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The Year of the Locust

The Sunday Times bestselling novel from the author of I AM PILGRIM

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The Year of the Locust

By: Terry Hayes
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A Financial Times Best Thriller of the Year 2023

If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot.

But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...

‘Utterly gripping, elegantly written... most definitely worth the wait’ Observer
'Epic and immersive, new and unexpected... deep and compelling' Mail on Sunday
'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' Telegraph

Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

©2023 Terry Hayes (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Espionage International Mystery & Crime Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Exciting Heartfelt Iran
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Critic reviews

Worth the wait... an often captivating, mass-market adventure story that's mostly more treat than trick (James Owen)
Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge (Jake Kerridge)
'[Hayes] is brilliant at action and military technology' (John Dugdale)
Epic and immersive, new and unexpected, and his research into spycraft is deep and compelling
Brilliant on the way agents operate and how the US spies on the world
Compelling, nerve-jangling and breathlessly exciting... Totally immersive
An absolutely nail biter of a thriller
Move over Jason Bourne. CIA operative Kane redefines the smart but vulnerable bad ass super spy in this dazzling cat-and-mouse thriller where the entire globe is a chessboard, and everyone’s playing for keeps (Lisa Gardner)
Has all the cinematic sweep and verve as Hayes' debut... just as enthralling
With vivid descriptions, some terrific action sequences and lashings of suspense, the book ticks all the boxes necessary for a superior geopolitical thriller
All stars
Most relevant
Like many other reviewers, I’ve been anticipating Terry Hayes second book for a long time. I have to say that this is nowhere near the quality of ‘I am Pilgrim’ and I think the delay may be a reflection of how hard an act to follow that book is. It’s virtually impossible to define the genre of this one. Much of it just seems to be a sequence of ‘this happened and then this happened’ and so on, with very little clear direction of where it was going. It wasn’t until the submarine was introduced that I felt there was a story to tell. It was a good story but so much of the hours of preamble could have been condensed because it didn’t seem to add much to the main plot. It is well written and is a combination of science fiction and spy thriller. Perhaps someone will produce an abridged version focusing on one or the other. Jeff Harding’s narration is tolerable until he characterises females when, frankly, I’d like to punch him in the face! It’s not just this book, it’s any book he reads. He’s utterly clueless as to how women speak. Audible, you really need to pair him with a female voice actor.
Although I contemplated returning the book at several points, I’m glad I persevered and I would urge others to do the same.

I still dont know what to makes of this book.

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What a fantastic book I just hope you’re next book isn’t too far away. Really enjoyed it great story and narration I just didn’t want it too end.

Worth waiting for all those years since Pilgrim

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As a lover of I am Pilgrim I have been waiting for this book for years and was not disappointed. Great storytelling and the way the characters are described and built I became immediately invested in them.

I did not expect the ‘twist’ in the middle and did wonder what was going on for a while, but the plot and characterisations progressed so well that I just embraced it and carried on. Suspect there may be some science geeks rolling their eyes at this point, but this book entertained and engaged me almost as much as his last.

I hope there isn’t such a long wait for the next.

Not entirely what I was expecting, but loved it!

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Time travel and alien spores? I was gutted it wasn't a sequel to I Am Pilgrim.. I finished it, but i wouldn't recommend it :(

I wished it was I Am Pilgrim 2 :(

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An engaging novel with many turns that lead the listener to a new and unexpected part of the story. A good second novel

Twisting turning plot

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