The Break Line Audiobook By James Brabazon cover art

The Break Line

Max McLean, Book 1

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The Break Line

By: James Brabazon
Narrated by: Jason O'Mara
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British intelligence operative and hardened assassin Max McLean battles a nightmarish enemy in this stunning debut thriller from an award-winning war correspondent.

When it comes to killing terrorists, British intelligence has always had one man they could rely on: Max McLean. As an assassin, he's never missed, but Max has made one miscalculation, and now, he has to pay the price.

His handlers send him to Sierra Leone on a seemingly one-way mission. What he finds is a horror from beyond his nightmares.

Rebel forces are loose in the jungle, and someone or something is slaughtering innocent villagers. It's his job to root out the monster behind these abominations, but he soon discovers that London may consider him the most disposable piece in this operation.

©2019 James Brabazon (P)2019 Penguin Audio Action & Adventure Espionage Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Africa

Critic reviews

"Breathless, complex, and seriously hardcore - don't plan to sleep tonight." (Lee Child, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

"The Break Line punches you in the stomach on the first page and then plunges you - still doubled over - into the most extraordinary and exciting world of covert operations I have ever read. I have worked in those places and covered those wars...Brabazon gets it exactly right. With a terrifyingly precise eye and an irresistible prose style, he has created a world that is almost impossible to leave. I finished the book three days ago and feel like I'm still waiting for the choppers to come take me home." (Sebastian Junger, New York Times best-selling author of The Perfect Storm)

“The Break Line is a riveting page-turner...and a study of what lies in the shadowed corners of the human heart.” (Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times best-selling author of Orphan X)

“Brabazon’s inventive violence, mix of combat styles, and slowly revealed truths will keep readers on the edge of their seats” (Publishers Weekly)
Interesting Premise • Complex Storytelling • Exceptional Narration • Gritty Thriller • Creative Plot • Diverse Accents
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I stumbled on this little gem by accident on a rainy, dull weekend. The overall story had an interesting premise and a clever albeit disturbing twist.
I have to admit though, I felt like there could be so much more. The last few chapters seemed a bit rushed coming to end and I was expecting more revelations.
The narrator was in a word, incredible. I've seen Jason O'Mara's work, mostly in TV and he's a pretty solid actor, but his performance in this audio was top notch. Every character, personality, nationality was performed seamlessly. I'm surprised he hasn't done more audio readings.
I look forward to reading Book 2, with any luck this could become a fantastic series.

Not bad. Narrator saved it!

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Creative story with good character development. Great narration with lots of fun action. Can’t wait for the next one.

Exciting

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Yeah, so it did take a fairly abrupt turn and go in a very unusual sci-fi direction. One I normally wouldn’t like... but at that point I was into the story and the turn was so out of place that I was fascinated to keep listening.

There are a TON of reasons I can’t make it through audiobooks, often having to do with the narration. Sometimes it’s so bad that it ruins what would otherwise be a book I’d love- sometimes the narration just isn’t able to save a cliched and cheesy written one.

A bizarre turn isn’t enough to turn me off one that was otherwise interesting.
The narrators voice is.... not somnolent so much as sort of hypnotic to me. I’d find myself listening to the voice and not the words, spacing out and having to rewind.
Not ideal but better than the voices that grate on me, are overly dramatic, or whose accents are so farcical and ridiculous I can’t stand it.

I don’t make it through more than half-2/3 of the series in this genre that I start, and I liked this one, for what it’s worth.

Definitely went to a place I sure wasn’t expecting

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plot started out interesting, but devolved into more of a Sci-Fi / fiction. not my style.

more of a Sci-Fi / fiction

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A solid well written story. Worth a listen! A book that most guys will really like!

Good story. Good narration.

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Loved it. Numerous plot twists. Great narration. Great character development. Dark. Great use of science to give the story an authentic feel. I can't wait to listen to the next one.

Smart and Creative

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Well written book with a lot of complexity without going on pointlessly. And the narration is fantastic.

Excellent start to what could be a great series

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Loved the storytelling. Loved the narration (it felt as if it were an entire cast with how well the narrator worked in accents). I don't often hope to see good books turned into films (a film can rarely compete) but I'd make an exception with The Break Line. I loved hearing Max tell his story and hope this isn't the last we hear of the Irish James Bond meets Jason Bourne.

Although... I now get nervous when I've got peppermint in my aromatherapy diffuser... lol!

Loved it!

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How very appropriate that this book started off quoting The Heart of Darkness.
The “fascination of the abomination” indeed.

“I emptied my mind and waited for the reckoning.”
What started off as a gritty, black ops style, international spy thriller got gory as it covered themes of war atrocities and the evils of men and countries. Then it embraced the horror genre. The horror vibe had shades of Doom, World War Z, or maybe the Marvel arcs involving Hydra. Yet, the writing and narration avoided feeling pulpy or comicky.

“The bird that knows - is different from the bird that understands.”
There were some too coincidental events. I got a little lost as to which white, male executive spook was with what faction. It made the ending less cohesive than the rest of the story. But, I was overall impressed by this author’s first book. I have wishlisted the next one, especially because it has Mr. O’Mara narrating again and I’m hoping he once again stuns with the quality and quantity of accents.

Horror espionage… is that a thing?

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I hope the story is far fetched and hope that nothing like that ever happens

Break Line

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