Paris, April 1968.
The cafes are alive with talk of revolution, but for Will Flemyng – secret servant at the British embassy – the crisis is personal. A few words from a stranger on the metro change his life. His family is threatened with ruin and he now faces the spy's oldest fear: exposure.
Freddy Craven is the hero and mentor Flemyng would trust with his life, but when he is tempted into a dark, Cold War labyrinth, he chooses the dangerous path and plays his game alone.
Then a bizarre murder reveals a web of secrets, and his loyalty to family and friends is tested as never before.
As the streets of Paris become a smoke-filled battleground, Flemyng, like his friends and enemies, discovers that where secrets are at stake, lives are too.
Head of Zeus * Thrillers
21 Apr 2016 * 400pp * £4.99 * 9781784080181
REVIEWS
'James Naughtie's brilliant spy thriller is written with authority as well as a deep understanding of time and place'
The Scotsman
'[Flemyng] is an interesting, well-drawn character. Naughtie tells a good story with his much-loved trademark excess of words'
The Times
'Striking character studies'
The Sunday Times
'A hugely gripping and atmospheric read'
Alexander McCall Smith, Mail on Sunday
'This cracking debut pits brother against brother in a gritty, sprawling epic'
Daily Express
I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, and surprises turn up around every corner... A very good read'
Crime Squad
A concise thriller... a satisfying and well-conceived novel'
The Tablet
Although complex this is quite a quick read... enjoyable'
New Books Magazine
'Naughtie writes with a cool authority reminiscent of that now neglected master of the novel of espionage, William Haggard'
Scotsman
Author
James Naughtie, who presented Today on BBC Radio 4 for twenty-one years, is a special correspondent for BBC News. He has written books on politics and music and published his first novel, The Madness of July, in 2014. He lives in Edinburgh and London.
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