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    Spycatcher
    Spycatcher
    Spycatcher
    Audiobook13 hours

    Spycatcher

    Written by Matthew Dunn

    Narrated by Rich Orlow

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “Great talent, great imagination, and real been-there done-that authenticity make this one of the year’s best thriller debuts.”
    —Lee Child

    “Not since Fleming charged Bond with the safety of the world has the international secret agent mystique been so anchored with an insider’s reality.”
    —Noah Boyd, New York Times bestselling author of Agent X and The Bricklayer

    “A real spy proves he is a real writer—and a truly deft and inventive one. Spycatcher is a stunning debut.”
    —Ted Bell, New York Times bestselling author of Warlord

    A real life former field officer, Matthew Dunn makes an extraordinary debut with Spycatcher, a masterwork of international espionage fiction that crackles with electrifying authenticity. Fans of Daniel Silva, Robert Ludlum, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn will be on the edge of their seats as intelligence agent Will Cochrane—working on a joint covert mission for the CIA and MI6—sets out to capture a brilliant and ruthless Iranian spy. Timely and gripping, Spycatcher rockets the reader into a shadowy world of terrorism and counter-terrorism, and holds them in an iron grip until the last pulse-pounding page is turned.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9780062072634
    Spycatcher
    Author

    Matthew Dunn

    As an MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn recruited and ran agents, coordinated and participated in special operations, and acted in deep-cover roles throughout the world. He operated in environments where, if captured, he would have been executed. Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep- cover deployments, small arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration. Medals are never awarded to modern MI6 officers, but Dunn was the recipient of a rare personal commendation from the secretary of state for work he did on one mission, which was deemed so significant that it directly influenced the success of a major international incident. During his time in MI6, Matthew conducted approximately seventy missions. All of them were successful. He currently lives in England, where he is at work on his next novel.

