Thrillers and spy stories (part 1)Talking Books
The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.
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Thrillers: a classic collection; introduction by Robert Sheckley. 1996. Read by Nigel Graham, John Cormack, Alexander John, Michael Tudor Barnes, David Thorpe, Greg Wagland, Robbie MacNab, Eric Meyers, William Roberts, Adam Henderson, Garrick Hagon, Eva Haddon, 24hrs 34mins. TB11116.
For sheer suspense, there is nothing to better the well-crafted short horror story. This selection of more than thirty such tales offers an opportunity to sample exciting and spine-chilling work in over a hundred years of British, French and American writing.
Abbott, Jeff.
Panic. 2006. Read by Walter Lewis, 11hrs 57mins.TB14929.
Things are going well for young film-maker Evan Casher - until he receives an urgent phone call from his mother, summoning him home. He arrives to find her brutally murdered on the kitchen floor and a hitman waiting for him. It is then he realised his whole life has been a lie. His parents are not who he thought they were, his girlfriend is not who he thought she was, his entire existence an ingeniously constructed sham.
Contains language and passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14929.
Adam, Paul.
Flash point. 2003. Read by Penelope Freeman,13hrs 16mins. TB12986.
Fiery, fearless camerawoman Maggie Walsh has filmed everywhere from Bosnia to Afghanistan. But when she receives a tip-off from one of her Indian contacts, she knows she might be about to pull off the biggest scoop of her career. In McLeod Ganj, home of the Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama is secretly dying. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB12986.
Adler, Elizabeth.
All or nothing. 2000. Read by Maxine Howe, 09hrs 40mins. TB12947.
This open-and-shut case of love and murder turns out to be more deadly for an idealistic young lawyer and her lover. The dynamic couple, Marla and Al, get more than they bargain for when they take on the investigation of the death of Laurie Martin - and the seemingly impossible task of proving whether or not her husband is innocent of her murder. TB12947.
Aellen, Richard.
Redeye. 1989. Read by Robert Gladwell, 17hrs 54mins. TB8309.
A knockout thriller from a first-time novelist about separated twins whose psychic bond plays havoc with a plot to assassinate Gorbachev. Aellen flawlessly meshes the psi element and dense twin-tensions into his big, complicated but always humane plot - no villains here, only shades of grey. Roaring with suspense - especially when Karl hits American shores. TB8309.
Airth, Rennie.
Once a spy. 1981. Read by Robert Gladwell, 09hrs 30mins.TB4044.
A tale of smuggling graft, blackmail and revenge, and of a man caught in a tangle of murderous duplicity because he once was a spy. TB4044.
Allbeury, Ted.
The line-crosser. 1993. Read by George Hagan, 12hrs 02mins. TB9986.
Furious when his masters refused to ransom three of his agents, Foster walked out of SIS HQ in West Berlin and offered to work for the East Germans himself. The British want to find him fast. He and a group of Russians have built up a directory of people who have cooperated with the Stasi and, as the wall comes down, that directory is priceless, to the German and British governments who want to expose the traitors, to the Russians who want to use them, to the criminals who want to blackmail them and to the traitors who want to escape retribution. TB9986.
Anthony, Evelyn.
The legacy. 1997. Read by Jacqueline King, 09hrs 13mins. TB11228.
Christina's late husband Richard has left her the legacy of a great house, land, money and a priceless Hebrew manuscript. But his disinherited son Alan vows to break the will. Christina's lawyer, Rolf Wallberg, exerts an unwanted attraction over the young widow. The battle is not about greed, but about hate and revenge, overshadowed by a war crime and a search for the priceless document. The key to the mystery lies with the second stepson, the untrustworthy James. TB11228.
Bagley, Desmond.
Wyatt's hurricane. 1966. Read by John Dunn, 09hrs 30mins. TB3.
Wyatt, a civilian weather expert, flies to the rescue when a small island in the Caribbean is struck by a hurricane. TB3.
Baker, Keith.
Inheritance. 1997. Read by Stephen Armstrong, 13hrs. TB13342.
A thriller set in a Northern Ireland where the Troubles have been over for twenty years. When a retired RUC officer is blown up in a gas explosion in his caravan, his son inherits a key to the past, and as he uncovers the truth about his father's death, he stumbles across a conspiracy of daring and awesome greed. Some passages of a sexual nature may be considered offensive. TB13342.
Banks, Iain.
Complicity. 1993. Read by Jonathan Hackett, 10hrs 46mins. TB10162.
Cameron Colley is a journalist on an Edinburgh paper, totally into his job, a computer game called Despot and an intermittently sado-masochistic love affair. He is on the brink of uncovering the grandfather of all conspiracies, but while he's researching a series of bizarre past deaths, the police are investigating some that are still going on and Cameron, complicit as he seems to be, may be able to help them with their enquiries. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB10162.
Barker, Pat.
Blow your house down. 1984. Read by Anne Jameson, 05hrs 43mins. TB7025.
