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Ascension

an absolutely gripping BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club pick

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Ascension

By: Oliver Harris
Narrated by: James Langton
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About this listen

A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick 2021.

Three friends from a mission many years ago reconnect when one of them dies in mysterious circumstances on remote Ascension Island. Rory Bannatyne had been tasked with tapping a new transatlantic data cable, but a day before he was due to return home, he is found hanged. When Kathryn Taylor, on the South Atlantic MI5 desk, begs ex-spy Elliot Kane to go over and investigate, he can't say no, but it's an uneasy reintroduction to the intelligence game.

Entirely isolated from the world, the disappearance of a young girl on the island at the same time as Rory's death means local tensions are high. Elliot needs to discover what happened to her as well as to Rory. But the island contains more secrets than even the government knows, and it's not going to give them up without a fight.

©2021 Oliver Harris (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Espionage Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

"Oliver Harris' Ascension is a stunner. What a pleasure it is to read a book with a powerful story, an unusual and fully realised setting, a convincing hero, all written in a style of luminous clarity." (Philip Pullman)

"A fascinating tale of modern espionage in a unique setting." (Irish Independent)
All stars
Most relevant
Fantastic stuff. Oliver Harris' books are generally excellent, and this is no exception. Enjoy.

Excellent

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Really enjoyed this. It’s a bit different to the previous Elliot Kane novel, but there are so many good twists and turns.

Great thriller

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A real romp! Spies and murder and missing children, a heady mix. I've been a fan of Oliver Harris since reading The Hollow Man, this does not disappoint.

Well researched, interesting for that reason alone.

The plot is stretched a little at the end, however the entertainment lading up to that point more than compensates.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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Great details of life on Ascension Island and another outing for spy Elliot Kane. However, I found the story tailed off towards the end and seemed to lose credibility. But overall a good follow up to Shadow Intelligence, just not as gripping.

Good follow up to Shadow Intelligence

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Certainly not as good as the first novel. It seemed to speak to the audience as if they knew nothing about MI6 or the world of espionage and often stated the obvious, something I haven’t experienced in previous Harris novels, having now read at least five. Didn’t like the narrators style or pace and listened at 1.1, which made it tolerable. Nevertheless it was enjoyable and worth listening to.

Ascension

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