A FOREIGN COUNTRY

Even if you’ve never listened to Cumming’s other novels, you’ll settle into this beguiling spy story quickly. Often compared to the master of cerebral espionage fiction, John le Carre, Cumming plays to the listener who prefers a subtle and thoughtful approach. Jot Davies’s narration ushers you in; his voice is a steady presence through the disparate events from the beginning to the satisfying conclusion. He shifts between the numerous characters easily, although one character’s accent gets lost occasionally. Davies’s pacing fits the narrative, quickening as tension increases, mechanical as an extraction team pursues its deadly work, wistful or angry as the protagonist’s situation demands. You’ll find yourself wishing this story would continue just a while longer. M.L.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]