You Only Live Once cover art

You Only Live Once

A James Flynn Escapade, Book 1

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You Only Live Once

By: Haris Orkin
Narrated by: Chris Ciulla
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About this listen

From zero to hero....

James Flynn is an expert shot, a black belt in karate, fluent in four languages, and irresistible to women. He’s also a heavily medicated patient in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital. Flynn believes his locked ward is the headquarters of Her Majesty’s Secret Service and that he is a secret agent with a license to kill.

When the hospital is acquired by a new HMO, Flynn is convinced that the Secret Service has been infiltrated by the enemy. He escapes to save the day, and in the process, Flynn kidnaps a young Hispanic orderly named Sancho.

This crazy day trip turns into a very real adventure when Flynn is mistaken for an actual secret agent. Paranoid delusions have suddenly become reality, and now it’s up to a mental patient and a terrified orderly to bring down an insecure, evil genius bent on world domination.

Includes a special bonus note from the author.

©2020 Haris Orkin (P)2020 Podium Publishing Espionage International Mystery & Crime Literature & Fiction Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Witty Crime Mystery

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All stars
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They story has promise but I ultimately had to stop because of the narrator's unlikeable range of voices. The attempt at the refined English accent was passable, if clichéd, but the other principal character, Sancho, was utterly grating for the 8 chapters I managed to tolerate hoping that the annoying tone of slow, strained exasperation the narrator chose to use for all his dialogue would change or at least differ in range. Females didn't fair much better either as the narrated barely took the edge off his naturally masculine enunciation. The narration itself was pleasant enough but I was unable to continue with the story though I promise I did try because I liked the content. An honest shame.

Story spoilt for me by the narrator

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A thoroughly enjoyable story about a Bond fantasist (a man in an asylum who literally believes he is Bond), who gets sucked into a spy-story adventure. This happens in 2 ways. Firstly, the hero continuously re-interprets the incidents of day-to-day life as if he were a secret agent, transforming the mundane into the dramatic. Secondly, his chivalry and his instinct for adventure really do lead to him interfering in a real-life criminal enterprise worthy of a Bond novel.

Unlike most Bond spoofs, there's a serious undertone to the story. The supposed "lunatic" is acting as he does out of a horrified rejection of the way the world actually functions. As Bond fantasies are a normal experience, and as the world is often disappointing, this is a comment on the human condition. The stubborn denial of reality does itself have an heroic quality. In fact, the novel is a re-telling of Cervantes' 17th century novel, Don Quixote, with Flynn in the place of Quixote. Both men are trying to live as protagonists in the heroic stories of their time - Quixote wants to be a knight fighting monsters, and Flynn wants to be a secret agent despatching super villains. Both stories ask whether the lunatic is not perhaps deeply sane, in his defiance of a reality both mundane and terrible.

This is great easy listening, a way to forget your everyday anxieties and concerns about life without denying that those anxieties and concerns do really exist. It's an amusing, well executed, Bond adventure, and pure fun. The narrator (and by extension, the central character) does an excellent Timothy Dalton impression.

A Don Quixote, with spies rather than knights

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I happened on this by accident & really enjoyed it. Humorous & quirky. I'm ready for the next one James ...... James Flynn 😉

Brilliant Fun!

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A good alternative take on the popular 007 theme. Something different that is harmless. I do think it should be left there and no sequels though. Some of the narration can be a bit annoying at times but certainly don’t let that put you off listening.

A nice change

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Well worth listening too. Its very well done and funny. You need to get it.

brilliant 👏

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picked up this book for my A to z challenge as my choice for Y. very unlike my normal choice of book and a bit of a whim pick.

found it genuinely amusing, non derivative satire. performance was very good and overall a nice easy listen. Story was fun and light and the nods to typical bond style fiction felt appropriate.

unexpected treat

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Very well written, novel idea and extremely funny with a brilliant narration by Chris Ciulla

Excellent

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Very funny and entertaining Can't wait for the next adventure. Really recommend. If you like Stephanie plum novels you'll love this. Great narrator, easy to listen to.

love it!!!

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Passed the time well, tongue firmly in cheek well read not to long quite Enjoyable.

Don Quixote meets The man who knew too little

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I didn’t have much hope for this one after reading negative reviews….
But I absolutely loved it, it’s so much fun, very well done and I laughed out loud a few times.
It’s perfect escapism.
I listened to it all in one day and bought the next one.
I’m a few chapters into book two and I’ve just bought the third.


### I’ve now listened to all four, each one is an absolute joy, very highly recommended.

Perfect escapism, huge amount of fun.

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