Listen free for 30 days
-
The Night Manager
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £31.49
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Little Drummer Girl
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this enthralling and thought-provoking novel of Middle Eastern intrigue, Charlie, a brilliant and beautiful young actress, is lured into ‘the theatre of the real’ by an Israeli intelligence officer. Forced to play her ultimate role, she is plunged into a deceptive and delicate trap set to ensnare an elusive Palestinian terrorist.
-
-
Superb. lé Carre at his best
- By Janine on 02-06-14
-
The Tailor of Panama
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Pendel is the charismatic proprietor of Pendel and Braithwaite Limitada of Panama, through whose doors everyone who is anyone in Central America passes. Andrew Osnard, mysterious and fleshy, is a spy. His secret mission is two-pronged: to keep a watchful eye on the political manoeuvrings leading up to the American handover of the Panama Canal on 31st December 1999; and to secure for himself the immense private fortune that has until now churlishly eluded him.
-
-
Another great story, another great narration!
- By Mr. Henry Gray on 19-03-18
-
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mr George Smiley is small, podgy, and at best, middle-aged. He is disillusioned, wrestles with idleness, and has been deserted by his beautiful wife. He is also compassionate, ruthless, and a senior British intelligence officer in short-lived retirement from the Circus, the British Secret Service organisation situated in London. But Moscow centre has infiltrated a mole into the Circus, and it's more than likely the perpetrator is Karla, Smiley's old adversary and his opposite number in Moscow.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic - loved it!
- By ella on 11-05-15
-
The Constant Gardener
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The beautiful Tessa Quayle is murdered near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, the birthplace of mankind. And her putative African lover and travelling companion has vanished from the scene of the crime. Tessa’s husband, a career diplomat and amateur gardener at the British High Commission in Nairobi, sets out on a personal odyssey in pursuit of the killers and their motive. On his way he meets terror, violence, and conspiracy, but his greatest discovery is the woman he barely had time to love.
-
-
Emotional, addictive and typical Le Carre
- By JG on 30-11-14
-
The Russia House
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the third summer of perestroika. Niki Landau, philanderer and travelling rep, attends the first Moscow audio fair and is asked by beautiful young Katya to take a parcel back to England. It’s addressed to Barley Blair, jazz-player and drinker, and contains information vital to the defence of the West. But times and heroes are changing. And Barley Blair is a man who makes his own rules of engagement.
-
-
Well read in a strong believable voice.
- By MR DAVID I SUTTON on 18-01-18
-
Absolute Friends
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The friends of the title are Ted Mundy, British soldier’s son born 1947 in a new independent Pakistan, and Sasha, refugee son of an East German Lutheran pastor and his wife who have sought sanctuary in the West.
The two men meet first as students in riot-torn West Berlin of the late 60s, again in the grimy looking-glass of Cold War espionage and, most terribly, in today’s world of terror. Spanning 56 years, Absolute Friends is a savage fable of our times.
-
-
Absolute
- By bignewshound on 18-11-15
-
The Little Drummer Girl
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this enthralling and thought-provoking novel of Middle Eastern intrigue, Charlie, a brilliant and beautiful young actress, is lured into ‘the theatre of the real’ by an Israeli intelligence officer. Forced to play her ultimate role, she is plunged into a deceptive and delicate trap set to ensnare an elusive Palestinian terrorist.
-
-
Superb. lé Carre at his best
- By Janine on 02-06-14
-
The Tailor of Panama
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Pendel is the charismatic proprietor of Pendel and Braithwaite Limitada of Panama, through whose doors everyone who is anyone in Central America passes. Andrew Osnard, mysterious and fleshy, is a spy. His secret mission is two-pronged: to keep a watchful eye on the political manoeuvrings leading up to the American handover of the Panama Canal on 31st December 1999; and to secure for himself the immense private fortune that has until now churlishly eluded him.
-
-
Another great story, another great narration!
- By Mr. Henry Gray on 19-03-18
-
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mr George Smiley is small, podgy, and at best, middle-aged. He is disillusioned, wrestles with idleness, and has been deserted by his beautiful wife. He is also compassionate, ruthless, and a senior British intelligence officer in short-lived retirement from the Circus, the British Secret Service organisation situated in London. But Moscow centre has infiltrated a mole into the Circus, and it's more than likely the perpetrator is Karla, Smiley's old adversary and his opposite number in Moscow.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic - loved it!
