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    When Eight Bells Toll
    When Eight Bells Toll
    When Eight Bells Toll
    Audiobook10 hours

    When Eight Bells Toll

    Written by Alistair MacLean

    Narrated by Jonathan Oliver

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From the acclaimed master of action and suspense. The all time classic

    Millions of pounds in gold bullion are being pirated in the Irish Sea. Investigations by the British Secret Service, and a sixth sense, have bought Philip Calvert to a bleak, lonely bay in the Western Highlands. But the sleepy atmosphere of Torbay is deceptive. The place is the focal point of many mysterious disappearances. Even the unimaginative Highland Police Sergeant seems to be acting a part. But why?

    This story is Alistair MacLean at his enthralling best. It has all the edge-of-the-seat suspense and dry humour that millions of readers have devoured for years.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 7, 2017
    ISBN9780008260750
    Author

    Alistair MacLean

    Alistair MacLean, the son of a minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy. After the war he read English at Glasgow University and became a teacher. Two and a half years spent aboard a wartime cruiser gave him the background for HMS Ulysses, his remarkably successful first novel, published in 1955. He is now recognized as one of the outstanding popular writers of the 20th century, the author of 29 worldwide bestsellers, many of which have been filmed.

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    Reviews for When Eight Bells Toll

    4.5/5

    22 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A well-written, edge-of-your-seat, page-turner of a book, an action novel with intelligence, and nothing superfluous to bog down the narrative. Excellent and highly recommended, my best Alistair MacLean read to date.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This book was pretty good, but not MacLean's best. It's an action/thriller set at sea featuring British Secret Service agent Peter Calvert and his boss, Admiral Sir Arthur Arnford-Jason, called Uncle Arthur for some reason. Calvert is witty, but is also a cold blooded killer. He's also a bit of a misogynist, although that may be a product of the book's publication time of the 1960s more than anything.The opening scene is spectacular, one of the best I've read. It really leaves you breathless. People are trying to kill Calvert. Why? Who? Well, as is the case with most MacLean heroes, Calvert displays superhuman skills and stamina to get to those trying to get to him. A plot is uncovered, a piracy plot, in which people and ships are disappearing, people get murdered, and a helicopter he's in gets shot down. One thing that frustrated me about the book, though, was that you don't really have a clue what it's all about until you're about two thirds of the way through it. By that time, you might be irritated you've read so far without having been told what's going on. Calvert, though, seems to know a lot and likes to tell people what's going on, even after Uncle Arthur has said things about need to know. He has his reasons though. Of course, with most MacLean novels, there's a twist at the end of the book, although I found it a bit convoluted. Call me a dullard and I won't take offense. I just had to read extra carefully to make sense of it all. Another thing that bothered me was the plot seemed just so unrealistic. I don't see how anyone would have done what was done in this novel. Too much chance to plan realistically. Still, it lends itself toward excitement. Whatever my complaints, this book is action packed and rarely slow. Lots of violence, if that's your thing. It's very similar, I think, to a James Bond film -- just more violent. Think of the era of publication and it makes sense. Recommended? Yes.
    • 5/5
      A suspense-filled tale with the usual MacLean twists and turns. The writing has a lot of humor and the narrator, Jonathan Oliver, was excellent. I highly recommend this book.