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Never cover art

Never

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: January LaVoy
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Publisher's Summary

The Sunday Times Thriller of the Month

Expertly researched and visionary in scale, international number one best seller Ken Follett’s Never is more than a thriller. It imagines a scenario we all hope never comes true, one that will keep you transfixed until the final moments....

A stolen US army drone.

A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert.

A secret stash of deadly chemicals.

Each is a threat to the stability of the world but individually are problems that can be overcome. In the diplomatic arena though, everyone will have a different way of dealing with such a threat. And when those in charge disagree and refuse to back down, it will kick off an international chain reaction with potentially catastrophic consequences: a world edging closer to war....

Now three people must work tirelessly and with the utmost skill to stop that from happening:

A spy working undercover with jihadists.

A brilliant Chinese spymaster.

A US president beleaguered by a populist rival for the next election.

The only question is, in a game of brinksmanship can the inevitable ever be stopped?

©2021 Ken Follett (P)2021 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

Critic Reviews

“A compelling story, and only too realistic.” (Lawrence H. Summers, former US treasury secretary)

"Bold in scale and meticulously researched." (Sunday Times)

"A stunning thriller and one of the most compelling reads of the year." (Daily Express

What listeners say about Never

Average Customer Ratings
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5 stars to be scared and depressed?

This story will remain with me forever! Its truly scary and depressing, and definitely not for anyone suffering already with mental health problems, its way too realistic!
That said, its excellently written and performed. I can only hope that Xi Jinping also reads a translated copy. This could happen much too easily! 'audible hope you have enjoyed this performance' ?? Hmmm, 'enjoyed' is definitely NOT the right description of my experience! Educated, maybe, but helpless too.

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Edge of your seat

As always Ken Follett has impeccably researched a nightmare scenerio that is all too real. Credit goes to the narrator for a most enjoyable reading - this can make or break an audio book and January did an amazing job.

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Don't bother

Cringe worthy boomer lit. Quite a painful read, the blurb is completely false advertising. Thought I was in for a geopolitical epic thriller and ended up with pointless romantic storylines, weak one-dimensional characters, and awful dialogue. I'd never read any Ken Follett but I really expected more. The narrator was sleepy, recommend listening on 1.20 speed if you do bother, but really, save yourself some time and some brain cells and read something else.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Bland and predictable.

Unimaginative, jingoistic and drawn out. Could be made into a 90 minute made for Tv movie. Lacking originality, smart dialogue, or good character development.

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Not to his usual standard

After reading his other books I guess my expectations were high. This one just seemed unrefined. The character interaction was more of what I’d expect from a Mills & Boon paperback.

Sorry Ken but I know you can do a lot better.

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Very hard to finish

What started out to be an interesting story just dragged on and on. If you cut out all the mills and boon blah and got down to the actual story it may have been allot better.
The narrator did a great job very consistent with the characters

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Unsatisfying

I’m a big fan of Follett, but this one really missed the mark for me.

The various subplots were slow and didn’t lead anywhere, the characters had no depth and the writing and dialogue seemed elementary and at times even cringeworthy.

The beauty of Follett’s best novels is that you care about the characters so much that the emotional stakes are high if they’re in danger, but the lack of development (and heart) for this muddled cast meant that I couldn’t care less if they lived or died.

The excitement was saved for a relatively small section of the book and I personally cannot stand stories that leave the ending to the imagination.

A real disappointment.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Poor plot

Irrelevant story lines that finished quickly or did not add to the plot. Overall story needed more depth

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Very Real

The reader brought this story to light brilliantly. This story had me hooked from the start.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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One on the worst books I have listened to in years

Even a raging leftist would find this book corny, predictable and an insult to your intelligence. I don't get it, did he outsource the writing to the local women's studies department? I now have an eye injury from the non stop eye rolls at the dialogue thanks Ken.

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