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The Year of the Locust

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The Year of the Locust

By: Terry Hayes
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A Financial Times Best Thriller of the Year 2023

If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot.

But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...

‘Utterly gripping, elegantly written... most definitely worth the wait’ Observer
'Epic and immersive, new and unexpected... deep and compelling' Mail on Sunday
'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' Telegraph

Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

©2023 Terry Hayes (P)2023 Penguin Audio Crime Fiction Espionage International Mystery & Crime Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Heartfelt Mind-Bending Iran
All stars
Most relevant
I’m only halfway through and honestly wishing I’d just read the hard copy. The writing is so corny, made so much worse by the cringeworthy drawl of this narrator. Soooo very American. Hoping the story makes up for it.

So corny and cringeworthy

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story line mediocre narrator atrocious and a Long stretch to believable this author probably needs to study a little more physics before he starts his next story

no where near the caliber of previous book

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First of all, there is no reason why an author can’t successfully combine a spy thriller and a science-fiction story, even though the two aspects of this story grind against each other painfully. Either this book didn’t go to an editor, or it was so bad that this is the best the editor could do with the terrible draft they were given. Finally, the narrator’s voice doesn’t suit the story and can’t make up for the mediocre quality of the writing.

Strange and disappointing

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Well read. A very good story that takes a huge turn. Stick with it. Its such a blast

What an adventure

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This book started out promising much. The storyline was a bit confusing switching from one genre to another. At one point I felt it reminded me of the walking dead. Possibly as two separate books they would have read well.

Disappointed

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I was absolutely engrossed until the spores rained down then I thought the story had gone off the rails a bit but in the end it all fitted perfectly! Absolutely great listen.

Fantastic story; great performance

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A different concoction of story lines and quite a surprising direction it took, but I was hooked and eagerly followed it to the end.

Character development, scene descriptions, intriguing story lines.

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I loved this book. I took some time to reconcile the readers voice to the character because I was anticipating a younger persons voice but on reflection, he was perfect. I also had a blimp when it took a turn in the last handful of chapters because I’m not one to read books that take a spin in the mutation of one character and time travel. It looses relatability for me. But…. I was seriously surprised how it won me over. I look forward to the next book from Terry Hayes.

Brilliant book

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Started very well but I was not ready for the sci-fi, it was a bit out of left field, however, once I got my head around that I loved it.

Was not ready for the Sci-fi. But loved it

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I loved I Am Pilgrim - it's one of my favourite books of all time. I wanted more, and this one didn't disappoint... at least for the first half or so.

Ever so slight spoilers ahead.

Main spoiler: This is actually a science fiction novel, wrapped up in a spy novel. I love science fiction, but I'm this car it's not what I wanted. perhaps if I knew before that it was science fiction I could have disturbed disbelief, but it totally ruined the reality he'd built in the first half. I mean, there were some futuristic tech and premonition type moments in the first half, but I was all good with that. Then it goes full sci fi, with numerous science fiction themes at once, while also seeming to neglect the realism within the spy parts that had previously seemed so good.

I've I'd got over this abrupt genre change, it was still good reading, but it's no "I am pilgrim" I'm afraid.

Not the spy novel you're expecting

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