Thrillers and spy stories (part 1)
Talking Books
The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the
RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.
Don’t forget you are allowed to have up to 6 books on loan. When you return a title,
you will then receive another one.
If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services
Team on 0303 123 9999 or email library@rnib.org.uk
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contact the Reader Services Team on 01733 37 53 33 or email
libraryinfo@rnib.org.uk
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Thrillers: a classic collection; introduction by Robert Sheckley. 1996. Read by
Nigel Graham, John Cormack, Alexander John, Michael Tudor Barnes, David
Thorpe, Greg Wagland, Robbie MacNab, Eric Meyers, William Roberts, Adam
Henderson, Garrick Hagon, Eva Haddon, 24hrs 34mins. TB11116.
For sheer suspense, there is nothing to better the well-crafted short horror story. This
selection of more than thirty such tales offers an opportunity to sample exciting and
spine-chilling work in over a hundred years of British, French and American writing.
Abbott, Jeff.
Panic. 2006. Read by Walter Lewis, 11hrs 57mins.TB14929.
Things are going well for young film-maker Evan Casher - until he receives an urgent
phone call from his mother, summoning him home. He arrives to find her brutally
murdered on the kitchen floor and a hitman waiting for him. It is then he realised his
whole life has been a lie. His parents are not who he thought they were, his girlfriend
is not who he thought she was, his entire existence an ingeniously constructed sham.
Contains language and passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14929.
Adam, Paul.
Flash point. 2003. Read by Penelope Freeman,13hrs 16mins. TB12986.
Fiery, fearless camerawoman Maggie Walsh has filmed everywhere from Bosnia to
Afghanistan. But when she receives a tip-off from one of her Indian contacts, she
knows she might be about to pull off the biggest scoop of her career. In McLeod Ganj,
home of the Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama is secretly dying. Contains
language which might be considered offensive. TB12986.
Adler, Elizabeth.
All or nothing. 2000. Read by Maxine Howe, 09hrs 40mins. TB12947.
This open-and-shut case of love and murder turns out to be more deadly for an
idealistic young lawyer and her lover. The dynamic couple, Marla and Al, get more
than they bargain for when they take on the investigation of the death of Laurie Martin
- and the seemingly impossible task of proving whether or not her husband is
innocent of her murder. TB12947.
Aellen, Richard.
Redeye. 1989. Read by Robert Gladwell, 17hrs 54mins. TB8309.
A knockout thriller from a first-time novelist about separated twins whose psychic
bond plays havoc with a plot to assassinate Gorbachev. Aellen flawlessly meshes the
psi element and dense twin-tensions into his big, complicated but always humane plot
- no villains here, only shades of grey. Roaring with suspense - especially when Karl
hits American shores. TB8309.
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Airth, Rennie.
Once a spy. 1981. Read by Robert Gladwell, 09hrs 30mins.TB4044.
A tale of smuggling graft, blackmail and revenge, and of a man caught in a tangle of
murderous duplicity because he once was a spy. TB4044.
Allbeury, Ted.
The line-crosser. 1993. Read by George Hagan, 12hrs 02mins. TB9986.
Furious when his masters refused to ransom three of his agents, Foster walked out of
SIS HQ in West Berlin and offered to work for the East Germans himself. The British
want to find him fast. He and a group of Russians have built up a directory of people
who have cooperated with the Stasi and, as the wall comes down, that directory is
priceless, to the German and British governments who want to expose the traitors, to
the Russians who want to use them, to the criminals who want to blackmail them and
to the traitors who want to escape retribution. TB9986.
Anthony, Evelyn.
The legacy. 1997. Read by Jacqueline King, 09hrs 13mins. TB11228.
Christina's late husband Richard has left her the legacy of a great house, land, money
and a priceless Hebrew manuscript. But his disinherited son Alan vows to break the
will. Christina's lawyer, Rolf Wallberg, exerts an unwanted attraction over the young
widow. The battle is not about greed, but about hate and revenge, overshadowed by
a war crime and a search for the priceless document. The key to the mystery lies with
the second stepson, the untrustworthy James. TB11228.
Bagley, Desmond.
Wyatt's hurricane. 1966. Read by John Dunn, 09hrs 30mins. TB3.
Wyatt, a civilian weather expert, flies to the rescue when a small island in the
Caribbean is struck by a hurricane. TB3.
Baker, Keith.
Inheritance. 1997. Read by Stephen Armstrong, 13hrs. TB13342.
A thriller set in a Northern Ireland where the Troubles have been over for twenty
years. When a retired RUC officer is blown up in a gas explosion in his caravan, his
son inherits a key to the past, and as he uncovers the truth about his father's death,
he stumbles across a conspiracy of daring and awesome greed. Some passages of a
sexual nature may be considered offensive. TB13342.
Banks, Iain.
Complicity. 1993. Read by Jonathan Hackett, 10hrs 46mins. TB10162.
Cameron Colley is a journalist on an Edinburgh paper, totally into his job, a computer
game called Despot and an intermittently sado-masochistic love affair. He is on the
brink of uncovering the grandfather of all conspiracies, but while he's researching a
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series of bizarre past deaths, the police are investigating some that are still going on
and Cameron, complicit as he seems to be, may be able to help them with their
enquiries. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB10162.
Barker, Pat.
Blow your house down. 1984. Read by Anne Jameson, 05hrs 43mins. TB7025.
A killer is roaming the streets of a northern city, setting off a wave of terror. He singles
out prostitutes. The face of his latest victim stares out from every billboard haunting
the women who walk the street. But Brenda with three children to support, cannot
afford to give up work, while Audrey now in her 40's desperately goes on "working the
cars" taking as much care as she can.... Unsuitable for family reading. TB7025.
