Discover the Libray of Best Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

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Title: Locked On

Author: Mark Greaney, Tom Clancy

Narrator: Lou Diamond Phillips

Format: Abridged

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-13-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 171 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Although his father had been reluctant to become a field operative, Jack Ryan Jr. wants nothing more. Privately training with a seasoned Special Forces drill instructor, he's honing his skills to transition his work within The Campus from intelligence analysis to hunting down and eliminating terrorists wherever he can - even as Jack Ryan Sr. campaigns for re-election as President of the United States.

But what neither father nor son knows is that the political and the personal have just become equally dangerous. A devout enemy of Jack Sr. launches a privately funded vendetta to discredit him by connecting the presidential candidate to a mysterious killing in the past by John Clark, his longtime ally.

A shadowy mercenary team is dispatched to capture the former Navy SEAL. With Clark on the run, it's up to Jack Ryan Jr., along with Ding Chavez, Dominic Caruso, and the rest of the Campus team, to stop a threat emerging in the Middle East: A corrupt Pakistani general has entered into a deadly pact with a fanatical terrorist to procure nuclear warheads, which can be used to blackmail any world power into submission.

With the breakneck speed and military action scenes that have made him the premier thriller writer of our time, Tom Clancy delivers a novel of high-tech warfare in which the enemy within may be even more devastating than the enemy without.

Members Reviews:

Classic Tom Clancy

Would you listen to Locked On again? Why?

i really like the abridged version of Tom Clancy books. the action is not dragged down by information that i do not need, or can get by reading the book, and i enjoy listening to them again and again.

NOTE: i first tried to down load this book in enhanced format. it would play for 50-55 min. and stop. i repeated the down load with the same results 4 times. finally i downloaded format 4 version. and it played.

What did you like best about this story?

i can stay interested in the story.

Have you listened to any of Lou Diamond Phillipss other performances before? How does this one compare?

Lou Diamond Phillips is excellent. i condersider him one of the best.

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

if i had enough time, yes. but, i can spread my enjoyment over 2 days.

Any additional comments?

get rid of enhanced format. i have had repeated trouble with. it does not sound any better then format 4 and uses 2X the memory

My first Clancy novel.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Heck yes !

What was one of the most memorable moments of Locked On?

All of the action scenes.

Have you listened to any of Lou Diamond Phillipss other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never listened to Lou before, but he is an excellent narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It took me back to when I was in the Air Force. I listened while commuting to and from work. I managed not to wreck the car.

Any additional comments?

Never read a Tom Clancy book. Saw hunt for Red October when it came out. Jumped right in there with this one.

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Title: The Secret Pilgrim

Author: John le Carré

Narrator: Michael Jayston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-13-11

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

George Smiley is one of the most brilliantly realised characters in British fiction. Bespectacled, tubby, eternally middle-aged, and deceptively ordinary, he has a mind like a steel trap and is said to possess 'the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin'.

The Berlin Wall is down, the Cold War is over, but the world's second oldest profession is very much alive. Smiley accepts an invitation to dine with the eager young men and women of the Circus' latest intake; and over coffee and brandy, by flickering firelight, he beguilingly offers them his personal thoughts on espionage past, present, and future. In doing so, he prompts one of his former Circus colleagues into a searching examination of his own eventful secret life.

Members Reviews:

