American Sons: 40th Anniversary Edition

I’ll admit: I went into *American Sons* expecting a glamorous Cold War caper, but what I got was far more unsettling—a portrait of espionage as a series of half-baked decisions by people who *think* they’re the smartest in the room. David Colacci’s narration as Boyce is the standout here; he nails the guy’s smug self-righteousness, especially in early chapters where Boyce dismisses his Soviet handlers as ‘amateurs’ while *he’s the one* using a public payphone to arrange dead drops. Susan Ericksen’s turns as FBI agents and Boyce’s girlfriend provide a cool counterpoint, though her pacing occasionally feels rushed during legal scenes, as if she’s skimming the dry parts (which, to be fair, *are* dry). The audiobook’s strength lies in its unflinching look at the banality of betrayal. Boyce’s motives—part anti-war protest, part thrill-seeking—feel tragically mundane, and the audio format amplifies the claustrophobia of his downward spiral. That said, the middle act drags when it dives into procedural details of his trial; even Colacci’s charisma can’t salvage the slog of legal jargon. The real gut-punch comes in the final hours, where Boyce’s post-prison reflections (added for this edition) reveal a man still justifying his choices, still convinced he was the hero. It’s a masterclass in unreliable narration, and the audiobook’s intimate delivery makes his delusions all the more chilling. If you’re looking for *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*, keep walking. But if you want to hear how espionage *actually* goes wrong—messy, petty, and devastating—this is your audiobook.