A Foreign Country: A Novel

by Charles Cumming Narrated by Jot Davies

Overview

From the internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of The Trinity Six, comes Charles Cumming's A Foreign Country, a compelling tale of deceit and betrayal, conspiracy and redemption.

On the vacation of a lifetime in Egypt, an elderly French couple are brutally murdered. Days later, a meticulously-planned kidnapping takes place on the streets of Paris. Amelia Levene, the first female Chief of MI6, has disappeared without a trace, six weeks before she is due to take over as the most influential spy in Europe. It is the gravest crisis MI6 has faced in more than a decade. Desperate not only to find her, but to keep her disappearance a secret, Britain's top intelligence agents turn to one of their own: disgraced MI6 officer Thomas Kell.

Tossed out of the Service only months before, Kell is given one final chance to redeem himself - find Amelia Levene at any cost. The trail leads Kell to France and Tunisia, where he uncovers a shocking secret and a conspiracy that could have unimaginable repercussions for Britain and its allies. Only Kell stands in the way of personal and political catastrophe.

A Foreign Country is one The Washington Post's Best Audiobooks of 2012.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review

A Foreign Country is silkily written, and more cool than hot. Cumming…describes exotic locales with detail and affection, and is relatively sparing in his use of bang-bang…While this novel nods to the past, it's rooted firmly in the mess of our present. A Foreign Country describes today's wars and morally ambiguous tactics…with an acerbity that might make le Carré proud.
—John Schwartz

From the Publisher

“A fast-paced and absorbing spy thriller.” —Wall Street Journal

“Charles Cumming makes his espionage novel feel fresh.” —The New York Times

“Simmers and crackles until the explosive finale.” —Library Journal

“Eat your heart out, Daniel Craig... Cumming vividly showcases meticulous research and insight into the undercover life of spies.” —GQ

“Superb.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A tale of European intrigue and conspiracy from a novelist who knows how the espionage game is played.” —Shelf Awareness

“Smart and intricate, with a large cast of cool characters and an authentic feel.” —Kirkus Reviews

“One of those very rare books that from its first page demonstrates that it's something out of the ordinary, one of those tales that the reader hopes will never end...” —Bookreporter

Kirkus Reviews

A deadly long-shot mission gives a disgraced secret agent a chance at redemption. Isolated pieces--the dissolution, in Tunisia a generation ago, of the marriage of Jean-Marc Daumal and wife Celine over his affair with nanny Amelia Weldon; the present-day murder of elderly Parisians Philippe and Jeannine Malot on a Cairo street; the kidnapping of a target nicknamed HOLST by one Akim Errachidi and his team--precede the introduction of dissolute Thomas Kell, waking up in a hotel room with another hangover eight months after his surgical dismissal, after two decades of service, from Britain's MI6. A call from his old pal, Jimmy Marquand, sobers Kell immediately. The new MI6 chief-designate, Amelia Levine, has gone missing before even assuming the job. Kell knew Amelia well, and he leaps at the chance to be back in the game. He checks files, Amelia's car and her room, noting that the signs indicate abduction. He questions veteran agents Bill and Barbara Knight, pictures of concern and cooperation with Kell...until he leaves, and their manner turns conspiratorial, and they hint at allegiances other than MI6. Using Amelia's Blackberry as a guide, Kell follows her movements over the previous two weeks. Cumming flashes back to Amelia for the same period; when she's found by Kell, it's just the beginning of a complicated cat-and-mouse game stretching back to the trio of prologue events and weaving together personal and political tangles. Cumming's sixth thriller (The Trinity Six, 2011, etc.) is smart and intricate, with a large cast of cool characters and an authentic feel.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169427264
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Series:	Thomas Kell Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged

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