I was eager to dive into Eleven Numbers, a short story featuring a new character. In this one, we meet Nathan Tyler, a mathematician who sees himself as an ordinary guy. However, it turns out that he's quite brilliant, having written his thesis on a particular algorithm that both the US and Russia are keen on.

I enjoyed the story and found Tyler to be a compelling character, though I did find it a little hard to believe that, as an unknown, he was able to quickly uncover the government's shady actions and outsmart them. I read and listened to the book to get a better sense of both the writing and narration, and I thought the narrator did a great job capturing Tyler’s calm demeanor. However, the abrupt shift toward the end made me reconsider the effectiveness of the narration.

the setup…
Nathan Tyler is a university professor and mathematician leading an ordinary and nondescript life, though he’s well respected for his knowledge and skill. Life changes one morning when he answers a call…from the White House. They want him to attend a math conference in Russia during a time when things are tense and rife with State Department warnings to avoid travel to the country. But Tyler needs to meet with a renowned Russian mathematician who holds the key to a cryptic Kremlin security code.

the heart of the story…
In the author’s classic style, the story moves swiftly without it feeling so and the plot moves just as smoothly. Not highly descriptive but effective at vividly imprinting the scenes. Just as I thought I knew where it was going the landscape radically changed.

the narrator…
James Anderson Foster’s low key narration ended up being ideal for the character and story. I didn’t fully appreciate his performance until the end. It was classic!

the bottom line…
I love short stories when they’re done well and this one is silkily smooth with powerful and subtle themes. I’m so glad I went against instincts (not in the mood for Russian misbehavior) and listened to this gem. Not a lot of words but just enough. 4.5 stars

Being a fan of Child's Reacher series, I was excited to try this new short story with a new character. In Eleven Numbers, Child introduces us to Nathan Tyler, a mathematician who will tell you that he's a nobody. Turns out, he has a pretty big math brain and wrote his thesis on a specific type of algorithm that both the US and Russia are interested in. I enjoyed this story and really enjoyed Tyler, though it was a tad unbelievable as a nobody that he caught on so quickly to the nefariousness of the government to outwit them. I both read and listened to this title to get a feel for the writing and the narration and think that the narrator did a good job with the mellowness of Tyler though the switch at the end made me rethink that a bit. I very much look forward to Child continuing this character if he can because I'd like to see what trouble Nathan can get into next! Thank you to Brilliance Audio, Amazon Original, and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very short book and a little repetitive, but it worked well as a spy story. Nathan Tyler is a mathematician, so he doesn't know why the US government wants him to get information from a Soviet mathematician when traveling to Russia is dangerous. He ends up agreeing, only to end up sentenced to years in custody and wondering if he can fulfill his mission. Most of the book is talking, and there were always underlying currents. Overall, it was fun and the narrator did a great job. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

Lee Child’s Eleven Numbers is a smart, tightly woven mystery that blends mathematics with espionage. Nathan Tyler, an unassuming professor, is drawn into a cryptic puzzle that could have global implications, forcing him to navigate a web of secrets and shifting loyalties.

While the short length limits deeper character exploration, the mystery is engaging, and James Foster’s narration enhances the intrigue. A compelling and thought-provoking read for fans of intellectual puzzles and espionage mysteries.

This short story about an American math professor sent to Russia to assist the US government with solving a code was a fast, interesting read. The writing is well done and, while I would have loved more depth, delivers a good spy story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the e-ARC!

Eleven Numbers by Lee Child. I don't typically read a lot of short stories - but this one interested me immediately from the synopsis. The book did not feel rushed, it was well thought out. The ending had a good twist. Fast, easy read. I enjoyed this book.

I went into this with no expectations, receiving a free review copy from NetGalley. I've never read Lee Child, but I often really enjoy Audible Originals (I just found out there is a section for them on the app, and that many of them are included. this one is not included at time of writing, but that may change). This short thriller feels weirdly set in 'no time' until the last 15 minutes. In fact, there are a lot of things in this book that are 'until the last 15 minutes'. I don't want to say much in this review, because sometimes not knowing makes for a better read, but what starts out reading like a classic cold war spy thriller turns into something much cleverer.