Booth, Martin.
The industry of souls. 1998. Read by Denys Hawthorne, 10hrs 07mins. TB11827.
British citizen Alexander Bayliss, was a spy in the Soviet Union in the 1950s until his
arrest. Presumed dead by the British government he survived 20 years in a labour
camp, until freed in the 1970s. Having no reason to return to the west, he finds his
way to the home of his best friend from the camp and is taken in by his daughter.
Bayliss becomes a much loved schoolmaster in the village, however by his 80th
birthday Russia has changed and information has come to light that he is alive,
ending with him having to make a choice. Shortlisted for the 1998 Booker Prize.
Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB11827.
Boyd, William.
Restless. 2007. Read by Beth Chalmers, 11hrs 20mins. TB14908.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian emigree living in
Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas
Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the
perfect spy, to mask her emotions and to trust nobody. Now years later she must
complete one final assignment and this time she needs her daughter Ruth's help.
Contains language and some passages of a sexual nature that may be considered
offensive. TB14908.
Brown, Dan.
Deception point. 2002. Read by Laurel Lefkow,16hrs 26mins. TB14483.
When a new NASA satellite detects evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried in
the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory. One
that has profound implications for the U.S. space policy and the impending
presidential election. Contains language which might be considered offensive.
TB14483.
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Carey, Peter.
Jack Maggs. 1997. Read by Michael Tudor Barnes, 13hrs 41mins. TB11362.
This novel is set in London in 1837. Jack Maggs, raised and deported as a criminal,
has returned from Australia, in secret and at great risk. What does he want after all
these years and why is he interested in a plush townhouse in Great Queen Street?
And why is Jack himself an object of interest to Tobias Oates, the author, hypnotist
and fellow-burglar? Contains language which might be considered offensive.
TB11362.
Cheyney, Peter.
You can call it a day. 1949. Read by Anthony Parker, 08hrs 15mins. TB966.
A thriller concerning sleuth Johnny Vallon and his adventures with seductive women
and dangerous crooks. TB966.
Clancy, Tom.
Patriot games. 1999. Read by Garrick Hagon, 21hrs 21mins. TB13871.
Jack Ryan Series; 1. When Jack Ryan foils an Ulster Liberation Army terrorist attack
on the Prince of Wales and his family, his courageous actions not only win him the
admiration of an entire nation, they also rouse the enmity and hatred of that nation's
most dangerous men. Now a ULA target himself, Ryan plunges into the murky world
of counter-intelligence, where he uncovers connections between the ULA and an
international underground network that place him at the forefront of the deadly battle
against international terrorism, and pitch him into the most desperate struggle of his
life. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB13871.
Coben, Harlan.
Deal breaker. 2002. Read by Peter Marinker, 09hrs 52mins. TB13993.
Myron Bolitar series; 1. When a woman who everyone, including the police, believes
is dead makes a phone call to a young sportsman about to hit the big time, it seems
that more than just his career is on the line. Myron Bolitar investigates, and is plunged
into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail. Trying to unravel the truth about a
family's tragedy, a woman's secret and a man's lies, Myron soon realises that image
and talent might make you rich, but the truth can get you killed. Contains language
and some passages of a sexual nature which may be considered offensive. TB13993.
Condon, Richard.
The Manchurian candidate. 1965. Read by Marvin Kane,11hrs 12mins. TB182.
A young American soldier, who has been secretly brainwashed in Korea, returns
home a hero, unaware of the true past, and not in control of his subsequent terrible
actions. TB182.
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Connolly, John.
Every dead thing. 2003. Read by Jeff Harding, 15hrs 48mins. TB13979.
Charlie Parker series; 1. The Travelling Man is on the move. Few will survive the
journey. Former New York detective Charlie Parker was drunk when the Travelling
Man operated on his wife and daughter. The Travelling Man is an artist of death,
making human bodies his canvas and taking faces as his prize. And now another girl
is missing. Dogged by terror and driven by rage, through the swamps of America’s
darkest underbelly, Parker pursues a man and his revenge to discover that,
sometimes, nothing is more shocking than the truth. Contains passages of violence
which may be offensive. TB13979.
Cook, Robin.
Harmful intent. 1990. Read by Errol MacKinnon. 16hrs 34mins, TB8982.
Dr Jeffrey Rhodes' nightmare begins when he administers routine anaesthesia and a
young healthy mother dies. Sued for eleven million dollars and convicted of murder he
turns fugitive. TB8982.
Crichton, Michael.
State of fear. 2005. Read by John Chancer, 17hrs 08mins. TB14420.
In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful
visitor. In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation
technology, built to his specifications. In Vancouver, a small research submarine is
leased for use in the waters of New Guinea. And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries
to understand what it all means. Contains passages of violence which may be
offensive. TB14420.
Cussler, Clive.
Serpent: a novel from the NUMA files. 2002. Read by Jeff Harding, 16hrs.
TB13105.
NUMA files series; 1.On the bottom of the icy sea off Nantucket lie the battered
remains of the Italian luxury liner, Andrea Doria. But few know that within her bowels
lies a priceless pre-Columbian antiquity - a treasure that now holds the key to a
puzzle that is costing people their lives. The discovery of an artifact by an
archaeologist at a Moroccan dig leads to the massacre of the excavation group. The
leader, on escaping, is rescued by Kirk Austin and his team who uncover a sinister
plot. TB13105.
Davies, Murray.
The dogs in the streets. 2006. Read by Seán Barrett, 13hrs 49mins. TB14928.
Imagine the one you love most has been killed by a fanatic's bomb. Imagine that the
promises of justice turn to ashes. That the bombers stillwalk free - and will strike
again. Hopes for justice turn to dark visions of revenge - especially as the identities of
the terrorists are known to all. So the relatives of the slain prepare to take the law into
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their own hands, driven by their own guilt. Contains language and passages of
violence which may be offensive. TB14928.
