• Veil of Civility

  • A Black Shuck Thriller (Declan McIver Series)
  • By: Ian Graham
  • Narrated by: Steve Marvel
  • Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

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Veil of Civility  By  cover art

Veil of Civility

By: Ian Graham
Narrated by: Steve Marvel
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Publisher's summary

During the Soviet - Afghan War an elite team of operatives were trained in the mountains of Afghanistan. Loyal to the Provisional Irish Republican Army, they were known only by their codename, Black Shuck.

In the years that followed - betrayed from within by the internal power struggles of the IRA - the team members were hunted down. Three survived, fading into the turbulent streets of Northern Ireland. To this day, their identities remain a mystery - but nothing can stay hidden forever.

For years, Declan McIver has lived under the radar - married to a beautiful woman and operating a successful business - but that life is about to change. When a planned meeting with an old friend goes horribly wrong, Declan finds himself on the run from a shadowy conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep their evil intentions a closely guarded secret.

To survive, he'll have to rely on long dormant training and reach deep within himself to a place and time he'd hoped to never return. As his past is laid open for the world to see and events spiral further out of control - who will win and at what cost?

Weaving well-documented facts and speculative history, Veil of Civility combines Soviet Special Forces, the Irish Republican Army, American politicians and Chechen terrorists into an explosive modern day thriller! From the countryside of suburban Virginia and the powerful halls of Washington DC to the rocky coast of Wales and the moors of Scotland, Declan McIver struggles to stay one step ahead of the conspiracy that has made him a wanted man!

©2012 Ian Matthew Graham (P)2014 Ian Matthew Graham

What listeners say about Veil of Civility

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

gripping but plausible international thriller

Declan McIver is a former member of the IRA who is now living in the US, happily married and running his own real estate business. But when he witnesses the killing of a friend and former employer, he becomes a target for those who carried out the assassination and is set up to be the fall guy. Together with his wife, he finds himself on the run having to reconnect with his past which he thought was buried.

Veil of Civility is an intricate conspiracy thriller dealing with an organized terrorist attack by Chechen Islamists in America. It is a well-crafted mix of politics, religion, history and international terrorism. Because of these topics, it is not the type of book that I would usually choose to read. Therefore, it speaks highly of the author's skill that I was fully engaged with the story from the first minute of listening, and I totally surprised myself when the author didn't lose me once throughout the nearly 16 hours of listening. The plot flows extremely well and there is just the right balance between descriptive passages, background information and character dialogue and action.

Apparently, this is Ian Graham's first full-length novel, which is pretty amazing. Listening to this, it becomes evident that an enormous amount of research must have gone into this book. Mr. Graham did a very good job of mixing fiction with historical events and actual locations, and thus manages to create plausibility. Veil of Civility is an action-filled thriller that takes the listener from the US to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland as well as Russia and the Mexican/US border.

I prefer some plot twists and a bit of humor in my reading, there isn't much of that here. But it is extremely well written and very exciting, with a protagonist who comes off as quite a balanced individual despite his past. Declan McIver becomes pretty likable as the man on the run who takes on a corrupt system, and while many of these good-guy-saves-the-world type of stories are over the top and far-fetched, Mr. Graham succeeded in creating a story that was scarily believable.

The narration was fantastic. Being an international thriller, Steve Marvel certainly had his work cut out with the sheer amount of different accents he had to do. Declan's very heavy drawl was a tad over the top, but Mr. Marvel kept all the characters distinct and clear, so dialogues were always easy to follow. There were no issues with the production.

For any listeners interested in political conspiracies or anybody looking for a gripping but plausible international thriller based on sound research, this should be on your list.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

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

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing first novel

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, very interesting!

What about Steve Marvel’s performance did you like?

He is perfect for this book

Any additional comments?