Short and….sweet?
I think not….

Lee Child is at it again….but NOT with Jack Reacher.

This time we have a math genius….going about his usual life…when he gets an INVITE from the US government. He’s absolutely sure they have the wrong guy! But what choice does he have? He’ll have to meet with them, right?!

This one had my head SPINNING from the get-go!

And scary is a total understatement!

🛑🛑 Not giving anything away, so, stopping here…. 🛑🛑

If you like Lee Child’s books, as I do, you’ll love this little novella. Less than two hours long!

#ElevenNumbers by #LeeChild. Narrated beautifully by #JamesFoster!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BrilliancePublishing for an ARC of the audiobook. This was just released on February 1st, and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy! You can look 👀 for it ON SHELVES NOW!!

Thanks for reading!! You can always find my reviews on: Goodreads.
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If you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if YOU read it!! 📚⭐️

This was a quick and engaging political thriller novella. A mathematician is enlisted into a top secret plan to retrieve a code from a Russian genius. His involvement quickly turns for the worst when he’s involved in a car crash with a Russian police car.

While I enjoyed the fast-paced momentum and the reveal at the end, I was hoping for some more…enrichment. It seemed to wrap up rather swiftly. I’m a fan of the Reacher series, so I was excited to read this, but this one just didn’t land for me.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lee Child and Brilliance Publishing for this advanced audiobook.

A mathematician is whisked away to a secret meeting with the president. He is asked to go to Russia a determine a secret code after meeting with a Russian Mathematician at a math conference. After arriving things go sideways and he is forced to adapt.

Not a bad story for a short novella. Even though Jack Reacher was not part of the story, the story felt very Jack Reachereque in the sense that the main character seemed to think like Jack Reacher.

Overall a solid Novella that is worth the half hour to read/listen. Thank you to NetGalley, Andrew Child, Lee Child, and Brilliance Publishing for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

A short story, Eleven Numbers is not short on plot, character development or twists and turns! When a mathematics professor from a small unremarkable college is about to go to his very first international conference in Moscow , he is surprisingly recruited by US intelligence to fulfill a mission way beyond his experience or level of accomplishment. It turns out to be an opportunity to help his country he just can’t turn down despite his personal doubts.

Once he embarks upon his adventure he finds that nothing is as it seems and he is caught up in foreign intrigue he could never have anticipated. Can he extricate himself from the unimaginable? Can he trust the Russians.? The US government? Wow What a ride. I loved every minute of this short but exciting adventure into the dark world of espionage and deception.

Lee Child is a master storyteller and this short story proves his ability to set the stage and finish the action in just a brief hour and a half of listening. The reader did an extraordinary job of bringing the narrative to life. Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. It became available on Feb 2025 and you’ll want your copy.

Gosh that was a short story! I really enjoyed it though. I have always enjoyed the Jack Reacher novels and this was a really well written short story. The narrator did it great job with the characters and it was a great listen on my commute. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this audiobook.

I don't usually read a lot of short stories, but in my quest to try and listen to more audiobooks this year I decided to give Eleven Numbers a go. The premise of this spy thriller sounded like a lot of fun, and I dived in as soon as my copy arrived. I have to say that I ended up having a great time listening to this story! The narrator was perfect for this audiobook, and his voice both fitted the character very well and was easy to listen to. I'm glad I opted for the audio version, because I think I enjoyed the story even more because of it! The short story itself has only 50 pages and I wouldn't have minded more dept, but it was still a great little story with a proper ending. The plot is nothing new for a spy thriller, but it provides for 90 minutes of entertainment along the way so I personally didn't mind. It also took me a direction I hadn't expected, and I always like it when a story takes me by surprise. If you like spy thrillers and are looking for a quick and engaging story, Eleven Numbers is a solid option. Like I said, it doesn't really offer anything new, but the entertainment factor is there and the narrator makes it very easy to fly through the audiobook. It's also made me want to pick up more of Lee Child's book again... It's been years.

