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A Divided Spy

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A Divided Spy

By: Charles Cumming
Narrated by: Jot Davies
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About this listen

A Sunday Times top ten bestseller perfect for fans of John le Carré, from the winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the Year and ‘the master of the modern spy thriller’ (Mail on Sunday).

Thomas Kell thought he was done with spying. A former MI6 officer, he devoted his life to the Service, but all it has left him with is grief and a simmering anger against the Kremlin.

Then Kell is offered an unexpected chance at revenge. Taking the law into his own hands, he embarks on a mission to recruit the Russian spy he blames for the murder of his girlfriend.

Kell tracks his nemesis from Kiev to London, but soon finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse in which it becomes increasingly difficult to know who is playing whom.

Action & Adventure Espionage Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Political Spies & Politics Thriller Thriller & Suspense Russia Crime Exciting Suspense

Critic reviews

Praise for A Divided Spy:

‘A gripping psychological clash of wills, tactics and morals … Kell’s third appearance confirms him as one of the most interesting and sympathetic characters in the spy thriller field’ The Times

‘Breathtaking . . . suspenseful . . . Kell brings a note of grace to the treacherous world of the spy novel’ Washington Post

‘A magnetic tale of the New Cold War: not since George Smiley trapped Karla have we seen such a delicious recruitment between East and West’ Jason Matthews, New York Times bestselling author of Palace of Treason

‘A clever spy thriller combining believable spycraft, deft characterisation and acute psychological observation’ Ben Macintyre

‘Agent Kell is hell-bent on revenge ― but his quest ends up endangering Britain’s national security. Classic spy fiction at its best’ New York Post, “Must Reads”

‘The spies’ shifting psychological duel is riveting … deftly coupled with a topical subplot’ Sunday Times

‘Thomas Kell has become one of the most interesting and well-drawn spies in contemporary literature – a man who deserves to be spoken in the same breath as George Smiley … Delicately written, with Cumming’s customary subtle humour, it confirms him as le Carré’s heir’ Daily Mail

‘Wonderful stuff – Charles Cumming is the one true heir to John Le Carré and Ian Fleming. Nobody documents life in the shadows quite as brilliantly as Charles Cumming – the new spymaster on the block’ Tony Parsons, author of The Murder Bag

‘A clever, believable spy thriller by a man dubbed the heir to John le Carré’ Sun

All stars
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

My second Charles Cumming read by Jot Davies. Good story again - gallops along. I will probably get the third one. But wanted to say that the reader's facility with accents is exceptional - moves seamlessly from English (various) to Russian and German. Not just different accents, but imbuing the characters with real personality THROUGH the accents. Most readers just juggle with voices - which is fine. But not Jot Davies. His German and Russian lovers had almost understated accents, which is much more subtle and difficult to do. Bravo!

Exceptional reader of accents

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Any additional comments?

This is a very good continuation of the Tom Kell series. By the time you get to this book you are aware of why Tom is a divided, ambivalent character. This books shows a path to his repair, and old fashioned word, redemption.

The series is realistic in that it does not use 'super human' characters and allows for frailties and failure along with an admirable desire to get the job done. Tom is a surprisingly sensitive and thoughtful man and that contrasts satisfyingly with some of the more functionally amoral protagonists one comes across in this kind of literature. The 'double-think' and 'analysis paralysis in such a devious world is convincing and its effect on the characters shows how destructive and exhausting this kind of life must be.

Some themes run through the 3 Kell books: a lot of the characters have surprisingly positive moral limits, there is a theme of patriotism, they drink and smoke a lot and everyone in SIS seems to be able to live in good areas of central London - must be good wages in the spy game!

Excellent narrator with a successful and very believable range of characterisations.

The books are recommended!

Another intelligent story!

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I am a John le Carré fan, and also a fan of Mick Herron. I didn't think this was in their league, to be honest.
Run of the mill modern spy thriller, straddling the fence between old and new enemies. I could see Tom Cruise cast in it, so not my thing.
The narrator was okay.
I got to the end without caring who lived or died and that never happens with le Carré.

Disappointed.

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This was superb. Love the Kell character and hope this isn't the last we hear of him. Excellent plot and expertly delivered by Davies as usual. Can't recommend this highly enough.

best one yet by Cummings

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Very weak book. Basically part 2 of the last book. Actually a pointless read. Good reader though.

Feeble and inconsequential

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