Red Swan

By: P. T. Deutermann

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in contemporary Washington, DC, Red Swan begins with an ominous phone call from Carson McGill, the deputy director of operations in the CIA, to retired CIA officer Preston Allender: Henry Wallace is dead.

A behind-the-scenes operator at the CIA, Wallace was integral to the agency's secret war against China's national intelligence service, which infiltrates government and military offices, major businesses, and systems crucial to our security. Wallace had severely damaged China's Washington spy ring with a devastating ruse, a so-called "black swan", in which a deep-undercover female agent targeted and destroyed a key Chinese official. Now, Wallace's mysterious death suggests that the CIA itself has been compromised and that China has someone inside the agency.

But as Allender quietly investigates, he makes a shocking discovery that will upend the entire American intelligence apparatus. For Wallace's black swan operation may have been turned against the CIA; a red swan is flying and the question is who is she, what is her target, and where will she land?

©2017 P. T. Deutermann (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A flawed thriller

I've loved some of this author's past books; this was not one of them. I read the book to the end; it has flashes of excellence, but overall was disappointing. For starters, the author should get better command of jargon. People who work for the CIA aren't "operatives" or "agents"; they're "officers". And nobody works for the "CS". There were other inaccuracies that detracted from my enjoyment. Ultimately, the plot didn't hang together for me. One reviewer said the first part of the book was slow. In one sense that's true, but that was necessary to set up the plot elements. The pace did pick up but got steadily more and more unbelievable. There was an interrogation scene that was well-written and scarily memorable. All in all, an okay read, but not Deuterman's best work. The performance was excellent.

Terrific espionage story!

The combination of author P. T. Deutermann and narrator Dick Hill guarantees a 5 star novel. Red Swan, released one year ago is a novel about issues in the relationship between the US and China with a focus on the CIA targeting a high ranking Chinese official with a misleading operation. But beware of surprises because little is as it seems in Red Swan.

Not sure how Deutermann gets better and better...

GREAT book! And thank goodness, Dick Hill was the narrator! I wanted to listen to the whole book in one sitting but instead, had to spread it over days (work and sleep demand attention, of course). If this is your first Deutermann, go back and listen to all the others. They are all excellent. Let's keep these coming PT!

Good Actionless Story

This is a good, complex story with well written characters and one of the best narrators in the business. The only reason I don't rate it 5 stars is that there is virtually no action, so there are times it was hard to maintain attention through the talk-a-thon. I know that is just my personal preference. Think Hercule Poirot instead of Jack Reacher.

Promising but...

Noboby but nobody reads Lee Child like Dick Hill; his deep voice and reading style lend a sense of strength and irony that suits Reacher perfectly and makes Reacher addictive, and his name on a book nudges me to listen. But this is not a Reacher novel (not that Reacher novels are all good, though Dick Hill invariably gives them a particular charm). Red Swan does have intriguing elements and some good scenes, but the first half I found rather boring, and in the end I did not feel satisfied. Other reviewers have cited implausibility and poor research, and I agree. But I would not discourage you from listening for yourself.

Some reviewers dislike Dick Hill, and the slow, rather tedious beginning of this novel could create a certain distaste through association. But you have not heard Dick Hill unless you have heard him read Lee Child,

What?! I thought it was her! No - it was him! No?

Loved this book! Interesting characters and a plot that just keeps twisting. Each time I thought I knew where it was going, a new twist busted that idea. Set in current DC, this fiction reads like current events. The author's politico-military background adds a depth that research alone could not accomplish. Deutermann grabs you & doesn't let go til the final chapter in this Red Swan. I couldn't put it down!

Good story and narration but weak ending

Dick Hill made this story interesting. But the ending was somewhat disappointing. Still, I recommend this book.

Interesting but far fetched.

Dick Hill is the best,. The story moves along with many twists and turns. The first part is the best.

Disappointing

This is the fourth book by this author that I have purchased though audible. I have really enjoyed the other three. This narrator is awful. It is as if every line is delivered as a sarcastic comment. I stayed with it until about half way through and I just could not take any more.
Audible, you would be best off to scrap this version and have it reread by someone else. I'd like to be able to return this one!

Excellent read!

Very well written and the narrator was excellent. I will be looking for more books narrated by him.