Listen free for 30 days
-
The Sandpit
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Series: Spider Shepherd Thrillers, Book 0.25
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure
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 £25.49
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...
-
Moving Targets
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not all terrorists are driven by religion or politics. Dan "Spider" Shepherd and his SAS team are on the trail of a terrorist whose motives are much more personal. Sabit Kusen wants revenge and doesn’t care how many innocents he kills along the way. Shepherd and his team hunt their quarry around the world - from Athens to Paris to Zurich to Singapore and on to Sydney - but the elusive Kusen is always one step ahead of them. Can Shepherd catch Sabit Kusen before he carries out his most audacious attack? And does he have what it takes to pull the trigger to end the fanatic’s reign of terror?
-
-
Conicidentally
- By Wayne Flint on 12-12-18
-
Russian Roulette
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Russian troops are preparing to cross the border into Belarus, threatening its independence. The only thing facing them are an armed partisan group, but they are poorly trained and will be no match for the Russians. The British government wants an independent Belarus as a buffer against Russian expansion - so Shepherd is despatched with a crack SAS team to help the partisans.
-
-
Great ending
- By Daniel on 04-04-22
-
First Response
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From best-selling writer Stephen Leather comes an utterly addictive all-action thriller in which a huge terrorist threat to the capital can only be stopped by one man. From the best-selling author of the Spider Shepherd and Jack Nightingale series comes First Response, the utterly addictive new thriller by Stephen Leather. London is under siege. Nine men in suicide vests primed to explode hold hostages in nine different locations around the city, and are ready to die for their cause.
-
-
Stunning and so expertly narrated. Oh the pace
- By Gavingks on 14-03-16
-
Takedown
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a British Special Forces soldier goes rogue, carrying out an attack at a US Army base in Syria leading to the death of two men, ex-MI5 controller Charlotte Button is hired to work out what his plan is and to take him down before he can carry it out. When the man returns to the UK, it looks like the threat will be a lot closer to home. Charlotte puts her best man on the case - hitman Lex Harper.
-
-
Emerging From Shepherd's Flock
- By Simon on 02-02-17
-
Standing Alone
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
SAS trooper Matt 'Lastman' Standing is a lethal killing machine with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Plus he's worked with French in the past. It's not a mission he wants, but Standing made a bad choice in his past, and it has come back to haunt him. Now he's hunting French in the lawless Wild West forests of Humboldt County, where the US produces most of its legal - and illegal - cannabis. But French isn't the only predator in the wilderness - there are Mexican cartels, Russian Mafia and Hungarian gangsters - and Standing has to overcome them all to get to his target.
-
-
Gripping
- By David E. on 15-01-22
-
Killing Time
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Billy and Charlie thought their killing days were behind them. They used to be prolific life-takers, but old age finally caught up with them. Now they are ending their days in a dismal nursing home in Blackpool, with only their memories to keep them going. Memories of murder and mutilation. But when Archie turns up at the home, everything changes. Archie is a breath of fresh air, and he puts new life into Billy and Charlie—and before long, they realise that it's time to start killing again.
-
-
Another Masterpiece
- By Mr James on 27-04-22
-
Moving Targets
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not all terrorists are driven by religion or politics. Dan "Spider" Shepherd and his SAS team are on the trail of a terrorist whose motives are much more personal. Sabit Kusen wants revenge and doesn’t care how many innocents he kills along the way. Shepherd and his team hunt their quarry around the world - from Athens to Paris to Zurich to Singapore and on to Sydney - but the elusive Kusen is always one step ahead of them. Can Shepherd catch Sabit Kusen before he carries out his most audacious attack? And does he have what it takes to pull the trigger to end the fanatic’s reign of terror?
-
-
Conicidentally
- By Wayne Flint on 12-12-18
-
Russian Roulette
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Russian troops are preparing to cross the border into Belarus, threatening its independence. The only thing facing them are an armed partisan group, but they are poorly trained and will be no match for the Russians. The British government wants an independent Belarus as a buffer against Russian expansion - so Shepherd is despatched with a crack SAS team to help the partisans.
-
-
Great ending
- By Daniel on 04-04-22
-
First Response
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From best-selling writer Stephen Leather comes an utterly addictive all-action thriller in which a huge terrorist threat to the capital can only be stopped by one man. From the best-selling author of the Spider Shepherd and Jack Nightingale series comes First Response, the utterly addictive new thriller by Stephen Leather. London is under siege. Nine men in suicide vests primed to explode hold hostages in nine different locations around the city, and are ready to die for their cause.
-
-
Stunning and so expertly narrated. Oh the pace
- By Gavingks on 14-03-16
-
Takedown
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a British Special Forces soldier goes rogue, carrying out an attack at a US Army base in Syria leading to the death of two men, ex-MI5 controller Charlotte Button is hired to work out what his plan is and to take him down before he can carry it out. When the man returns to the UK, it looks like the threat will be a lot closer to home. Charlotte puts her best man on the case - hitman Lex Harper.