Excellently read finale for Smiley

This collection of short stories is primarily for the Le Carre completist, referring as it does to characters and events from his earlier work, mainly occurring in the Karla trilogy and The Russia House, the full significance of which would be lost on a first time Le Carre reader. The structure is a little laboured, relying on Smiley's reminiscences to a graduating class of new secret service recruits to trigger corresponding memories of the narrator Ned's experiences of life as a spy which are a little too conveniently packaged into extended anecdotes. I'd imagine this creaky device would grate on the written page - it's certainly a sad retreat from the ingenious interweaving timelines of Tinker Tailor -but it's a tribute to Michael Jayston's brilliant performance that Le Carre just about gets away with it. Considering the several unforgettable character studies Le Carre had created by this point in his career Ned emerges as rather colourless and derivative, an ersatz Peter Guillam unfortunately lacking Peter's charisma. The stories themselves are undeniably entertaining but appear just a touch too neat and easily resolved to the die-hard Le Carre fan, a sort of M16 Tales of the Unexpected. They also show a tendency to recycle plot devices, character types and motifs from earlier, better novels. (A trivial but telling example is the remarkable coincidence of several of his jaded heroes in this and other later novels having tricky relationships with estranged sons who are invariably called Adrian - did neither Le Carre nor his editor notice the repetition?) Ironically, considering his reputation as the master Cold War chronicler, the fall of the Berlin Wall may have come at just the right time to prompt him to find fresh themes and settings. Michael Jayston works wonders with the occasionally threadbare material to give one of his best performances as a Le Carre narrator, which is high praise considering his many fantastic readings of Le Carre's work, and is the main reason for my high overall rating for this audiobook. He approaches the material with utter conviction and succeeds wonderfully in not only creating dozens of distinct characters but in setting a haunting tone of regret and loss that I don't think would have fully emerged from the page alone. He also deserves a medal for his sensitive treatment of what could have been an excruciatingly embarrassing sex scene in the second story, bravo!

Another great book from Le Carre

A more varied and diversified story compared to Tinker Taylor of Smileys People, but still intense and thrilling.

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Title: Dale Brown's Dreamland: Raven Strike

Author: Dale Brown

Narrator: Christopher Lane

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 109 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

The mission is classified... and illegal.

In the blistering heat of the Sudan, the CIA has gone rogue. On the trail of a notorious terrorist, Agency operatives have overstepped their sanctioned boundaries. And now the ultimate weapon has fallen into the wrong hands.

As Danny Freah and his spec-ops team scramble to recover a top secret aircraft that has crashed in Africa, Whiplash Director Jonathon Reid finds himself mysteriously shut off from information about the robot drone and its mission. Maneuvering through the twisted back corridors of the CIA and Washington's power elite, Reid discovers secrets both illegal and highly dangerous, a virtually unstoppable assassin and an out-of-control clique within the Agency.

Torn between loyalty and conscience, Reid must find a way to alert the President and avert a national disaster. But with the Whiplash team caught in the chaos of a brutal African civil war and CIA officials desperate to keep Reid from telling what he knows, a monster re-emerges to target its creators.

Members Reviews:

And the hits go on!

This story of the Dreamland Series continues to stay the course with continued storylines from the series and the introduction of new characters.

Enjoyed until the last sentence.

What did you love best about Dale Brown's Dreamland: Raven Strike?

I really enjoy his books but the ending on this left me frustrated. It feels like he missed a chapter and left everything hanging. Also, this is book 12, does it skip to 14?

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Title: The Bank of Fear

Author: David Ignatius

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Suspenseful, compelling, and utterly believable, The Bank of Fear is unparalleled spy fiction in the best tradition of Graham Greene and John le Carréa twisting tale of the ruthless greed and money laundering behind todays headlines. Behind the doors of a London investment firm lies a grisly five billion dollar secret that directly involves the Ruler of Iraq. When British financial investigator Sam Hoffman and Iraqi computer analyst Lina Alway decide to expose the secret, they are quickly caught in a deadly maze of deception and terror. Their only hope for survival is hiding in a global computer network of the Internetbut only if theyre smart enough to find it.

Members Reviews:

Overlong but good suspense

This one is way outdated. History has moved on since the book was written. Wonderful performance. Too violent!

Outdated

Set in the early 90's, this isn't old enough to be historical, but old enough to make me impatient. ("...he was even known to take a cellular phone with him to the movies..."). Also, 95% of the books I've listened to that were narrated by George Guidall have been great, but once in a blue moon he reads in a sort of slower, prissy style, and this is one of those. Maybe I've been spoiled by more modern spy thrillers (such as the unsurpassable Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series). I might have loved it if I'd listened to it when it was new.