- By ella on 11-05-15
-
The Constant Gardener
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The beautiful Tessa Quayle is murdered near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, the birthplace of mankind. And her putative African lover and travelling companion has vanished from the scene of the crime. Tessa’s husband, a career diplomat and amateur gardener at the British High Commission in Nairobi, sets out on a personal odyssey in pursuit of the killers and their motive. On his way he meets terror, violence, and conspiracy, but his greatest discovery is the woman he barely had time to love.
-
-
Emotional, addictive and typical Le Carre
- By JG on 30-11-14
-
The Russia House
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the third summer of perestroika. Niki Landau, philanderer and travelling rep, attends the first Moscow audio fair and is asked by beautiful young Katya to take a parcel back to England. It’s addressed to Barley Blair, jazz-player and drinker, and contains information vital to the defence of the West. But times and heroes are changing. And Barley Blair is a man who makes his own rules of engagement.
-
-
Well read in a strong believable voice.
- By MR DAVID I SUTTON on 18-01-18
-
Absolute Friends
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The friends of the title are Ted Mundy, British soldier’s son born 1947 in a new independent Pakistan, and Sasha, refugee son of an East German Lutheran pastor and his wife who have sought sanctuary in the West.
The two men meet first as students in riot-torn West Berlin of the late 60s, again in the grimy looking-glass of Cold War espionage and, most terribly, in today’s world of terror. Spanning 56 years, Absolute Friends is a savage fable of our times.
-
-
Absolute
- By bignewshound on 18-11-15
-
Our Game
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 48, Tim Cranmer is a secret servant in retirement, free to devote himself to his manor house, his vineyard and his young mistress, Emma. But a rival in love disappears with Emma, and Tim sets off in pursuit.
-
-
I could listen to Michael Jayston all day.
- By Kirsty Lloyd on 20-07-15
-
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alec Leamas has ended his time in Berlin. Or his time has ended him. The last of his Eastern agents has been killed, like the others, by the Abteilung. Back at the Circus, Leamas is put on the shelf. He turns to drunkenness and dishonesty and finally disappears from view, a seemingly broken man. But unknown to anyone except George Smiley and his master, Control, Leamas has been given his toughest mission ever. He will have to be himself but more so.
-
-
The book that came in from the cd.
- By S. Thomas on 23-12-12
-
Something Fresh
- By: P. G. Wodehouse
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cecil
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The one thing that could be expected to disturb the peace of life at Blandings is the incursion of imposters. And Blandings has imposters like other houses have mice. On this occasion, there are two of them: both intent on a dangerous enterprise.
-
-
Breathtaking
- By Seimon on 25-06-09
-
A Small Town in Germany
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The British Embassy in Bonn is up in arms. Her Majesty's financially troubled government is seeking admission to Europe's Common Market just as anti-British factions are rising to power in Germany. Rioters are demanding reunification, and the last thing the Crown can afford is a scandal. Then Leo Harting - an embassy nobody - goes missing with a case full of confidential files. London sends Alan Turner to control the damage, but he soon realises that neither side really wants Leo found - alive.
-
-
A small town in Germany
- By Roy on 19-04-18
-
A Delicate Truth
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: John le Carré
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A counter-terror operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted in Britain's most precious colony, Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms-buyer. Its authors: an ambitious Foreign Office Minister, and a private defence contractor who is also his close friend. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister's Private Secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it.
-
-
Outstanding writing and narration
- By Al on 14-05-13
-
Single & Single
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A corporate lawyer from the House of Single & Single is shot dead on a Turkish hillside for crimes that he does not understand. A children’s entertainer in Devon is hauled to his local bank late at night to explain a monumental influx of cash. A Russian freighter is arrested in the Black Sea.... The logical connection of these events and more is one of the many pleasures of this story of love, deceit, family and the triumph of humanity.
-
-
single but not alone
- By peter on 01-11-12
-
Wild Justice
- By: Wilbur Smith
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The hijacking of a jumbo jet off the Seychelles galvanises antiterrorist chief Peter Stride into the action for which he has spent a lifetime training. But even in the hail of bullets which follows, he knows that this is only the beginning of a nightmare. Stride is the one man who might find the twisted genius who holds the world hostage - if only his every move were not anticipated by the enemy....