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    Reviews for Spycatcher

    3.5/5

    94 ratings13 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I love James Bond and this book is just as exciting as a James Bond film. This book was fast paced and a thrill ride to the max. The action is non-stop and has lots of twists and turns that you’d expect from a spy novel. You know some of the bad guys and some of the good guys, but you aren’t sure about all of them.I loved the suspense and the various locations this book takes you to. You go to England, Bosnia, Austria, and the USA. It is a great debut and I hope we see more from this author, who writes what he knows and lived as an MI6 field agent. If you want an action packed novel that doesn’t let up until the job is done, then you’ll enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      Will Cochrane, code named Spartan, was the best of the best in the British intelligence service. After being wounded in Central Park during an operation gone bad in which he lost the informant he swore to protect, Will was rescued and subsequently treated by members of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Will discovers that the CIA man who interrogates him, Patrick, had dealings with his handler Alistair as well as his father, a CIA operative killed in the line of duty. Patrick tells Will that the NSA has intercepted communications implicating Iran in a major terrorist operation to take place either in Great Britain or the United States and asks for Will's help in thwarting it. An Iranian operative, code named Megiddo, is responsible for planning and carrying out the attack. Megiddo is very good, perhaps the equal of Spartan, and no photographs have ever been taken of him. However, Megiddo was active in the Balkans during the war in the 90's, so Will travels there to meet with the current MI6 station chief for help. Ewan, head of Sarajevo station, met with Will and filled him in on his agent Harry Solberg, code named Lace. Harry had worked with MI6 since the early 90's and had a pretty wide intelligence network, often gaining intel that would be almost impossible for other British sources to garner. Better yet, he had been around when Megiddo was operating in Bosnia and was Will's best avenue for identifying and capturing him. Harry tells the two British intelligence officers of a woman named Lana, now living in Paris, who was rumored to have had a love affair with the Iranian. Minutes after meeting with Harry, Ewan is gunned down on the streets of Sarajevo, the victim of a sniper's bullet. Will travels to Paris in order to recruit Lana, and is immediately struck by her beauty. Even though she had to be in her 40's, Lana still possessed the elegance and beauty of a much younger woman. Finding out that Lana was a jilted lover and out for revenge on the man who had unceremoniously left her without so much as a good-bye, Lana agrees to help Will find and identify Megiddo. Will is encouraged because Lana may be one of the only non-Iranians alive that could identify Megiddo. With the operation in place, Will returns to Bosnia and sets up Lana as the bait. All that remained was for Megiddo to take the bait and fall into Will's clutches. No operations ever go entirely as planned. Add to that Will's increasing feelings for Lana and concern for her safety and Will is left scrambling to keep up with Megiddo. In fact, it seems Megiddo is always one step ahead of Spartan, Britain's top spy.Also, Will learns that he and Megiddo share a part of the past previously unknown to him, giving Spartan even more incentive to bring Megiddo down. With the bodies piling up from Bosnia to Germany to New York, Will comes ever closer to Megiddo and his lunatic plan of genocide.Matthew Dunn brings his considerable knowledge of espionage to bear in this thrilling novel. Filled with twists and turns, heroism and betrayals, "Spycatcher" brings to the forefront the old adage that "it takes a spy to catch a spy." A first rate novel. If you enjoy espionage and thrillers, you simply must read this offering from Matthew Dunn.
    • 1/5
      Trolling through my tags, I found 'Spycatcher'. Intrigued as I couldn't remember a thing about it, I checked out the reviews and boom descriptions. Still got nothing. I always make sure I give a book it's stars rating, so in desperation I checked my own rating and found I'd given it 1/2 a star. Conundrum solved. So bad I gave it half a star.
    • 2/5
      Given that the book's author, Matthew Dunn, is a former MI6 field officer, I was hoping for a better book. I didn't get it.The book is slow, laborious, and carries way too many coincidences and cliches. In it, we follow MI6 agent Will Cochrane as he and some CIA agents track down an Iranian officer who's planning a major attack on the West. One of the only links to this man is a beautiful (of course) woman who'd been in a relationship with him years ago, but was cast aside later. Not surprisingly, Will and Lana grow to have feelings for each other. Anyway, the cat and mouse game between the two main characters and the terrorist goes on for 450 pages. One of the major cliches of the book is Will's near invincible body and unending stamina. Of course, he can do everything fast and more accurately than anybody too.If you're a fan of Vince Flynn (RIP), skip this book as it can't hold a candle to Mitch Rapp stories.
    • 1/5
      This book is sure to please anyone who believes that the Bourne and Bond movies are documentaries. Our hero is shot (multiple stomach wounds, a head wound, a shoulder wound), strangled (multiple times), exploded (grenades and a conventional bomb), burned, clubbed, and knifed. Yet he still has the ability to run full speed up a mountain or swim underwater a great distance. He proves to be wrong in several important assumptions. And Dunn models the book seemingly after Last Year at Marienbad: the same chases and confrontations appear over and over again. A 100-page haircut would do wonders. Dunn is a former MI-6 agent, and there is a certain behind-the-scenes veracity to the book. That will be bad news to recruiters given the absurdity in these pages. This is a first novel and it never should have seen the light of day.
    • 2/5
