The Torqued Man

A Novel

By: Peter Mann

Narrated by: John Lee

“A damn good read.”—Alan Furst

A brilliant debut novel, at once teasing literary thriller and a darkly comic blend of history and invention, The Torqued Man is set in wartime Berlin and propelled by two very different but equally mesmerizing voices: a German spy handler and his Irish secret agent, neither of whom are quite what they seem.

Berlin—September, 1945. Two manuscripts are found in rubble, each one narrating conflicting versions of the life of an Irish spy during the war.

One of them is the journal of a German military intelligence officer and an anti-Nazi cowed into silence named Adrian de Groot, charting his relationship with his agent, friend, and sometimes lover, an Irishman named Frank Pike. In De Groot’s narrative, Pike is a charismatic IRA fighter sprung from prison in Spain to assist with the planned German invasion of Britain, but who never gets the chance to consummate his deal with the devil.

Meanwhile, the other manuscript gives a very different account of the Irishman’s doings in the Reich. Assuming the alter ego of the Celtic hero Finn McCool, Pike appears here as the ultimate Allied saboteur. His mission: an assassination campaign of high-ranking Nazi doctors, culminating in the killing of Hitler’s personal physician.

The two manuscripts spiral around each other, leaving only the reader to know the full truth of Pike and De Groot’s relationship, their ultimate loyalties, and their efforts to resist the fascist reality in which they are caught.

outstanding and unusual

this is a simply phenomenal, uniquely creative story about two spies in WWII. The narrator did a great job with accents and bringing out the bizarre humor. such a great read

Went in grudgingly, ended up loving it

I read a number of positive reviews but somehow they put me off. Or maybe the summary of the book put me off. Anyway, I finally caved, because the promise of black comedy and literary thriller was right up my alley. Enjoyed it tremendously. Great and evocative writing, characters I loved, witty and clever, and fun twists.

Fun story embedded in great historical detail

Very good WW2 historical context, colorful characters, suspenseful plot. The dual manuscript not so mysterious but it works. Narration awkward at first—German than Irish—but one gets used to it.

A sordid and thrilling trek through the bowels of Teutonia

This is a very fun listen. The book is structured as two separate narratives which weave together in a really cool way. The tale is wild, but grounded in the historical events and culture of WWII Europe. The narrator is also perfect - able to handle multiple characters with enthralling spirit.

sehr gut

and imaginative narrative that managed to offer surprise twists. the narrator is phenomenal. skillfully combines the conventions of spy fiction with a dash of philosophy.