The Bell Ringers

By: Henry Porter

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

In The Bell Ringers, England in the near future appears largely unchanged. There are concerns over the threat of terrorism, the press is feisty, and the prime minister is soon to call a general election. But quietly - and largely unknown to the public or even most in government - things have become undeniably Orwellian: cameras with license plate recognition software record every car's movements, and a sophisticated, top-secret data-mining system known as Deep Truth combs through personal records, identifying violators of minor laws as well as those disposed to "antigovernment" beliefs. In the interest of security, the divide between private and public has crumbled. Freedom has given way to control.

David Eyam was once the prime minister's head of intelligence. He was one of those who knew about Deep Truth, but he suffered a fall from grace and then died in a terrorist bombing. Now his former lover, Kate Lockhart, has been named as the benefactor of his estate. But Eyam has left her more than just his wealth; Kate is also the heir to his dangerous secrets and unfinished business. The full power of the out-of-control, security-obsessed state comes down on Kate, but with the help of the secret resistance known as the Bell Ringers, hope for freedom is not lost.

©2010 Henry Porter (P)2010 Tantor

Critic Reviews

“[An] outstanding near-future thriller.... Shaken U.S. [listeners] will wonder how much of the fiction might soon become fact on this side of the Atlantic.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“For those who like political thrillers, this is one of the season’s best: scary, informative, and, alas, eminently believable.” ( The Economist)

Fantastic Political Thriller

It reads like a great British television drama script, and Porter does a wonderful job of making George Orwell a prophet. John Lee does his usual outstanding performance.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I am glad I listened to this one

This book was one that I had thought about listening to for a while, I would check out the reviews and then move on to something else, at some point I just downloaded it and gave it a try. I am glad that I did, it is a good read and will keep the miles rolling if you listen to books during your commute as I do.
The narrationn is good and the story moves along very well and unfolds to build a good amount of suspense in the ending. This is one read that will not dissapoint you.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful