X-Book

A Double Life

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

The Times Thrillers of the Year 2020

’Superbly crafted with heart-stopping twists and chills galore. A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament’ The Times, Book of the Month

Gabriela is a senior negotiator in the Foreign Office. When she returns to her young family after a seven-month stint in Moscow, something doesn’t seem right.

Isobel is a journalist on the local paper in Camden. After witnessing a violent attack, she starts to investigate. But someone saw her watching, and is making themselves known in increasingly frightening ways.

As Gabriela’s life begins to unravel, Isobel gets closer to the truth, and the two women’s lives converge in this deeply chilling examination of deceit.

Reader reviews for A Double Life

‘A sensational story packed full of twists. What an unbelievable book, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by the ending… it's a cliffhanger, so I hope Philby is already working on a sequel because I NEED to know what happens next’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A riveting and tense thriller exploring the actions of two women whose lives are about to collide’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Can’t wait for book 3!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Great read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amazingly brilliant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Loved loved LOVED! I was hooked after the very first chapter. Engrossed in the story all the way through. The end hit me like a tonne of bricks!!! CANNOT WAIT for the 3rd book!!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Complex, chilling, fascinating. LOVED it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Addictive’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Chilling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Praise for A Double Life

‘I was utterly gripped’ LUCY FOLEY

‘I fell into the vivid, frightening world Charlotte Philby creates so skilfully and didn't resurface until long after I'd turned the last page’ JANE CASEY

‘A Double Life confirms Charlotte Philby as the master of a sub-genre she basically invented’ ERIN KELLY

‘Brilliantly executed and tense’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Terribly compelling… persuasive and absorbing’ OBSERVER

‘A pacy, gripping read that kept us on the edge of our seats’ INDEPENDENT

Critics Review

u201cSuperbly crafted with heart-stopping twists and chills galore. A new star has arrived in the thriller firmamentu201d The Times, Book of the Month

u201cA seriously stylish, hugely compelling mystery: Charlotte Philby redefines a male-dominated genre with her brilliantly complex female characters. I was utterly gripped.u201d LUCY FOLEY

u201cI fell into the vivid, frightening world Charlotte Philby creates so skilfully and didn't resurface until long after I'd turned the last page. Her characters are so real you genuinely fret over their safety in their jobs and personal lives. Everything about this book feels as plausible as if it might happen tomorrow. She is a hugely original and talented writer.u201d JANE CASEY

u201cA Double Life confirms Charlotte Philby as the master of a sub-genre she basically invented, dealing in the dangerous area where working motherhood and international espionage collide. Heart-breaking, gripping and always beautifully written, I canu2019t wait to see what she does next.u201d ERIN KELLY

u201cPhilby is creating her own niche of beautifully observed, fast-paced, multi-layered novelsu2026 In Gabriela and Isobel, Philby develops two fascinating characters who have to face challenges that women the world over will recognise, but rarely get to read about on the page. A Double Life is a wonderful novel.u201d HOLLY WATT, winner of the 2019 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.

u2018Brilliantly executed and tenseu2019 Sunday Times

u2018Terribly compellingu2026 persuasive and absorbing.u2019 The Observer

u2018A pacy, gripping read that kept us on the edge of our seatsu2019 The Independent

u2018Dark and compellingu2019 Bella

u2018I like a novel where the intrepid investigative journalist and the Foreign Office rising star are both women. And where two separate stories eventually converge around a conspiracy that touches the very top of the establishment and destroys everythingu2019 Evening Standard

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Charlotte Philby
Narrator Helen Keeley, Katy Sobey
Duration 13 hours and 6 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9780008365202
Format Audiobook
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Genre Espionage and spy thriller, Thriller / suspense fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.