The Good Spy Dies Twice: The Bullseye Series, Book 1

The Good Spy Dies Twice is an action-packed, psychological thriller that never lets up.  Jack Boxer is a newlywed, ex-investigative journalist and ex-host of Bullseye as well as a man tortured by the death of his sound man.  Add in the Cold War, double agents, a lost painting and greed to complete the psychological thrill and mystery of this book.

Recovering from a nervous breakdown, Jack comes face to face with espionage and the New World Order in Alaska at an isolated ski resort.  Having lost his sound man to the New World Order and espionage, Jack is taken by surprise when he discovers his new wife is neck-deep in spying where she texts him the same words as a recently executed killer.  Jack discovers that Claire (his wife) is writing an earth shattering news story that is Bullseye worthy.

Trapped in a closed resort facing starvation, starving wolves and members of the New World Order, Jack is left to save the day.  Can he get those few left with him to a safe place before the bomb arrives or will they all meet the same fate as his sound man?  Recovering from a near death experience and crippled with a broken back, Jack pushes forward to tell the world.

Mark Hosack creates a world where the Cold War still exists and there are mind-blowing twists and turns in this thriller that keeps the listener mesmerized.  The Good Spy Dies Twice is a well-written plot with characters that are developed in a realistic way.  The situations that Jack finds himself are realistic as well.  Hosack describes the helplessness of Jack not being able to find Claire to the possibility of being wolf food in a vivid and detailed style.  Hosack does an excellent job of tying everything together and in growing Jack into a character that connects to the listeners.

The narrator, also the author Mark Hosack does his novel justice as the listener is treated to a passionate performance and the smooth flow of a narrator connecting to the story. He speaks clearly and concisely.   His passion, excitement, doubt, fear, pain and more are portrayed in a riveting performance.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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As an avid listener to audiobooks, it was really refreshing to have the narration accompanied by real foreign accents and background sounds really putting you in the environment. An added plus is the author actually performing the narration, who else knows how the spy tale mixed with Indiana Jones adventure should be told.

In Mark Hosack's audio version of his thriller The Good Spy Dies Twice, he reads with an animatedly alluring baritone of a voice that draws the listener into the story, oftentimes making the listener not want to take pause between chapters. Suspenseful music punctuates the book's opening sequences, lending the feel of a '40s style radio play.
In 43 juicy, action-filled chapters, TGSDT is replete with action, sass, red herrings and at times, raunch that keeps the reader engaged in the plot's multitude of intricacies. I often found myself forwarding through chapters to find out what happens next in this chilling whodunit that takes place mainly in a ski resort town that houses a mysterious painting that is central to the novel.
This tale of espionage and love recounts hero Jake Boxer's quest to decipher a cryptic text message from his newly betrothed wife. All this amidst a politically-themed backdrop involving a possibly murdered friend, Russians, drones and a mine.
Hosack has a natural gift for writing and oral narration that is entertaining and packed with punch, both metaphorical and literal punch. For an all-around depthful and edge-of-your-seat piece of work, look no further than The Good Spy Dies Twice. Great for anyone who appreciates a good mystery thriller, listen to this book on long drives or to unwind at the end of your work day or work week for some suspenseful escapism. You won't regret it!

In this first installment of the Bullseye series, we are introduced to Jake Boxer, an investigative journalist and host for a very controversial news show called Bullseye. When his soundman and best friend is found murdered while on an investigation concerning a secret group, Bullseye gets cancelled. Bullseye was Jake's livelihood, so without any clear direction and his dream job nixed, he spirals into a deep depression. Fast forward a few years, and we find Jake newly married and on his honeymoon with the love of his life. This honeymoon does not go as planned though as the events from the past collide with the present and Jake must find who is behind the secretive group and a killer.<br/><br/>The Good Spy Dies Twice is filled with tense action that held me in its grasp right from the beginning and was impossible to put down. Mr. Hosack’s uncanny ability to create a plot that is both engaging and thrilling kept my interest throughout – needing to know what would happen next. This well written, fast paced thriller is raw, gritty and suspenseful with extreme amounts of action and solid, well-developed characters. <br/><br/>I was a bit leery to listen to this audio book due to it being narrated by the author himself. Sometimes authors just need to the leave performance of their book in the capable hands of professional narrators and just concentrate on the writing. My thinking though was quite wrong in this instance – a whole lot of wrong. Mark Hosack narrated this book outstandingly. His voice is crisp and concise, with pacing that was perfect. Not only was the narration top notch, each chapter begins with sound effects that not only complement the story but in my opinion adds a level of uniqueness that sets this audio book apart.<br/><br/>Overall, if you love action packed thrillers then you don’t need to look any further than The Good Spy Dies Twice. Mr. Hosack is a masterful story teller and amazing narrator who has created a thrilling story that is filled with just enough twists and turns to make your head spin. This was a great start to the series and I can’t wait for the next installment.<br/><br/>Story – 4 stars<br/>Performance – 5 stars<br/>Overall – 4.5 stars

The Good Spy Dies Twice was a riveting spy novel, perfect for the conspiracy theorists. I was hook on page one. The author weaves a fantastic tale of global espionage. Every one has a secret and no one is whom they appear in this story I was glued to the story and shocked by the outcome.<br/><br/>My favorite character was the MC, Jake Boxer. He is like a dog with a bone when he gets on the trail of a story. Pure genius!

