The Unfortunate Englishman

A Joe Wilderness Novel

By: John Lawton

Narrated by: Lewis Hancock

Having shot someone in what he believed was self-defense in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law, Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he is free to go - although forever in Burne-Jones' service.

His newest operation will take him back to Berlin, which is now the dividing line between the West and the Soviets. A backstory of innocence and intrigue unravels, one in which Wilderness is in and out of Berlin and Vienna like a jack-in-the-box. When the Russians started building the Berlin Wall in 1961, two unfortunate Englishmen were trapped on opposite sides. Geoffrey Masefield in the Lubyanka and Bernard Alleyn (alias KGB captain Leonid Liubimov) in Wormwood Scrubs.

In 1965 there is a new plan. To exchange the prisoners, a swap upon Berlin's bridge of spies. But, as ever, Joe has something on the side, just to make it interesting, just to make it profitable. The Unfortunate Englishman is a thrilling tale of Khrushchev, Kennedy, a spy exchange...and 10,000 bottles of fine Bordeaux. What can possibly go wrong?

©2016 John Lawton. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Excellent

Mr. Lawton is a superb writer. The Joe Wilderness series has many of my favorite characters from the Troy series.

Mr. Hancock is one of the best narrators I’ve heard.

John Lawton is a good author

If you like historical spy thrillers, the Joe Wilderness series is a fun read - or listen - as the case may be. The saga continues! These books are well written and you really get an affinity for the characters. Lawton is really good at creating personalities that you can identify with. The plot line is interesting, though not a shoot 'em up nerve in end thriller, it still reels you in and keeps you wanting to hear more! Thank you, Mr. Lawton!