Veil of Civility: A Black Shuck Thriller is the first book in the Declan McIver series by award winning author Ian Graham and I’m really glad to bring you a review for the audiobook version of this awesome debut novel. Never heard of Mr. Graham before experiencing this immersive story, but his writing style reminds me of some great, entertaining and iconic works by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and Daniel Silva.

The story opens with a series of seemingly unrelated events that will set the stage for a great adventure. The listener will be carried away from Mexico to the United States, from Russia to the United Kingdom and later, even to good old Ireland.

Our main character is Declan McIver, an ex-operative with the IRA (Irish Republican Army) that after living a life of violence has settled in the United States trying hard to forget the haunting past. He is happily married with a gorgeous woman that he loves more than anything, but things change when one of Declan’s friends is executed by a group of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. I don’t want to go to much into the plot, because, as you may know, I hate spoilers, so all I’ll add is that Declan and his loving wife will be on the run, trying to escape false accusations and an ever expending conspiracy.

This book is excellent for many reasons and I’ll shine the spotlight just on a few of them: The writing is great, delivering instant immersion, the plot is easy to follow, although Mr. Graham created a story filled with non stop, thrilling and tensed action, a vivid cast of colorful characters, extending even to the bad guys, it never becomes too convoluted or tiresome. We’ll see political corruption at the highest levels of the government, terrorist, conspiracies, manipulation, murders and betrayals contrasting with friendship, love, honor and camaraderie.

Veil of Civility is a fantastic thriller that will be surely enjoyed by readers that liked The Sum of All Fears, Patriot Games and other top notch adventures written by masters like Vince Flynn, W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy. The level of research that Mr. Graham did for this book must be staggering. The attention at details and facts is more than note worthy.

Since this is a review for an audiobook , I want to say a few words about the amazing narration delivered by the award winning actor Steve Marvel. Mr. Marvel brings the significant cast of characters to life like a true professional. He uses different voices, inflections and accents to keep them recognizable in the listeners mind. He switches with ease from Irish accented English to Jewish, British or even Arabic. I’m looking forward to experience more adventures performed with class and talent by Steve Marvel.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend almost 16 hours in this esteemed company! A great story from a promising writer that spins it like a master of thrillers, performed by a true professional, what can a book junkie want more than that? Just get it, it will be grand!

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It has everything I love in a suspense novel. I have listened to it twice.
I heard another one is on its way. Can't wait

What other book might you compare Veil of Civility to and why?

Any Clive Cussler book.

What about Steve Marvel’s performance did you like?

His mastery of the different accents

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

What made the experience of listening to Veil of Civility the most enjoyable?

The reader was a perfect choice for this story. The story draws you in and the action just flows right to the end.

What other book might you compare Veil of Civility to and why?

I really enjoy books about men making difficult choices in regard to honor and doing the right thing, when it would be easier to walk away.

Have you listened to any of Steve Marvel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first Ian Graham book but it will not be my last...I think he is a great 20th-21st century writer.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I thought Steve Marvel was the perfect choice for the reader of this story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nonstop Adventure

This is one of the best books I have ever listened too. Steve Marvel’s voices are spot on and Ian Graham’s writing is completely exciting. He brings the whole story alive! I feel as though I am right there watching. I cried, laughed, got angry, nervous, and loved every second. I am starting the next book right now!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

absolutely loved it

great characters and original story. very well researched, fast moving & wow! can't wait for the next book!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Best to give this one a pass

Not sure why this gets high ratings. It is at best average. Lots of errors in the writing, and things that just frankly don't make sense at all. I can't really give examples without spoiling, but if you are a knowledgeable reader there will be stuff here that just is quite annoying. Book is too long by 30%. It actually took me 2 + weeks to finish. I finish good books normally in less than 48 hours. This author needs a better editor as well. There will be stuff here that just is quite annoying to astute readers. Book is too long by 30%. This author needs a better editor. Not so bad that I'm going to ask for a refund, but I'd recommend not wasting a credit. Wait till it's about two dollars.

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