Listen to a sample
Illegal Action
- Author
- Stella Rimington
- Narrator
- Amy Noble
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 14 August 2025
- Run Time
- 9 hours 42 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
ILLEGAL ACTION is the third thriller from the former head of MI5 and bestselling author Stella Rimington, featuring MI5 officer Liz Carlyle.
When MI5 intelligence officer Liz Carlyle learns of a Russian government plot to kill super-rich Nikita Brunovsky – a man who openly criticises the Putin regime from his London base – it’s a race against time to track down the killer. How the man is to be silenced is unclear, but the Foreign Office dreads any kind of incident and Liz must work fast to protect him.
As she goes undercover, desperately trying to find out who in Brunovsky’s retinue might betray him, Liz discovers that an ‘illegal’ Russian agent has arrived in London. Is this the assassin she is seeking? Under an assumed name, caught up in the high-octane world of the oligarchs, Liz soon finds herself in terrible danger...
'Readers can expect authenticity - and that is what she delivers.' The Times
© Stella Rimmington 2007 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
-
Rimington's plot, as one should expect from a former head of MI5, bristles with subterfuge and splices in allusions to Litvinenko's poisoning to give Illegal Action a contemporary feel . . . Gripping . . . Carlyle, in her third outing, has depth and tenacity
Financial Times
-
The thing about Ms Rimington's stories is that they have the smack of authenticity
Daily Mail
-
There is every sign of inside knowledge about this spying business as our hero Liz enters the world of mega-rich and mega-eccentric Russian 'oligarchs' in London
Guardian
-
Rimington's command of espionage and counterespionage history and techniques enables her to bring enormous believability to her well-paced narrative. Her dialogue moves as swiftly as the action, and her characters are as believable as the world in which they - and we - live. Fans of intelligent spy thrillers are in for a treat
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
An ideal beach read for the upcoming vacation season . . . Elements of the old-fashioned spy novel -sudden twists and characters with hidden agendas-combine with James Patterson's secret to success
Booklist
-
Readers can expect authenticity - and that is what she delivers
The Times
-
Rimington makes adroit use of her expertise as former MI5 chief
Sunday Times
-
A tense, terrifying read we couldn't put down
Cosmopolitan
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Stella Rimington
- Narrator
- Amy Noble
- Duration
- 9 hours 42 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 August 2025
- ISBN
- 9781529977752
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Espionage and spy thriller, Crime and mystery: women sleuths / detectives, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Psychological thriller, Espionage and secret services
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. ILLEGAL ACTION is the third thriller from the former head of MI5 and bestselling author Stella Rimington, featuring MI5 officer Liz Carlyle.When MI5 intelligence officer Liz Carlyle learns of a Russian government plot to kill super-rich Nikita Brunovsky – a man who openly criticises the Putin regime from his London base – it’s a race against time to track down the killer. How the man is to be silenced is unclear, but the Foreign Office dreads any kind of incident and Liz must work fast to protect him.As she goes undercover, desperately trying to find out who in Brunovsky’s retinue might betray him, Liz discovers that an ‘illegal’ Russian agent has arrived in London. Is this the assassin she is seeking? Under an assumed name, caught up in the high-octane world of the oligarchs, Liz soon finds herself in terrible danger...'Readers can expect authenticity - and that is what she delivers.' The Times© Stella Rimmington 2007 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
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 $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. 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.