The Good Spy Dies Twice

The Bullseye Series, Book 1

By: Mark H. Hosack

Narrated by: Mark Hosack

Jake Boxer, investigative journalist and host of the conspiratorial news show Bullseye, is in serious trouble. Not only is his soundman murdered by Russian intelligence agents while reporting on a secretive New World Order, but his network cancels his show, leaving Jake humiliated and spiraling into a deep dark depression.

Years later, a condemned murderer, who claims he was abandoned by the CIA, and who starred in an early episode of Bullseye, is finally executed for killing two supposed Soviet spies back in the 1970s. Jake Boxer, still trying to piece his life back together, is on his honeymoon in a posh ski resort in the Alaskan mountains when he gets word of the inmate's execution...and the old killer's final words: "The good spy dies twice".

Those five words, seemingly meant for Jake, draw the ex-reporter out of his forced retirement and into a complex and deadly global conspiracy involving his newlywed wife, the secretive New World Order, and the hotel's 100 or so guests.

Everyone is a suspect.

©2016 Mark Hosack (P)2016 Mark Hosack

Great listen!

Listening gives nuances to some of the details that reading can miss. Some readers have been concerned about the detail, but those details are what makes the end when everything comes together an "Aha" moment.

Riveting!

This is great stuff! The music cues make the audio version even better than the printed version, imo. A must-listen!

Lots of twists

I chose to listen to this audiobook after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

The Good Spy Dies Twice starts with a bang and I was immediately hooked. It begins with a mysterious hum and the murder of an audio expert when he tries to record it. Jake, the victim’s boss and friend, knows when he identifies the body that the Russians murdered him even though they claim it was an accident.

Unfortunately, things slow down after the beginning of the book. Jake and Claire are on their honeymoon after he has recovered from a severe depression. Jake is paranoid, though, and his ramblings are a little too much. The funny thing is, he’s right to be paranoid.

Things eventually pick back up toward the end of the book. There were several twists and I was kept wondering who the murderer was right until the end. I do like it when I’m surprised.

It was difficult to connect with Jake, not only because of his paranoia but also his anxiety and constant fear of losing Claire. I also found it strange that Claire kept disappearing. Yes, it was a working honeymoon but she had to know she was making things worse for Jake and his issues.

I’m a little wary when an author narrates their own book. Of course, they know the timing they want but do they have a good voice for speaking? In Mark Hosack’s case, the answer is yes. He did a very good job at narrating The Good Spy Dies Twice.

This is the first book in a series and I will probably try the next one to see if Jake’s character gets a little less whiny before I give up on him.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Fantastic, exciting book

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Mark Hosack. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

The good spy is a fantastic read. With a thrilling Plot and Fantastic characters it was hard to put down. It is very well written and kept a good pace throughout.

There were some great characters but ones that stood out was Jake Boxer. Without giving too much away I was very invested in his story and how he was going to solve his problem.
The audiobook was narrated by he author Mark Hosack. I thought he did a fantastic job. There was a great flow throughout the book. A good character distinction through most of it.

Overall it translated quite well into a audiobook and had a great sound quality. While I have only listened to the audiobook, nothing has seemed to be lost in translation and was very enjoyable.

In the end it was a excellent read. It was a fantastic start to the series and I cannot wait to find out what happens next in this series.

Skis & Spies!

Jake Boxer was a brilliant newscaster, shining a light on the world’s wrongs. However, in Russia with the death of Brody (the soundman), things spiral out of control for Jake. He gets sucked into his own paranoid conspiracy theories and his show is canceled. It takes years, but with the help of Claire (now his wife), a good therapist, and some regulated meds, he is a stable and caring person. Claire and Jake are on their honeymoon at a ski resort in Blind Creek, Alaska. The future is looking up for Jake… at least until an old source dies and his Claire starts acting a bit erratic. A murder and severe back injury may just be the thing to unhinge him as he gets caught up in yet another conspiracy.

I don’t always care for espionage novels because I find them a bit formulaic and therefore, predictable. This book was not that way and I quite enjoyed it. Jake is an interesting character. When we first meet him, he has confidence, charisma, and a drive to hunt down the truth. Circumstances in Russia break him and the story jumps forward several years. Jake is a changed man and he continues to change through this tale.

There’s skiing (which always makes me think of James Bond flicks), a valuable piece of art, the missing artist (did she defect or is she dead?), the mysterious accident that left Jake injured and two dead, and a colorful cast of characters. Jake has a lot on his plate to deal with: severe crippling pain, guilt over the newly dead, unraveling the mystery behind the art and artist, and just plain staying alive!

One of the most interesting aspects to this story was the Dagestan Hum. I labeled this as a red herring initially. We have the Taos Hum here in New Mexico and there isn’t anything particularly nefarious about it. At any rate, the Dagestan Hum is a jumping off point for this tale with Jake running a bit wild with his theories as to what causes that Hum and why Brody was killed for recording it.

As the story unfolds, there are conversations that only Jake is privy to. For a while, I wondered whether or not Jake was an unreliable narrator, having become addled after his latest accident. I loved that I was unsure right up to the last hour or so of the book. Of course this coincided with the big reveal of who was responsible for what. Some I had guessed but not the whole of it and I quite enjoyed being wrong on a few of my guesses.

