The Hidden Man

Description

From the winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2012 for Best Thriller of the Year comes a gripping and suspenseful spy novel. Perfect for fans of John le Carre, Charles Cumming is 'the master of the modern spy thriller' (Mail on Sunday) Mark and Benjamin Keen have not seen their father, Christopher, for more than twenty years. Hoping for a reconciliation, Christopher reappears, but he has only just begun to shed light on his life in the secret service when he is murdered in cold blood by an unidentified assassin. Was his death connected to his MI6 past? Did Christopher uncover a dangerous conspiracy involving his elder son? And what were his links to Moscow, Afghanistan and the Russian mafia in London? To discover the truth - and avenge their father's death - the brothers are drawn into the legacy of his life as a spy. And inheritance can be deadly...

Charles Cumming was born in Scotland in 1971. He was educated at Eton and graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1994 with First Class Honours in English Literature. The Observer has described him as "the best of the new generation of British spy writers who are taking over where John le Carre and Len Deighton left off". In the summer of 1995, Charles was approached for recruitment by the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). A year later he moved to Montreal where he began working on a novel based on his experiences with MI6. A Spy By Nature was published in the UK in 2001.

Praise for The Hidden Man: 'confirms that Cumming is a man put on earth to perpetuate the spy thriller' Daily Telegraph 'Cumming's depiction of contemporary intelligence work rings painfully true. Disquieting, brutal, riveting. I hardly dared put the book down' Literary Review 'The dialogue is bitingly sharp, the characterisation first-class' Sunday Telegraph 'A must read' Tatler Praise for A Foreign Country: 'We are in Smiley country, but with extra 21st century nuance ... Cumming has an exquisite touch and we should treasure him' Daily Mail 'A thriller that has everything you could ask for - a twisty, sexy plot, topical themes, memorable characters and plentiful spy lore' Sunday Times, Books of the Year 'Refreshing, plausible and effective ... Best of all is the sheer pace of the narrative' Spectator 'You are likely to be up for most of the night to find out how this novel ends. It grips from the first page ... A fast-moving treat' The Scotsman