Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Old Man
The Old Man
The Old Man
Audiobook11 hours

The Old Man

Written by Thomas Perry

Narrated by Peter Berkrot

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

A finalist for the Barry Award for Best Thriller

To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most sixty-year-old widowers don't have multiple driver's licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, and a bugout kit with two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run.

Thirty-five years ago, as a young hotshot in army intelligence, Chase was sent to Libya to covertly assist a rebel army. When the plan turned sour, Chase reacted according to his own ideas of right and wrong, triggering consequences he could never have anticipated. And someone still wants him dead because of them. Just as he had begun to think himself finally safe, Chase must reawaken his survival instincts to contend with the history he has spent his adult life trying to escape.

Armed mercenaries, spectacularly crashed cars, a precarious love interest, and an unforgettable chase scene through the snow-this is lethal plotting from one of the best in crime fiction.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 3, 2017
ISBN9781681683881
Author

Thomas Perry

Thomas Perry is the New York Times bestselling author of nearly thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series, The Old Man, and The Butcher's Boy, which won the Edgar Award. He lives in Southern California. Follow Thomas on Facebook at @ThomasPerryAuthor.

More audiobooks from Thomas Perry

Related to The Old Man

Related audiobooks

Thrillers For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Old Man

Rating: 4.055555603864734 out of 5 stars
4/5

207 ratings22 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just love the pace and adventure the story brings. All of Thomas Perry’s stories are awesome and creative.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Updated y to be really I’mi Iu I know that
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Perry knows killing, and the Old Man, whatever he is calling himself, knows how to do them all. He is also an expert at staying ahead of those who want to kill him.

    I read this book because of the streaming series and found that it was quite different in many details. The Harper character was less deep in this book, and Emily was just a doctor. The book makes Julian a character, though the movie doesn’t give him a backstory. Faras Hamsa is not getting revenge for the loss of his wife, but rather for the $20 million that the Old Man took back.