Let’s talk about those wolves! That was a small but significant creepy bit tossed in by the author. The local wolf pack has been heavily hunted and their heads and bodies have been mounted in the not-yet-opened wing of the ski resort. Now who wants to sit around in a room full of stuffed wolves on a dark and cold night? Definitely a bit creepy and it allowed me to hate on the bad guys just a bit more.

This mystery closes by opening Jake’s eyes to the fact of a larger conspiracy. The loose ends for these immediate events were nicely tied up and the author did a good job of opening the door for more books in the series. It was good to see Jake regain some of his confidence.

I received a free copy of this book via The Audiobookworm.

The Narration: Mark H. Hosack narrated his own book and as always when an author narrates their own work, I get a bit concerned. In this case, there is no need to be. This is a quality performance and a quality production. He goes out of his way to add little bits of music and sound effects here and there but not often enough to call this an audio drama. His female voices are believable and he does accents as well.

The Good Spy Dies Twice Captivates!

In Mark Hosack's audio version of his thriller The Good Spy Dies Twice, he reads with an animatedly alluring baritone of a voice that draws the listener into the story, oftentimes making the listener not want to take pause between chapters. Suspenseful music punctuates the book's opening sequences, lending the feel of a '40s style radio play.
In 43 juicy, action-filled chapters, TGSDT is replete with action, sass, red herrings and at times, raunch that keeps the reader engaged in the plot's multitude of intricacies. I often found myself forwarding through chapters to find out what happens next in this chilling whodunit that takes place mainly in a ski resort town that houses a mysterious painting that is central to the novel.
This tale of espionage and love recounts hero Jake Boxer's quest to decipher a cryptic text message from his newly betrothed wife. All this amidst a politically-themed backdrop involving a possibly murdered friend, Russians, drones and a mine.
Hosack has a natural gift for writing and oral narration that is entertaining and packed with punch, both metaphorical and literal punch. For an all-around depthful and edge-of-your-seat piece of work, look no further than The Good Spy Dies Twice. Great for anyone who appreciates a good mystery thriller, listen to this book on long drives or to unwind at the end of your work day or work week for some suspenseful escapism. You won't regret it!

I couldn't get enough!

Any additional comments?

Hosack did an amazing job on “The Good Spy Dies Twice.” I couldn’t get enough and was up late listening every night until I was finished. The plot kept thickening and getting more intense and the characters were extremely well written and felt real to me. The audio was done very well with the deep tone of Hosack’s voice which made the story even that much better. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Riveting!

What did you love best about The Good Spy Dies Twice?

I loved the setting, the characterization, the suspense - everything!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Good Spy Dies Twice?

I don't want to spoil anything!

Any additional comments?

Sometimes, when an author performs their own book, it feels like a vanity project. Not so in this case - Mark Hosack really brings his characters to life!

mind-blowing twists and turns in this thriller

The Good Spy Dies Twice is an action-packed, psychological thriller that never lets up.  Jack Boxer is a newlywed, ex-investigative journalist and ex-host of Bullseye as well as a man tortured by the death of his sound man.  Add in the Cold War, double agents, a lost painting and greed to complete the psychological thrill and mystery of this book.

Recovering from a nervous breakdown, Jack comes face to face with espionage and the New World Order in Alaska at an isolated ski resort.  Having lost his sound man to the New World Order and espionage, Jack is taken by surprise when he discovers his new wife is neck-deep in spying where she texts him the same words as a recently executed killer.  Jack discovers that Claire (his wife) is writing an earth shattering news story that is Bullseye worthy.

Trapped in a closed resort facing starvation, starving wolves and members of the New World Order, Jack is left to save the day.  Can he get those few left with him to a safe place before the bomb arrives or will they all meet the same fate as his sound man?  Recovering from a near death experience and crippled with a broken back, Jack pushes forward to tell the world.

Mark Hosack creates a world where the Cold War still exists and there are mind-blowing twists and turns in this thriller that keeps the listener mesmerized.  The Good Spy Dies Twice is a well-written plot with characters that are developed in a realistic way.  The situations that Jack finds himself are realistic as well.  Hosack describes the helplessness of Jack not being able to find Claire to the possibility of being wolf food in a vivid and detailed style.  Hosack does an excellent job of tying everything together and in growing Jack into a character that connects to the listeners.

The narrator, also the author Mark Hosack does his novel justice as the listener is treated to a passionate performance and the smooth flow of a narrator connecting to the story. He speaks clearly and concisely.   His passion, excitement, doubt, fear, pain and more are portrayed in a riveting performance.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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A riveting spy novel

What did you love best about The Good Spy Dies Twice?

The Good Spy Dies Twice was a riveting spy novel, perfect for the conspiracy theorists. I was hook on page one. The author weaves a fantastic tale of global espionage. Every one has a secret and no one is whom they appear in this story I was glued to the story and shocked by the outcome.

My favorite character was the MC, Jake Boxer. He is like a dog with a bone when he gets on the trail of a story. Pure genius!

Have you listened to any of Mark Hosack’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other of Mark Hosack's performances but I am definitely adding him to my list. Mark did a wonderful job with narrating the story. The added sound effects and music interludes at the being of each chapter was a unique aspect and set the tone of the chapter.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to reading and listening to other books by Mark Hosack.