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A Spy Alone

The Oxford Spy Ring, Book 1

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A Spy Alone

Auteur(s): Charles Beaumont
Narrateur(s): David Thorpe
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Everyone knows about the Cambridge Spies from the fifties, identified and broken up after passing national secrets to the Soviets for years. But no spy ring was ever unearthed at Oxford. Because one never existed? Or because it was never found . . . ?

2022: Former spy Simon Sharman is eking out a living in the private sector. When a commission to delve into the financial dealings of a mysterious Russian oligarch comes across his desk, he jumps at the chance.

But as Simon investigates, worrying patterns begin to emerge. His subject made regular trips to Oxford, but for no apparent reason. There are payments from offshore accounts that suddenly just . . . stop.

Has he found what none of his former colleagues believed possible, a Russian spy ring now nestled at the heart of the British Establishment? Or is he just another paranoid ex-spook left out in the cold, obsessed with redemption?

From Oxford's hallowed quadrangles to brush contacts on Hampstead Heath, agent-running in Vienna and mysterious meetings in Prague, A Spy Alone is a gripping international thriller and a searing portrait of modern Britain in the age of cynical populism.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Charles Beaumont (P)2024 Tantor Espionnage Politique et espions Thrillers et romans à suspense Russie
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My Mom originally turned me on to this book. She reads a lot of spy novels, but tends to only have a handful that she thinks are really good. She liked this one because it's written by a former MI6 operative, but isn't a memoir or interpretation of real events, rather it's a fictional modern day spy story that's compelling because it's informed by his knowledge of being a real-life spy.

Why I say modern, I really mean modern (at least at time of writing) as this involves things like the Ukraine war, as well as a lot of current technology. There are flashes back to the past to help build character backstories, but this is a modern narrative. You start knowing nothing about the character or those around him and though things do start slow as there's a lot of establishing to be done, once that's in place, you'll find yourself feeling connected to them and their plights. Some of the more significant twists hit me quite hard because of this, which to me, is a sign of a skilled author. The ending is also cleverly written in a way that does leave things open for a sequel (which is already out), but if the book didn't sell well enough to get one, you would still feel that things well wrapped up nicely.

This is the first book I've heard read by David Thorpe. Overall, he does a good job and is excellent at accents and making each character have a distinctive voice to make conversations distinct and easy to follow, but he doesn't sound a bit overenthusiastic in his general narration for my taste, almost like a radio announcer. It's not remotely a dealbreaker, but you may want to listen to the sample for a bit to decide for yourself.

An excellent modern spy novel overall and one I'm looking forward to more of.

Modern Spyjinks

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