Six Days of the Condor

By: James Grady

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

When CIA operative Malcolm, code-named Condor, discovers his colleagues butchered in a blood-spattered office, he realizes that only an oversight by the assassins has saved his life. He contacts CIA headquarters for help, but when an attempted rendezvous goes wrong, it quickly becomes clear that no one can be trusted.

Malcolm disappears into the streets of Washington, hoping to evade the killers long enough to unravel the conspiracy - but will that be enough to save his life?

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author James Grady.

©2008 James Grady (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

Top 100 "Killer Thrillers" (NPR)

100 Must-Read Thrillers (International Thriller Writers)

This Story has Aged Well

Sometimes the movie (3 Days of the Condor) is almost as good as the book. In this case, and In some ways, the movie is better: more complex, grittier. Still, this is an excellent first novel by James Grady (Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 is another best seller) that is fast, taut and well written.

Good

I had seen the series before I listened to the story. Slightly different, but the series really was superb. I kept seeing the characters in my mind. Loved it.

I could be a spy!!!

Where does Six Days of the Condor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Its in the upper 25%. The story is fairly intense and Condor is quite creative. The narrator adds a lot to the overall rating. Four stars on the story because the ending wasn't as tight as the rest of the story. Nick Sullivan was five stars on this one.

What did you like best about this story?

It feeds my middle-aged male fantasy. Condor reads spy novels; I read spy novels. Condor is being chased by assassins; I might be chased by an assassin...hey...it could happen. Condor, armed with his spy novel education, surprises the spy world by outsmarting them repeatedly; I might outsmart a spy....well you get the picture.

Which character – as performed by Nick Sullivan – was your favorite?

The old man and Wendy.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I have two:1) The worst bad day at work ever...2) I am soooo calling HR when this is over.

Any additional comments?

The book is set in the 70's which levels the playing field for Condor and forces the writer to be more creative. Modern books sometimes get carried away with technology. Also, in modern spy novels you can overcome any plot problem with some new spy tech "the public doesn't know exists" which can make writers lazy. Condor's solutions were actually inventive and didn't employ the far-fetched tricks in some of our modern stories.

This is largely a macho wetdream

Didn't care for the narrative style right off the bat. Then came the rather explicit sex scenes that were entirely a man's image of a woman's sexual experience. That's where I chose to find something else to read.

The Deep State 1975 Style

I loved it!! Better than the movie . I couldn’t help seeing Robert Redford as Malcolm.

Movie was 3 Days

Not quite as good as the movie but a very good read. Love stories about ordinary people in extra ordinary situations

A First Rate Pot Boiler

Yes, this book has a few miles on it but it's one of those rare page turners that has stood the test of time. Well written, well paced and well performed.

movie is better than the book

although the book's story is good it has its very convenient moments. the movies story line is much better than the book. this is one of those rare occasions at least for me where the book is not as good as the movie

Enjoyable Spy Yarn

Perfectly enjoyable spy/intrigue novel, very much in the Eric Ambler ordinary-man-thrust-into-circumstances-he-cannot-comprehend/control mold, w/two major exceptions: one, the protagonist already works for the CIA although what is described almost contemptuously by the “real” spies in the book as a literary analyst, and the sex, even for 1974, is much more explicit than in Ambler’s books regardless of publication.

However unlike a lot of the other reviewers I thoroughly enjoyed the book & I loved the character of Wendy.

I also enjoyed the author’s foreword, thought the anecdote about the KGB was good for a chuckle & didn’t realize it was a first novel until he said so.

While I also loved the movie “Three Days Of the Condor” I don’t think comparing the movie & the novel is really valid—they’re both enjoyable examples of their respective genres.

Good story, but ...

Listening to the story in fragments killed the suspense of the print and movie versions.