My first ever audiobook. Never tried it before because Dutch audiobooks don't really catch my attention and the English ones are expensive. I have to say, the narrator has a really nice voice. It was nice to listen to, also the accents were done beautifully. It was a good voice / story match. For the review of the story itself, read the post below.

Thanks again Netgalley!

I'm a #1 fan of Lee Child. I love the writing style, the build up.. The way the story unfolds.

This is the second short story I've ever read by Lee, the other one was cleaning gold with karin slaughter. I'm not spoiling anything, because the story is so short.. If you say to much it'll spoil. So I'll just say what I like and what I miss with this one.

The writing style is ace, it really reads like a charm, the way the story unfolds is a bit too quick for my liking, but then again, it's a short story so there isn't much "time" to have it a bit more detailed. The build up, that's the thing I was missing, somewhere in the middle I would've liked to see a moment where all unravels not all the way to the end. It's a bit anti climatic (?)

A little side note: it should've been "de Vries" not "de Vris"

Still, 4 stars because it's Lee, well deserved.

'Eleven Numbers' is a novella with a spy thriller story.

First of all, the book is well narrated and the narrator did a great job expressing the character and giving enough suspense when it was needed.

Also, the story was quite interesting and well-constructed even if it was quite short.

However, the main part was a bit rushed.

Still, it was an enjoyable story and the ending was satisfying.

Eleven Numbers is a non-Reacher short story from Lee Child.

"A mathematician is recruited to go to Russia to find a password the US needs to break into the Russian nuclear program. But once in Russia fate intervenes and he's sent to an isolated prison. Now what?"

Child introduces us to the little-known world of Kindansky numbers. It's little known because he made it up. It sounds real though. (The name is similar to the paint-by-number guy - Kadinsky.) The story seems straightforward until Child sends his MC to a Russian prison. Things happen from there (and you'll guess some of them)

Excellent narration from James Foster.

I'm glad that Child has continued writing after stepping away from Reacher. Excellent short story.

This was a fun little diversion with a good nerdy main character who doesn't feel obligated to follow the rules. A quick, fun, compelling spy story.

I first want to thank Netgalley , Brilliance Publishing and Amazon for allowing me to listen to this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I have only read one other Lee Child Book. It was part the Reacher series. I was curious what this new book would be like. This book was an interesting take on a Political Thriller/ Espionage type of book. Involving a Mathematics professor from the US sent on a mission to solve an Algorithm. During this short stories there was some twists in that in order to perform the mission Professor Tyler needed to get in trouble to actually get behind enemy lines so to speak.

This story read like a spy thriller it was well written and kept the fast thriller pace in its short story format. For a first time short story I would give it 4 stars. I kind of wish it was a little longer and that the ending allowed this to launch into a series where professor Tyler continues to help the US Government as a spy type with the CIA or some other Alphabet Agency.

This review has been posted to Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7290996727

An undeniably propulsive, ingenious thriller that follows a mathematician named Nathan Tyler. Nathan is about to attend a conference in Moscow where tensions are running high and Americans have been issued an advisory. However it's the call of the White House. And now as their plan is executed, certain events could forfeit their own moves.

His task is to meet the genius Russian mathematician and get the relevant information. Until things begin to take a different shape. Will Nathan be able to save himself and complete the mission?

I absolutely devoured this book. It was pulse pounding and the plot execution is masterfully crafted. The twists and mounting tensions between trust, uncertainties and negotiations were suspenseful and intriguing. Lee Child's books are always a welcome relief of fast-paced narration and high stakes anticipation. And this book certainly checks the box for being a riveting and enthralling thriller.

I'd really recommend Eleven Numbers to all the thrill seekers and spy fiction enthusiasts.