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Defectors

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Defectors

By: Joseph Kanon
Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
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About this listen

 From the bestselling author of Leaving Berlin comes an explosive and richly imagined thriller set in the early days of the Cold War.

SOME SECRETS SHOULD NEVER BE TOLD

Moscow, 1961: With the launch of Sputnik, the Soviet Union's international prestige is at an all-time high. And the most notorious of the defectors to the Soviet Union, former CIA agent Frank Weeks, is about to publish his memoir. What he reveals will send shock waves through the West. Weeks' defection in the early 1950s shook Washington to its core – and forced the resignation of his brother, Simon, from the State Department.

Simon, now a publisher in New York, is given the opportunity to read and publish his brother’s memoir. He knows the US government will never approve the publication of what is clearly intended as KGB propaganda. Yet the offer is irresistible: it will finally give him the chance to learn why his brother chose to betray his country.

But what he discovers in Moscow is far more shocking than he ever imagined . . .

PRAISE FOR JOSEPH KANON:

'Joseph Kanon continues to demonstrate that he is up there with the very best of the current crop of spy thriller writers . . . he is the master of the shadows of the era . . . a frightening, convincing portrait of the state's capacity to control every aspect of the lives of its subjects and even its visitors. Kanon writes beautifully, superbly conveying human sadness and regret' The Times on Defectors

'The critical stock of Joseph Kanon will add further lustre to his reputation . . . There are pleasing echoes here of the "entertainments" of Graham Greene' Guardian on Defectors

'Defectors [is] as readable and suspenseful as the fine espionage novels of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Charles McCarry, Robert Littell, Alan Furst and John Le Carré — and its roller-coaster plot will keep you guessing until the final page' Washington Post

'An excellent tale about secrets, loyalty and betrayal' Sun

'One of the most exciting books I've read in years' Alexander McCall Smithon Leaving Berlin

'Spectacular in every way' Lee Child on Stardust

'Tense and atmospheric, with sinister intrigue' Wall Street Journal on Istanbul Passage Espionage Historical Mystery Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Soviet Union Russia Fiction Stalin Cold War

Critic reviews

‘Kanon is fast approaching the complexity and relevance not just of le Carré and Greene but even of Orwell’
‘Clever, devious and morally complex’
‘The perfect combination of intrigue and accurate history brought to life’ (Alan Furst)
'Sensational! No one writes period fiction with the same style and suspense – not to mention substance – as Joseph Kanon' (Scott Turow)
‘Joseph Kanon owns this corner of the literary landscape and it’s a joy to see him reassert his title with such emphatic authority’ (Lee Child)
All stars
Most relevant
I thought the story was very mediocre to be honest. The performance was good, but the story was third-rate which is unfortunate as I have enjoyed Kanon's previous books.

Average story

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An absolute joy.
Fiendishly plotted, beautifully narrated, and a fascinating window into (a possible) Cold War Moscow.

Gripping story

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