The Man Between

By: Charles Cumming

Narrated by: Charlie Anson

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

He risked it all to become a spy. Now he must pay the price.

A gripping new stand-alone spy thriller from the winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the Year.

One simple task for British Intelligence takes him into a world of danger.

Successful novelist Kit Carradine has grown restless. So when British Intelligence invites him to enter the secret world of espionage, he willingly takes a leap into the unknown.

But the glamour of being a spy is soon tainted by fear and betrayal, as Carradine finds himself in Morocco on the trail of Lara Bartok - a mysterious fugitive with links to international terrorism.

Bartok is a leading figure in Resurrection, a violent revolutionary movement whose brutal attacks on prominent right-wing politicians have spread hatred and violence throughout the West.

As the coils of a ruthless plot tighten around him, Carradine finds himself drawn to Lara. Caught between competing intelligence services who want her dead, he soon faces an awful choice: to abandon Lara to her fate or to risk everything trying to save her.

©2018 Charles Cumming (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"A gripping psychological clash of wills, tactics and morals...Kell’s third appearance confirms him as one of the most interesting and sympathetic characters in the spy thriller field." (The Times)

"A clever spy thriller combining believable spycraft, deft characterisation and acute psychological observation." (Ben Macintyre)

"Breathtaking...suspenseful...Kell brings a note of grace to the treacherous world of the spy novel." (Washington Post)

unfortunately dull

I like Charles Cummings writing. He writes some great sentences. But the plot and characters in this book are dull. It was a slog, really. I wouldn't recommend. Which Is a shame as I am sure he could publish a great book. I've read most of his others. And they nearly all fall into 'nearly-good.' This isn't. The main character is not engaging, other characters are not interesting - or worse - clichéd. Plot simply boring. Sorry.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Perfect narrator for this

A gripping story, tightly written, with the added fun of classic North African spy territory and interesting tension created by the central conceit of a spy writer caught up in spying. Brilliantly read by Charlie Anson.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

an excellent Cumming novel

really enjoyed this although it is hard to imagine it as a credible story. Nevertheless, good characterisation and pace kept me glued to it all the way through. I hope we see more of Kit in the future, I think we will. Brilliantly read and interpreted by Charlie Anson.

At the top of his game

Totally absorbing. The spy novel genre is in good hands with plotting and writing of this quality. Very much enjoyed the journey and performance - first class.

Turgid and dull. I have to return unfinished.

I really wanted to like this book as I bought it on the recommendation of India Knight, but it was tedious, turgid and dull. It may be that the book version is better but I can’t imagine so as the narration was actually quite good. I found myself despising the self-obsessed lead character and wishing he would get assassinated. Dull dull dull.

boring and long winded

I wanted to like this but it is just too boring and long winded.
Well written an narrated but plot is slow and uninteresting. Couldn't finish it.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Not quite up to Cumming’s usual standard I thought

I did quite enjoy it as I like Cumming’s prose and style and very much like Charlie Anson’s narration but I thought it didn’t approach the standard of the previous Cummings titles I have read. The central character was really altogether too naive to believe in I thought.

Gripping story well told

Well crafted spy story with all the right ingrediants of adventure romance and great locations. This is the best spy story I have listened to this year on a parr and in my view equal to John LeCarrie. Would make a great film.

Not quite as clever as previous books

Still good. Very much hope there will be another book in the near future. Thanks

Fast paced action thriller

This is a deftly plotted spy thriller with a surprisingly gullible spy novel author lured into the murky world of international espionage. Well, not so much lured, he was gagging for some action to enliven his dull life and help with his novels. I'm sure this has never happened in real life... Actually, he's really quite a naive and yet narcissistic man with daddy issues but is nonetheless likeable and surprisingly able to stay alive given the dubious company he keeps. And anyway, who needs, believes or even really likes perfect heroes? Jack Reacher he is not. I can see this becoming a series and our hero growing into the role as he gets his romantic illusions beaten out of him by the grim realities of the life he's chosen - or been chosen for. Well worth a read or listen.