    I actually think the screenplay was better.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Old Man was a surprisingly action-packed read. It starts slow—just the story of a retired military man who enjoys walking his dogs (Dave and Carol), living quietly, and traveling a bit. But I soon realized that nothing in this book is what it seems. The violence is subtle at first, but throughout the story picks up speed. The plot twists are as scary and unexpected as the characters. I also enjoyed the author's simple style of writing. His straightforward narrative takes you inside his character's heads, so you understand their motivation. Many writers leave it up to the readers to figure their character's out—I like that too—but it was nice to sit back and enjoy the story without thinking about it too much. The ending was genuinely impressive. I love it when a story this complicated comes together so nicely.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very, very enjoyable book. If I’d dedicated more time to reading the book, I could probably have completed it in only a few days. I was prompted to read the book after watching several episodes of the TV series on FX. I started the book after episode 3, curious to find out how faithfully the series stuck to the book. What a surprise! The series is so much different than the book. After having seen several episodes of the series, I was reading along waiting to find similar events in the book, usually more detailed than TV series provide. Well, no spoilers here. However, I would say that while the book is highly recommended, I feel it is nowhere near as well written as the TV series! I know that sounds difficult to believe, but it is true. To some extent I was disappointed in the book because of the series. It’s up to you which to do first – either way, one is likely to be spoiled to some extent by the other.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I pretty much ignored Thomas Perry, the author of THE OLD MAN, for years. But I started watching the TV series based on this book and was unclear about things that I was sure the book would explain. Yes, it did. And I was also surprised: Perry is a darned good writer.The man we first know as 61-year-old Dan Chase seems at first to be a regular old man living with his two big black dogs in Vermont. (I assume that Perry was quite a bit younger than 61 when he wrote this, or he would not have said this is old.) But he has let his guard down. An attempt is made on his life, and he goes on the run. Again. And he changes his name again, too.Next he is in Chicago. Little by little we learn why he is running and who he is running from, although the who isn’t clear, even to him at first.He soon moves into an apartment In Chicago with a woman, Zoe, who falls in love with him and who he pretends to love back. For him, Zoe adds a look of normalcy to his life, the better to evade his enemies. She eventually learns the truth about his background, and they are on the run together, both of them changing their names.Speaking of background, Perry could have come up with a better one for Zoe. Granted, it doesn't have much to do with the main story and it isn't even mentioned until nearly the end when she and the old man are separated, but Perry wrote a pretty lame, unbelievable background for Zoe.Even so, this book really is better than the highly rated TV series based on it. And although in some ways the book differs from the TV series, the book does give some needed explanations. But I doubt the TV series will go the same way the book does, with the old man always keeping to himself. If you are familiar with Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, you will see the similarities between the old man and Reacher.Although, as I said, this book is superior to the TV series, I have one more problem with the book: Perry's math. He says the old man is 61 years old. He wrote it in 2017. That means the old man is the same age I am. Perry also says that the old man served in Vietnam in 1972. In 1972, I was 15 and 16 years old. No one my age served in Vietnam. Is Perry’s math wrong, or did I miss something?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another stand alone book from Thomas Perry that kept me up way too late!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It was okay, but certainly nothing to get excited about. Was interesting enough to keep me reading, but just barely. Never really grabbed me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It’s hard to explain why an author sometimes drops off your radar for decades before you come back to them. And that happens to me sometimes even with a writer as good as Thomas Perry, someone whose novels I enjoyed reading and was impressed by before not picking up another one for about thirty years. Thankfully, Perry’s 2017 novel The Old Man finally caught my eye long enough for those good memories to kick back in long enough for me to pick up the book for a closer look.I was hooked from the first paragraph:“An old man should have a dog.” Dan Chase’s daughter had told him that ten years ago, after his wife died. The part that surprised him was the term “old man.” He had just turned fifty then. But he supposed she was only giving him advance notice, time to get used to the idea and find a suitable dog. After a man’s wife died, he had to do something not to die too.Dan Chase sounds like a family man at loose ends, one whose daughter is worried about his emotional health, and based on this paragraph you might think that you’ve picked up a tearjerker, one of those books that punch all the right buttons for older readers looking for stories about people like themselves. Well, you would be wrong; this is a Thomas Perry novel, after all, and all kinds of hell are about to break loose.Dan Chase has a past. Thirty-five years ago, as a young army intelligence offer, Dan was sent to Libya to deliver several million dollars to an intermediary tasked with getting those funds to a rebel army badly in need of U.S. assistance. But as it turned out, that man was not interesting in giving up one dime of the money to help anyone but himself, so Dan risked his life by going back into Libya to reclaim the money and return it to the government. Unfortunately for Dan, his superiors did not want anyone to learn just how badly the mission had gone, so they decided to cover their own bad judgement by branding Dan a thief and a traitor to his country. They wanted him dead.By now Dan Chase (one of the old man’s many aliases) has been hiding and/or on the run for close to four decades. He lives in Vermont with not one, but two, big dogs where he appears to be nothing more than a typical retiree enjoying his daughter and grandsons. As far as that goes, that’s who he is. But Dan Chase has never let his guard down, so when two Libyan assassins show up at his house one night, they don’t stand much of a chance against him and his dogs.But the chase is on again, and Dan knows that it’s not just the Libyans after him. His own government, to one degree or another, is still smack dab in the middle of it all.Bottom Line: The Old Man is a first rate thriller that moves the reader from point A to point Z in thrilling fashion as the people chasing our hero get closer and closer to catching him. But it is much more than that. Perry takes the time to develop several memorable characters along the way while detailing the evolving relationships these characters have with Chase. The Old Man is as close to a character-driven thriller as can be written without slowing down the basic premise of the story. I’m excited now to go back and read all those Thomas Perry books I’ve missed over the years…money in the bank.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my first book by Perry. What a great find. Very good story. Glad he wrote many more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The old man lives in Vermont with two big dogs. To people who see him, he appears harmless, however the old man is anything but harmless. He keeps a bug out bag with all his essentials such as different ID's and two hand guns with spare clips because he never knows when he will have to go on the run again because the US Government entrusted him with 20 million dollars to give to a Libyan who decides to keep the money for himself instead of passing it on The old may takes back the money and flees Now not only does the Libyan want the old man but so does the US Government. A good fast paced read
