Never

A Novel

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: January LaVoy

New York Times Bestseller

The new must-read epic from master storyteller Ken Follett: more than a thriller, it’s an action-packed, globe-spanning drama set in the present day.

“A compelling story, and only too realistic.” —Lawrence H. Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary

“Every catastrophe begins with a little problem that doesn’t get fixed.” So says Pauline Green, president of the United States, in Follett’s nerve-racking drama of international tension.

A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert; a stolen US Army drone; an uninhabited Japanese island; and one country’s secret stash of deadly chemical poisons: all these play roles in a relentlessly escalating crisis.

Struggling to prevent the outbreak of world war are a young woman intelligence officer; a spy working undercover with jihadists; a brilliant Chinese spymaster; and Pauline herself, beleaguered by a populist rival for the next president election.

Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable.

Critic reviews

"Urgent and fiercely compelling . . . Never is first-rate entertainment that has something important to say. It deserves the popular success it will almost certainly achieve."
—The Washington Post

"Ken Follett can't write a bad book, and Never is his best. It's terrifying. I defy anyone to put it down once the last 150 pages are reached."
—Stephen King

"Superstar novelist Ken Follett’s what-if political thriller . . . is so exciting—and so plausible—you won’t want to look away."
—Apple Books (Best Book of the Month)

"Settle in for a thrilling ride."
—CNN.com

"Terrific . . . A powerful, commanding performance from one of the top writers in the genre."
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

"A complex, scary thriller that feels too plausible for comfort. You’ll be so absorbed in the story threads that you’ll follow them anywhere—and you’ll suddenly realize you’ve read hundreds of pages. . . . On one level, it’s great entertainment; on another, a window into a sobering possibility."
—Kirkus (starred)

"Absolutely compelling . . . A smart, scary, and all-too-plausible thriller."
—Booklist

I loved it!

The multiply layered stories and intrigue kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I read several negative reviews and decided to ignore them since I almost always like Ken Follet's books. I'm glad I did. This is an excellent, thought-provoking book, probably because the threat of nuclear war is all too believable.

Weak dialogue

I’m a big Ken Follett fan but this one wasn’t his best. The story was ok but the dialogue between the characters was very bad. It came off like it was written by someone who has never spoken to real people before and learned everything they know about people speaking to each other from watching a handful of sitcoms and network tv dramas.

Real Life story that reflects the dire situation in the world

Pageturner, detailed and scarily realistic…
Covering very actual topics and threats our current world. Eye-opening…

A book to make one pause...

This is not a book to be "enjoyed" in the usual sense of the word. It is a GREAT book, one to be savoured and pondered and remembered. It is one from which we can learn as human beings, all living on the same - and only - planet. Savoured might not be quite the right word. Just read, take it in, and ponder...think deeply....

a pause for thought

the scary part of this story is how close to reality it can come. Hurt pride, one upmanship, the inability to learn from the past instead of forming grudges that last for generations. We see these signs all around the world in race wars, religious wars, cyberwars, political agendas. How can we ever have true stable peace, when we can never get all sides to a common realistic negotiation table?