the CIA turns to the deadliest agent they know: Scorpion. But Scorpion is unwilling to get involved...until he learns his name is at the top of one of the stolen lists.

What Scorpion uncovers sends the CIA scrambling: evidence linking the attack to an unknown Iranian power broker known as "The Gardener". Scorpion follows the trail to Zurich and Barcelona, where he meets his match in Scale, an agent as lethal as the viper that is his namesake. A deadly dance of deception ensues, bringing Scorpion into Tehran's inner circle, but not even the political elite know who the Gardener is - or what his next move might be.

Members Reviews:

A Thriller Reflecting Today's Tensions

If you like Alex Berenson, Brad Thor or Vince Flynn, then this espionage thriller should be worth your time and money.

On the other hand, if you demand constant realism, this audiobook may disappoint from time to time. However, I found the main character, Scorpion, complex enough to look past the times when he might have seemed somewhat super-human. By avoiding cliche and highlighting his intentions and tactics, Kaplan made Scorpion and his deeds really interesting if not always well-grounded.

I also liked the supporting characters, both the good guys and villains. In many cases, Kaplan gives readers the latitude to make their own determination of good and evil.

In contrast to many of today's espionage thrillers that focus too much on the hero's franchise rather than on satisfying endings, Kaplan skillfully delivers a conclusion to this book while still setting up the Scorpion's next battle.

In summary, the intricate plot, the realistic description of Iran's inner workings, the intrigue between factions and nations and Paul Boehmer's ability to grasp language, accents, age and gender made this audiobook one of my top "listens" of the past year.

I look forward to Andrew Kaplan's next Scorpion novel.

Love Scorpion

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It's a decent book. It's nice to see a character that is so competent. I'm more interested when the expert is put in a tough situation as opposed to the every man.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The action is fantastic and well read. I would like more background detail. In that respect it almost felt abridged.

What aspect of Paul Boehmers performance would you have changed?

Nothing. He's a rock star.

Could you see Scorpion Deception being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yikes, I hate this question.

Any additional comments?

Buy it.

crap narration

language accents for names and places made listening hard work. Narrator should've just anglisized names.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Touch of Deceit

Subtitle: Nick Bracco, Book 1

Author: Gary Ponzo

Narrator: R. C. Bray

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-13

Publisher: Podium Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 107 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

FBI agent Nick Bracco can't stop a Kurdish terrorist from firing missiles at random homes across the country. The police can't stand watch over every household, so Bracco recruits his cousin Tommy to help track down this terrorist. Tommy is in the Mafia. Oh yeah, it gets messy fast.

Critic Reviews:

"Couldn't put it down and now I want more. Bravo." (Stephen Carpenter, Writer/Director)

"Gary Ponzo is simply the best new thriller writer out there." Judith L. Pearson (author of Wolves at the Door, and Belly of the Beast)

Members Reviews:

A Fun Listen

I really enjoyed the concept the author chose, an FBI agent with organized crime connections. Not 'bent' but related. It was a lot of fun to see how the two worlds worked. I thought the storyline was very good, and the conclusion was great. It was a story and a narration that kept me wanting more. I look forward to listening to other Nick Bracco stories and future narrations by R.C. Bray.

Loved it!

What did you love best about A Touch of Deceit?

The story moved fast, could not stop listening!

What did you like best about this story?

The characters meshed so well and came together to create a wonderful story.

Have you listened to any of R. C. Brays other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the shoot out scene at the cabin. I love the character of Tommy- he adds a wonderful dimension to the story that makes this book unique.

Any additional comments?

Great overall book. I really liked the reader. He kept me wanting to hear more of the story.

Great and entertaining

Great new author and book. Story line was good with some bumps. But enjoyable mainly because of the narrator. Great change with characters, personalities. He handled the "mafia/fbi'ers" voices really well.

