In the Company of Killers

By: Bryan Christy

Narrated by: Ryan Vincent Anderson

"Immensely talented... Christy’s muscular, vivid writing and John le Carré-esque talent for thrusting us deep into unfamiliar territory ensure that what could lapse into cliché instead sounds fresh and exciting... Klay is a great, flawed hero, in the vein of the classic hard-drinking, hard-living, hard-loving loner.” (New York Times Book Review)

In this intricate and propulsive thriller - from National Geographic's founder of Special Investigations - Tom Klay, an investigative reporter leading a double life as a CIA spy, discovers that he has been weaponized in a global game of espionage pitting him against one of the world's most ruthless men.

Tom Klay is a celebrated investigative wildlife reporter for the esteemed magazine The Sovereign. But Klay is not just a journalist. His reporting is cover for an even more dangerous job: CIA agent. Klay's press credentials make him a perfect spy - able to travel the globe, engage both politicians and warlords, and openly record what he sees. When he needs help, the Agency provides it to him, and asks little in return. But while on assignment in Kenya, Klay is attacked and his closest friend is murdered. Soon Klay's carefully constructed double life unravels as his ambition turns to revenge.

The CIA has an answer. Klay is offered a devil's bargain to capture the man who killed his friend by infiltrating the offices of the woman he once loved, South Africa's special prosecutor, Hungry Khoza. But Klay soon discovers that he and Hungry are part of a larger, more lethal game - one that involves a ruthless mercenary and a global superpower. The deeper he digs, the more Klay realizes that everything he thought he knew about his work may have been a lie, and his sworn enemy may be his only ally. In this riveting, timely thriller, the lines between good and evil blur, and absolutely nothing is as it seems.

©2021 Bryan Christy (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Christy makes his fiction debut with an exceptional adventure thriller.... A riveting plot, complex characters, deep backstory, and an engrossing setting enhance this finely written novel about justice, personal responsibility, and saving the environment. Readers will come away eager for whatever Christy, the head of Special Investigations at National Geographic, turns his hand to next.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Elephants and humans alike face mortal danger in this tense, complex thriller set in Africa.... [Bryan Christy’s] experience as a special investigator for National Geographic informs this fast-moving debut novel. High marks for this one. Let’s hope it’s the beginning of a long series.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

“Fans of both espionage and global crime thrillers will find a gem here: Klay is an introspective, flawed survivor who bends operative stereotypes, and the intersection of corporate greed, media, technology, and crime is chillingly current.” (Booklist, starred review)

Worlds greatest wildlife investigative journalist continues his excellence in this fictional tale.

I have the pleasure of meeting the author and reading his reports in the past and I am very grateful that he has shared this tale. Lots of truth blended into the story keeps you wondering how much is pure fiction and how much is the result of his past investigations. I hope he shares another tale soon!!

Complex, funny, brutal

Begins like a PC animal saver, but swiftly plunges into pleasing labyrinth of well-rounded characters.

Errors re the Philippines: it is not a nation of pimps and pedophiles. The food is delicious if you take the time to taste some. Fermented fish is a joy, just as fermented meat sausages are in the western diet.

The otherwise superb narrator mispronounced every single place name except for Manila. Grates on my ear.

Great book nonetheless.

Interesting

Very scary. Prefer to think there isn’t much truth here…. While not hard to follow I also did not find it easy to follow. Maybe just a bit abstract. I might need things spelled out a bit clearer. Don’t think I’ll look for more.