Deaver, Jeffery.
Mistress of justice. 2002. Read by Laurence Bouvard, 10hrs 30mins. TB12753.
Taylor Lockwood juggles twin careers as a struggling jazz musician in seedy
Manhattan clubs and a paralegal at the genteel Wall Street law firm of Hubbard,
White & Willis. When a multimillion-dollar promissory note is stolen, dark secrets
emerge behind the Victorian facades of the firm. Contains language which might be
considered offensive. TB12753.
Deighton, Len.
Yesterday's spy. 1975. Read by Andrew Timothy, 07hrs 22mins. TB2858.
Champion was operating in France, near the spot where he had done his wartime
spying. But was he up to something too big this time? His friend Charles, knowing all
the dangers, was sent to trail him. TB2858.
Dobbs, Michael.
Wall games. 1991. Read by Frank Duncan, 13hrs 05mins. TB9547.
The thaw is slowly beginning as leaders in both East and West set out tentatively to
build a new era of peace. Yet the people of Berlin are in no mood for diplomatic
caution. Across the heart of their city still stands the monstrous construction of the
Wall that has split them apart for a generation. They will fight to have it torn down and
reunite their city - just as there are those in Washington and Moscow who will use
them to kill off the new flower of glasnost. Into the troubled city comes Harry
Benjamin, a young and irrepressible CIA agent. He hadn't planned on falling in love even less on that illicit love casting him as a pawn in this latest battle for Berlin. But
Harry will not be anyone's pawn. He is determined to reveal the treachery, even if it
means destroying the most powerful men in East and West - and his love - in the
process... TB9547.
Easterman, Daniel.
The jaguar mask. Read by Sean Barrett, 15hrs 55mins. TB13519.
Archaeologist Leo Mallory is on a dig. But this is no ordinary assignment. He's deep in
the heart of the Mexican jungle uncovering a centuries-old Mayan city. Like a surgeon
performing an intricate operation, Leo and his team skilfully remove each crumb of
earth with the utmost precision. In France, Interpols Declan Carberry is busy trying to
solve a string of ritual serial murders. Horrific in the extreme, the questions are who
and why? Declan needs to move fast, for time is running out. TB13519.
7
Eastwood, James.
The Chinese visitor: a novel of espionage. 1965. Read by Clive Champney,
08hrs 01mins. TB642.
The assassination of a Chinese Emissary in London is the prelude to a series of
incidents involving a beautiful young woman, newly recruited as a British agent.
TB642.
Eisler, Barry.
Rain fall. 2003. Read by Jeff Harding, 09hrs 38mins. TB13267.
John Rain series; 1. Meet John Rain - special forces turned assassin - a man with a
tortured past and an uncertain future. Few know who he is or what he does, and that's
how it has to be. In his line of work enemies are inevitable, no matter how good you
are and any attachment is a weakness. But when the death of a stranger on a
crowded subway threatens Rain's carefully maintained anonymity he realises it's not
just his own life at stake, but that of the one person he's come to care about - the
victim's daughter. His pursuers are closing in. And they're about to discover just how
dangerous a cornered man can be... Some passages of a sexual nature may be
considered offensive. TB13267.
Finder, Joseph.
Company man. 2006. Read by Jeff Harding,16hrs 21mins. TB14566.
Nick Conover, CEO of a major corporation, was once the most admired man in
Fenwick, Michigan. Having presided over massive layoffs, he is now the most
despised. When his family is threatened by a stalker, events spin out of control and
Nick is faced with a dead body and damning circumstances. TB14566.
Fleming, Ian.
Casino Royale. 1953. Read by Duncan Carse, 05hrs 15mins. TB516.
James Bond series; 1. James Bond is ordered to outwit an international racketeer,
already hunted by a Russian organisation. TB516.
Follett, James.
Mirage. 1993. Read by David Graham, 15hrs 49mins. TB11299.
Daniel Kalen, an Israeli fighter pilot grounded after injury, has been given an
extraordinary mission by Mossad: to steal the Mirage jet fighters blueprints - all
250,000 of them - so that Israel can build her own version of the fighter. TB11299.
Follett, Ken.
Lie down with lions. 1985. Read by Gene Foad, 13hrs 51mins. TB6321.
To Afghanistan's Five Lions Valley comes Jean-Pierre, a French doctor who yearns to
emulate his father who fought so heroically for the resistance against the Germans.
With him is his wife Jane. Their self-imposed task is to bring medical aid and care to
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the rebel tribesmen fighting the Soviet invaders. Or is Jean-Pierre's plan quite as
clear-cut as that? Unsuitable for family reading. TB6321.
Forbes, Bryan.
The endless game. 1994. Read by Jonathan Oliver. 15hrs 05mins. TB11504.
Hillsden trilogy series; 1. Until Caroline Oates was slipped a lethal injection, she was
little more than a vegetable. KGB torturers had seen to that in Berlin ten years ago
when she cracked under interrogation. So why kill her now? Alec Hillsden, MI6 secret
agent, must find the answers. The mutilated body on the autopsy table is the woman
he once loved. And later betrayed. But betrayal is the ace card in this endless, deadly
game of espionage. Contains passages of violence which may be offensive.
TB11504.
Forsyth, Frederick.
The deceiver. 1991. Read by Frank Duncan, 20hrs 11mins. TB9263.
Sam McCready is "The Deceiver", one of Special Intelligence Service's most
unorthodox and most valued operatives. But at the end of the Cold War Sam has
made some enemies, and become expendable to the mandarins in Whitehall. He
elects to have his fate decided at a special hearing at which his four key operations
are reviewed. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB9263.
Francis, Dick.
Rat race. 1972. Read by Chris Pavlo, 07hrs 56mins. TB11408.
Matt Shore was an experienced pilot. So when he gets a job ferrying high class
punters around England's race courses, he expects a quiet life. But then his plane
explodes in a massive fireball. He finds himself landed in the middle of a nightmare
world, where big money is at stake, and all around him is sudden bloody death.
TB11408.
Galgut, Damon.
The good doctor. 2003. Read by Jon Cartwright, 07hrs. TB13542.
When Laurence Waters arrives at his rural hospital posting, Frank is instantly
suspicious. Laurence is everything Frank is not - young and optimistic. The two
become uneasy friends, while the rest of the staff in the deserted hospital view
Laurence with a mixture of awe and mistrust. Contains language which might be
considered offensive. TB13542.
Gardner, John.
The Nostradamus traitor. 1979. Read by Andrew Timothy, 11hrs 14mins.
TB3452.
The widow of an SS officer presents herself to British Intelligence, and a 30 year old
plot by the British to cause a rift between Hitler and Himmler is seen in a new light.
TB3452.
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Gilbert, Michael.
The black seraphim. 1983. Read by George Hagan, 08hrs 27mins. TB5178.
A young forensic pathologist, Dr James Scotland, is spending a month's sabbatical
with his cousin, the headmaster of Melchester Choristers' School. He tastes a fine
brew of passion, intrigue and hidden scandal within the small, tight community of the
Cathedral Close. TB5178.
Grisham, John.
The Testament. 1999. Read by William Roberts, 13hrs 34mins. TB11937.
An eccentric, reclusive billionaire is looking for a way to die. A burnt-out Washington
litigator is just out of rehab and trying to hold it together. These two are brought
together with a woman, who left the modern world to live and work with a primitive
tribe of Indians in the Brazilian jungle. TB11937.
Guterson, David.
Snow falling on Cedars. 1995. Read by Peter Marinker, 15hrs 13mins.TB11306.
It is 1954 on San Piedro - an island in the Puget Sound - and a Japanese-American
fisherman stands trial, charged with murder. Ishmael Chambers, who lost an arm in
the war and now runs the island newspaper, is amongst the journalists covering the
trial. It brings him close to Hatsue Miyamoto - the wife of the accused and Ishmael's
first love. As a heavy snowfall impedes the course of the trial, the whole community is
faced with the ambiguities of justice, the racism that persists between neighbours and
the necessity of individual moral action, despite the indifference of nature. TB11937.
Haggard, Henry Rider.
King Solomon's mines. 1886. Read by Stephen Jack, 08hrs 50mins. TB1857.
Allan Quatermain series; 1. Allan Quatermaine sets out with Sir Henry Curtis and
Captain Good to find Sir Henry's brother who was believed to have gone into
unexplored and savage parts of Africa in search of the lost diamond mines of the
Solomon Mountains. TB1857.
Hamilton, Patrick.
Hangover Square: a story of darkest Earl's Court. 1972? Abridge ed. Read by
Nick Denning, 03hrs 21mins. TB13378.
A man walks along the cliffs on Christmas Day in 1938, battling with his deep
depression. This black mood, which he knows only too well, is to lead to the murder of
a young and carefree girl. TB13378.
10
Harris, Robert.
Archangel. 1998. Read by Michael Kitchen, 12hrs 13mins. TB11779.
Fluke Kelso - a former historian who is in Moscow to attend a conference on the
newly opened Soviet archives - is visited in his hotel room by a man who claims to
have been at Stalin's dacha on the night Stalin had his fatal stroke, and had helped
steal the dictator's private papers. Kelso decides to check out the old man's story. But
what starts as idle curiosity soon turns into a murderous chase across Russia, where
the final secret of Josef Stalin has been hidden for almost half a century... Contains
language which might be considered offensive. TB11779.
Hughes, Declan.
The wrong kind of blood. 2006. Read by Stanley Townsend, 10hrs 29mins.
TB14918.
Ed Loy series; 1. Ed Loy hasn't been back to Dublin for 20 years. Now his mother is
dead and he has returned home to bury her. He soon realises that the world waiting
for him is very different from the one he left behind all those years ago. An old
classmate, Linda Dawson, pleads with him to find her missing husband, Peter. She
doesn't want the police involved. When Loy finds an old photograph of his long
missing father on Peter Dawson's boat, and a corpse is discovered in the foundations
of the local town hall, things begin to get personal. Suddenly, he finds himself thrown
into a world of organised crime, long hidden secrets, corruption, violence and murder.
Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14918.
Hutson, Shaun.
White ghost. 1995. Read by Steve Hodson, 11hrs 27mins. TB11105.
Contains passages of violence which may be offensive.
Sean Doyle, a member of the Counter Terrorist Unit, is no stranger to violence.
Investigating the hijack of army weapons in Northern Ireland, he makes some
disturbing discoveries - the body of an IRA informer, and an IRA safe house full of
Chinese Triads. The evidence points to an unholy war between two Triad groups with
the IRA behind one of them. Motive? Only Doyle can find out, and he must do so
before the carnage spirals out of control. Contains passages of violence which may
be offensive. TB11105.
Iles, Greg.
Blood memory. 2005. Read by Regina Reagan, 17hrs 20mins. TB14409.
Cat Ferry is a tough woman, but she's way out on the edge. She's been fighting a
drink problem for some time and she's still haunted by the mysterious murder of her
father. Cat is a forensic odontologist and her specialist knowledge of dentistry means
that she is often called upon by the New Orleans Police Department. Now she is
helping Sean to investigate a particularly savage series of murders, but something in
the case is calling to Cat, something that seems to connect with her own, troubled life.