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of the most satisfying reads I've enjoyed in a long time. I've read all of Thomas Perry's books. I've loved most and liked all. But, this one, just hit my bell perfectly. Maybe it was the whole premise of the protagonist being old. Regardless, this is one that I really wish I hadn't read so I could have it to read now. Just the best.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Watch out for the old man. On the run from the US government for more than thirty years following an abortive attempt to give back money intended for a Libyan strongman, it's becoming increasingly difficult to hide what with facial recognition software and other new technological ways of finding people.Perry specializes in books where people are hiding or hiding others and I suppose one could learn a lot of techniques for disappearing. Of course, having a lot of money helps. You do begin to wonder why Perry makes the detour to Julian's character and his time back down-on-the-farm, the entire subplot with Julian seems unnecessary. Good light read, nevertheless.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Everything by Thomas Perry is excellent and this is no exception.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was a quick read. Can't say I loved it, but didn't hate it either. Too many loose ends at the end - Very fantastical to the point of disbelief.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting premise followed by a tedious middle game.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed in 'The Old Man', Thomas Perry's latest. For some reason, I'd never read him before, although he's written in my favorite genre for years. The Old Man seemed to be right up my alley, so I checked it out. It's OK, but there are way too many unlikely occurrences for it to seem very real to me.The premise is interesting: an old guy (actually, 2 years younger than me, but still....) living quietly alone in New England with his 2 faithful dogs is actually an ex-spook who dropped off the grid years ago after he 'reclaimed' a bunch of money from a Libyan who was ripping off the US government. His efforts weren't 'approved', conditions changed, the US didn't want the money back, and he found himself in trouble. He successfully disappeared, created a new life for himself along with a number of alternative identities, invested the stolen money and made more, and waited for the inevitable to happen. He soon finds himself under siege by Libyan assassins and US government agents as he makes a run for it while changing identities. In actuality, he's the good guy, his goal is to return the money to the government and have everyone leave him alone, but the Libyans have revenge in mind and he stepped on too many US toes for that to happen. At the risk of spoiling the plot, that's as far as I'll take the story line. I have significant problems with how it concluded, the writing was very pedestrian (of the 'generic thriller' variety), the dialogue was often wooden and unrealistic, and too much of the action didn't make very much sense to me. It wasn't a bad read, but I assume it wasn't Mr. Perry's best effort.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's a masterpiece.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Most men have not spent decades on the run, but Dan Chase is not most men. And when someone wants him dead for something from his past, his survival instincts are sharp and his years of being prepared are all that stand between life and death.With strong characterizations, a twisty, warp-speed plot, and two dogs readers can’t help but love, there is much to appreciate in this tale of a former intelligence officer whose choices have come back to haunt him. Despite the contrived feeling of landlady’s backstory, the building of tension as the chase continues will keep those pages turning. Some readers may the tale predictable but the telling of the tale from the perspective of the chased person adds a certain thrill to the narrative.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The master of the hunt-and-hide/hunt-and-evade suspense thriller returns.Accusing Thomas Perry of writing too many of the same kind of book is like accusing Johann Sebastian Bach of writing too many cantatas (200+). When the quality is that high and even improves over time there is no downside. You simply enjoy the story and admire the craft.Even in what can be viewed as a template formula, Perry still sets himself challenges that are outside of the box of the format. In this case, his hunted protagonist is a 60-year-old man, albeit one with military intelligence/special ops training in his past. The man's allies are his two dogs and a few unlikely partners he meets on the way (I'm being intentionally vague here so as not to release any spoilers). Due to circumstances outside of his control in the past the man has had to avoid the authorities and is even forced to go on the run at a late stage of his life. The opposition hunters are led by a younger version of himself who is ordered by nefarious forces to track the old man down. The set-up is in place and the game is afoot, so settle back and enjoy.I've been critical of a few recent Thomas Perry novels e.g. "The Boyfriend" but generally his quality has always remained high e.g."Forty Thieves". With "The Old Man" I would go so far as to say he has written one of his best ever.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The dogs don't dieIn the first pages of this book we meet Dave and Carol two lovely and important dogs who live with the old man. This being a spy thriller, we know they will die some horrible death defending him. So I am breaking the rules and writing a spoiler. They don't die, and that tells you something about the tone and worthiness of this book. "The Old Man" is not about blood and gore and emotional wrenching as animals suffer. It is calm and dignified and worth every penny you spend buying it for yourself and as gifts for friends. Too bad Grove Atlantic has released it at such an awkward time of year.I received a review copy of "The Old Man" by Thomas Perry (Grove Atlantic) through NetGalley.com.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Daniel Chase is just your average 60 year old widower. Since his daughter moved out, he spends his days reading & walking Dave & Carol, the dogs. But 35 years ago he was a covert government agent in Libya. After a botched assignment, he fled back to the states carrying $20 million only to discover he’d been abandoned by his own handlers. Since then, he’s been living quietly with a new identity. Now he’s been found.Daniel has no choice but to hit the road, dodging several attempts on his life before he makes it to Chicago. With a new name, he rents a room from Zoe McDonald, an attractive divorcee trying to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the government enlists a special ops contractor to find their former agent. Julian Carson works loosely with military intelligence & it’s not long before he tracks him down. But their “meetings” leave him with more than just bruises. Daniel’s side of the story makes Julian question what really happened all those years ago, why he’s been hired & who he can trust. The story shifts to full thriller mode as Daniel & Zoe flee across the country, followed by Julian & a group of shadowy men. We know the military is behind the manhunt but it’s not immediately clear why or if they’re working alone. Gradually we (and Daniel) learn the real reason he’s a wanted man after more than 3 decades. This is a fast paced conspiracy thriller with plenty of twists to keep you entertained. Daniel’s character remains an enigma but you can’t help but pull for him as he tries to outwit everything the men in dark suits throw at him. He’s a difficult guy to connect with & we never really get to know him any better. But this is in keeping with a character whose secrets prevent him from forming close relationships. In fact, most of the characters are lightly fleshed out. Zoe is a remarkably accepting woman whose life is turned upside down. When we’re given details of her background, it’s late in the game & doesn’t really add anything to the story. The exception is Julian. We spend a fair amount of time in his head as he struggles to hold on to his integrity while making decisions that will alter the trajectory of his life. But character development is beside the point as this is a straight up thriller made for fans of spy games & lot of action. It does exactly what it should….keep you turning the pages to see who is left standing when it all shakes out. I enjoyed learning all of Daniel’s survival tricks & appreciated the author didn’t go for the pat, easy ending. Perfect for your next flight or road trip, this should appeal to fans of Steve Martini, Gregg Hurwitz, Joseph Finder or Steve Berry.