A Colder War

De: Charles Cumming

Narrado por: Jot Davies

A top-ranking Iranian military official is blown up while trying to defect to the West. An investigative journalist is arrested and imprisoned for writing an article critical of the Turkish government. An Iranian nuclear scientist is assassinated on the streets of Tehran. These three incidents, seemingly unrelated, have one crucial link. Each of the three had been recently recruited by Western intelligence, before being removed or killed.

Then Paul Wallinger, MI6’s most senior agent in Turkey, dies in a puzzling plane crash. Fearing the worst, MI6 bypasses the usual protocol and brings disgraced agent Tom Kell in from the cold to investigate. Kell soon discovers what Wallinger had already begun to suspect - that there’s a mole somewhere in the Western intelligence, a traitor who has been systematically sabotaging scores of joint intelligence operations in the Middle East.

©2014 Charles Cumming (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Pretty good

As I love the spy genre, I'm always happy to find authors who explore it. I can't say I love the 2 Charles Cumming books I've read, but I am happy they were there and I'll read more. Thinking about A Colder War, there's something missing and I'm not sure what it is, but overall, I wanted to keep listening and some sections were exciting. The characters seem somewhat believable and the less-than-heroic lead character is no more annoying than many others.

Another great Kell story

Well written and we'll developed characters in this British MI-6 spy novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

So impressive, linked to story by every word!

Starting the story was took a bit time to find out the characters but then it started to speed up and impress with every chapter. Elsa was funny Italian. No holywood end, more realistic and tangible, I appreciate! I highly recommend!

Plot good narration not great.

Where does A Colder War rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Middle of the road.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Very good plot from about one third of the way in.

How could the performance have been better?

Different reader with a bit more punch. Think the narrator of a cuckoos calling etc.

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

No too long.

Any additional comments?

Very true to real life spy life. Leaves the jack reachers of this world in the shade.

The story stretched credulity, although it was a fun listen.

The story stretched credulity, although it was a fun listen. It is highly unlikely that the SIS would tolerate the relationship that is central to the plot.

Cummins has got it right -

Cummins skill as a writer improves with each book. Excellent twisting and turning plot with an terrific sense of pace and for detail.

Highly recommended.

Cutting needed

More style than substance, like eating fast food. He seems to fall in love with mood.

very entertaining

Good plot, a few twists and turns I didn't expect. Held my interest, I enjoyed it as an audio book.

Loved it

What made the experience of listening to A Colder War the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed the writing in the book and the suspense. It was hard to turn it off.

Have you listened to any of Jot Davies’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of his other performances, but I really enjoyed this one.

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

I laughed and cried, which, to me, makes for a good read.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the writing, story telling, and suspense so much that I am currently in search of yet another Charles Cumming book.

Great

Overall great story and excellent performance. A thoughtful spy and a thoughtful novel, what more could you ask for. The reader was very good and conveyed the inner workings of the lead character via his use of his voice.