The Echelon Vendetta

A Novel

By: David Stone

Narrated by: Firdous Bamji

Micah Dalton isn't paid to ask questions. He's a "cleaner", a CIA fixer sent in to mop up the mess when an agent or situation goes bad. But when his close friend and mentor Porter Naumann turns up dead in an idyllic Tuscan hill town, an apparent suicide, Dalton's curiosity gets the best of him.

Naumann's death puts Dalton on a collision course with a killer who has a penchant for intricate knife-work and Native American mysticism, a sadist who is killing ex-CIA agents. The victims are hard-nosed field men whose only link to one another seems to be a global surveillance operation called Echelon. The murders appear to be acts of retribution. But for what?

An elegant, original, and chillingly suspenseful journey through the darkest alleys of international espionage, The Echelon Vendetta will keep you enthralled right up to its final, supremely satisfying twist.

©2007 DavidStoneBooks (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Recorded Books LLC. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Vivid characters and spellbinding, heart-pounding, hallucinogenic plotting.... You'll love this book." (Ridley Pearson)

"Well-written, intelligent and sometimes funny...show[s] us what life is really like on the front lines." (Washington Post)

Excellent spy tale

I couldn't stop listening to this book. High tension, intriguing locales (Venice, Cortona and the desert Southwest) and interesting characters make this recording zip along at breakneck speed. If you like action thrillers like 24, you will like this book.

Good Listen

I enjoyed listening to this book. The main character was flawed like real people are; a spy who isn't all calm, cool and collected. Also enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. Always amazed how well they can keep all the characters going. Would recommend it!

disappointing ending

After 14 hours of interesting writing, the author all of a sudden uses a character barely mentioned previously to end the book unrealistically in 15 minutes. The author either was out of ideas and tired of writing, or a publisher or editor forced this ending upon the author.

So Good

A few people have mentioned that David Stone might be a pen name. I vacillate about this. Sometimes I hope it is not, and that this book is a harbinger of even better things to come... though that may be tough as this baby is first rate stuff.

Other times, I hope it IS a pen name of some author I have yet to discover and there is a treasure trove of good stuff just waiting for me.

Worse, I suppose, would be if he IS an author I know and like and have already read all his stuff. Oh well.

This is a finely crafted novel with a reader who is as first rate as the author. The characters are either very likable or very hatable as appropriate. All are a bit slightly off kilter as I expect are many who are connected with the CIA.

The protagonist is a fine person with lotsa layers like an onion. The author takes 22 hours to finally peel away those layers so we can peek at his core. THAT is good writing.

He is also a dangerous person, but the author lets us discover that on our own. In fact, you might be tempted, as I was, to underestimate his skills.

Long yes... and though I guarantee it will not bore you, I warn that it MAY screw up your daily schedule. I missed two meetings just sitting in my car listening.

There are rough parts that may bother the squeamish... blood and gore stuff.. but manageable and I believe necessary to the formation and development of the plot and characters.

I have often thought I would like to write my own novel someday. I then read something like this and realize just how good a writer can be and decide that perhaps I'd best just write a review.

David Stone is a happy discovery. I hope he is busy writing more as I am writing about him.

Pretty Good Listen

I was very excited about this book based on the reviews. It sounded like one I would really enjoy.

Overall it was a pretty good listen and I would recommend it. However; it just didn't live up to all the hype for me. It seemed to muddle around a lot with things that just didn't matter to the overall story. Coupled with a couple story holes, I found myself drifting away, uninterested at times.

It wasn't a "Can't put it down" listen for me, but worth the purchase.

Outside the Box

This book is an extremely riveting piece. It rejects normal formulas that often come with these suspense books and offers great surprise. Wonderful story; enormous variety and a great listen.

Interest and Anticipation every minute

It was simply one of the best I have read (well, listened to). Just dark and mysterious enough, without going too far. Held my interest. I did not want it to end.

must be a pen name

I have listend to many spy, action and koontz type books. This one has many elements of koontz and I am sure it is written by a Flynn or other similar. Not too hard to keep up with and very good overall listen.

Fantastic

This was an amazing book. The narrator is perfect. The places Micah travels are elaborately and interestingly detailed.

I listened to this book a few months ago and am about to listen to it again it was so entertaining.

CIA Meets High Plains Indians

What I liked: Tough, nice-guy hero supported by finely drawn characters I’ll remember for a long time. Lots of fine descriptive narrative also surrounds the novels backdrop scenes, which range from Venice, Italy to the North American high country

What I didn’t like: A convoluted plot that required a suspension of disbelief to accept and a flow chart to follow. The end result is a high-tech CIA thriller married to a Tony Hillerman mystery. The plot simply lacks the legs to carry this writer’s fine narrative skills.

What I’ll remember most: A wolf/dog hybrid named Irene—think Dean Koontz

A better book in the same genre: Nelson DeMille’s Nightfall