Spy Killer

Written by L. Ron Hubbard

Narrated by Lori Jablons and R.F. Daley

American Sailor Kurt Reid is a hothead — as scrappy and rough around the edges. Falsely accused of murder, Reid jumps ship in Shanghai — and lands in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and murder. Drawn into a deadly spy game, he'll have to learn the rules fast, because with players like sexy Russian agent Varinka Savischna, the game is as seductive as it is sinister. Give in to temptation and experience the intrigue, as the audio version of Spy Killer invites you to take part in a most provocative conspiracy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Galaxy Audio
• Release date: Apr 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781592125258

L. Ron Hubbard

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most acclaimed and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard.

Reviews for Spy Killer

[jmourgos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Spy Killer

The Spy Killer is another one of the pulp fiction stories from L. Ron Hubbard, this time originally published in the late 1930s, before the USA got into World War II, Japan was occupying areas of China and one Kurt Reid was found on the streets of Shanghai, sopping wet and escaping the police.

Why? He's accused of a murder he did not commit, runs into a Russian spy (who happens to be a gorgeous woman, of course) and gets tangled into a conflict between her and a Chinese gangster.

Seems like a complex plot -- it is -- but it flows well at its 88 pages. The pulps usually ran these kinds of stories through several magazines, but here the reader gets to read it all in one go.

The reading is fairly easy, and any words used at that time are clarified in a glossary in the back.

The most gruesome scenes are the torture scenes as fingernails are being ripped out by pliers or guys are getting shot messily between the eyes. Surprisingly graphic tales for the kids of the old days.

Recommended.

[tpmcnulty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Spy Killer" is a classic L. Ron Hubbard story from 1936. Published prior to the wave of espionage novels inspired by Eric Ambler's "A Coffin for Dimitrios" in 1939, Hubbard had anticipated the espionage genre's popularity with this startling tale. "Spy Killer" is a well-written thriller, and readers will encounter the mysterious Russian woman Varinka Savischna. Hubbard's blazing talent is evident in beautiful lines like this: "The steam which rose from her cup of tea was not less illusive than the quality of her eyes." The audio book is outstanding. Each audio book features a multicast performance with music and sound effects reminiscent of radio's golden age. Starring the voice talent of Lori Jablons and featuring R. F. Daley, Shane Johnson, Jim Meskimen, and Tait Ruppert, "Spy Killer" is the perfect audio adventure when your driving long distance.

[gttexas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A nice pulp escape story!

[texicanwife_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spy Killer Spy KillerL. Ron HubbardGalaxy Press, LLC - 2008ISBN - 10 1-59212-302-3ISBN-13 978-1-59212-302-5From the "Stories of the Golden Age" Series, this is another great Kurt Reid story written by the master story-teller, L. Ron Hubbard.Hubbard originally published the story in the April 1936 issue of Five Novels Monthly. The story's setting in exotic China, with high tales of espionage and spies made it an instant best-seller in the thirties. However, it's wonderful storyline continue to make it a popular work today.With twists and turns that you won't see coming, filled with the quick mind and even quicker actions of its hero, you'll find this a book you won't want to put down. With a hint of romance to soften the razor edge, you'll find Spy Killer thrills readers of many genre's.I give this work a five star rating! And it definitely has my thumbs up!

[khager_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Most people--if they know the name at all--know Hubbard as "the Scientology guy." But apparently before Scientology, he wrote a ton of books. He wrote mysteries, science fiction and spy tales. Spy Killer is about Kurt, who has been accused of murder. (I'm guessing there's a series about him, because Spy Killer read like being plopped in the middle of someone else's conversation.) To avoid being executed, he's told to kill a traitor...except it turns out the traitor is this woman he just met and who he has feelings for.(It's sort of a long story.)Anyway--this is a fun, short (only 88 pages) story and I would definitely be open to reading more of his stories in the future. It's also impressive how much action is crammed into those 88 pages. (I'm also oddly fascinated by Scientology, but that's a whole other thing.)