A high-stakes thriller that could be ripped from todays headlines - from the bestselling author of The Frenchman. THE FRENCHMAN RETURNS Alec de Payns espionage operative of the Y Division of the DGSE Frances famed foreign intelligence service is tasked with tracking down an agent of influence sending highly classified material against the Kremlin to embassies all over Europe. A deadly conspiracy is aligning the West against Russia. But who is behind it? And to what end? The clues lead to a secret meeting of businessmen terrorists and mercenaries on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean which de Payns must infiltrate. What he discovers sets off a Europe-wide manhunt in a desperate scramble to prevent an international catastrophe. Former DGSE spy Jack Beaumonts Dark Arena is another chillingly plausible thriller delivering all the taut plotting superb action and authentic spycraft that made The Frenchman a critically acclaimed bestseller. If it wasnt for my background I would have said that this was fiction but knowing what I know Dark Arena is as real and as deeply disturbing as a world I once knew. - Ant Middleton former UK Special Forces A rollicking good read. Espionage skills abound in each fast-paced chapter. Lovers of spy novels are in for a treat - another exciting glimpse into contemporary yet fictional intelligence work. - Paul Symon AOA former Director-General Australian Secret Intelligence Service Praise for The Frenchman by Jack Beaumont: Its a richly detailed cloak-and-dagger thriller reminiscent of the novels of John le Carre aEURO| I hope Jack Beaumont whoever he is writes a follow-up. - Stephen Romei The Australian Subterfuge secrets betrayal torture traitors elaborate set ups extraordinary secret agents aEURO| Theres authenticity on every page. - Herald Sun A superior thriller. - Courier-Mail Taut and terrific. - Gold Coast Bulletin A gripping thriller with an extremely authentic feel aEURO| highly recommended. - Canberra Weekly Beaumont reveals a world of international espionage thats at once exhilarating morally repugnant and deadly aEURO| An action-packed spy thriller with an authentic feel. - Kirkus Reviews The Frenchman is in the way of many thrillers a disturbing reminder of how fragile our modern world is and how easy it might be [to] upend the world order. It is a spy thriller that only an insider could have written. - The Blurb The Frenchman is one of the finest examples of the spy genre in recent memory. Suspenseful masterfully plotted and completely riveting. But what truly sets it apart from others in the field is its matchless authenticity and the books keen interest in its characters and the human cost of the worlds they inhabit. - Nic Pizzolatto author of Galveston and creator and writer of HBOs True Detective