Needs a little more downtime between events

Sometimes the action was just too... much... the bad guy(s) were nearly unlimited. One gets killed, no worries, another swappable bad guy filled in for the next scene. We know the main character was not going to be defeated because he had so many minions ready to take a bullet on his behalf. Someone had to die in each scene, but fortunately it was not Nick, nor the main bad guy (until the final battle that is).

That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story, I did... it was just on the Jason Bourne side of the ability scale and, after awhile, say, after the 5th or 6th conflict, it just got tiring to read another scene where the same stuff happened. There was no downtime between each event...

Maybe some character development to slow the pace, or perhaps just cut out one or two action scenes to give us a breather. Anyway, all said and done, I will be reading more in the series because I like mind-candy action novels with protagonists who are not necessarily always on the 'right' side of the law.

The narration is good. There is nothing gory, no sex and not much swearing, given the genre.

Enjoyed the mix of mafia and FBI

What about R. C. Brays performance did you like?

R.C. Bray's performance is especially good because the listener doesn't notice him after a while and stays strictly in the action of the story.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Quiller's Run

Subtitle: Quiller, Book 12

Author: Adam Hall

Narrator: Antony Ferguson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-03-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

After his last mission (see QUILLER) and feeling betrayed by the London Bureau, Quiller accepts what seems a freelance assignment involving the drug trade and armed rebellion in Southeast Asia. In Singapore Quiller is nearly killed by assassins of a ruthless female leader named Shoda, and his mission will involve using voodoo-style fear to keep Shoda from igniting a bloodbath in the region.

Members Reviews:

Great spy novel

If this is your first quilter book, you might be a bit confused. But if you read other quilter books, you know what to expect: superb writing, nail biting action and an occasional bit of humor. Just brilliant!

Can't figure out why these are not made into movies.

Quiller is Unique Amongst Agents

Quiller captures the effects of the job on the agent. I don't mean a bunch of psychological mumbo jumbo, I mean the physical reactions of the body and the effort an agent has to exert in making the body do what the mind of the agent wants it to do. The stories are always exciting and Quiller is often hung out to dry by his handler and station chiefs. They give him real but deadly missions, which he sometimes comes close to failing at either due to odds against success or close shaves with death. Now, there is the mind of the agent with a task to accomplish, then, there is the body with all its physical limitations and reactions. Hall gives you insight into an agent who is neither superhuman or immune to the fear that the physical body itself can put up as resistance. Quiller has to deal with the enemy and his own barriers; and Hall manages to make both a rewarding read. Quiller is unique amongst fictional agents; and the world he inhabits in the field doing mission has a realism that comes quite close to the real thing, especially from the standpoint of what agents have to contend with on the emotional level impacting the body. I have read Quiller, all books, about a dozen times over the years; and will probably read them all again.

Adam Hall does ir again!

All quiller novels are unique and filled with interesting information about the location and culture encompassed in the adventure. I also like the flash forward technique used-when one thinks quiller is about to get killed stung todearh or eaten by mad dogs and then inthe very next paragraph he is sitting in a clinic talking to a doctor. If you like the Adam Hall style ithis one is a gem.

One of the Best!

Out of all the Quiller books (and possibly ALL of the books, period) that Adam Hall/Elleston Trevor wrote, this is one of the best. Non-stop action, well developed characters, it just has it all. I have been a fan of the Quiller series, and have been reading them since the early 70's. I thought I had read them all, but somehow this one seems to have slipped through my radar. BI (Before Internet) it was much easier to miss a book by such a prolific author, by virtue of the fact that your local book store might not have sold it, or whatever. Plot in a nutshell: Quiller resigns the Bureau in anger. He takes a job from an "ex" member of the Bureau of his aquaintance. The action is global, the end a surprise. No spoilers here. If you like cold war thrillers, get this, and read it. You won't be sorry.

a different Quiller

Not a great sequel to Quiller. Would have liked Quiller to get his revenge but that doesn't fit him unless it was a woman that was injured.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Intercom Conspiracy

Author: Eric Ambler

Narrator: Gordon Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Meet Theodore Carter, the hard-living roustabout editor of a newspaper, Intercom, which focuses on intelligence matters. When the new owners of the paper begin to make available to Carter real classified information things spin out of control. The paper increasingly comes to the wrong type of attention, and so follows the introduction to A Coffin for Dimitrios crime writer anti-hero Charles Latimer. Latimer wants to spill the beans and go public. And then he disappears without warning. Ambler carries us along into an extraordinary journey....