-
-
Emerging From Shepherd's Flock
- By Simon on 02-02-17
-
Standing Alone
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
SAS trooper Matt 'Lastman' Standing is a lethal killing machine with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Plus he's worked with French in the past. It's not a mission he wants, but Standing made a bad choice in his past, and it has come back to haunt him. Now he's hunting French in the lawless Wild West forests of Humboldt County, where the US produces most of its legal - and illegal - cannabis. But French isn't the only predator in the wilderness - there are Mexican cartels, Russian Mafia and Hungarian gangsters - and Standing has to overcome them all to get to his target.
-
-
Gripping
- By David E. on 15-01-22
-
Killing Time
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Billy and Charlie thought their killing days were behind them. They used to be prolific life-takers, but old age finally caught up with them. Now they are ending their days in a dismal nursing home in Blackpool, with only their memories to keep them going. Memories of murder and mutilation. But when Archie turns up at the home, everything changes. Archie is a breath of fresh air, and he puts new life into Billy and Charlie—and before long, they realise that it's time to start killing again.
-
-
Another Masterpiece
- By Mr James on 27-04-22
-
The Vets
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hong Kong: The British administration is preparing to hand the capitalist colony back to communist China with the minimum of fuss. But Colonel Joel Tyler has other plans for the British Colony, plans which involve four Vietnam War veterans and a spectacular mission, making use of their unique skills. Vietnam was the one thing the four men had in common before Tyler moulded them into a team capable of pulling off a sensational robbery. But while the vets are preparing to take Hong Kong by storm, their paymaster, Anthony Chung, puts the final touches on an audacious betrayal.
-
-
One of Leather's Longest and Best Books!
- By Alex Man on 20-07-15
-
Rogue Warrior
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one knows for sure who Richard Yokely worked for in the past - the Army, the CIA, DEA, NSA - he has carried out missions for them all. But now he works for Grey Fox, the super secret agency that takes care of business that the White House would prefer to keep under wraps. A vicious killer has been attacking schools in America, killing without mercy. And when it looks like the killer might be a former special-forces soldier who has gone rogue, Yokely could be the only man who can stop him.
-
-
pretty shallow for leather's usual standards
- By joanne chalmers on 21-07-20
-
Witch Hunt
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Supernatural detective Jack Nightingale has always dealt with unusual - and dangerous - cases. When a serial killer starts killing victims using Witchfinder methods of execution, Nightingale is asked to help. As the body count mounts, Nightingale realises that the killer is on a mission of revenge for acts committed 400 years ago. And he and his assistant Jenny McLean are both on the killer's hit list.
-
-
It's been a long time
- By Andromeda's Twin on 14-03-22
-
The Tunnel Rats
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two murders, thousands of miles apart: one in London, one in Bangkok. The bodies brutally mutilated: an ace of spades impaled upon their chests. In Washington, a US senator receives photographs of the corpses. And realises that his past has come back to haunt him. Nick Wright is the detective trying to solve the mystery of the double killing.
-
-
another great leather novel
- By Steven on 25-01-10
-
The Solitary Man
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 17 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chris Hutchinson is a man on the run. Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Hutch escapes from a British maximum security prison and starts a new life in Hong Kong. Then a ghost from his past catches up with him, forcing him to help a former terrorist break out of a Bankok prison. Or face life behind bars once more. Meanwhile the Drug Enforcement Administration wants to nail the vicious drug warlord responsible fo rflooding the States with cheap heroin.
-
-
fast-paced criminal thriller
- By kate on 25-09-10
-
Midnight
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Nightingale found it hard enough to save lives when he was a cop. Now he needs to save a soul – his sister's. But to save her he has to find her and they’ve been separated since birth. When everyone Jack talks to about his sister dies horribly, he realises that someone, or something, is determined to keep them apart. If he's going to save his sister, he's going to have to do what he does best - negotiate. But any negotiation with the forces of darkness comes at a terrible price.
-
-
Had hoped ...
- By TinaF on 09-02-16
-
The Hunting
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
British Doctor Raj Patel puts his own life on the line to treat the injured in war-torn Syria. His medical skills help casualties survive against all the odds. But Raj needs to rely on a completely different set of skills when he is taken hostage in a treacherous case of mistaken identity. Billionaire big-game hunter Jon van der Sandt is driven by revenge - his family have been killed by jihadist terrorists, and he wants his vengeance up close and personal.
-
-
Shocked how awful it was
- By Sharon on 13-02-21
-
The Chinaman
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Russell Boulter
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jungle-skilled, silent, and lethal, he had killed for the Viet Cong and then for the Americans. He had watched helpless as his two eldest daughters were raped and killed by Thai pirates. Now, all that was behind him. Quiet, hard-working, and unassuming, he was building up his South London take-away business - until the day his wife and youngest daughter were murdered by an IRA bomb. That was when the Chinaman, denied justice, decided on revenge...and went back to war.
-
-
New to Stephen Leather
- By Glynn on 02-01-10
-
The Whisper Man
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When supernatural detective Jack Nightingale hears about a rash of suicides across London, he realises that it's more than a coincidence. Something has come from the bowels of Hell to wreak havoc in the world, and only he can stop it. But to do that he'll have to put his own soul on the line.
