A Spy By Nature - Charles Cumming

Written by Charles Cumming
Read by Simon Vance
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Series: Alec Milius, Book 01
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Release date: September 28, 2007
Duration: 11:23:42

This is what they told me a long time ago.

Only make contact in the event of an emergency.

Only telephone if you believe that your position has been fatally compromised.

Under no circumstances are you to approach us unless it is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the security of the operation.

This is the number.

Alec Milius is young, smart, and ambitious. He also has a talent for deception. He is working in a dead-end job when a chance encounter leads him to MI6, the elite British Secret Intelligence Service, handing him an opportunity to play center stage in a dangerous game of espionage.

In his new line of work, Alec finds that the difference between the truth and a lie can mean the difference between life and death-and he is having trouble telling them apart. Isolated and exposed, he must play a role in which the slightest glance or casual remark can seem heavy with unintended menace. Caught between British and American Intelligence, Alec finds himself threatened and alone, unable to confide in even his closest friend. His life as a spy begins to exact a terrible price, both on himself and on those around him.

“Simon Vance excels with this thriller about double-crossing British and American spy agencies. The plot is twisted, and one is never quite certain who is good or bad, who works for the agencies and who doesn’t. We know that the main character was kicked out of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)–and promptly rehired. Things only get murkier. Vance’s deft pacing and characterizations help keep the listener from getting hopelessly lost, while also increasing the suspense. Vance offers believable renditions of American and British speech, including accents and rhythms, although he is occasionally careless with women’s voices. Overall, a suspenseful story–suspensefully told.”– AudioFile