Eric Ambler was born into a family of entertainers and in his early years helped out as a puppeteer. However, he initially chose engineering as a full-time career, although this quickly gave way to writing. In World War II he entered the army and looked likely to fight in the line, but was soon after commissioned and ended the war as assistant director of the army film unit and a lieutenant-colonel. This experience translated into civilian life and Ambler had a very successful career as a screenwriter, receiving an Academy Award for his work on The Cruel Sea, by Nicolas Monsarrat, in 1953.

Members Reviews:

Very Dated

Would you try another book from Eric Ambler and/or Gordon Griffin?

I have now listened to three Eric Ambler books. I once enjoyed reading them very much. But they are now far too dated. I won't listen to another.

Could you see The Intercom Conspiracy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

This book was written to be a film script.

Enjoyed Ambler's earlier books better

Some how his later books lose me in details. You have to stay focused on the book to a higher degree to keep the plot straight. This one bored me toward the end. Still, don't think I would ever give Ambler lower than a 3. He just too good of a writer.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Scorpion Signal

Subtitle: Quiller, Book 9

Author: Adam Hall

Narrator: Antony Ferguson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

An older, cynical, and embittered Quiller is running on empty. He needs his vacation badly, but is suddenly sent on an urgent mission to Moscow. Schrenk, a British agent and an old partner of Quiller's, has been captured and tortured by the Russians in Lubyanka Prison. Schrenk has now escaped but has disappeared, making no contact with his superiors in London. Quiller's mission is to find him.

Members Reviews:

Five star Quiller in Moscow

Tony F's peculiar faults have become part of the audible experience of Quiller. We know he can speak passable German, French, and Italian. So why oh why does he insist on mispronouncing every foreign place name in every book. Maybe that is just so infuriatingly English that somehow it fits.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Team

Author: David Salkin

Narrator: Scott Pollak

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-12-13

Publisher: David M. Salkin

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

This book, although a work of fiction, is based on a real military operation that was run in the late 1960's in Southeast Asia. I would like to thank Al (whose last name I will not reveal) for the information he shared with me as a Navy Frogman fighting in Vietnam. Al was a UDT, Underwater Demolition Team "frogman". This group of specialized operators would later evolve into what we now know as Navy SEALs.

Al and his team were mostly Warrant Officers, and put together on a fictitious Navy All-Star Baseball team. It was their job to show baseball to the people of Southeast Asia as an exhibition team. The fifteen of them toured South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos playing baseball. There were fifteen men on their roster. There were never more than eleven in the dugout. Where were the other four? They were out working-and it wasn't playing baseball.When this idea was first showed to a publisher, they said it was a cool story, but it wasn't believable. Al laughed when I told him that. He was happy in a way, and said, It was a good cover story after all, wasn't it? Yes it was, Al. Good enough that it deserves to be told

In this modern version of the story, The Team travels from their first mission in Saudi Arabia to the rain forest of the Tri-Border Region of South America-a haven for international drug smugglers, narco-terrorists, weapons and drug smugglers, and dangerous thugs from all over the world. Whether posing as the Navy All-Star Exhibition Baseball Team, or a group of Christian Missionaries, this group represents the finest warriors of the US arsenal.

When the job is dangerous and can't be done by conventional forces, there's one team on the President's speed dial

Members Reviews:

Great thriller

Great story, great fun to hear as the narrator does a great job. Very realistic, having been in the triple frontier in South America, the description in the book is exact.