Good book, but the storyline is dated

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The premise of this book predates the 2nd Iraq war, and as such requires you to envision a very different outcome than actual historical events.

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Title: A Perfect Spy

Author: John le Carré

Narrator: Michael Jayston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-11

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Magnus Pym, counsellor at the British Embassy in Vienna, has suddenly vanished, believed defected. The chase is on for a missing husband, a devoted father, and a life-time secret agent.

Pyms life, it is revealed, is entirely made up of secrets. The race is on to find the perfect spy.

Members Reviews:

The Best

This is by far my favourite of le Carre's books.Although not a spy story as such,it is a story about the making and breaking of a spy.

A story about love,friendship and a tormented man,living in so many different worlds,balancing within himself conflicting characters.

His analysis of Pyms character,as to what goes into making him a perfect spy is riveting.

Ricki Pym,the father,is an enchanting rogue,love and hated,and there is a superb cast of supporting characters,Musspole,Perce Loft,and many others,all vividly alive.

For a novel where so much of the plot is background and family history,and so little takes place in the present,my attention was held from the start.The writing is superb.

Even though I knew the ending I was spellbound as to the depth of the authors sympathy and understanding of his tortured,confused,loyal and traitorous hero.

I have read the book several times and shall listen to this audibook again and again.

Michael Jayston is excellent,as ever

Good story, but not one of le Carre's great ones

Would you listen to A Perfect Spy again? Why?

Don't think so, its a nice read/hear but not significant enough for a re-read

Any additional comments?

Made a very nice reading for my daily commute

A Masterpiece

In my view, his best work. Certainly on a par with Tinker Tailor. The slow unwrapping of the Character with constant flashbacks, the layering, the atmosphere, are the work of a master story teller still at the top of his game. Micheal Jayston as always reads absolutely superbly. Unturnoffable!!

A Masterpiece

In my view, his best work. Certainly on a par with Tinker Tailor. The slow unwrapping of the Character with constant flashbacks, the layering, the atmosphere, are the work of a master story teller still at the top of his game. Micheal Jayston as always reads absolutely superbly. Unturnoffable!!

I don't think i will ever get to the end

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Every ten days or more i try to carry on listening...Gosh is it hard work, makes me feel stupid that i just cannot get into it. All jumbled up for me. I wanted a story and got...not sure what. Excellent narrator. I got this audio awhile back and was holding on before reviewing. But i think i will just give up trying to read it, gracefully.

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

When something actually does happen, which i forget what, because the rest is memories which i find depressing and a bit boring..sorry.

What aspect of Michael Jaystons performance might you have changed?

He was perfect.

Did A Perfect Spy inspire you to do anything?

not listen to anymore of John le carre novels. But i did read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a long time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. So i will be trying A Smiley spy series further down the line

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Title: Buried Secrets

Author: Joseph Finder

Narrator: Holter Graham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-21-11

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1504 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Joseph Finder introduced Nick Heller, a private spy who finds out things powerful people want to keep hidden, to widespread acclaim from the critics and wild enthusiasm from the readers, in the New York Times best-selling novel Vanished. Now, in Buried Secrets, Nick Heller returns, finding himself in the middle of a life-or-death situation thats both high-profile and intensely personal.

Nick has returned to his old home town of Boston to set up his own shop. There, hes urgently summoned by an old family friend. Hedge-fund titan Marshall Marcus desperately needs Nicks help. His teenaged daughter, Alexa, has just been kidnapped. Her abduction was clearly a sophisticated professional job, done with extraordinary precision. Alexa, whom Nick has known since she was young, is now buried alive, held prisoner in an underground crypt, a camera trained on her, her suffering streaming live over the Internet. Shes been left with a limited supply of food and water and, if her father doesnt meet the demands of her shadowy kidnappers, shell die.