A killer is roaming the streets of a northern city, setting off a wave of terror. He singles out prostitutes. The face of his latest victim stares out from every billboard haunting the women who walk the street. But Brenda with three children to support, cannot afford to give up work, while Audrey now in her 40's desperately goes on "working the cars" taking as much care as she can.... Unsuitable for family reading. TB7025.
Booth, Martin.
The industry of souls. 1998. Read by Denys Hawthorne, 10hrs 07mins. TB11827.
British citizen Alexander Bayliss, was a spy in the Soviet Union in the 1950s until his arrest. Presumed dead by the British government he survived 20 years in a labour camp, until freed in the 1970s. Having no reason to return to the west, he finds his way to the home of his best friend from the camp and is taken in by his daughter. Bayliss becomes a much loved schoolmaster in the village, however by his 80th birthday Russia has changed and information has come to light that he is alive, ending with him having to make a choice. Shortlisted for the 1998 Booker Prize. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB11827.
Boyd, William.
Restless. 2007. Read by Beth Chalmers, 11hrs 20mins. TB14908.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian emigree living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and to trust nobody. Now years later she must complete one final assignment and this time she needs her daughter Ruth's help.
Contains language and some passages of a sexual nature that may be considered offensive. TB14908.
Brown, Dan.
Deception point. 2002. Read by Laurel Lefkow,16hrs 26mins. TB14483.
When a new NASA satellite detects evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory. One that has profound implications for the U.S. space policy and the impending presidential election. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB14483.
Carey, Peter.
Jack Maggs. 1997. Read by Michael Tudor Barnes, 13hrs 41mins. TB11362.
This novel is set in London in 1837. Jack Maggs, raised and deported as a criminal, has returned from Australia, in secret and at great risk. What does he want after all these years and why is he interested in a plush townhouse in Great Queen Street? And why is Jack himself an object of interest to Tobias Oates, the author, hypnotist and fellow-burglar? Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB11362.
Cheyney, Peter.
You can call it a day. 1949. Read by Anthony Parker, 08hrs 15mins. TB966.
A thriller concerning sleuth Johnny Vallon and his adventures with seductive women and dangerous crooks. TB966.
Clancy, Tom.
Patriot games. 1999. Read by Garrick Hagon, 21hrs 21mins. TB13871.
Jack Ryan Series; 1. When Jack Ryan foils an Ulster Liberation Army terrorist attack on the Prince of Wales and his family, his courageous actions not only win him the admiration of an entire nation, they also rouse the enmity and hatred of that nation's most dangerous men. Now a ULA target himself, Ryan plunges into the murky world of counter-intelligence, where he uncovers connections between the ULA and an international underground network that place him at the forefront of the deadly battle against international terrorism, and pitch him into the most desperate struggle of his life. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB13871.
Coben, Harlan.
Deal breaker. 2002. Read by Peter Marinker, 09hrs 52mins. TB13993.
Myron Bolitar series; 1. When a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead makes a phone call to a young sportsman about to hit the big time, it seems that more than just his career is on the line. Myron Bolitar investigates, and is plunged into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret and a man's lies, Myron soon realises that image and talent might make you rich, but the truth can get you killed. Contains language and some passages of a sexual nature which may be considered offensive. TB13993.
Condon, Richard.
The Manchurian candidate. 1965. Read by Marvin Kane,11hrs 12mins. TB182.
A young American soldier, who has been secretly brainwashed in Korea, returns home a hero, unaware of the true past, and not in control of his subsequent terrible actions. TB182.
Connolly, John.
Every dead thing. 2003. Read by Jeff Harding, 15hrs 48mins. TB13979.
Charlie Parker series; 1. The Travelling Man is on the move. Few will survive the journey. Former New York detective Charlie Parker was drunk when the Travelling Man operated on his wife and daughter. The Travelling Man is an artist of death, making human bodies his canvas and taking faces as his prize. And now another girl is missing. Dogged by terror and driven by rage, through the swamps of America’s darkest underbelly, Parker pursues a man and his revenge to discover that, sometimes, nothing is more shocking than the truth. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB13979.
Cook, Robin.
Harmful intent. 1990. Read by Errol MacKinnon. 16hrs 34mins, TB8982.
Dr Jeffrey Rhodes' nightmare begins when he administers routine anaesthesia and a young healthy mother dies. Sued for eleven million dollars and convicted of murder he turns fugitive. TB8982.
Crichton, Michael.
State of fear. 2005. Read by John Chancer, 17hrs 08mins. TB14420.
In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful visitor. In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications. In Vancouver, a small research submarine is leased for use in the waters of New Guinea. And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries to understand what it all means. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14420.
Cussler, Clive.
Serpent: a novel from the NUMA files. 2002. Read by Jeff Harding, 16hrs. TB13105.
