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Red Desert
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
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Red Desert
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Summary
When a violent attack on his girlfriend tears Tom’s life apart, escape makes perfect sense. He takes a job with an oil company, providing therapy to staff cooped up in a camp in Southern Iraq. Nice pay packet, if you don’t mind being stuck in the desert surrounded by unexploded mines and cluster bombs.
On his arrival, an explosion outside the camp leaves four men dead. Something about it doesn’t make sense, and Tom starts to ask questions. His curiosity begins to get him into trouble - especially with the former soldiers who work there as security contractors. When the camp is attacked and Tom is shipped home, he continues his investigations. Working with a journalist pursuing a story about a cover-up, Tom looks into a notorious army barracks. But then the journalist falls beneath a tube train. Falls, or is pushed? With an unseen enemy closing in, will Tom’s search for the truth end in his death, too?
Set between London, Berlin and Iraq, this white-knuckle suspense thriller is perfect for fans of The Hurt Locker, American Sniper and Homeland.
Audible's Crime & Thriller Pick of the Month: May 2020
Love nothing more than being engrossed in a creepy thriller or playing detective with a gripping mystery? You're not alone! Always ready for a challenge, the Audible editors have taken on the tough task of seeking out spine-chilling tales that will keep you up all night. Every month in 2020 we’ll bring you the very best in murder and mystery in Audible's Crime & Thriller Pick of the Month.Listeners also enjoyed...
About the author
Paddy Magrane was born in the Middle East, educated in England and has lived in Florence, New York and London. After graduating with a first from art school, he moved to New York, working as an assistant to an abstract expressionist. Returning to the UK, he was an artist for ten years, before becoming a copywriter and journalist, penning pieces for the Guardian, Observer and Telegraph.
Paddy has travelled widely, but loves returning to his birthplace, the Middle East. He visited Syria before the civil war and, more recently, worked in Israel and the West Bank.
About the performer
Joe Jameson is a London based actor and voice-over artist. He graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2010 and has since become one of London’s most in-demand voice-over artists.
With an excellent ear for accents, and an extensive range, Joe has narrated more than 200 audio-books for Audible, Strathmore and Penguin, among others.
Critic reviews
"This will be one of my audiobooks of the year. An absolutely riveting listen, beautifully written and with a terrific main character. I hope we get more Tom Challis books. Bravo." (Caroline Green)
"Like the best thrillers, Red Desert is packed with action, intrigue and evocative locations; I could taste the desert's dust and heat. What's more, its hero has empathy, intelligence and compassion. The perfect escape from lockdown.” (Author, Sarah Hillary)
“This was my first ready of anything written by Paddy Magrane. Red Desert is a roller coaster, high-octane ride that drags you in from the first few words and won't let you go until you have finished. The protagonist, Tom is an enthralling character, thrust into an unfamiliar environment and the insight in psychoanalysis is fascinating. The action never lets up. Ever. It is relentless and a full on assault on the senses. What a read.” (Neil Lancaster, Author of Tom Novak Thrillers)
What listeners say about Red Desert
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Shocker
- 09-08-20
Good writing
Very well written, sometimes too much detail. Very good story though. Enjoyed the narrator voice
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael B.
- 26-05-20
Good page turner.
Gripping story, goes all over the place, but the author keeps control and brings it all nicely together. well worth the listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-07-20
Explosive cocktail of action,conspiracy & jeopardy
Red Desert is the first book I have listened to on Audible, and it certainly did not disappoint. I found myself immersed from the very beginning, and completely captivated up until the highly gratifying ending.
The author writes so illustratively, the book is perfectly suited to audible (and indeed highly transferable to screen). In fact, I found it to be an experience for all the senses. And totally addictive.
There is relentless action right from the very first page, and the likeable protagonist pursues his hunt for justice throughout. What a tenacious legend Tom Challis is!
Set in three differing locations, from the claustrophobic, unforgiving desert, to the busy cityscapes of London and Berlin, every location felt very authentic and the plot flowed seamlessly.
Characters are believable, flawed and relatable and the narrator Joe Jameson really brought them to life. In particular, I liked the relationship between Tom and a teenage boy he befriends in Iraq. Other relationships in the book are intense; some are terrifying, and some are heart-breaking. It’s not often a book can move me to tears.
What stood out for me when listening to this book, was the way in which the author writes with great insights into the minds of his characters, and into the inner world of those suffering from trauma. In particular, how responses to trauma can differ so widely from person to person. It is also really refreshing to hear how therapists are often working through their own demons.
I cannot wait for this memorable, atmospheric, fast-paced book to come out in print, so that it can join the first two books by this author on my bookshelf. Red Desert is so intelligently and stylishly written, I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Libby
- 15-05-20
Great book again from Paddy
I finished listening to this yesterday, only a few days from stating it, I loved it. Always a good sign of book when you are thinking about the characters and story between listens. This book certainly made me do that. Looking forward to the next one Paddy!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- VAL G.
- 29-05-20
Red Desert
Slow to get going and confusing at the start. The story really only comes to life in the final third of the book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Johnny
- 16-12-20
Bit different
Worth a listen a bit different in locations and characters involvement no mad supper soldier, realistic fictional story, few good twists and misdirection over all entertaining
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- John Gates
- 11-09-20
Average
Average - rather unsophisticated writing. Narration could also do with more mature gravitas.
Story also has a good number of rather incredible scrapes.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ollie_H
- 15-08-20
A classic, edge-of-your-seat-thriller.
Red Desert is a fast-paced thriller, which sees protagonist Tom Challis stumble upon a small piece of a dangerous puzzle. To put the whole together, he must chase across Iraq, England and Germany, never knowing whom to trust, or when danger will strike next.
Fleeing tragedy at home, Tom takes a job as a psychotherapist on an Iraqi oil field. On his first day four men are killed by a roadside bomb, and he learns of other deaths, none of which have satisfactory explanations. Convinced there’s a link between them, and fobbed off by those in authority, Tom takes matters into his own hands. But people are watching Tom. People who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
Reminiscent of The Thirty-Nine Steps, Red Desert is a classic, edge-of-your-seat-thriller. Audible books like this make every car journey an adventure.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 03-06-20
A cracking book! Loved this!
This really is a cracking thriller - fast-paced, action-packed, and with a plot that twists and turns through London, the oil fields of Iraq and Berlin/Germany. I've said it before but Paddy Magrane has a cinematic feel for a really good story - it's a great listen but would make a brilliant film too.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- J. Wexler
- 16-05-20
Pretty good!
A good quality production. Action, mystery in Iraq. The story is well crafted, characters are well developed, the general plot is nothing extraordinary and follows a traditional arc.
In a nutshell a good action/murder mystery, but nothing extraordinary.
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