As Nick begins to probe, he discovers that all is not quite right with Marshall Marcuss business. Hes being investigated by the FBI, he has a lot of shady investors, his fund is in danger and now he has a lot of powerful enemies who may have the motivation to go after Marcuss daughter. But to find out whos holding Alexa Marcus hostage, Nick has to find out why. Once he does, he uncovers an astonishing conspiracy that reaches far beyond anything he could have imagined. And if hes going to find Alexa in time, he will have to flush out and confront some of his deadliest opponents ever.

Members Reviews:

Entertaining and Riveting Listening

I've never read any of Joseph Finder's books and noticed on former reviews of other books some customers didn't like Holter Graham's narration. I thought the narration was excellent. It's difficult to narrate a book while making it dramatic and more than interesting, especially when you're a man with a deep voice portraying women characters. I personally liked the way the narrator handled the young, teenage voices (example teenage girl buried alive underground, trying to stay sane and alive) as well as dialects of various characters. I'm almost at the ending and am truly enjoying the audio book. This was an entertaining download for me that keeps my attention. Ooooh the plot thickens. I'm only chapters away from the ending.

Great book!

I really enjoyed this book. It held my interest throughout. Very well written and narrated. This is my first book by Joseph Finder and I plan to read more.

A pleasant surprise!

First time Finder reader and bought "Buried Secrets" because of the price promotion. Really enjoyed the book and narrator. Will be going back to buy the first Nick Heller book, "Vanished".

Interesting concept, lots of loose ends.

An interesting and nearly terrifying concept, but the book left me and my partner feeling curiously unfulfilled. I felt the book had great potential, but certain threads simply disappeared, and the main reason for the entire plot when completely explained at the end, made absolutely no sense.

The book is wonderfully read but overlong for the somewhat poorly developed plot.

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Title: Call to Treason

Subtitle: Tom Clancy's Op-Center #11

Author: Steve Pieczenik, Jeff Rovin, Tom Clancy

Narrator: Michael Kramer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-31-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 168 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Clancy is an unstoppable force in fiction, nonfiction, and even on the silver screen. Now listeners can take a journey with America's most proficient covert team as they struggle to avoid full-fledged war in Clancy's latest edge-of-your-seat thriller. Tom Clancy's newest Op-Center is a gripping, powerful profile of America's defense, intelligence, and crisis management technology - from the master of the technological thriller. As with all of the titles in the series, elements of technology, diplomacy, military might, and espionage come together in an utterly believable - and sometimes prescient - manner that will leave listeners anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Members Reviews:

Narrator drags down my rating

Unless the narrator told you which character was speaking you would not know. There are so many good narrators out there why would they pick this one? You could barely tell the female characters from the male. No emotion just reading like you would get with a computer except different voice. I will not buy another book with this narrator.

just when you think it can't get any worse

Rovin has broken the mold yet again. he said she said they said they didn't say. my God he is really getting worse. Kramer does a great job narrating as he has in the past but Rovin keeps sliding backwards into an abyss. I can't wait for the next installment (not)

Horrible narration.

No idea which carachtor is talking. Put me to sleep. Tried to listen 4 times. Gave up.

Performance is always perfect, story was ok

Michael Kramer is always awesome. He's quickly become one of my favorite's. The story kinda felt rushed. Like setups in this book were targeted more towards setups for the next book ( I've not listened to that next one at this time ). Certain characters reactions to stimuli seem far from the "normal" that we ( or at least I ) expect. All and all a good book but leaves me fearful for the future of Ops Center.

Again another winner

If the story doesn't grab me in the first chapter then I pass. I didn't pass and got right into the plot. Do it again!!!