-
-
Wild Justice
- By A Wagener on 05-01-21
-
A Perfect Spy
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Magnus Pym, counsellor at the British Embassy in Vienna, has suddenly vanished, believed defected. The chase is on for a missing husband, a devoted father, and a life-time secret agent. Pym's life, it is revealed, is entirely made up of secrets. The race is on to find the perfect spy.
-
-
Fascinating insight into the mind of a spy
- By S J Dolding on 13-04-13
-
The Mission Song
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: David Oyelowo
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bruno Salvador has worked on clandestine missions before. A highly skilled interpreter, he is not a stranger to the Official Secrets Act. But this is the first time he has been asked to change his identity – and, worse still, his clothes – in service of his country.
-
-
Not particularly enjoyable
- By Tomcat on 02-07-15
-
Agent Running in the Field
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: John le Carré
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nat, a 47-year-old veteran of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie.
-
-
Dire
- By P. Savage on 25-01-20
-
The Pigeon Tunnel
- Stories from My Life
- By: John le Carré
- Narrated by: John le Carré
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'Out of the secret world I once knew, I have tried to make a theatre for the larger worlds we inhabit. First comes the imagining, then the search for reality. Then back to the imagining, and to the desk where I'm sitting now.' The Pigeon Tunnel, John le Carré's memoir and his first work of nonfiction, is a thrilling journey into the worlds of his 'secret sharers' - the men and women who inspired some of his most enthralling novels - and a testament to the author's extraordinary engagement with the last half century.
-
-
Enjoyable and Interesting life story
- By Mr Lee Rudd on 17-11-16
-
Hungry as the Sea
- By: Wilbur Smith
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robbed of his wife and ousted from his huge shipping empire, Nick Berg is hell-bent on vengeance. It is the sea which gives him his opportunity. When his arch-rival's luxury liner is trapped in the tempestuous Antarctic, Nick stakes all to pit his powerful salvage tug, the Warlock, in a desperate race against time and the elements....
-
-
Hungry as the sea
- By Amazon Customer on 21-09-19
Summary
Relentless, gritty and full of unexpected twists, The Night Manager is John le Carré's 14th novel, and it is every bit as enthralling as his earlier works, like the best-selling The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The night manager is Jonathan, a veteran of clandestine operations. In flight from a failed marriage and his own past, he has taken refuge in the luxury hotel trade. Yet he finds no escape from his demons. Driven by a desire for atonement and by an inherited patriotism, Jonathan allows himself to be recruited as a British secret agent with a mission to expose the murderer of the woman he himself betrayed. His odyssey takes him across Britain and Canada to the Caribbean and the jungles of Panama. But there are more treacherous jungles still in Whitehall and Washington.
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about The Night Manager
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nils
- 07-04-15
Demands your attention, then rewards
So well-researched, so eloquently written, such a convincing story. Lots of moral indignation at political cynicism and piercing characterisations. This was my second listen to this book as I did not give it my full attention the first time around.
Well worth the time!
53 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Eileen
- 10-05-12
A classic Le Carré
As usual from Le Carré a well paced thriller, drawing the eader into the psychological And intellectual aspects of the plot, it's a contempory account of political and criminal intrigue, the lines between good and bad, political manouverings and the expediency of the hero caught up in all of this is a common theme in Le Carrés books, but I think it is well done here. Definitely worth a listen. Great narration as well, always crucial to the enjoyment of a good listen!
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rachel Redford
- 07-03-16
Two can keep a secret only if one of them is dead
The ingredients of le Carre's 1993 novel may sound like spy thriller clichés - 50 million pound arms and drugs trafficking deals; complex agency and turf wars; exotic settings; killings, torture and near-killings; guns and more guns ... But this is le Carre who weaves these elements into a sophisticated narrative where every sentence is finely honed, the whole is cinematic and satisfyingly detailed and even the repugnant characters are irresistibly intriguing. The Night Manager of the hotel initially in Cairo, Jonathan Pine, is drawn into a complex plot of dangerous espionage and counter-spying in order to nail the vilely wealthy Onslow Roper not merely for his vast arms for cocaine trading but also for the part he played in the death of Sophie, the woman he loved.