The only chance Cat Ferry has to survive is to face down her demons, and confront a
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mystery of murder, corruption and evil that has entwined itself around her life.
Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14409.
Jackson, James H.
Cold cut. 2000. Read by Steve Hodson, 28hrs 14mins. TB12613.
Dead bodies in Siberia are nothing new. Russia's easternmost province has been the
Soviet Union's unofficial graveyard since the Revolution. But the bodies that are
turning up now are different - some mutilated, some half-eaten, bizarre deaths
impossible to explain in the usual way. When Colonel Georgi Lazin of Russia's
Federal Security Service is sent east to investigate, he suspects his political masters
do not necessarily want him to find the perperators. But is his mission in fact a death
sentence? Contains passages of violence which may be offensive. TB12613.
Jones, Russell Celyn.
Ten seconds from the sun. 2005. Read by Richard Burnip, 10hrs 35mins.
TB14628.
Ray Greenland is an exemplary family man and Thames River pilot who can navigate
people safely in the here and now, while his wife Lily, in her capacity as a director of a
dating agency, arranges their happy futures. But what none of those around him
know, is that Ray's life is not his own; when he was twelve he did something so wrong
he must live under a false identity for the rest of his life. The only safe place for him is
on the lower reaches of the Thames. But it's on land where Ray's past resurfaces and
a lifetime of caution may not be enough to save him. TB14628.
Keneally, Thomas.
Flying hero class. 1991. Read by Nigel Graham, 10hrs 31mins. TB9404.
Hijackers representing a Palestinian faction take over an airliner flying between New
York and Frankfurt. Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB9404.
Kureishi, Hanif.
The black album. 1995. Read by Mark Elstob, 09hrs 23mins. TB10511.
A thriller with a background of raves, ecstasy, religious ferment and sexual passion,
this is the story of Shahid, a young man from the provinces who has come to London
planning to further his education. His prospects take a turn for the worse when he
becomes involved with Deedee Osgood, a college lecturer and, when a gangster on
the run from his enemies moves into his bedsit. Caught between liberalism and
fundamentalism, he has to find his place in the world and come of age. Contains
language which might be considered offensive. TB10511.
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Kyle, Duncan.
The King's commissar. 1983. Read by Alistair Maydon, 10hrs 27mins. TB5158.
Laurence Pilgrim, the new American partner of a most respectable London merchant
bank, discovers a very odd numbered Swiss account. To reveal its secrets he must
follow seven clues - and the time limit to disaster is three months. TB5158.
La Plante, Lynda.
Prime suspect 1. 1991. Read by Becky Hindley, 08hrs 01mins. TB12589.
Jane Tennison series; 1. A mystery-thriller features Detective Chief Inspector Jane
Tennison. Coming through the ranks the hard way, Jane Tennison struggles to win
the respect of her fellow male officers. The story is set in London and based on the
Granada TV's 'prime suspect' series. Some passages of a sexual nature may be
considered offensive. TB12589.
Le Carre, John.
A perfect spy. 1986. Read by Andrew Timothy, 23hrs 29mins. TB7532.
Magnus Pym, counsellor at the British Embassy in Vienna, has suddenly vanished,
believed defected. The chase is on: for a missing husband, a devoted father, and a
lifetime secret agent... TB7532.
Leasor, James.
Passport to oblivion. 1964. Read by Anthony Parker, 09hrs 25mins. TB551.
Jason Love series; 1. A country doctor is unexpectedly asked by the Secret Service to
investigate the disappearance of a British Agent in Persia. TB551.
Leather, Stephen.
The bombmaker. 2000. Read by Sean Barrett, 13hrs 35mins. TB12788.
Andrea Hayes put terrorism behind her when a bomb she made for the IRA killed a
group of innocent children. Now, years later, her settled life is dramatically curtailed
when her daughter is kidnapped and she has to fall back on her old trade to save her.
TB12788.
Leonard, Elmore.
Cat chaser.1986. Read by William Dufris,07hrs 58mins. TB9965.
It is 16 years since the revolution in the Dominican republic. During those years, exMarine George Moran has carefully preserved memories of an exquisite female
sniper encountered during his involvement with the revolution. He decides it is time to
plan a trip back to Santo Domingo, to walk the streets without sniper fire and perhaps
to look her up; to see if she is still around. Rather than the paradise he had looked for,
he finds a world of intrigue, double dealing and ruthless murder; he also finds a
woman worth all the fighting. TB9965.
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Ludlum, Robert.
The Scorpio illusion. 1993. Read by Edmund Dehn, 22hrs 31mins. TB10288.
Amaya Bajaratt is the most deadly terrorist in the annals of political struggle, beautiful,
elusive, a chameleon of freedom fighters, the horrors of her past have made her an
accomplished assassin. Her motive is revenge, her method is murder. Supporting her
are the Scorpios, a clandestine network of the rich and well placed, rich and clever
and obsessed with overthrowing governments. TB10288.
Lyall, Gavin.
The wrong side of the sky. 1991. Read by Arthur Blake, 08hrs 51mins. TB8825.
It was a chance encounter in an Athens bar that set on the trail of the Nawab of
Tungabhadra's missing fortune. But already there were others on the trail, as
desperate and much more ruthless, who would cheat, maim and murder to get to the
diamonds first. TB8825.
MacKenzie, Donald.
Zaleski's percentage. 1974. Read by Robert Gladwell, 08hrs 45mins. TB2568.
A group of Poles, living in England as exiles, plan to recover surreptitiously a
priceless vessel which their commandos captured during the war. But they meet
ruthless professional villains and are hunted mercilessly by the CID. TB2568.
MacLean, Alistair.
River of death. 1981. Read by Arthur Blake, 05hrs 06mins. TB7999.