I have not listened to any other of Mark Hosack's performances but I am definitely adding him to my list. Mark did a wonderful job with narrating the story. The added sound effects and music interludes at the being of each chapter was a unique aspect and set the tone of the chapter.

I look forward to reading and listening to other books by Mark Hosack.

Authors voice is so engaging and leaves you wanting more of his books on tape. A wonderful thriller with twists and turns you didn't see coming. As a fan of Mark Hosack's books I was prepared for twists and still didn't see them coming.

Mark's voice is perfect for this on edge thrill seeker, deep voice keeps you alert.

I wish, with kids and a full time job, I couldn't make this happen, but I would have likes to.

While this story kept me riveted and entertained I can certainly understand why some may find it tedious. Most of all you should know it's good enough for me to purchase the coming sequel.

For all it's good aspects there are several glaring flaws. The author is a good narrator, but he and the producer made the huge mistake of using sound effects and music introducing every chapter. It not only is distracting, but it takes away from an otherwise good performance. If the story is good, it needs nothing but a good narrator.

The second is not a flaw at all. Our hero is a former investigative journalist and star of a once popular show entitled Bullseye. He is now disgraced, having fallen victim to paranoia. This paranoia is a continuous thread that permeates his thought process. It is as exhausting to read about as it is to actually live through.

My last criticism is that the author does a poor job of explaining who the villain is and especially revealing his demise.

In the end it is indeed an excellent mystery, worthy of your time.

Hosack did an amazing job on “The Good Spy Dies Twice.” I couldn’t get enough and was up late listening every night until I was finished. The plot kept thickening and getting more intense and the characters were extremely well written and felt real to me. The audio was done very well with the deep tone of Hosack’s voice which made the story even that much better. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Mark Hosack. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

The good spy is a fantastic read. With a thrilling Plot and Fantastic characters it was hard to put down. It is very well written and kept a good pace throughout.

There were some great characters but ones that stood out was Jake Boxer. Without giving too much away I was very invested in his story and how he was going to solve his problem.
The audiobook was narrated by he author Mark Hosack. I thought he did a fantastic job. There was a great flow throughout the book. A good character distinction through most of it.

Overall it translated quite well into a audiobook and had a great sound quality. While I have only listened to the audiobook, nothing has seemed to be lost in translation and was very enjoyable.

In the end it was a excellent read. It was a fantastic start to the series and I cannot wait to find out what happens next in this series.

This was my first audiobook experience, but I'll say it's already earned the top spot on my list for sure.

Mila Noël! She's such a strong female lead. Very interesting and mysterious. I love the dynamic between her and Jake Boxer. She's a good match for him, yet I also think she could carry a series all her own.

Hearing Hosack bring his characters and their world to life allowed me to lose myself into the suspense even more than I ever could before. He has a great voice, one that held my attention throughout the entire book. Plus, with his additions of music and SFX, it felt all the more theatrical, too. I felt like I was tuning into one of those classic and beloved radio dramas each night.

Absolutely!! But I ended up consuming it like a miniseries, so it took me a few days/nights to absorb it all.

You won't soon forget the name Jake Boxer...<br/><br/>The past and present collide in this pulsating spy-thriller by Mark Hosack, one of the best authors writing today. This story is incredible and highly addictive! There's a great whodunnit mystery aspect to it, one that left me guessing until the reveal, as well as, enough deceit, corruption, betrayal, passion, lies, murder, cover-ups, and espionage to feed every adrenaline-pumped, thrill-seeking reader's hunger. <br/><br/>After having already read the novel (twice!), I must say I've enjoyed it and have been able to take away something new from it every single time. <br/><br/>I'll be honest. I didn't find Jake very likeable at first; he's a conspiracy junkie who didn't seem to care about putting others' lives at risk. But then, he started to grow on me. Once I saw him as just another flawed human being, trying to recapture his glory while seeking the truth with a side of justice, I had a change of heart for the guy. And Hosack did a fantastic job with connecting us with him, putting us inside Jake's head and making us feel his pain. <br/><br/>Jake became the only one I could trust; his paranoia doesn't get the best of him. His weaknesses don't define him. He's a clever and brave man, one I found myself wanting to both save the day and be saved. <br/><br/>There are just so many great qualities about this story -- the muti-layered characters, the twists & turns, the sharp dialogue, the suspense/intrigue, & even its title! That alone made me want to enter this spy world. That and the fact that Hosack wrote it. I have so much respect and admiration for him; he knows how to write a twisted, unpredictable tale. I can't seem to praise him enough. <br/><br/>I'm so glad there will be sequels! That's another one of the great things about this story -- it doesn't wrap everything up in a pretty bow at the end. Some questions go unanswered; some answers lead to more questions, so we are left wondering about what the future holds for Jake Boxer and his "Bullseye" show.<br/><br/>Until then...<br/><br/>THE GOOD SPY DIES TWICE is an excellent audio experience, and I highly recommend you listen to it immediately.