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Black 13

The Most Explosive Thriller You'll Read All Year, from author of White Fire

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Black 13

By: Adam Hamdy
Narrated by: Jot Davies
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Summary

'A terrific thriller' – James Patterson

'A new benchmark for the modern spy thriller' – Peter James

An exiled agent. A growing threat. A clandestine war.

Addictive and fast-paced, Black 13 is the brilliant first thriller in the Scott Pearce series from Sunday Times bestselling author Adam Hamdy. Ex-MI6 officer Pearce is about to show us that, in a world where there is no loyalty to the nation state, it’s time to burn the espionage rule book.

The world is in turmoil and nothing is as it seems. Radical extremists are on the rise, using new threats and new technologies to divide and disrupt. With governments, the military and intelligence agencies being outmanoeuvred at every step, borders are breaking down and the old espionage rules are obsolete. To fight this war a new doctrine is needed and one man will make the difference.

Meet Ex-MI6 agent Scott Pearce.

Off-grid and off the books, Pearce is forced into the fight when he learns of the brutal murder of an old friend. Determined to avenge his death, Pearce assembles a team of trusted ex-colleagues.

It’s time to take the war to those responsible . . .

What authors are saying about Black 13

'A scorching thriller that will make you question where we are as a country . . . and where we might be heading' – Anthony Horowitz, author of Close to Death

'High speed, hi-tech, high octane throughout. Entertaining and thought-provoking' – Amer Anwar, author of Stone Cold Trouble

'Intelligent, globe-trotting adventure thriller that introduces a great new spy hero in Scott Pearce while feeling totally fresh and cutting edge. Loved it' – C. M. Ewan, author of The House Hunt

'Excellent . . . packed with relentless pace and hard-edged thrills' – James Swallow, author of Dark Horizon

 Action & Adventure Espionage Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Revenge War
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Continue the series
Red Wolves cover art
Red Wolves By: Adam Hamdy

Critic reviews

A terrific thriller. The action never flags in Black 13. It. Never. Ever. Stops. Adam Hamdy is a worthy successor to Ludlum and Cussler (James Patterson)
Hamdy sets a new benchmark for the modern spy thriller. Relentless, intelligent, disturbing - and highly addictive. I loved it (Peter James)
Excellent . . . packed with relentless pace and hard-edged thrills (James Swallow)
A scorching thriller that will make you question where we are as a country . . . and where we might be heading (Anthony Horowitz)
Introduces readers to . . . Scott Pearce who looks set to become the British Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher. A stunning book deserving huge success
Hamdy creates smart adrenaline-charged action scenes
Move over Jason Bourne, Scott Pearce is in town. This meticulously researched espionage thriller is at the cutting edge of contemporary and explores the very real and frightening rise of the Far Right. A breathless rollercoaster of a ride. (Fiona Cummins)
The best book I’ve read in a very long time. In this high stakes espionage thriller Scott Pearce is a formidable player who never gives up. Black 13 has TV/film adaptation written all over it (Mari Hannah)
High speed, hi-tech, high octane throughout. Entertaining and thought provoking (Amer Anwar)
A kinetic ride
Bond for the new age: meet former MI6 officer Scott Pearce, a kick-ass and unstoppable maverick. The pacing is whiplash fast. A highly intelligent novel delving into an eerily prescient modern-day threat. Timely, tense, terrifying (K.J. Howe, international bestselling author of Skyjack)
Intelligent, globe-trotting adventure thriller that introduces a great new spy hero in Scott Pearce while feeling totally fresh & cutting edge. Loved it (C M Ewan, author of A Window Breaks)
All stars
Most relevant
Not a bad story. I never felt that the characters had been properly fleshed out. The narration wasn't great unfortunately

Needs a better narrator

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The author's note for Adam Hamdy's novel Black 13 provides insight into his research and writing process. Hamdy explains that he conducted extensive research, including "litmus testing" and online engagement, to develop the novel's intricate story. He notes that the story is intentionally modern and relevant, dealing with themes that could be happening in the real world today. The author's note emphasizes that the novel is not a "ripped from the headlines" story but is consistent with current political and social issues, making the events feel believable and urgent. It also highlights his effort to create a new kind of thriller that moves beyond traditional Cold War espionage tropes, focusing instead on new technologies and contemporary geopolitical threats.

A modern day thriller

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Don’t get me wrong Jot Davies is a great narrator but in this instance I don’t think it worked.
I find his voice too relaxed for this type of book and kept losing track of the story

Wrong narrator for the title

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Many reviews have criticised the narrator but although he’s not the best narrator I’ve got in my Audible library, I think the text he’s been asked to read must take its share of the blame.

Any work of fiction mustn’t move too far away from reality to be believable but during this story Scott Pearce sustained enough injuries to kill a whole battalion of SAS soldiers and yet still came out on top every time. That was just from beatings. He must have had hundreds, if not thousands, of bullets fired at him by professional assassins none of which killed him but I didn’t keep a count of how many people he shot dead or killed with his bare hands.

I like a bit more balance in my thrillers. A bit more cerebral and a bit less crash bang wallop. I stuck it out until the end but I won’t be following Mr Pearce’s progress in the subsequent volumes.

Not all down to the narrator

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I prefer my espionage to have a little more John le Carre-esque subtlety and a little less weaponised gore-soaked action, but the political angle here lends just about enough maturity to elevate it far enough above pure page-turn trash to be worth a go.

Quite a few bad reviews of the narrator, and I agree that Jot Davies has done a better job elsewhere, but he gets better as the book wears on and overall my experience was that it was worth putting up with the early stages.

Overall, entertaining stuff. There’s no doubt the action scenes are compellingly and expertly described.

Overall worthwhile, if a touch far fetched at points, and the narrator takes a while to settle

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