{"product_id":"9781804364789","title":"A Spy Alone","description":"Author: Charles Beaumont\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781804364789\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Canelo\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 16 Nov 2023\u003cbr\u003ePages: 352 \u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Five stars. One of the best books I've read in a very, very long time' James O'Brien, LBC\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This is first class' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e | \u003cb\u003e'Excellent' \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A highly accomplished novel from a new writer of great promise' \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Everything a John le Carré fan could ever wish for' \u003ci\u003ePrivate Eye #1615\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A cracker of a debut novel which really does make clear what's been going on' Bill Nighy via \u003ci\u003eThe Rake\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘A marvellously confident debut, sharply observed and exceptionally well written’ Charles Cumming, author of \u003ci\u003eBox 88\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEveryone knows about the Cambridge Spies from the Fifties, identified and broken up after passing national secrets to the Soviets for years. But no spy ring was ever unearthed at Oxford. Because one never existed? Or because it was never found…?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022: Former spy Simon Sharman is eking out a living in the private sector. When a commission to delve into the financial dealings of a mysterious Russian oligarch comes across his desk, he jumps at the chance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut as Simon investigates, worrying patterns begin to emerge. His subject made regular trips to Oxford, but for no apparent reason. There are payments from offshore accounts that suddenly just… stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHas he found what none of his former colleagues believed possible, a Russian spy ring now nestled at the heart of the British Establishment? Or is he just another paranoid ex-spook left out in the cold, obsessed with redemption?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom Oxford’s hallowed quadrangles to brush contacts on Hampstead Heath, agent-running in Vienna and mysterious meetings in Prague, \u003ci\u003eA Spy Alone\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping international thriller and a searing portrait of modern Britain in the age of cynical populism. Perfect for readers of Charles Cumming, Mick Herron and John le Carré.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eA Spy Alone\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Beaumont is at the forefront of the espionage genre, capturing the changing nature of intelligence: soft influence and business deals are overtaking stolen secrets; long-term insinuation is replacing Cold-War tradecraft. Brilliant' \u003cb\u003eI. S. Berry\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Peacock and the Sparrow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The best spy novel I’ve read for years... An astonishing debut... and a brilliant portrait of how Britain allowed Russia to game our recent politics, including with Brexit' \u003cb\u003eLuke Harding\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eInvasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A post-Brexit take on the classic British spy novel, combining a cynical ex-spy protagonist and a major role for Bellingcat-OSINT types' \u003cb\u003eShashank Joshi\u003c\/b\u003e, Defence Editor, \u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Beaumont ... catches the zeitgeist of (le Carré) .... He conveys all the world of espionage with relish, in its murky motives and surveillance techniques and the book races along and makes for a stunning debut' \u003cb\u003eMaxim Jakubowski\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCrime Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A clever, thrilling spy story that brings the feel of Eric Ambler's shadowy political intrigues right into today's world' \u003cb\u003eJeremy Duns\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eFree Agent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Tense, compelling and remarkably timely... Shades of some of the greats of spy fiction – it might even be better than Charles Cumming’ \u003cb\u003eDominick Donald\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eBreathe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Beaumont takes the intrigue, atmosphere and subterfuge of the Cambridge Spies and brings it bang up to date with a what-if tale of an Oxford spy ring at the service of modern-day populist politicians and malevolent regimes. Chilling’ \u003cb\u003eChris Lloyd\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Unwanted Dead\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46518557835422,"sku":"TLD-9781804364789","price":22.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781804364789.jpg?v=1771202819","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781804364789","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}