-
-
I missed Nightingale
- By Tony Swinton on 12-03-22
-
Tango One
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Stephen Greif
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On their first day of training with the Metropolitan Police, new recruits Jamie, Bunny, and Tina are asked to join a team of undercover detectives, a secret unit involved in the long-term penetration of criminal gangs. Their target? One of the world’s biggest drug dealers: Den Donovan, alias "Tango One". To close in on their quarry, the three must go back into the outside world and become criminals themselves. But someone within the Met is pursuing an alternative agenda. Someone who has deliberately put their lives on the line.…
-
-
Compulsive listening
- By Janice on 26-01-14
-
The Fireman
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young, talented, in love with life - why should Sally have thrown herself 15 floors to her death? But as suicide is the verdict of the uncompromising Hong Kong authorities, Sally’s brother, a London-based crime reporter, begins his own investigations. As he delves into the details of Sally’s unaccountably opulent lifestyle and her mysterious work as a journalist, he is forced to recognise a very different girl from the fun-loving kid sister he remembers.
-
-
Very disappointing not the usual from Stephen leather
- By DB Leslie on 20-04-22
-
The Bag Carrier
- By: Stephen Leather
- Narrated by: Daniel Hoffman-Gill, Homer Todiwala
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A dead body in the prayer hall of a mosque isn't the best start to the day for anyone. But for Detective Inspector Harold Porter it's all in a day's work. The problem is that DI Porter has been given a new partner - a young Muslim detective by the name of Mohammed Salim Nasri. Nasri and Porter are both British and both cops, but they look at the world - and the case - from completely different viewpoints. And when that case includes Islamic terrorists and knife-wielding fanatics that can only mean problems.
-
-
thrilling story. one story from 2 different sides.
- By mike swaine on 04-07-19
Summary
Who was Dan "Spider" Shepherd before he signed up as an undercover cop and began working for MI5? The Sandpit rewinds with an action-packed rollercoaster to his days in the SAS....
Dan Shepherd and his SAS team are sent into the badlands of Afghanistan to train the rebels who are battling Taliban fanatics. But what starts as a training mission in The Sandpit rapidly turns into a life or death struggle with Shepherd and his team very much in the firing line. Soon they are caught up in an international intrigue that threatens the stability of the whole Middle East.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Sandpit
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- paul
- 03-04-17
dan Shepherd
a bit pointless and wery slow for a dan Shepherd story the latter books are a lot better
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mikey
- 06-02-19
5 stars every time
Considering Leather is not an actual sas soldier, for me his stories are as raw and emtertaining as Mcnab’s. The accuracy is excellent and the storytelling is the same, I defy anybody not to revel in leathers tales.
Afghanistan is the backdrop for this story, Shepherd is as gritty and tough as he is in his later Leather novels. He’s also solidified a spot amongst my top and most enjoyable characters to listen to, he’s up there’s with Mcnab’s Stone for sure.
Shepherd’s days in the sas have not been a disappointment, they are as entertaining as his days after he left the regiment.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonah
- 19-03-19
Leathered!
Excellent prequel to the Spider Shepherd stories. Really enjoyed this story of Spider in the SAS and his three mates complimented the main character perfectly.Doesn't matter if you are just starting out on the Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series or you are a veteran, this book can be enjoyed by either, highly recommended.
Paul Thornley is by far the best narrator used by Stephen Leather
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rogeraee
- 02-03-19
Enjoyed it very much
Thought I would try the earlier books and was not disappointed at all. On to the next.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. Durao
- 19-04-17
Too bland, may have gotten tired of this series
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Have read/listened to all the Dan Sheperd stories so far and found this one a bit too bland to capture me.
May have gotten a bit tired with the series, seemed to be too much of the same.
Would you recommend The Sandpit to your friends? Why or why not?
Have read/listened to all the Dan Sheperd stories so far and found this one a bit too bland to capture me.
May have gotten a bit tired with the series, seemed to be too much of the same.
Have you listened to any of Paul Thornley’s other performances? How does this one compare?
On the mark as always.
Was The Sandpit worth the listening time?
Have read/listened to all the Dan Sheperd stories so far and found this one a bit too bland to capture me.
May have gotten a bit tired with the series, seemed to be too much of the same.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LM10
- 20-08-20
is there a Sandpit 2? sudden ending to a quick boo
I was totally engrossed when I felt the book came to a sudden end. this was a shorter story than I'm used to and didn't expect the book to be finished when it did.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A P Stear
- 05-02-18
A bit dull tbh. Cheap but not really worth it.
Not the best. Would advise avoiding. My opinion. I'm sure others would enjoy it but not in same league as mcnab or ryan
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris Hill
- 14-06-17
short but we'll worth it..
an excellent listen, I was that hooked in that I was late for work twice.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MRS T M FERN
- 17-05-22
Another great title!
Paul Thornley makes these books amazing. Love his different accents and easy to listen to voice. Spider Shepherd books wouldn’t be the same without him!
-
Overall
- Judy Lovelock
- 31-10-17
Great storyline
Another brilliant story , author and narrator have a understanding , and work well together to produce a gripping listen .