
Dark Arena
The Frenchman Returns
Author: Jack Beaumont
Series: Frenchman Series #1
Narrator: Victor Bevine
Unabridged: 11 hr 18 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 03/26/2024

Author: Jack Beaumont
Series: Frenchman Series #1
Narrator: Victor Bevine
Unabridged: 11 hr 18 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 03/26/2024
Jack Beaumont joined the French Air Force in his late teens, trained as a fighter pilot on Mirage 2000-5 single seaters for air-to-air combat, and was deployed in various conflicts. After being injured in a flying accident, he subsequently flew clandestine missions for French special forces and intelligence services before joining the DGSE, where he carried out clandestine operations in the field under false identities. He has since retired from the DGSE and is married with children.
Victor Bevine, Earphones Award–winning narrator, has worked for over thirty years as an actor, screenwriter, narrator, director, and more. A graduate of Yale University, his acting credits include many prestigious roles onstage as well as roles in the film version of A Separate Peace and countless television shows. He has written several screenplays, including Certainty, which was chosen for two prestigious writers’ conferences and which served as the basis for his first novel. His thirty-minute short film Desert Cross, which he wrote and directed, won accolades at the Athens International Film Festival. He serves as CEO of the World Freerunning Parkour Federation, of which he is cofounder.
A highly detailed spy novel set in France and other parts of Europe with the full works. Set before the Ukraine war, it’s filled with gas plots and bad Russians and all the rest. An entertaining read.......more
Jack Beaumont is part of a wave of new espionage and thriller authors who have come out of the security services. John Le Carre was in the British security services but probably the best known of recent times is former head of MI5 Stella Rimington. Jack Beaumont, formerly of the French secret servic......more
Having read the first book by Jack Beaumont, I was excited to read of a second book featuring French protagonist Alec De Payn. As with The Frenchman -the action was fast paced and there were many twists and turns. The narrative reintroduced familiar members of the DGSE including Briffaut, Shrek, Tem......more
Jack Beaumont , a pseudonym, obviously knows a lot about the operation of contemporary security agencies in Europe, Dark Arena is a fast paced totally believable piece on the shared intelligence work of key agencies operating in various countries. It’s so up to date that you know you’ve just hear th......more
“With its sporty cars, luxe hotels, and beautiful backdrops all across Europe, this might be a classic spy yarn from Ludlum or le Carré…A sophisticated espionage tale from an author who knows whereof he speaks.” Kirkus Reviews
“Dark Arena has a captivating and realistic plot that takes his excellent and complex characters into the heart of a recent history. Intense, addictive, and so damn intricate, Dark Arena was an exceptional read from a rising star in the spy thriller game.” The Unseen Library
“Dark Arena is an intricate [novel] that provides an interesting new perspective on events in Europe in early 2022…Beaumont’s characters are also well-crafted, and are not the one-dimensional, gun-toting superheroes to be found in some fiction.” Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine