TYPHOON

This story of espionage, love, and betrayal takes place between the handover of Hong Kong to China and the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. Joe Lennox, an MI6 agent who is fluent in Mandarin, is in love with the Orient and with Isabella. Stephen Hogan's performance of this complex plot, filled with characters of many nationalities, is outstanding. His accents, mainly Chinese, are authentic, and he displays with conviction the wide range of emotions that permeate the story. About a third of the way through the book, listeners may find it helpful to go back to the prologue in order to follow the plot more coherently, but the need to do that does not lessen the excitement of this superbly narrated thriller. S.S.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]