Good listen

The Team brings an interesting, and amazingly true, concept to the war on terror. A "baseball team" used as a front. Though this is the premise, the actual mission they are sent on does not have anything to do with the team going somewhere to play, it is just what brings them together. It's a good story, not as detailed as some, though the "details" of what the jungle people did is described rather gruesomely. Other than that it was a "light read".

My only real issue was the sound and music used in between the chapters. It was louder than the normal sound level thus irritating when it arrived. I am truly not fond of music and sounds being used in this manner, so keep that in mind if you feel the same way.

The narrator did a good job, it was good to have "real" female voices at times as well. Though it was odd that only one of the 2 main female characters had the female voice. The male narrator was used for the other.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Hour of the Donkey

Author: Anthony Price

Narrator: Steven Kynman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

24 May 1940: Why did Hitler stop the Panzers and allow the British Army to escape to Dunkirk? Anthony Price provides an answer in this brilliant, compulsively listenable thriller of two young officers pitchforked into the chaos of war.

The German advance strands them behind enemy lines, where they witness an extraordinary scene: a high-ranking British officer consorting with Nazis. The possible explanations are shattering, not only for them but for the fate of the whole British Expeditionary Force.

Members Reviews:

A more or less standalone Anthony Price book

Although not a favourite of Anthony Price purists, I like this book, and it is one on my favourite storylines. Its close to actual historical events, whilst being fiction and in many ways believable as a version of the truth.

The fact that it makes only passing references to David Audley (via his father) makes it all the more easy for a newcomer to Anthony Price to read. You don;t need the character backgrounds from the other books... although you won't get the "David Audley" touches of brilliance and downright arrogance at his own brilliance.

But, certainly not a bad place to start if you don't feel like starting the series at the beginning.

OK for Anthony Price completists

I have read or listened to all of Anthony Price's books and enjoyed them, though they are a particular taste that will not appeal to everyone. As an isolated book I thought it was fairly weak, but does give an insight into the origins of David Audley, though you will also need to read 'Soldier No More' to fully appreciate this.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Labyrinth Makers

Author: Anthony Price

Narrator: Simon Schatzberger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 43 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of the Crime Writers Association Silver Dagger.

When an RAF Dakota, presumed lost at sea in 1945, is discovered in a drained lake in Lincolnshire, together with its pilot and a cargo of worthless rubble, it falls to David Audley of the MOD to puzzle out just why the Russians are so interested in the discovery - and what the plane was carrying that is important enough to kill for.

Members Reviews:

Good place to start.

The stories in the series dip back and forward through time and follow different characters.

After doing my usual search I did find the chronological order of writing.

(1971) The Labyrinth Makers;

The Alamut Ambush (1972)

Colonel Butler's Wolf (1972)

October Men (1973)

(1975) Other Paths to Glory

Our Man in Camelot (1975)

War Game (1977)

The '44 Vintage (1978)

Tomorrow's Ghost (1979)

The Hour of the Donkey (1980)

Soldier No More (1981)

The Old Vengeful (1982)

Gunner Kelly (1983)

Sion Crossing (1984)

Here Be Monsters (1985)

For the Good of the State (1986)

A New Kind of War (1987)

A Prospect of Vengeance (1988)

The Memory Trap (1989

I also learned there are a few good entry points, so I started at 'The Hour of the Donkey' and it does really seem that each is a stand alone story.

As Audible has all 19 books, this one is also a good starting point. Simon Schatzsberger does read very well and I am following the books he reads, first.

As a series I really like them, because they do move in time and central characters.

I did enjoy 'The Labyrinth Makers' more than 'Other Paths to Glory' that won the Gold Dagger..

My expectation is that after hearing all 19 I am likely to go back, and yes I do anticipate I will be following Anthony Price for quite a while.

Even though the stories are fiction, I think many of the events described in the stories are based in history. They cover World War1 and 11 and the Cold War period.