It takes Spaatz more than 30 years to track down his old SS comrade to exact
vengeance for his betrayal and the theft of a hoard of gold. However, as Spaatz's
small strike-force makes its way through the final stage of the deadly pursuit, he has
failed to consider that there may be others in the party with different motives and no
less a determination to bring their quarry to justice. TB7999.
McNab, Andy.
Crisis four. 1999. Read by Clive Mantle, 14hrs 27mins. TB14985.
Nick Stone series; 2. Sequel to Remote Control TB11573. In the backwoods of South
America, an ex-SAS officer now working for British Intelligence, embarks on a
terrifying mission to find a woman who holds the key to a dark and deadly conspiracy.
Contains language and passages of violence which may be considered offensive.
TB14985.
Mailer, Norman.
Harlot's ghost. 1991. Read by Garrick Hagon, 54hrs 57mins. TB9699.
A vast novel of the CIA, and a deep look into the depths of the American soul. Hugh
Tremont Montague - codename HARLOT- is one of the grand old men of the CIA, a
man obsessed, and barely, but not quite, the WASP patrician he seems. The narrator
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is Harry Hubbard, son of one of the founding fathers of the CIA and living in the
shadow of both men, though he does not sense the core of madness from which
Harlot's remarkable energies emanate. TB9699.
Michie, David.
Conflict of interest. 2001. Read by David Thorpe, 12hrs 57mins.TB14843.
It's the job of a lifetime: £120,000 a year, a top-of-the-range BMW, and the chance
to work with charismatic sportswear billionaire Nathan Strauss. But on the very day
that Chris Treiger celebrates his new job with Britains most powerful PR firm, Nathan
Strass stuns the corporate world by falling off the balcony of his 9th floor hotel suite.
Contains language which might be considered offensive. TB14843.
Moore, Brian.
Cold heaven. 1983. Read by Hugh Ross, 08hrs 25mins. TB5074.
A metaphysical thriller: Dr Alex Davenport is struck on the head by a motorboat while
swimming in the Baie des Anges. His wife, Marie, on holiday with him but planning to
leave him anyway, is overtaken by guilt when she is told he is dead. Then his body
vanishes from the morgue which is always locked. It can, however, be opened from
the inside... TB5074.
Nichol, John.
Decisive measures. Read by Nick Rawlinson, 09hrs 15mins. TB13115.
When pilot Jack Griffiths leaves the RAF to join a private military company, Decisive
Measures, he hopes to put behind him the brutal ethnic conflict he witnessed during
service. His new job takes him to Sierra Leone where he meets Layla, but their
friendship is torn as civil war breaks out. Contains passages of violence which may be
offensive. TB13115.
Oliver, Anthony.
Cover-up. 1987. Read by Bruce Montague, 07hrs 20mins. TB8031.
The arrival of art dealer Joseph Greenwood in the village of Flaxfield sparks interest,
suspicion and rumour amongst its inhabitants – especially when he and others die in
very disturbing circumstances. Anthony Oliver's perceptive humour and unique
characters make his fourth novel a truly classic thriller. TB8031.
Patterson, James.
Judge and jury. 2006. Read by Jeff Harding, 08hrs 35mins. TB14744.
It's the trial of the decade - Dominic Cavallo, the modern-day Godfather, has finally
been put in the dock, and there's enough evidence to make it certain he'll be
convicted. Heavy security surrounds the courtroom, and Nick Pellisante, the FBI
agent who helped to nail Cavallo, keeps a close eye on proceedings. But things
quickly start to go wrong. Faced with anonymous threats, the jury is sequestered.
15
Then, the bus taking them to their hotel is blown up. Contains some passages of a
sexual nature, language and violence which may be considered offensive. TB14744.
Pears, Iain.
An instance of the fingerpost. 1997. Read by Stephen Thorne, 25hrs 39mins.
TB11906.
We are in Oxford in the 1660s, a time and place of intellectual, scientific, religious and
political ferment. Robert Grove, a fellow of the New College, is found dead in
suspicious circumstances. A young woman is accused of his murder. We hear about
the events surrounding his death from four witnesses. Each witness tells his or her
version, but only one reveals the extraordinary truth. TB11906.
Porter, Henry.
Empire State. 2005. Read by Tara Ward, 16hrs 02mins. TB14743.
The head of the US National Security Agency is assassinated in a spectacular set
piece killing at Heathrow. An airport employee and his family are found murdered in
their council house in Uxbridge. In New York, a fashionable Upper East Side
osteopath receives two postcards showing the Empire State Building. A group of
migrant workers are brutally gunned down in Macedonia. The quest to find the link
between these apparently random events is pursued by Robert Harland - drawn back
to a world he thought he'd left behind with a dual role for the UN and MI6. Contains
passages of violence which may be offensive. TB14743.
Proctor, Maurice.
His weight in gold. 1966. Read by Arthur Bush, 07hrs. TB113.
The hiding place of half a million pounds of stolen money is known only to a man in
prison, and his accomplices want to question him. TB113.
Rendell, Ruth.
The bridesmaid. 1989. Read by Pauline Munro, 09hrs 48mins. TB7680.
The most remarkable thing about Senta, the most exciting thing, was her uncanny
resemblance to Flora. Senta tantalised and upset Philip, although she was a good
friend of his sister. Somehow Senta, a statue left to Philip by his father and the
disappearance of Rebecca, another friend, are linked. A novel mixing violence, love,
mystery and confusion, and centred around a small group of energetic young people.
Contains some passages of a sexual nature and violence which may be considered
offensive. TB7680.
Ridpath, Michael.
The marketmaker. 1998. Read by Raymond Sawyer, 13hrs 53mins.TB12260.
