To Die in Vienna

By: Kevin Wignall

Narrated by: George Newbern

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

He’s seen something that could get him killed. But what?

Freddie Makin is a spy for hire. For a year he’s been watching Jiang Cheng, an academic whose life seems suspiciously normal. To Freddie it’s just a job: he never asks who’s paying him and why - until the day someone is sent to kill him, and suddenly the watcher becomes the watched.

On the run from whoever wants him dead, Freddie knows he must have seen something incriminating. The only trouble is, he has no idea what. Is the CIA behind all this - or does it go higher than that? Have his trackers uncovered his own murky past?

As he’s forced into a lethal dance across Vienna, Freddie knows one thing for sure: his only hope for survival is keeping the truth from the other side, and making sure the secrets from his past stay hidden.

©2018 Kevin Wignall (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

I really enjoyed this book.

I was not sure what to expect when I started this book and it seemed a bit low key. But as things were revealed and characters were introduced, and sometimes disposed of, I became more and more addicted. Not an ending I would have guessed.

Nice narration

Good story but the narrator made this that extra special. Decent pace and interesting characters. Really enjoyed it.

Pretty good, but...

This book not as good as Traitor's Story, a Kevin Wignall book I read first. The plot is not nearly as complex. In fact, the plot was a bit thin. Perhaps that is because the book is to be made into a movie.

Otherwise, the story was interesting, as far as it goes. Narrator was fine.

Good thriller

This was a pretty good thriller. I think I missed some things because I was listening to the audiobook and occasionally got distracted. It would definitely be a good book to read.

Wonderful story brought to life by George Newbern

wasn't sure what to expect when I got this book. It looked interesting, but that doesn't always mean it will be good. In this instance, it was great. Occasionally, I take a chance on a book that may be older than others. To Die in Vienna fits that description, and I could not be more pleased with the purchase. Well written with excellent character development and entertaining dialogue that felt real and believable. This book will keep you interested, not just in the story, but the people - I mean characters. The Audible performance by George Newbern was perfect for this story. His pacing and expressions really brought like to the wonderful characters created by author Kevin Wignall.

Very enjoyable thriller

Like good espionage thrillers, “To Die In Vienna” slowly introduces the clues Freddie Makin must solve to save his life. Although only a hired spy, Freddie has skills from a former job. The people who killed Cheng, the man Freddie was watching, are Western intelligence agents with powerful connections. Freddie goes on the run while trying to learn why Cheng was killed and what Freddie might have seen that made Freddie a target.

The story progresses at a good pace with plausible periods of action throughout. Only at the end do you learn who dies in Vienna.

I might be niece, but I have trouble believing our intelligence agents have a license to kill like the proverbial James Bond. Although there are sometimes rogue agents, I would hope most of that crew would have had the integrity to the stop the killing of an American citizen.

An adequately enjoyable book

This is a good book. Not fabulous but quite good.

The setting of Vienna is a great start! One of my favorite cities. Freddie is a former, well - something, probably clandestine but we don’t know for sure until later. He is not a surveillance expert hired to watch a Chinese professor. After several months things go terribly wrong.

I enjoyed Freddie’s exploits. I was not surprised to read that the movie rights had been picked up. This book read like the plot of a film. I can imagine it’ll be good if they stick to the book.

At first I didn’t care for the narrator but his voice grew on me.

I am hoping there’s a sequel.

I love this book and wish there was more

Kevin Wignall doesn't write very much but almost every book he's written has been great. And this is his best one. I've read twice and will read it again. There are no Jason Bourne or Mission Impossible types of action. The action that is in the book is believable and makes sense. But it's the atmospherics that I enjoy so much. Vienna is a quiet city, as far a big cities go, and I always felt like there was a lot more going on under the surface. This book took me there.

Awful narration

This sing-song narration and squeaky voice was just awful to listen to. On top of the narrator sounded bored and unconvincing. Awful.

Interesting - gains speed & depth as you read

First read of a Wignall book and I will continue with some others. The narrator is excellent.