
The Trinity Six
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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Charles Cumming
A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of the Year
The most closely guarded secret of the Cold War is about to be exposed—the identity of a SIXTH member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring. And people are killing for it, in Charles Cumming's bestselling thriller The Trinity Six.
London, 1992. Late one night, Edward Crane, 76, is declared dead at a London hospital. An obituary describes him only as a 'resourceful career diplomat'. But Crane was much more than that—and the circumstances surrounding his death are far from what they seem.
Fifteen years later, academic Sam Gaddis needs money. When a journalist friend asks for his help researching a possible sixth member of the notorious Trinity spy ring, Gaddis knows that she's onto a story that could turn his fortunes around. But within hours the journalist is dead, apparently from a heart attack.
Taking over her investigation, Gaddis trails a man who claims to know the truth about Edward Crane. Europe still echoes with decades of deadly disinformation on both sides of the Iron Curtain. And as Gaddis follows a series of leads across the continent, he approaches a shocking revelation—one which will rock the foundations of politics from London to Moscow…
"Cumming's novel is characterized by a gripping sense of realism. He displays a vast knowledge of spycraft and Cold War history, and the dense, three-dimensional world he crafts comes complete with seedy hotels and smoky nightclubs. The result is absolutely gripping. Taut, atmospheric and immersive—an instant classic." – Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Trinity Six
Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Thrillers.
©2011 Charles Cumming (P)2011 MacmillanListeners also enjoyed...




















Editorial reviews
British writer Charles Cumming’s latest thriller, The Trinity Six, postulates that there was a sixth man involved in the sensational Cambridge Five spy ring. The real Cambridge Five were recruited by Russia in the 1930s and continued to pass on information into the ‘50s. In modern day London, professor Sam Gaddis is tipped off by a journalist friend that a sixth spy is alive and well and being protected by the Russian government and the UK’s intelligence office, MI6. Gaddis, a noted Russian history scholar, decides to write a book about the case to make a quick buck to pay alimony and child support, but when the journalist and her sources turn up dead, Gaddis is pulled into the international intrigue that hops the globe from London and Moscow to Austria and New Zealand.
While The Trinity Six is set in the 21st century, John Lee’s narration recalls those old BBC radio plays from another era. Lee’s clipped English accent is muscular, maybe a little too rushed at times, but it fits the breakneck speed at which Gaddis is subsumed by the action unfolding around him. There’s often a note of incredulity in Lee’s voicing of Gaddis, which fits perfectly with an ordinary professor forced into becoming an often-reckless detective. Gaddis is in way over his head, but he’s also smart and can charm his way out situations that might otherwise get him killed. Lee hits the right notes of curiosity, anger, and fear as the thriller hurdles toward its twist conclusion.
When Gaddis goes to Russia, Hungary, and Vienna to continue his investigation, Lee gets to trot out an impressive series of accents. Since Gaddis is fluent in Russian and deals with a number of Soviet agents, Lee’s accent is realistically heavy on the consonants. The same goes for the Austrian characters, who help Gaddis escape pursuing Russian agents in an elaborate Hitchcockian thrill ride through Vienna. The female characters, including MI6 deep cover agent Tanya Acocella, come off as either too breathy or masculine, but Lee manages to give each one a distinct personality. That’s a bonus to the listener, since one of the shortcomings of Cumming’s book is that, while integral to the plot, the female characters are thinly written. But that’s a minor quibble. Sit back, have a cup of tea, and get lost in this adventure. Collin Kelley
Critic reviews
“Brilliant…scene after scene crackles with excitement, tension, and suspense. The novel's ingenious plot is almost as complicated as real life…the book is all but impossible to put aside. Cumming joins Alan Furst, David Ignatius, and Olen Steinhauer among the most skillful current spy novelists, and he bears comparison with masters such as John le Carré and Graham Greene.” —The Washington Post
“Intelligent and briskly paced…comparisons to John le Carré and Len Deighton continue to gild [Cumming's] reputation as a premier writer of espionage thrillers.” —USA Today
“With its mix of old-school espionage and present-day duplicities, The Trinity Six is a smashing Cold War thriller for the twenty-first century.” —People
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Great writing and intriguing story
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Where does The Trinity Six rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of the best spy novels I've read.Who was your favorite character and why?
Sam. No spy, but an excellent historian. Crane/Meed as well.What about John Lee’s performance did you like?
He's excellent with different accents.If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Not sure what kind of tagline I could come up with to be honest.Any additional comments?
A must-have for any spy or thriller buff.Just as good as Silva or Clancy
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Realpolitik and Moscow rules. hehe. To be sure.
The Cambridge Five. Need one say more...
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I respect John Lee's narration talent, but I think he is definitely the wrong reader for this novel. It needs a "sutbler" touch. Lee can sometimes make bad prose palatable, but here (I think) he makes good prose choppy.
That said, if you enjoy novels by LeCarre, Greene, Steinhauer, or espionage without a superman protagonist pitted against a black-hatted villian, or even a fast-paced trot around Europe, this is definitely worth the credit. If you want another Ken Follet potboiler, you might want to skip this.
Maybe Cummings' next novel will be great.
a bit disappointing, but...
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A bit disappointing
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If you could sum up The Trinity Six in three words, what would they be?
unexpected masterpieceAny additional comments?
I've discovered for myself this author and enjoyed the story a lot. It is contemporary, it is exceptionally well done, it kept me on edge, had unexpected twists, and nice ending. This is a story of a type of "fantastic history" where the author invents a story which actually did not happen, but it is in the background of real history which did happen and it lets us to get another look at the real events of the past. This is a masterpiece of this kind. I will now listen to everything which is written by C. Cumming.Enjoyed this story
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Slow and plodding
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The action is fast paced and the story rings with a sense of reality that makes the plot quite believable. Well written and well read.
Well done mystery/thriller tale
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Goes farther than expected
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The story line is entertaining and believable enough to transport you into the story and keep you up till late.
Although there are some definitely moments where you could get bored, John Lee as always is able to get you through those with the sheer pleasure of listening to his voice.
Overall this book is fun, exciting and very pleasant to listen to.
Fun exciting intrigues perfectly narrated.
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