Listen to a sample
Welcome to Cottonmouth
- Author
- Jay S. Bell
- Narrator
- Edoardo Ballerini
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 6 September 2025
- Run Time
- 9 hours 38 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
What to expect
“Jay S. Bell has arrived and he’s firing on all cylinders. This book is so original and well written that it had to be penned by a legend in the making.”—Joshua Hood, bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Treadstone series
What does the US government do with spies and special operators when they pass their expiration date? They retire them to a small town deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, where they’re certain to cause no trouble.
A collection of broken spies, former double agents, and retired operators lives in secrecy, under the watchful eye of the government in the small, deep-woods town of Cottonmouth, Texas.
Devlin Mahoney is the de facto mayor of these special citizens, charged with keeping them in seclusion, hidden from the world, which he does from the office of the town’s only motel.
But the peace of this sleepy village is shattered when a pair of women, on the run from a vicious criminal, drops into Mahoney’s lap and he’s forced to choose between doing what’s right and doing what he’s told.
Critics Review
-
“Jay S. Bell has arrived with a thriller that is firing on all cylinders!”
Joshua Hood, bestselling author of The Guardian and Robert Ludlum’s Treadstone series
-
“A fantastically original idea executed with the style and skill of a veteran wordsmith. If Welcome to Cottonmouth isn’t on your must-read list, then you need to fix that problem right now.”
Victor Gischler, award-winning author of Gun Monkeys
-
“The kind of thriller you dive into when you’re looking for a killer weekend read: something hardcore and enthralling with an old-school approach to kick-assery…Gritty and intense action sequences that align with the realistic setting and fast-paced storytelling…Welcome to Cottonmouth is a thriller’s thriller.”
The Best Thriller Books
-
“Bell spins a tale of wild imagination flavored with highly accurate tools-of-the-deadly-trades and operator speak, plus a crew of Cottonmouth characters resembling a murderous version of Friends. His dialogue’s clever, the action’s spot on, his heroes and villains are snarky and memorable, and the author has a way with suspense and words. It’s a fun and fabulous gunfire ride, not to be missed.”
Steven Hartov, New York Times bestselling author of The Last of the Seven
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
“In his gripping new novel featuring former spies and unresolved conflicts in a town shrouded in deadly secrets, Jay S. Bell delivers a memorable Texas twist to the espionage genre that will have readers eagerly craving more.”
Jerome Preisler, New York Times bestselling author
-
“An explosive, over-the-top, series-worthy action thriller set in a world that feels completely fresh.”
BestThrillers.com
-
“This is a great action-thriller, with some lol moments and a great group of characters. Hopefully, there will be more adventures with these people.”
Red Carpet Crash
-
“In this action-packed thriller, the safety and seclusion of a town designed for retired spies and military personnel are compromised when two strangers escaping a criminal kingpin arrive.”
Shelf Awareness
-
“Amusing banter, a little romance, and plenty of action set pieces which the author handles deftly.”
Crime Fiction Lover
-
“Edoardo Ballerini’s pitch-perfect narration elevates this thriller to a new level. Ballerini expertly showcases his talent for making a diverse cast sound authentic and memorable…The suspense rises to a high intensity as Ballerini’s thoughtful pacing builds the tension. Listeners will return to this audiobook again and again.”
AudioFile
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Jay S. Bell
- Narrator
- Edoardo Ballerini
- Duration
- 9 hours 38 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 September 2025
- ISBN
- 9798212877411
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Thriller / suspense fiction, Espionage and spy thriller, Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction, Family life fiction
Synopsis
“Jay S. Bell has arrived and he’s firing on all cylinders. This book is so original and well written that it had to be penned by a legend in the making.”—Joshua Hood, bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Treadstone seriesWhat does the US government do with spies and special operators when they pass their expiration date? They retire them to a small town deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, where they’re certain to cause no trouble.A collection of broken spies, former double agents, and retired operators lives in secrecy, under the watchful eye of the government in the small, deep-woods town of Cottonmouth, Texas.Devlin Mahoney is the de facto mayor of these special citizens, charged with keeping them in seclusion, hidden from the world, which he does from the office of the town’s only motel.But the peace of this sleepy village is shattered when a pair of women, on the run from a vicious criminal, drops into Mahoney’s lap and he’s forced to choose between doing what’s right and doing what he’s told.
About xigxag and the x-book®
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.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
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.