Ratlines

By: Stuart Neville

Narrated by: Alan Smyth

Ireland 1963. As the Irish people prepare to welcome President John F. Kennedy to the land of his ancestors, a German national is murdered in a seaside guesthouse. Lieutenant Albert Ryan, Directorate of Intelligence, is ordered to investigate. The German is the third foreigner to die within a few days, and Minister for Justice Charles Haughey wants the killing to end, lest a shameful secret be exposed: the dead men were all Nazis granted asylum by the Irish government in the years following World War II.

A note from the killers is found on the dead German's corpse, addressed to Colonel Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite commando, once called the most dangerous man in Europe. The note simply says: "We are coming for you."

As Albert Ryan digs deeper into the case, he discovers a network of former Nazis and collaborators, all presided over by Skorzeny from his country estate outside Dublin. When Ryan closes in on the killers, his loyalty is torn between country and conscience. Why must he protect the very people he fought against 20 years before? Ryan learns that Skorzeny might be a dangerous ally, but he is a deadly enemy.

©2013 Stuart Neville (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Thrilling.... Readers will hope to see more of Ryan, a formidable yet damaged hero." (Publishers Weekly)

“Another moody winner mixes Nazis into Neville's usual Irish noir.” (Kirkus Reviews)

"Neville, whose debut, The Ghosts of Belfast, won the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller, concocts a believable plot with an intriguing protagonist torn between duty to country and his distaste for Nazi criminals. Fans of Jack Higgins and Ken Follett will enjoy this novel." (Library Journal)

It was interesting and had some good twists.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were interested in WW2 fiction. It's worth a free credit.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ratlines?

Decent plot twists.

What three words best describe Alan Smyth’s voice?

Tries too hard.

Could you see Ratlines being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I actually could, but have no idea who would be main characters.

Any additional comments?

It wasn't bad. If you're thinking about getting it you should. It's worth the credit and your time to listen. I realize its a difficult job but the narrator could have done better and takes some getting used to.

Wanted to Like This Book

I really liked every book by Stuart Neville a lot until this one. The other books by Mr. Neville had well drawn protagonists. I might not have admired them but they behaved consistently with character as developed. To me, Albert was all over the place. He was a competent experienced intelligence officer who broke into a house and screwed around until the bad guys came back. He was tough sometimes and ineffectual other times. I have been given to understand the Irish sympathized with Germany. The gold caper was so predictable. The ending was unsatisfying.

Great plot and well written mistery/thriller

Some people have commented on the narration and if you listend to, and liked Nevill's earlyer books narrated by Gerrard Doyle you should listen to the sample and see how you like Smyth's narration and it would not have been fitting to have Doyle narrating this one, it is not a part of the Jack Lennon series.

The story is gripping and I recommend it for all Neville fans

Disappointing for Ghosts of Belfast Fans!

I loved Neville's first novel, "Ghosts of Belfast", But his second book "Collusion", didn't match up to the first, and unfortunately, the third "Ratlines", was even more of a disappointment. The narrator's voice was too nasal or hesitant for me.

I would rather hear more of the Irish writer, Gene Kerrigan, especially his new one called "The Rage", but it is not on the U.S. version of Audible. I don't know why that is.

I wish Audible would add a "Suggestions List" for books we want to hear but are not in their canon.

Great book

Oh, I liked this! Neville is one of my pre-order authors but I'm just getting caught up on his books.

Nazis, Mossad, Irish G2, bad guys, good guys who could be bad guys, I loved it.

The audio production, not so much. Smith's voice was great and his accents were okay but why do production people not verify pronunciations?

Good Story-Disappointing Narrator

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. It was a good story and Stuart Neville is a very good author.

What did you like best about this story?

The premise that the Protestant Irish and the IRA collaborated with the Nazis and Nazi sympathizers.

What didn’t you like about Alan Smyth’s performance?

Flat voice with some characters, stilted sentences. Not enough change of voice/accent between the different people in the story.

Was Ratlines worth the listening time?

Yes.

Greed and murder

Where does Ratlines rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Good story and in the top of my audiobooks

What did you like best about this story?

Ryan's determination to see it through to the end

Which scene was your favorite?

Ryan's stakeout of the house and discovering the fourth man.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

just enjoy it.

Any additional comments?

like it a lot

Complex Crime Tale in Compelling Time and Place

As expected from Stuart Neville, this is a good, solidly crafted story that quickly captures the imagination with a morally complex mystery set in 1963 Ireland. The title "Ratlines" refers to a system of escape routes through Europe utilized by Nazis after the end of WWII. Having never heard the term before, I was surprised when a quick internet search revealed that the novel's villain, Otto Skorzeny, was not only a real historical figure, but the very Nazi who masterminded the "Odessa File" underground railroad for fleeing fascists. As Neville expertly builds a multi-layered foundation for his story, much is explained about Ireland's role in WWII. A large portion of the Irish population seemed to believe the old chestnut, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Unfortunately, Ireland's neutrality and some citizen's quiet support of Hitler's war with Britain brought the country to the slippery slope that is the background of "Ratlines."

Some reviewers have taken exception to Alan Smyth's narration of this book. While I see that Neville's previous titles are in my Audible library, I must not be as passionate about their narrator, the truly excellent Gerard Doyle. I thought Smyth's Irish accent pleasant and understated. A testament to Smyth's versatility is his ability to handle the narrative cocktail of several different European accents (so many old Nazis popping up!) with a South African and American chaser. He disappeared into the story and that's my definition of great narration.

Finally, I feel compelled to tell you that several scenes in this book are quite graphic in their description of torturous interrogation. I mean quite graphic. I mean, I pulled my earphones out for awhile, then listened again for a sec, then pulled them out for another while. To the author's credit, the scenes are so chillingly real, the dread experienced by the characters was easily grasped, giving further understanding of how fear drove their actions - and inactions.

Not about WWII

What did you like best about Ratlines? What did you like least?

Hard to follow. Good reader.

What was most disappointing about Stuart Neville’s story?

Not about WWII or much about Ireland.

Which scene was your favorite?

None.

Do you think Ratlines needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No! One bad , confusing book should not be followed by another.

Any additional comments?

Unless you can't sleep, pass on this one.

James Bond in Ireland

Would you listen to Ratlines again? Why?

Doubtful. It's not one of my favorite Stuart Neville stories.

What did you like best about this story?

Once I realized it was more of a James Bondian spy story rather than typical Neville noir, it was a fun story

What does Alan Smyth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I couldn't recreate James Nesbitt's voice in my head if I wanted to. I wouldn't have thought of a George Clooney voice for the American. I was surprised to learn Alan Smyth wasn't an Irish-American because his narrating voice sounded very American with little hints of Irish heritage coming through.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

I hope if they make a movie out of it, Julia Robert isn't cast as the love interest.