      **Spoiler Alert**Spycatcher is debut novel written by an ex-MI6 (British CIA) spy. Ultimately, I think ‘debut’ is the key word, i.e. not that great but nice try.As a thriller, this book was far from being a page-turner, not at the beginning, not even the last quarter of the book. I literally read a few pages and put it down throughout the entire book. Nothing was grasping me – which does not make it a ‘thriller’.The spy story itself, centered around Will Cochrane, was predictable, non-thrilling (did I already say this), flat, relatively straightforward. I kept looking for nuggets that gets my adrenaline up a bit, but none presented itself. Repeat: Spoiler AlertThe ending was a triple annoyance. 1) Numero Uno bad guy, Megiddo, actually made a mistake about Will’s father and their two families are in fact not intertwined. It was such an unnecessary arc and diminishes Megiddo’s uber-bad guy strategist reputation. The encounter was short with a shoot-them up ending, old-western style no less. (my eyes are rolling)2) The ‘female’ of the book, Lana, was so EASILY talked down and converted in 14 minutes, tossing away a near-lifetime devotion to Megiddo. Such a slap to the female conviction and entirely too trivial to end the final stand-off. (Yawn!)3) The well-connected second mastermind, Harry, was recruited to the next assignment. I have a serious pet-peeve against book endings that are designed for more stories. Shouldn’t all books simply stand as great books in and of itself without the need to leave overtly obvious hooks? I was also skeptical of the ‘love’ story arc between Will and Lana. I didn’t trust Lana, nor did I believe Will can truly walk away from the spy life – even though he revisited this many times over. I found that entire arc to be an inconvenient nuisance or perhaps simply poorly written. Ok, I gave it 2 stars so there must be something worthwhile. Here they are: A) I was much more fascinated with the background stories of Will Cochrane – what happened to him and his family members that formed and forged his core, and his personal mental and physical strength that fortified him to be the man he is today. In addition, his learning of his dad’s true past and the hidden guidance from the two men that he didn’t know participate in his life to the extent that they have. These background stories were far stronger than the spy story. (It almost felt as though the backstory is the true core of the book, and the spy story is loosely stretched to wrap around the backstory.)B) The compadre and cohesiveness of the CIA team, led by Roger with Ben, Julian, and Laith – all working with Will, were very well presented. It’s a well-oiled engine and their movements, actions, and the ultimate sacrifice for two of them, made this otherwise flat story much more tolerable. C) Brownie points that the top spy is codenamed the “Spartan”. Ok, I just like the codename. :PQuotes:These two quotes were found in different portions of the book, but I found their correlation to be powerful.A boy’s mind goes dark… forever, in an effort to protect his mom and his sister:“…He had always been scared of this knife, but now that he held it for the first time it felt so light and innocent in his hand. He convinced himself that it would not be scary enough for the big men in the other room. He decided it wasn’t the knife that mattered but the hand carrying it. He walked back into the room. He felt energized but no longer himself. He felt as if everywhere around him was on fire but only he could feel no heat or pain. He felt a blackness descend upon his mind. He looked at the men and smiled. And then he destroyed them.”Will reflecting on who he was and who has become: “…The boy now angry, scared, and alone. The boy changing into a man who had no fear, who embraced isolation, anger, and death and nothing else…”
    • 4/5
      pretty good but predictable at the end
    • 2/5
      It comes to the attention of MI5 and the CIA that the new Evil Empire, Iran, is planning a massive attack on either England or the USA. The Iranian agent in charge must be found and the plot stopped, or thousands will die. To find the him, the two governments turn to Will Cochrane, code name Spartan. He is the only person who has ever successfully completed a super secret training mission to earn this title and, along with a small number of US special forces men, heads off to cities throughout Europe and the US chasing, down the monster who would set off this terrible act and, he hopes, set off a world war.OK, I did not like this book for so many reasons.They fooled me. I read the description that said that because this was written by an actual former MI5 agent, this book would portray a realistic view of spy work. Well, in that the whole middle of the book was boring and repetitious, that may be true. Get on a plane...fly to another city...chase a bunch of bad guys, kill them...off to another city..Oh, but that brings up another issue. In everyone of these incidents, Will seems to get injured. There are the three bullets to his stomach that opens the book, then the gunshot to his shoulder in another fights and the knife sized shards of glass in his legs. I could go on. But not to worry! Those three shots. One day in a secret medical facility and Will is good enough to get on a plane and start his new mission. True, he did feel a bit sick..after three bullets to his stomach! That bullet to the shoulder, which at first renders his arm useless...a soldier takes it out, after it bounces off his bone...and he is right as rain. Shards of glass in your legs. No problem, never mentioned again. It seems he has extraordinary healing powers...OK...Except for a handful of lead characters, everyone is about as deep as a one line description, as thin as cardboard. The dialogue is wooden and unrealistic. Will's talks with his CIA handler are so unrealistic, so flowery, that they belong in a bad romance moves..and I mean bad. I can see the guy reading this, because I assume the target audience for a spy thriller like this is largely men, throwing the book across the room at this point.Sadly, I could go on. Bad plot, bad dialogue, unrealistic or cardboard characters.At best, if I had to describe this book in one word, it would be amateurish . I finished the book, sort of. Big skimming, because I was a bit curious how it would end. I should not have bothered.Usually, I would not have reviewed the book because of that.Then why am I this time?Well, I see this book getting a lot of publicity, a lot of ad space. I have seem written, in a few places, that the publisher sees this as the first in a series starring Will Cochrane. If so, you might foresee that I will not be reading those. But you, my dear reader may see it out there, with the push it is getting and may be tempted to buy it with your hard earned money. I must suggest that you do not.Ignore the blurb on the cover from Lee Child, an author I respect and enjoy, that calls this "one of the year's best thriller debuts". And ignore the author's interview on Amazon by Jeffrey Deaver.Really guys..really..did you read the same book? I really have to wonder. I must say, I am not trusting your opinion anymore.Note to self. Ignore blurbs.
    • 3/5
      Matthew Dunn, former MI6 field officer, has produced a first novel that rings with authenticity and ushers the hero into the most contemporary of situations. A fast-paced page turner that will keep you up all night, reading. Definitely an author to watch.