Disgruntled academic Nick Elliott has reluctantly taken work with city brokers Dekker
Ward. Strange things start happening to Dekker's employees, including Nick's
colleague, Isabel, which is when Nick decides to confront a fixer who is
16
unaccustomed to people standing in his way. Contains language which might be
considered offensive. TB12260.
Robinson, Leonard Wallace.
The assassin. 1969. Read by Derek Chandler, 11hrs 30mins. TB1109.
There are 50,000 potential President killers in the United States, recorded in the files
of the US Secret Service. Thorne Perry, an explosives expert, is one of these.
Following a threat to assassinate the President, Perry's duel with his pursuers is
narrated step by step. TB1109.
Rosenheim, Andrew.
Keeping secrets. 2006. Read by Peter Marinker, 12hrs 16mins. TB14815.
Jack Renoir is a man who makes his living discovering other people's secrets while
making sure he keeps his own. But when a beautiful young Englishwoman walks into
Jack's San Francisco office he doesn't realise she is going to turn his carefullyconstructed life upside down. As his defences dissolve he agrees to start a new life
with her in England. That is when his troubles really start. Contains language which
might be considered offensive. TB14815.
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos.
The shadow of the wind; translated by Lucia Graves. 2004. Read by Nigel
Graham, 20hrs 01mins. TB14016.
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a
labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To
this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel
is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento'
by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in
his find. Then, one night, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a
character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil and he
is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. Contains
language which might be considered offensive. TB14016.
Ryan, Chris.
Stand by, stand by. 1996. Read by Mark Elstob, 10hrs 05mins. TB11019.
Geordie Sharp series; 1. Geordie Sharp, a sergeant in the SAS, is struggling to pick
up the threads of his army career. Wounded in the Gulf War, he returns to Hereford to
find his home life in tatters. As he trains with Northern Ireland Troop, a murder in his
family fires him to personal hatred of the IRA. TB11019.
Sebastian, Tim.
The spy in question. 1988. Read by Tony Chambers, 09hrs 12mins. TB7138.
Dmitry Kalyagin is on the run in the most merciless winter Moscow has ever known.
Yesterday he was a privileged member of the government. Today he is an outcast
17
because Soviet Minister Kalyagin is also a spy. George Parker at the British Embassy
is trying to bring him in. Woven into this drama of contemporary Moscow, written by a
correspondent who lived there for ten years, are a host of fascinating minor
characters. TB7138.
Seymour, Gerald.
The journeyman tailor. 1992. Read by George Hagan, 14hrs 38mins. TB9941.
Gary Brennard has all the qualities to serve as MI5's undercover agent in Northern
Ireland. This is his first assignment, but he'll work with Parker and Parker is the best.
In the heart of the provisional IRA's most active brigade an informer must be
preserved at all cost, while the innocent, if they get in the way, are expendable.
However, the brigade will go to any length to identify the traitor, to interrogate and
torture him and then to hood and shoot him. Contains language which might be
considered offensive. TB9941.
Sheldon, Sidney.
The sky is falling. 2001. Read by Liza Ross, 07hrs 50mins. TB13518.
The Winthrop family are popular and charismatic, they capture the imagination of the
world with their public service, charity and glamorous lives. Then, within a year all five
members of the family are killed in accidents. Dana Evans, a young anchorwoman
with a Washington television network, believes there is something sinister about their
deaths. She begins to investigate, and uncovers compelling evidence that she can
scarcely believe. Dana never anticipated the cat-and-mouse chase that leads her
through half a dozen countries in search of the killer. Will she survive to expose the
truth that will stun the world? TB13518.
Shute, Nevil.
Landfall. 1940. Read by Brian Perkins, 07hrs 45mins. TB6478.
The Second World War is barely three months old and the dawn patrol Coastal
Command unpleasant chiefly because it is cold, dark and monotonous. But, today is
different, today a valuable ship has been sunk, there are only 13 survivors and no one
at Coastal Command saw anything! TB6478.
Smith, Martin Cruz.
Stallion gate. 1986. Read by Ian Craig, 08hrs 58mins. TB6674.
The objective of Robert Oppenheimer and his elite of Allied scientists was probably
the most closely guarded secret of the war. Yet the wise men among the Red Indians,
whose reservations at Los Alamos had been appropriated for the atom bomb test site,
divined the nature of the experiments on the Hill and were as grimly troubled as to the
consequences as were some of the scientists. The collision of two cultures on the eve
of a new world. TB6674.
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Smith, Joan.
A masculine ending. 1987. Read by Laura Brattan, 07hrs 19mins. TB10561.
Loretta Lawson Mystery series; 1. Loretta Lawson is on her way to a symposium in
Paris, to present a paper to an international journal for feminist literary criticism. A
friend has lent her his empty flat, but she is startled to find that someone else appears
to be staying in the flat but, as she is only there for a couple of nights, she doesn't
disturb the sleeper. She is the one who is disturbed when returning to the flat the next
day, following a stressful meeting at the symposium; she finds the stranger gone, but
the bed sheets covered in blood. TB10561.
Smith, Wilbur.
The eye of the tiger. 1975. Read by Andrew Timothy, 13hrs. TB2687.
Harry Fletcher, a man with a chequered past, has reformed and is making an honest
living as a charter skipper fishing for big game in the seductive waters of the Indian
Ocean. Suddenly, men from the world of violence Harry has put behind him overturn
his good intentions, involving him in a hectic race to recover a fabulous treasure from
an ancient wreck. TB2687.
Starling, Boris.
Vodka. 2004. Read by Peter Marinker, 23hrs 41mins. TB13882.