Cold War English Spies

New series, start with this one since audible does not have these numbered yet, I went to amazon to find out where to start. I have listened to three of these treasures before writing this review. I find these spy novels a little more accessible than Le Carre and less prurient than Littell (both of which I totally love). These novels are perhaps a little quieter and the characters deeper. Although the plots are no less intricate and satisfying. I find a bit of Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham here too. Please forgive the name dropping, but if description fails, simile seems to do the trick. If any of these authors appeal, and even if they don't, give this author a try, I do not think you will be disappointed.

A great cold war series

I've read all the books and enjoyed the writing and intellectual intricacies. This episode is well read and promises much for the audio series.

Interesting Story from WWII

What did you like best about The Labyrinth Makers? What did you like least?

Interesting perception on the situation. Waffled on a bit in some places

Would you be willing to try another book from Anthony Price? Why or why not?

Yes

Did Simon Schatzberger do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

We were able to distinguish which character was speaking.

Could you see The Labyrinth Makers being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Light of Day

Subtitle: Arthur Simpson, Book 1

Author: Eric Ambler

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Alfred Hitchcock said, "Mr. Ambler is a phenomenon," and Graham Greene referred to him as "our greatest thriller writer". This is an ideal title for introducing listeners to this master. Ambler brilliantly paints realistic portraits of his characters and the foreign landscape, mixing suspense with a subtle twist for added color.

When Arthur Abdel Simpson first spots Harper in the Athens airport, he recognizes him as a tourist unfamiliar with the city and in need of a private driverin other words, the perfect mark for Simpsons brand of entrepreneurship. But Harper proves to be more the spider than the fly when he catches Simpson searching his wallet for traveler's checks. Soon Simpson finds himself blackmailed into driving a suspicious car across the Turkish border. When he is caught again, this time by the police, he faces a choice: cooperate with the Turks and spy on his erstwhile colleagues or end up in one of Turkeys notorious prisons. The authorities suspect an attempted coup, but Harper and his gang of international jewel thieves have planned something less sinister but much, much more audacious.

Eric Ambler (1909-1998), a British novelist, is widely considered the father of spy-espionage thrillers. Many of his novels became New York Times best sellers and the basis for motion pictures.

Critic Reviews:

"Ambler is, quite simply, the best." (New Yorker)

"Mr. Ambler is phenomenal." (Alfred Hitchcock)

"Ambler brings off this comic thriller with consummate zest." (New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

A good yarn.

A good tale well told. I will look for more by this author and reader.

Tales from number one....

It was a real treat to listen the man who put it all in motion. The man who jump started le Carre,Furst, Forsythe et al....

It was not a bumbling attempt at polishing up a new genre but some fantastic prose: plot, characters, intrigue, noir,

Just take a look at his cannon. Fantastic in depth psychological dissection of modern day cold warriors.

He is a large part of espionage, spy, cloak and you know what..... If you have not read him get ready for a treat.......Rex

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Revolution

Subtitle: Dreamland, Book 10

Author: Dale Brown, Jim DeFelice

Narrator: Christopher Lane

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

The masters of astonishing military technology that enables them to deploy almost instantaneously to any part of the Earth, the Dreamland team must now stop a dangerous revolution in the making in Eastern Europe - where a mysterious group of insurgents has blown up an essential pipeline, thereby disrupting Europes gas supply. With NATO and the EU paralyzed by the crisis, it falls to Dreamlands best and brightest to keep the world from the brink of another Cold War. But the secret hand of an old enemy is pulling the strings from the shadows, hoping to reap the rewards of chaos. And the devastating results could erupt with intense, white-hot fury.

Critic Reviews:

"Dale Brown is a superb storyteller." (W. E. B. Griffin, Washington Post)

"The Novels of Dale Brown brim with violent action, detailed descriptions of sophisticated weaponry, and political intrigue.... His ability to bring technical weaponry to life is amazing." (San Francisco Chronicle)