NUMA files series; 1.On the bottom of the icy sea off Nantucket lie the battered remains of the Italian luxury liner, Andrea Doria. But few know that within her bowels lies a priceless pre-Columbian antiquity - a treasure that now holds the key to a puzzle that is costing people their lives. The discovery of an artifact by an archaeologist at a Moroccan dig leads to the massacre of the excavation group. The leader, on escaping, is rescued by Kirk Austin and his team who uncover a sinister plot. TB13105.
Davies, Murray.
The dogs in the streets. 2006. Read by Seán Barrett, 13hrs 49mins. TB14928.
Imagine the one you love most has been killed by a fanatic's bomb. Imagine that the promises of justice turn to ashes. That the bombers stillwalk free - and will strike again. Hopes for justice turn to dark visions of revenge - especially as the identities of the terrorists are known to all. So the relatives of the slain prepare to take the law into their own hands, driven by their own guilt. Contains language and passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14928.
Deaver, Jeffery.
Mistress of justice. 2002. Read by Laurence Bouvard, 10hrs 30mins. TB12753.
Taylor Lockwood juggles twin careers as a struggling jazz musician in seedy Manhattan clubs and a paralegal at the genteel Wall Street law firm of Hubbard, White & Willis. When a multimillion-dollar promissory note is stolen, dark secrets emerge behind the Victorian facades of the firm. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB12753.
Deighton, Len.
Yesterday's spy. 1975. Read by Andrew Timothy, 07hrs 22mins. TB2858.
Champion was operating in France, near the spot where he had done his wartime spying. But was he up to something too big this time? His friend Charles, knowing all the dangers, was sent to trail him. TB2858.
Dobbs, Michael.
Wall games. 1991. Read by Frank Duncan, 13hrs 05mins. TB9547.
The thaw is slowly beginning as leaders in both East and West set out tentatively to build a new era of peace. Yet the people of Berlin are in no mood for diplomatic caution. Across the heart of their city still stands the monstrous construction of the Wall that has split them apart for a generation. They will fight to have it torn down and reunite their city - just as there are those in Washington and Moscow who will use them to kill off the new flower of glasnost. Into the troubled city comes Harry Benjamin, a young and irrepressible CIA agent. He hadn't planned on falling in love - even less on that illicit love casting him as a pawn in this latest battle for Berlin. But Harry will not be anyone's pawn. He is determined to reveal the treachery, even if it means destroying the most powerful men in East and West - and his love - in the process... TB9547.
Easterman, Daniel.
The jaguar mask. Read by Sean Barrett, 15hrs 55mins. TB13519.
Archaeologist Leo Mallory is on a dig. But this is no ordinary assignment. He's deep in the heart of the Mexican jungle uncovering a centuries-old Mayan city. Like a surgeon performing an intricate operation, Leo and his team skilfully remove each crumb of earth with the utmost precision. In France, Interpols Declan Carberry is busy trying to solve a string of ritual serial murders. Horrific in the extreme, the questions are who and why? Declan needs to move fast, for time is running out. TB13519.
Eastwood, James.
The Chinese visitor: a novel of espionage. 1965. Read by Clive Champney, 08hrs 01mins. TB642.
The assassination of a Chinese Emissary in London is the prelude to a series of incidents involving a beautiful young woman, newly recruited as a British agent. TB642.
Eisler, Barry.
Rain fall. 2003. Read by Jeff Harding, 09hrs 38mins. TB13267.
John Rain series; 1. Meet John Rain - special forces turned assassin - a man with a tortured past and an uncertain future. Few know who he is or what he does, and that's how it has to be. In his line of work enemies are inevitable, no matter how good you are and any attachment is a weakness. But when the death of a stranger on a crowded subway threatens Rain's carefully maintained anonymity he realises it's not just his own life at stake, but that of the one person he's come to care about - the victim's daughter. His pursuers are closing in. And they're about to discover just how dangerous a cornered man can be... Some passages of a sexual nature may be considered offensive. TB13267.
Finder, Joseph.
Company man. 2006. Read by Jeff Harding,16hrs 21mins. TB14566.
Nick Conover, CEO of a major corporation, was once the most admired man in Fenwick, Michigan. Having presided over massive layoffs, he is now the most despised. When his family is threatened by a stalker, events spin out of control and Nick is faced with a dead body and damning circumstances. TB14566.
Fleming, Ian.
Casino Royale. 1953. Read by Duncan Carse, 05hrs 15mins. TB516.
James Bond series; 1. James Bond is ordered to outwit an international racketeer, already hunted by a Russian organisation. TB516.
Follett, James.
Mirage. 1993. Read by David Graham, 15hrs 49mins. TB11299.
Daniel Kalen, an Israeli fighter pilot grounded after injury, has been given an extraordinary mission by Mossad: to steal the Mirage jet fighters blueprints - all 250,000 of them - so that Israel can build her own version of the fighter. TB11299.
Follett, Ken.
Lie down with lions. 1985. Read by Gene Foad, 13hrs 51mins. TB6321.