The Lobbyist: Age of the Autocrat by Lionel Zetter, Hardback, £20
When a mysterious small boat migrant arrives at Dover having been rescued mid-Channel, all he will say to his Border Force welcoming party is “Damien Beaufort”. Those two words kick off a chain of events that see Beaufort, Zetter’s hard-drinking, cynical and womanising lobbyist turned MI6 operative, drawn unwillingly back into a world of secrets and betrayal – thus beginning a pulse-pounding political thriller that could hardly feel more timely if it came with a free watch.
From Afghan warlords to Russian conscripts and populist politicians, Zetter takes readers right up to the doors of No. 10 Downing Street and inside. His insider-knowledge as a veteran political operator ensures the filmic follow-up to last year’s debut, The Lobbyist, remains a razor-sharp read that will rob you of your sleep until the final pages. Utterly gripping. 8/10
The Man With the Golden Compass by Vaseem Khan, Hardback, £20
Having introduced former MI6 Q-branch head Major Boothroyd in last year’s Bond spin-off Quantum of Menace, Khan returns with another wittily cryptic mystery. Hired as a civilian investigator by his former fiancé Kathy Burnham, now a senior cop, to help police crack the gruesome torture-murder of a tech billionaire turned antique dealer. Fittingly, the only clue is a circular gold object found in the victim’s pocket. Some sort of gadget, perhaps? But what starts as an intriguing cold case drags Q into a chilling, thrilling cliff-hanger of a conspiracy that builds to a deeply satisfying conclusion.
Q is a marvellous character, deeply human, flawed and engaging and Khan’s growing confidence in him pays dividends. Another welcome addition to the 007 universe with Bond and M both popping up in delightful cameos. Let’s hope Q gets another assignment soon. 9/10
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus, Hardback, £22
Garmus’ must-read 2022 debut Lessons in Chemistry became a global phenomenon, selling millions of copies and winning fans absolutely everywhere (even ex-SAS man Andy McNabb raved about it). And I’d put big money on the chances of her heartwarming follow-up enjoying the same sort of literary love. Clueless college graduate Batter Gray might be well qualified, but for what? He’s found himself working in Gap folding clothes while his friends zoom into exciting corporate careers.
Then a post opens up at Peck & Peck, a dysfunctional and highly secretive if illustrious New York poetry journal, and Gray finds himself transported into a dream job in the literary fast lane – and caught in the crossfire of its two editors, the infamous Peck brothers. The Big Apple in the early eighties is beautifully conveyed in this charming and witty literary tour de force. 9/10
Blades: The Untold Story of SAS Operations in Afghanistan, by Mark Nicol, Hardback, £22
Veteran defence correspondent Mark Nicol lifts the lid on British special forces ops in Afghanistan in this timely new book that seeks to give a voice to those we rely on to defend our interests. As George Orwell noted, we sleep peacefully in our beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf. And God knows, we need them. Yet with the SAS under scrutiny like never before amid allegations of war crimes and a rising tide of lawfare, Blades confronts some uncomfortable truths about how our military keeps us safe.
Government-imposed censorship often means we hear just one side of the story from ambulance-chasing lawyers. And as Nicol rightly suggests, perhaps the greatest enemy facing our brave forces right now is not a kinetic enemy but our own government. Reads like a thriller. 8/10
