AudioFile Golden Voice Simon Vance navigates former double agent/journalist John Russell through his eighth adventure. It's the bad old days of the 1950s. The Cold War is heating up, Russia and the U.S. are at loggerheads in postwar Berlin, McCarthy's witch hunt is in full swing in America, and espionage is rampant. Russell's partner, successful TV actress Effi Koenen, is to be honored at a Berlin film festival. Despite the political turmoil, they decide to return to Berlin, their former home. Vance's calm, even presentation underplays the danger Russell faces from the KGB agents he betrayed and from those named in his current exposé of companies that worked with the Nazis during WWII. Vance's deft performance keeps things edgy and listeners engaged.
Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798891783751
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ballerini’s versatile narration takes an already interesting story and makes it riveting for the listener.
Nate Wilde, a Green Beret turned graduate student, reunites his former military team for a mission to find a lost city in the Middle East. Dekker does a great job developing the characters in this well-paced thriller, and Edoardo Ballerini elevates it beautifully. He consistently uses a variety of accents—southern U.S., assorted Middle Eastern and British voices, and others—while conveying the emotions, especially in tense fight scenes and dangerous situations. The author, a former Green Beret himself, has laid out a story that blends brains and brawn, academics and action.
Ballerini’s versatile narration takes an already interesting story and makes it riveting for the listener.Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 2 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668133033
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
With his colorful palette of accents, Ballerini makes this fast-paced listen a treat.
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini returns to deliver the further adventures of retired legendary spy Gabriel Allon, alongside both familiar and new characters. Allon, now a full-time art restorer, devoted husband, and father of young twins, takes on the ransom negotiations for kidnapped social media celebrity Alice Winter, at the behest of her wealthy husband. While self-absorbed Alice might be challenging for listeners to relate to, the story eventually takes on international significance worthy of an Allon intervention. Ballerini masterfully differentiates the full cast of characters and ratchets up the tension. Listeners will be glued to their earphones as drones threaten world order.
With his colorful palette of accents, Ballerini makes this fast-paced listen a treat.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 48 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063384316
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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