Spy Games

By: Adam Brookes

Narrated by: Richard Coyle

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Fearing for his life, journalist Philip Mangan has gone into hiding from the Chinese agents who have identified him as British spy. His reputation and life are in tatters.

But when he is caught in a terrorist attack in East Africa and a shadowy Chinese figure approaches him in the dead of night with information on the origins of the attack, Mangan is suddenly back in the eye of the storm.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on a humid Hong Kong night, a key MI6 source is murdered minutes after meeting spy Trish Patterson. From Washington, DC to the hallowed halls of Oxford University and dusty African streets, a sinister power is stirring which will use Mangan and Patterson as its pawns - if they survive.

Deeply steeped in tension and paranoia, Spy Games is Adam Brookes' follow-up to his award-nominated debut Night Heron and a remarkable, groundbreaking spy thriller.

©2015 Adam Brookes (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A classic spy thriller packed with tension and detail, brilliantly paced." (Peter James on Night Heron)

"The best British spy novel debut in years." (Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph on Night Heron)

" Night Heron reeks with verisimilitude in its settings and atmosphere, and is accompanied by a cleverly plotted action-filled story of Anglo-Chinese espionage." ( The Times on Night Heron)

"Superior espionage." ( The Sun on Night Heron)

"An intriguing, skilful and taut novel...elegantly plotted and with a piercing eye for detail." ( Daily Mail on Night Heron)

Read the book save the credit

What did you like best about Spy Games? What did you like least?

The story was okay...the reader needs more practice. Should have auditioned more readers

If you’ve listened to books by Adam Brookes before, how does this one compare?

No...and I hope not to.

Would you be willing to try another one of Richard Coyle’s performances?

No, no, and no again

Could you see Spy Games being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No read the book and make your own voices

Good solid spy story

I'm always looking for well written spy stories. I like engaging characters, an interesting plot, some tension, and little gratuitous sex and violence. This series does that well, "Night Heron", "Spy Games", and "The Spy's Daughter" are an enjoyable trilogy, quite well plotted, containing interesting information about China, with a cast of distinguished characters, some likeable, some not. I would recommend giving these a try, (in order, each builds on the last).

If I were to fault them, I think there are series where the personalities and backstories of the characters are better filled out, and perhaps a little more engaging. The series was well worth the three credits.

Good but not as good as the first in the series

“Spy Games” had all the hallmarks of the first Philip Mangan novel, “Night Heron.” Evocative of Le Carré, I had commented after reading the first in the series, and that holds. Brilliant descriptions, smart prose, tension, the works for a good spy thriller. But I lost a little faith towards the end. Mangan took on the characteristics of a simpering wanker, though he recovered a bit. British intel comes off badly, but so does the protagonist, and even his stronger protagonist, Patterson. There were loose ends. We got a weak prelude to the next book. Therefore, the series may have already run out of steam for me, and I’m not sure I will move on to number three. Just the same, I believe Adam Brookes may be the best of the current lot of spy thriller writers.