The Vicar

by A.J. Chambers

Inspired by the author’s own experience, The Vicar introduces Terry Nolan, an MI5 operative who, when he discovers his cover is blown and millions of lives are at stake, will do whatever it takes to stop enemy forces. Terry Nolan, an off-the-books MI5 operative known as the Vicar, has been officially dead for the past thirty years. But when Nolan is attacked in Boston, it becomes clear his cover is blown. Even worse, his Parishioners—the network of spies who work under the Vicar—have all been compromised.

Nolan races to New York to try and find his last remaining agent, Shae, whom he personally recruited years ago. Instead, he finds Kristen, a young civilian who is determined to save Shae, too—and who may know more than she’s letting on. In the search for his missing agent, Nolan intercepts intelligence that indicates weapons of mass destruction are on their way to Britain’s four largest cities. Working directly with the ruthless head of MI5, Nolan must call upon all his clandestine skills to save the final Parishioner and find out who is behind the attacks and why. But he’s playing a dangerous game, and the dark secrets of his past are about to catch up with him.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Leane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a different take on MI5’s historical involvement with Northern Ireland and the political and cultural fallout from that ongoing and tragic conflict. Terry, The Vicar, is on a mission in 2008 Boston for MI5 and through flashbacks (1989 Belfast) we comprehend his past with the agency and the tragedies that have befallen him. He is the reason the book is at all compelling—a good flawed and conflicted CH even if the author includes too much gratuitous hackneyed dialogue and forced humor in Terry’s exchanges with other agents, his handler, and others. There was also too much unnecessary interior commentary. I enjoy culinary details; however, sometimes I thought the book was centered too much on unrealistic food sequences while Terry and his accomplices prepared or recovered from their altercations which were many and bloodied. I do think Chambers does an adequate job in the US with setting detail; however, England and Belfast really pops. Many of the other CHs are placeholders and his comradery/co-dependence of Terry and K, his MI5 boss, was again, unrealistic or not adequately explained to me. Much of this book could have benefited from better editing to tighten up the plot. I guessed who the big baddie was early on; however, the other details of the reveal were nicely done. The spy craft is good, the action sequences and equipment details adequate and the body count and carnage high. Red Flags: Visceral violence, torture. I might read the sequel, which should happen since there is a cliffhanger after a much too abrupt ending that only gave partial closure, out of curiosity that the author improves his technique. Fans of Mark Greaney, Tom Bradby, and Ava Glass who may want a quick read may want to pick this up and give it a try.

[Meagan Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vicar is a blistering, relentlessly paced, spy novel. We never stop moving, something happens on every page. The ending isn't terribly surprising (I saw it coming) but it is satisfying and logical. It is not my usual jam - I generally lean more lit fic, so don't come to this book looking for pretty prose or deeply drawn characters. The dialogue doesn't pass the "ear test" for me, but I'm a Canadian expat who has been in the US for 20 years - maybe to Brit and Irish readers it rings true. The cover copy states that this story has some basis in the author's life, and you can tell - both because of the incredible level of expert detail, (I LOVE THAT) and the voice. I saw some other reviews that complained about all the food descriptions. I thought that they were charming. I'm a foodie, and while I'm not sure that I believe that spies spend a lot of time eating well on missions, I did think that was an original detail that makes this book stand out from other spy thrillers.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, exciting read, but falls apart at the end, as most spy novels do. Authors, you really don't have to tie ALL the characters together in a neat bow at the end.

[BethFishReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really more of a 3.75

This twisty spy-type thriller is set in two time periods and involves the IRA and the Irish Troubles.

In 1989, Nolan--young and cocky--is working underground in Ireland to take out an IRA leader. In 2018--older and much more cautious--Nolan is head of a division of agents and is working out the United States, still tracking down terrorist, mafia-like IRA cells.

When his cover is blown and all but one of his agents are eliminated, he reenters active duty to save Shea. Helping him along the way is Shea's girlfriend, Kristen.

As other reviewers have noted, Nolan (known as "The Vicar") is very much in the vein of James Bond. Though he's not as debonair, his skill set and penchant for staying alive are very impressive. The novel's structure feels like a classic spy novel, with plenty of action and evil enemies.

Although I was pretty sure Nolan would make it to the end, I felt the tension and was later surprised by a good twist. I didn't see it coming at all, though a more careful reader would have likely picked up on the hints.

I would be happy to read more about Nolan or more books by Chambers.

The audiobook was performed by Rory Barnet, who was great with the accents (at least to my ear) and did a good job rounding out Nolan's personality and underlying remorse and saddness. Barnet kept the action moving and the tension high.

Thanks to the publishers for a review copy of the audiobook. Thanks to libro.fm.

[Brian Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun. Chambers has a gift for pacing, so I found myself reading long after the normal amount of time I had planned to read. Almost all the chapters end with a little surprise that makes you go, “Well, dang,now I’ll have to find out what this is all about.” It’s satisfying too. There are enough gun fights, tricks, double-crosses and surprises to make it feel meaty. It’s also refreshing that the author is former British military, so there were a lot of details that felt authentic. For example, in the movies, when someone wants to blow a safe, they smack some plastic explosives on the door and “boom” the safe conveniently swings open. Chambers explains that it doesn’t work that way. Explosives follow the path of least resistance, so putting plastic explosives on a steel safe just means the explosion will blow back in your face. The hero, Terry Nolan, does a trick using water to focus the explosion in the place he wants it. Pretty cool.