    • 5/5
      If you only read one spy novel all summer, this has to be the one. Will Cochrane, code name Spartan, of MI6 is British intelligence's secret weapon. He is known only to his handler and the British Prime Minister. When the stakes are too high, the mission seems impossible, and losing is not an option, they give the assignment to Spartan. Once given a mission, he will not stop, regardless of the body count, until it is accomplished or he is dead. It seems nothing can stop this juggernaut, until he is faced with the assignment of capturing the terrorist who threatens the lives of thousands of innocent people and the possible start of a world war. It turns out that this same master spy had brutally tortured and murdered Will's father when Will was just a young boy. Finding and killing this man while avenging his father's death has been a driving force throughout Will's life. It has caused him to become the most efficient and deadly spy in the world. Can he keep his emotions under control long enough to accomplish his most important mission? This book is very well written. It flows smoothly and quickly as the action keeps coming and the bodies pile up. There are more than sufficient plot twists to keep you guessing until the end of the book and leave you yearning for more. This book was provided by the Amazon Vine program and the well read folks at William Morrow publishing.
    • 4/5
      Spycatcher: A Novel is very different from what I expected it to be. This modern day spy thriller was written by Matthew Dunn, himself a veteran of Britain’s MI6, so I expected that the novel would be more realistic than most others of this genre. I was only partially right in that assumption. Dunn’s rendering of the relationship between the various intelligence agencies (American and British, primarily) and the way that complicated missions are so precisely coordinated rings true for the most part. Realism, however, does not appear to have been Dunn’s chief objective for Spycatcher.MI6 agent Will Cochrane is more superhero than human being. This man apparently heals faster, and is able to tolerate more pain, than anyone else on the face of the Earth. Within hours of taking three bullets to the stomach (and resigning himself to fact of his impending death), Cochrane is traveling back to the U.K. on a new mission for the American and British governments. This new mission will take its own physical toll on Cochrane but he will again walk away from injuries (and tolerate unbearable levels of pain) that would kill, or at least disable anyone else for days, if not for weeks.Surprisingly, however, this combination of realism and traditional James Bond style heroism works pretty well. Cochrane is charged with capturing an Iranian terrorist before the man can trigger a major event in either the U.K. or the United States. He does not know the terrorist’s name, his whereabouts, or any specifics of the man’s plan; he does not even know in which of two countries the attack will occur. Watching Cochrane pull together a team to track down the terrorist is fascinating because the man they are trying to find is every bit as clever as anyone on the team searching for him. The search, in fact, becomes a game of cat and mouse in which the roles of the two men are sometimes reversed as the terrorist begins to manipulate Cochrane’s efforts to locate him.I enjoyed Spycatcher largely because Cochrane has more personal depth than a James Bond type character. He is a man filled with personal conflicts that go back to his childhood and early teen years, years during which both his parents were shockingly snatched from him. Now, he is dedicated to protecting those unable to protect themselves, leaving him no time for personal relationships. His job with MI6 is his whole world.My only complaint about the novel concerns its climax – a complaint that I will not attempt to detail because, to do so, would require me to spoil the ending for those who have not yet read the book. I will simply say that a key decision made by one of the book’s main characters at the very end is so farfetched that it taints my overall impression of the book. I am willing to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy all the thriller aspects of Spycatcher, but this one scene is just too much to overlook.That said, if you enjoy spy thrillers, and are looking for a new author and a new superspy, Spycatcher is for you.Rated at: 3.5
    • 2/5
      usuall spy story nothing to leave home for
    • 5/5
      Matthew Dunn’s Spycatcher is undoubtedly the best written, most exiting, and original spy thriller of the past decade. It is filled with drama, with twists and turns. Each of his fifty-three chapters has new developments, thrills, suspense, and excitements. Dunn is a former MI6 field officer who conducted seventy-six missions, all successfully. He knows his craft as he demonstrates in his book. Will Cochrane, the hero, is a seasoned MI6 agent, groomed years back, unbeknownst to him, by MI6 and CIA senior spies. He was tarnished in his youth by two events – the brutal murder of his heroic father after a long period of torture, and the death of his innocent mother. He was hardened, to his surprise, by his swift response against his mother’s attackers who, although he was just a boy, he killed. He grew up seeking revenge against his father’s murderer and a strong, seemingly opposite feeling of wanting to protect and help the innocent, as he protected his mother.He served, as a young man, in the harshest segment of the French Foreign Legion and became accustomed to facing and not fearing imminent death. He became proficient is making swift proper responses. Then recruited by MI6, he attended college and became a field agent. Now seasoned, with scars across many body part, the results of knife and bullet wounds, he is indispensible to MI6 and the CIA. Yet he tells his handlers that he follows no man’s orders; he does what he thinks is right to accomplish his mission. So far he has succeeded, so while they don’t like his independence, they allow it.The two nations turn to him to save the world. Chatter on the internet reveals that a brilliant highly competent but vicious Iranian maniac intends to inflict catastrophic harm to either the US or Britain. But no one know who the maniac is, where he is, and when, where, how, and why he intends to do it. But he seems to be a highly-placed agent in Iran’s secret service. He may be the man who murdered Cochran’s father. MI6 is unable to assign agents to help Cochran because they are protecting England’s important sites. The CIA gives him four superbly trained men from Delta Forces and Seals, among others. Cochran travels through many countries and meets many people, including a woman who he feels he could marry and finally settle down with. But who can he trust?