Damascus Station: A Novel

Written 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 pager-turner that offers the "most authentic depiction of modern-day tradecraft in print." (Navy SEAL sniper and New York Times bestselling 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666153002

Reviews for Damascus Station

[Mohamed El-Khatib · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stirred my emotions like no other novel! Certainly a standout work of the 21st century.

[Michael Martini · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books you will ever read. Period.

[dodginglions · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a decent spy thriller, but feels more like a simple romance with spy thriller trappings. The characters are often cartoonish, but the story takes an interesting turn near the end. The book has received praise for getting the tradecraft of espionage, and so it is interesting from that perspective as well.

Unfortunately, Arab names and Arabic words were often mispronounced.

[Jonnie Furmanchik · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m an espionage junkie. I’ve been searching for something in the same league as my gold standard, I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.
And finally David McCloskey delivers in a big way.
The writing, the characters, and his story come together in a rare home run that happens all too rarely. Finally, I was initially put off by the narrator(as some other reviews will mention) but as I got to know him, I LOVED his narration. He can do accents, he can do female voices (extremely rare) without sounding like a little girl or a southern belle and he “sounds” like Sam.
Many espionage book groups and podcasts give this book their “best book of the year” nod. High praise and it is well deserved.