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Title: Sea of Fire

Subtitle: Tom Clancy's Op-Center #10

Author: Tom Clancy, Jeff Rovin, Steve Pieczenik

Narrator: Michael Kramer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-31-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 147 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

America's most proficient covert operations team, hand-picked for its intelligence, analysis, and crisis-management skills, has had many a tough situation thrown at it. Years ago, before North Korea made its belligerent intentions known to the world, Op-Center's first mission was to thwart a crisis on the Korean peninsula. Since then, it has dealt with the machinations of Russian hard-liners, prevented the resurgence of age-old hatred in Germany, gone underground to prevent Kurdish terrorists from destabilizing the Middle East, subjugated the tensions of rebellious Basques, rescued the entire United Nations from mercenaries, and prevented an all-out war between India and Pakistan. Is it up to the challenge of preventing the next war? Absolutely.

Members Reviews:

A great no fuss read

Would you consider the audio edition of Sea of Fire to be better than the print version?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sea of Fire?

The end - the character twist where the pilot and Op-Centre intelligence chief discovered they both have the same name - Bob Herbert.

What does Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

His familiarity with the entire Op-Center series which ensures that character interpretations through voice and accent changes are consistent. the delivery style is such that the listener is drawn into the suspense of each scene.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

there were occasions when i chuckled but i couldn't describe my emotional reactions as "extreme."

Any additional comments?

i have almost completed the op-center series, and the tendency to review incidents from previous books has become slightly irritating. the secondary strand running through the series of paul hood's separation is, by the time of sea of fire, seems irrelevant. sea of fire does still rate as a very good read in its own right.

Exciting

This was an exciting read. The narrator did a great job. I had no trouble getting through the book.

Kramer gets better, but ............
.

where does indeed continue to surpass as a narrator, but Rovin seems to get worse. not much else to say

This is so thin it should be binned.

If this is what is now going to come out of the Clancy stable, this horse is bolting. It misses any of the rich characterization the TC sewed into his books of the past. If TC cannot write anymore do not fool the public to assume he is at the helm. If he is then he as asleep! TC you have just loss me as a customer. Good luck and let us know when you, yourself pen another piece of work.

Great narrator but poor script.

What did you like best about Sea of Fire? What did you like least?

I'm not really able to say because I could not bring myself to finish listening to the book. The narrator was very good but the script was unbearable.

Has Sea of Fire turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes, it could have turned me off Tom Clancy's books but I have listened to a few others of his books which were very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kramers other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to other performances of Michael Kramer before and they have always been phenomenon. He performed very well here but this script was a really bad one.

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Title: Kingdom of Shadows

Author: Alan Furst

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-21-11

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 263 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

In spymaster Alan Furst's most electrifying thriller to date, Hungarian aristocrat Nicholas Morath, a hugely charismatic hero, becomes embroiled in a daring and perilous effort to halt the Nazi war machine in Eastern Europe.

Morath is now part owner of an advertising agency in Paris, while his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, is a minor diplomat stationed in Paris. Polanyi calls on Nicholas to take part in missions against the Hungarian Fascists: carrying letters or bringing individuals back across the border in the course of his business trips. As Nicholas's dinner parties, business deals, and dalliances with his mistress start to take a back seat to the escalating crisis in Europe, his tasks become more complicated, dangerous, and bewildering to him. He knows far less than the reader, who understands that his actions will have far-reaching consequences even beyond the fate of Hungary.

Members Reviews:

One of Nine Alan Furst/George Guidall Masterpieces

What did you love best about Kingdom of Shadows?

George Guidall's masterful interpretation and narration of a well written espionage story. George didn't just "read" the novel. With voice inflection, pauses, etc. he told me the story and made me feel that I was a participant/observer of the protagonist.

What other book might you compare Kingdom of Shadows to and why?

I would compare it to the other 8 Allan Furst/George Guidall books. I have been a recorded book listener for over 20 years and these Furst/Guidall novels are the best I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I have listened to each many times over the years and used to wait with great anticipation for the next novel to be released. Then they changed narrators and that was the end of that. Couldn't even finish the tenth one (The Spies Of Warsaw).

Any additional comments?