Alice Liddell feels more at home running her consultancy in Moscow than she ever did
in the US. But all this stands to be washed away in a sea of vodka, for Alice is an
alcoholic. Sergei Korshkachesh, consigliori to the head of the largest Slav mafiya
gang in Moscow, knows that in Russia vodka means power: control the drink and you
control the people. Negotiating the sale of one of the largest distilleries draws Alice
into Sergei's world, and in a climate of deception the two begin a dangerous affair.
Contains language, some passages of a sexual nature and violence which may be
considered offensive. TB13882.
Stevens, Gordon.
And all the king's men. 1990. Read by George Hagan, 21hrs 38mins. TB8959.
The outbreak of war in 1939 makes little difference to the quiet Kent village of Ardley at first - but when the invasion becomes a reality, the villagers are thrown into the
front line. TB8959.
Stone, Nick.
Mr Clarinet. 2006. Read by Jeff Harding, 16hrs 30mins. TB14830.
Max Mingus series; 1. It was a job Miami private investigator Max Mingus found really
hard to refuse: 10 million dollars to locate billionaire's son, Charlie Carver - missing
now for over three years. He disappeared on the island of Haiti, where over the
decades scores of children have vanished. In a country dominated by voodoo,
rumours abound of black magic and a mythical figure called "Mr Clarinet", who for
19
years has been tempting children away from their families. Contains language and
passages of violence which might be considered offensive. TB14830.
Strong, Terence.
Stalking horse. 1993. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 17hrs 06mins. TB10137.
Iraq invades Kuwait and the world lurches towards war. In Washington DC and
London, two governments dread a biological attack that will lose them the battle
before it begins. However, two intelligence agents are in a position to avert the
catastrophe - Avery is a former SAS man; Corrigan is a Delta Force Soldier. Each is
on a separate deep-cover assignment to penetrate the world's deadliest terrorist
organisation. TB10137.
Stuart, Ian.
Sandscreen. 1987. Read by Arthur Blake, 06hrs 44mins. TB8718.
When the overseas manager of a shipping company commits suicide Graham
Lorimer is sent to tie up the loose ends and hush up any scandals. But from the
moment he arrives in the Middle East, Lorimer discovers the dead man had some
dangerous connections. Now these criminals have a new target - a highly important
world leader. TB8718.
Tartt, Donna.
The secret history. Read by Adam Sims, 20hrs 52mins. TB13874.
The narrator of this story is a boy who leaves California to attend a college in New
England. He falls in with a group of students of Ancient Greek. Four of their number
work themselves into a trance-like condition one night, and murder a local farmer.
Bunny then tries to blackmail the others. Contains language and passages of violence
which might be considered offensive. TB13874.
Taylor, Andrew.
The American boy. 2004. Read by Alex Jennings, 16hrs 50mins. TB13683.
Edgar Allan Poe is the American boy, a child standing on the edge of mysteries. In
1819 two Americans arrive in London, soon afterwards a bank collapses. A man is
found dead and horribly mutilated on a building site. A heiress flirts with her inferiors.
A poor schoolmaster struggles to understand what is happening before it destroys
him and those he loves. But the truth, like the youthful Poe himself, has its origins in
the new world as well as the old. Contains passages of violence which may be
offensive. TB13683.
Thomas, Craig.
Rat trap. 1996. Read by Robert Gladwell, 12hrs 28mins. TB11112.
There was relief at Heathrow when the damaged British Airways 707 touched down
safely. But something was wrong. The pilot wasn't answering the control tower's radio
call - and the authorities soon found out why. An armed hijacker was on board the
20
plane, together with five accomplices and a bomb. Contains passages of violence
which may be offensive. TB11112.
Underwood, Michael.
Reward for a defector. 1973. Read by Michael de Morgan, 06hrs 17mins.
TB2208.
An East German defector arrives on the doorstep of a London solicitor engaged in
defending a British Army officer who is accused of spying – and Security officials are
suspicious. TB2208.
Volkoff, Vladimir.
The turn-around; translated by Alan Sheridan; abridged by Keith Darvill. Read
by Cyril Shaps, 01hr 25mins. TB12993.
Gaullist Paris: a junior intelligence officer narrowly escapes redundancy by inventing a
ficticious assignment to "turn" the leading KGB major in France. TB12993.
West, Nigel.
Cuban bluff. 1990. Read by Steve Hodson, 09hrs 39mins. TB8795.
Spy thriller and fictionalised account of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. TB8795.
White, Gillian.
Night visitor. 2003. Read by Jilly Bond, 09hrs 37mins. TB14554.
Rose's early life was full of tragedy. Her father disappeared one night, presumed
drowned, and her twin brother died when he was only ten, on a bike that had been his
cherished birthday present. No wonder she depends on her husband, Michael. He is
the only certainty in her life, and provides her with love and stability. All Rose asks of
Michael is complete fidelity, and when she has cause to doubt him she devises a
terrible revenge. TB14554.
Wilson, Robert.
The company of strangers. Read by Sean Barrett, 16hrs 40mins. TB13199.
Lisbon 1944. Andrea Aspinall, mathematician and spy, and Karl Voss, military attache
to the German Legation, to find love in a world where no-one can be believed. After a
night of terrible violence, Andrea is left with a secret which precipitates life-long
addiction to the clandestine world. TB13199.
Wright, Glover.
Blood enemies. 1987. Read by Gene Foad, 10hrs 24mins. TB6813.
Jack Cade is a patriot and a killer, but not for money: he has his reasons, profound,
bitter and murderously angry ones. There have been a series of leaks at GCHQ,
Cheltenham but security seems to be helpless. Even the Prime Minister does not
know what is going on and Moscow Centre's devious networks are clogged with
21
calculated disinformation. Even Cade is not in a position to grasp the explosive secret
of Oracle. Unsuitable for family reading. TB6813.
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