Overall, a very cool spy thriller.

Warning: This book will make you hungry. It says the author was a former chef and it shows because whenever the characters eat something, Chambers describes in a way that makes you want to fly to said location (Boston, London, New York) and find the restaurant so you can eat there.

[LianaReads blog]

The Vicar" by AJ Chambers is a heart-pounding espionage thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Chambers draws upon personal experiences to craft a tale centered around Terry Nolan, a once-dead MI5 operative known as the Vicar, now on a perilous mission to save lives and unveil a traitorous network.
The narrative is a relentless whirlwind of action and suspense, skillfully narrated to immerse readers into the gripping world of espionage. The character development is spot-on, breathing life into Terry Nolan and his fight against time and foes. The sense of urgency is palpable, and the stakes are sky-high, making it a thrilling read.
What I particularly enjoyed was the unexpected plot twists and the revelation of Nolan's enigmatic past. The author's adept storytelling keeps readers guessing, adding an exciting layer to the storyline.
I wholeheartedly recommend "The Vicar" to any fan of espionage novels. AJ Chambers has not only created a thrilling adventure but also a compelling protagonist in Terry Nolan, making this book a standout in the genre. Dive into the shadows of espionage and let the excitement sweep you away.

[Mrs.J.Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superman, where is your cape?

Our hero Terry is quite the superhero. He certainly seems to be almost invincible and in this case saves the nation, practically single-handedly.

Enough of the sarcasm. This is a great book if you like fast paced action thrillers. It is a debut novel so we should look out for more great stories from AJ Chambers. He certainly has an excellent grasp on detail. He has cleverly built on his own career experiences and then used his imagination and writing skills to weave a very complicated and suspenseful plot. You can certainly tell that the author has spent his life reading spy novels.

The subject matter is topical. The prospect of another tilt by the IRA would terrify many people. I remember missing a couple of bomb scares in London.

Terry has personal demons too which he has to deal with. These are handled very sensitively. I wonder if the writer has had to deal with loss in his life as well .

The ending is an interesting twist. You may guess some of it but it is certainly creative.

A convincing debut novel which augurs well for a productive career.

[Jim Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book, “The Vicar” and really enjoyed it. I agree that it could easily be adapted to a mainstream movie, or possibly a series. It’s very Jack Reacher like with all the fast moving suspense, twists, turns, and unexpected complex ending. I’m a former military person myself and have worked extensively with Special Operations units, so appreciate your accuracy with terms and trade craft. You are smart enough to limit mundane details that might bore or confuse the layman while including just the right details to demonstrate realism without compromising losing impact. These types of novels are so easily turned into fluff stories with boring sameness but you not only avoided both, but you succeeded in making the genre fresh and keep the story exciting throughout.
Jim D.

[Carolyn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Vicar” by A. j. Chambers, narrated by Rory Barnett. Another enjoyable spy story. Terry is a “long dead” off the books MI5 spy, but suddenly his cover is blown and it’s a race against time to find out who and why AND save a lot of the UK from being targeted by dirty bombs. Zipped along nicely with great characters and a decent twist.
Slated for release on the 18th of September 2023.
Thanks to @talismanonpender @librofm @blackstonepublishing for the #ARC #ALC

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It’s been a while since I’ve read an outright spy thriller. I found the level of violence disturbing but not unusual. Perhaps age,or the fact that I read this as an audio book and couldn’t skim the violent bits, made me more sensitive to it. I enjoyed the Irish connections and the limited bit of history (I would have enjoyed more context around the Irish struggles). The character were well drawn. I might round down to a 3.5 as there was less character development and the twist seemed obvious to me, but still a good adventure read.

[R.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very gripping read - even more so being inspired by writers own experiences and including British/Irish history.
Extremely hard to put down and liked how it merged the story between past and present happenings, felt as though I was there and loved the dialogue although not to everybody's taste I feel it was needed and added to the severity of the situation/characters response.
Looking foward to more chamber chapters in the future!

[Doug Yonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

He thought he was retired and his past was behind him. But apparently it’s caught up with him. When the former MI5 operative’s cover is broken, he’s not the only one in danger, but so are the operatives he’s worked with as well as the country he served . The race is on to save his friends and his country.

[Pim van Offeren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spy thriller that feels like Jason Bourne meets James Bond and then some. I really enjoyed reading this MI5 thriller, including the Irish and British accents. If you like authors like Brad Thor, Ben Coes, Jack Carr... this one is for you! Refreshingly written, fast-paced and it keeps you guessing until the end. A great summer read, pick it up when you can!

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of my issue with this has to do with the narration. A British man just can’t do a believable voice of an American woman. Other than that, it was pretty predictable and a bit disappointing.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intense story about Irish IRA refuseniks in their attempt to harm Great Britain through a combination of dirty booms and an actual nuke.

A genuine page turner with far, far too many killings.

[Amy Barko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I picked this fantastic book up I couldn’t put it down!!

[Aida Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a debut! great character development, plot twists, action, everything you want in an adventure.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star audiobook, what a little twist there at the end. A lot of action and accents.