The danger in this kind of novel is that a high-speed plot is all and the characters are one-dimensional, but this is not Le Carre's way. What makes Jonathan and the other characters we care about, such as Roper's English mistress Jed whom Jonathan comes to love, is their back stories which are deftly interwoven and which have no place in the television adaptation. Jonathan has an 'unsleeping past', neglected as a child and damaged by his relationships with women, which is recalled in brief, intriguing flashes inside his head, many of the incidents and feelings clearly taken from le Carre's own experiences. (Listening to Adam Sisman's Biography of le Carre downloadable from Audible makes enlightening background to le Carre's fiction). In the same way, Jed in her 'dressed nakedness' so fatally attractive to Jonathan is made a real woman trying to slough off a reckless, damaging past, not merely Roper's whore dressed by him in staggeringly costly dresses and decked in flashy jewellery as may appear on screen. There's a great deal of humour too - dark, cruel, satirical but funny - and a wealth of tiny details in description which make the listener focus on the close-up of the everyday as well as the wide sweeps of violence and intrigue, such as the little rabbits on a child's slippers.
The real star of this download is the narrator Michael Jayston. As the action races across continents including the Bahamas, Africa, Panama, Switzerland and a vast list of characters engage in fast-paced dialogue, Jayston has every accent right, every nuance, every mood captured, every cinematic scene fully but subtly exploited. It is quite remarkable and makes the whole listening experience something which a television adaptation however faithful, cannot be.
35 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tim
- 22-02-16
Outstanding
Not only up to the usual John Le Carre standards but as ever brilliantly read by Michael Jayston. His characterisations are fantastic. The BBC has just started to sir a new version of The Night Manager and having watched one so far I can say that for my money the book and this narration are an order of magnitude better. Don't spoil the book by watching the BBC edition, get this audible version instead.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C. M. E. Beckingham
- 23-08-13
State of the Art Spy Fiction.
A contemporary tale from arguably the number one spy fiction writer ever. Gripping, compelling, believable, exciting.... in fact everything you expect and want from this genre is delivered with aplomb.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ms Cherry P Heinrich
- 02-04-16
Satisfying comparisons
I chose this original novel to listen to after watching the TV series. The comparisons are interesting not least because I have always previously given up on audio dramatisations of Le Carre's fiction because I've been unable to sufficiently distinguish the many different male characters. The TV version was appealing in part because of the realistically portrayed female characters, especially Angela (not Leonard) Burr. This original novel is darker, complex in a good way and although I find the lack of a believable female perspective irritating the writing is superb and I became totally immersed in the twists and turns. The ending mystified me. The narrator is practically perfect, I just substituted Olivia Coleman's voice in my head every time Burr speaks!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Claire Wright
- 13-08-14
A great listen.
What did you like most about The Night Manager?
Strong characterisation and a gripping storyline with a huge sweep of locations. As usual Le Carre handles the atmospheres brilliantly.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Night Manager?
The build up if suspense at the end of the book is momentous.
Have you listened to any of Michael Jayston’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Yes and this is one of his best. He seems to have a great affinity to Le Carre's characters.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paul J.
- 19-06-19
Tedious played at 2x to get through it
It was a 2 for 1 offer and I had never read John Le Carre previously. I wish I hadn’t. Just too dated and not credible. I could add further negatives but you get the point. Not recommended.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Beenz 7
- 07-11-19
Simply superb
Michael Jayston makes the most of le Carré’s riveting story. His voice - or rather, voices, accents and timing are spot on - I can’t think of better. I will listen to it again and probably again. Bravo!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mark
- 09-08-16
Brilliant..... But the end!?
Amazing in depth writing and gripping story but for all the detail and procrastination the end came too soon. Almost as if the author had gotten bored and didn't bother to finish with the same deep storytelling
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Merle
- 04-09-12
a masterpiece, the arms trade monster
John le Carre always draws the reader into the story he is telling, I kept questioning my own perceptions of where the law should or shouldn't apply. Supply meeting demand, and the people who are willing to be facilitators, create the monster in our midst with our tacit tolerance. A powerful story!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Fox
- 06-09-16
Lovely
I read books by John Le Carre before so I was quite ready for the slow pace. However this book still took me ages to finish. I think that this plot will work better as a tv show (which I'm yet to watch) but as a book it is a bit too contemplative and not engaging enough to keep you on the edge of the seat if you are expecting a James Bond type of spy novel. It is not. It never is with Le Carre as far as I can tell.
Even though I did enjoy listening to it, I expected an edgier and more twisted ending.