I would compare Furst's writing with John LaCarre' For me Furst is more enjoyable as he just tells a "story" whereas LeCarre' includes a "message", usually critizing SIS.

Furst's grease between the gears of history

There were moments I absolutely loved this book, but then it would unravel and drop. The whole fabric of the novel was just a tad too rough. The narrative was beautiful, like all Furst novels, but it didn't have much forward momentum. Other than the jumpy, rough plot -- I loved it. You can practically fall asleep in the whole dark, smokey, Hungarian/French flavor. Furst is amazing at describing the grease between the gears of history

Another classic from Mr. Furst

What made the experience of listening to Kingdom of Shadows the most enjoyable?

The characters were believable and the narration by George Guidall was outstanding. We often found ourselves at our destination in the car, but unable to stop listening and the next part of the story unfolded.

What did you like best about this story?

The way the plot evolved is wonderful.

What about George Guidalls performance did you like?

Guidall demonstrates what makes voice acting different from simply narrating a work of fiction. He inhabits the key characters fully.

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

No.

Any additional comments?

Hard to go wrong with the 1-2 punch of Guidall and Furst! Very enjoyable throughout!!

Historical facts

I read many reviews before I buy a book and even then get some rotten apples.

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Title: The Spymaster's Lady

Author: Joanna Bourne

Narrator: Kirsten Potter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-10

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 542 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Espionage

Publisher's Summary:

She's braved battlefields. She's stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She's played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit...

British spymaster Robert Grey must enter France and bring back the brilliant, beautiful - and dangerous - Fox Cub. His duty is to capture her and her secrets for England. When the two natural enemies are thrown into prison, they forge an uneasy alliance to break free. But their pact is temporary and betrayal seems inevitable as the fates of nations hang in the balance.

Members Reviews:

Highly enjoyable; Audiobook is fantastic

This story is fast-paced, with excellent plot twists and brilliant dialog. The love story felt believable, with plenty of physical attraction, as well as intelectual admiration. The spy-related content was exciting, creative, and even funny (think: The Scarlet Pimpernel).

I must say this book had me laughing out loud at several of the sarcastic remarks made by the characters. Annique (the lead female), was especially delightful. I found her to be very likable. Her dry wit and quick thinking made it fun to be inside her mind. The lead male, Robert, was more stoic (British), wise, and fierce, and likable in his own right. I also enjoyed the secondary character, Adrian, very well.

As far as the audiobook edition goes, I must say that the woman who read it was phenomenal. This is definitely one of those books that is actually made better by being read aloud. The accents (British, French and German) were all very well done, and the narrator's voice is rich and soothing. I generally don't like to listen to women reading (men's voices tend to be deep in a more pleasing way), but I think because a woman was reading the love scenes (especially because they are mostly in the perspective of the main female character), I was able to be transported in the moments, without feeling like there is a third person (the narrator) in the room. (When men read love scenes in audiobooks, I find it more embarassing to listen. Silly, I know.) Honestly, I have huge ammounts of admiration for the voice actress who read this book, and will seek out other works read by her, regardless of author or genre.

This is my first foray into the words of Joanna Bourne, and I'm excited to now go read all of her books.

Excellent

This is a very wonderfully rich novel. I am so pleased with this author (Joanna Bourne) I will definitely be gifting hard copies of this book for Christmas as well as the audible novel. Kristen Potter is truly talented and helped spin the tale delightfully. The male characters are intelligent and witty. The female character is brilliant and enchanting.

If you love romance with endearing characters and complex plots you will love this as much as I did. Bravo! A must read- for sure!

A must read- for sure!

I am now in search of more novels by this author.

The Spymaster's Lady

I like a well written historical romance, particularly historical romantic suspense, but so often the things that keep the couple apart are so contrived you can't even pretend to believe them. And, the women are often so weak-willed and like every other romance heroine, rejecting the man at first but in time just wanting to be dominated by the love interest.