Damascus Station

A Novel

By: David McCloskey

Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen

A CIA officer and his recruit arrive in war-ravaged Damascus to hunt for a killer in this pause resister that offers the "most authentic depiction of modern-day tradecraft in print" (Navy SEAL sniper and New York Times best-selling author Jack Carr).

CIA Case Officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy.

But the cat-and-mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard.

Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the planet.

©2021 David McCloskey (P)2021 Tantor

bad narration

the narrator read too quickly and Jump to new paragraphs really quickly and to new ideas really quickly without any real break to let you know that we've started a new paragraph or chapter. Bad voice inflections as well.

The story was great but in the end I don't recommend anyone listen to this until they fix the narrator.

I don't usually write reviews but felt like this needed to be said

Painful Narration

I eagerly purchased the book after the author’s interview on Jack Carr podcast.

Unfortunately the narration was painfully lackluster. The story is lost in uninspired audio.

Great story. Hard to put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and the plot twists. It kept my attention throughout. I’m surprised so much of this was cleared for release by the publication review board, which just tells me there has been a great deal of new tradecraft developed beyond what appears in this book.
I’ve seen some reviewers complain about the narration - I had no problems with the narrator. There is a lot to like here for fans of operational spy thrillers.

Best spy novel I’ve read in a long time.

Well written. Great story. Strong narration. I highly recommend this book. Great summertime book option.

A lot of moving parts, but worth it !

Excellent tale of espionage and politics from an insder's point of view. There were so many characters it was a challenge to keep them all sorted (seeing the printed word in this case would likely be beneficial), but it does not diminish the story. Very good narration as well.

Good but not great

Checked all the boxes of a spy thriller but the story was a little disjointed and made too my leaps from reality. Overall the characters were developed and I liked the book overall.

The Book Comes Alive As I’m Reading

Today is 12/8/24 and I woke up to the following headline “Assad Flees as Syrian Rebels Take Damascus” To say the least, the headline made the book feel prescient, as if the book was coming to life in the moment.
 
  The story is built on the foundation of strong historical elements, and vivid visual imagery. It is a well-crafted spy story with a strong love story as an anchor.
 
  Sam Joseph is by no means a superhero in the style of every Hollywood movie, but instead is a deliberate and thoughtful character, and fully flawed!
 
However, he does possess the instincts to get the job done. He is loyal and when called upon, he demonstrates an incredible well of courage.
 
But have no fear, if you’re looking for a kick-ass character, there are two. The first is Station Chief Artemis Aphrodite Proctor who seems to always be ready for a gun fight and the other is Mariam Haddad, the very brave co-star of this drama. She is trained in the art of Krav Maga, and by the end of the story has the body count to prove it. 
 
Suffice it to say, Damascus Station is a must-read for lovers of international spy thrillers and a hint of romance tossed in for good measure.

Good story but one of the worst narrations yet

The story seemed to be a gripping one but the narration completely ruined it. The narrator had the same tone, whether it was a an action scene or just a conversation between friends.

It was hard to tell one scene from the next and i found myself rewinding constantly because I wouldn’t realize the previous scene ended.

The narrator had a hard time pronouncing words to a point it became comical.

I will need to read the hard copy because even after finishing, I have a hard time recalling the full story

Formulaic Story with mediocre narration

A well-crafted, American-style spy novel. Might have been heightened with a better narration performance. The read was often bright and chipper which played against what seemed to be the writer’s intended dramatic intentions for mood and pacing.

Damascus Station

I've read/listened to a number of spy novels over the past few years, and this one stands out for a couple of reasons. The main reason is that it takes place in Syria. I know very little about the country but I love that Assad was a character in the book. It was fast-paced, detailed, and realistic (I understand that McCloskey is ex-CIA, so I'm sure that helps) without being confusing.