The Peak
Published on 29. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-00-874739-8 (ISBN)
Description
**Shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey First Novel Dagger**
An Australian bestseller!
Geopolitics and espionage collide in this explosive espionage thriller.
'Hands down the best debut of the year' Tim Shipman
'My favourite debut novel of 2025' Antonia Senior
THREE WORDS IN MANDARIN.
THAT'S ALL IT TAKES TO END THE WORLD.
Planes circle, unable to land. The phone lines are down. The power is out.
And the only person who knows why is dead.
That man was Sebastian, a handsome politician on the rise. Charlie, his political attack dog and childhood friend, just watched him kill himself.
Then the Secret Intelligence Service comes knocking.
What the hell did Sebastian do?
And can Charlie find out before the world implodes?
The Peak is a nailbiting and fast-moving international thriller that weaves a story of friendship and betrayal together with the ruthless geopolitics of China's rise, set in the last twenty four hours of the world as we know it.
________________________
Readers love The Peak:
'Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century' Nigel Inkster, former Deputy Chief MI6
'Packed with lies, sex and betrayal, a compelling debut' - Daily Mail
'Fast, furious and original' The Sun
'[An] impressive first novel ... illuminating and extremely alarming' Literary Review
'True to life ... Sam Guthrie's own diplomatic experience adds a bit of heft to the novel's ominous undertow' The Times
'A compelling, authentic tale of politics and espionage ... A stunning debut' Jason King, Spybrary
'A taught and compelling tale recommended for fans of Tom Fletcher and Frederick Forsyth' real reader review?????
'This was everything I love in a book and I just wish there were more books like this out there' real reader review ?????
'I absolutely couldn't put it down - even reading well through one night' real reader review ?????
'An excellent political thriller and one heck of a debut' real reader review ?????
'A fast-paced and edge-of-the-seat political thriller' real reader review ?????
'This is one cracking, outstanding, excellent political thriller debut and if that's a genre you like, this is a MUST read' real reader review ?????
An Australian bestseller!
Geopolitics and espionage collide in this explosive espionage thriller.
'Hands down the best debut of the year' Tim Shipman
'My favourite debut novel of 2025' Antonia Senior
THREE WORDS IN MANDARIN.
THAT'S ALL IT TAKES TO END THE WORLD.
Planes circle, unable to land. The phone lines are down. The power is out.
And the only person who knows why is dead.
That man was Sebastian, a handsome politician on the rise. Charlie, his political attack dog and childhood friend, just watched him kill himself.
Then the Secret Intelligence Service comes knocking.
What the hell did Sebastian do?
And can Charlie find out before the world implodes?
The Peak is a nailbiting and fast-moving international thriller that weaves a story of friendship and betrayal together with the ruthless geopolitics of China's rise, set in the last twenty four hours of the world as we know it.
________________________
Readers love The Peak:
'Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century' Nigel Inkster, former Deputy Chief MI6
'Packed with lies, sex and betrayal, a compelling debut' - Daily Mail
'Fast, furious and original' The Sun
'[An] impressive first novel ... illuminating and extremely alarming' Literary Review
'True to life ... Sam Guthrie's own diplomatic experience adds a bit of heft to the novel's ominous undertow' The Times
'A compelling, authentic tale of politics and espionage ... A stunning debut' Jason King, Spybrary
'A taught and compelling tale recommended for fans of Tom Fletcher and Frederick Forsyth' real reader review?????
'This was everything I love in a book and I just wish there were more books like this out there' real reader review ?????
'I absolutely couldn't put it down - even reading well through one night' real reader review ?????
'An excellent political thriller and one heck of a debut' real reader review ?????
'A fast-paced and edge-of-the-seat political thriller' real reader review ?????
'This is one cracking, outstanding, excellent political thriller debut and if that's a genre you like, this is a MUST read' real reader review ?????
Reviews / Votes
'Hands down the best debut of the year ... It positively crackles and the pages turn themselves' Tim Shipman 'My favourite debut novel of 2025 ... An alarming insight into the tortuous geo-politics which are defining our modern world' - Antonia Senior 'Packed with lies, sex and betrayal, a compelling debut' - Daily Mail 'True to life ... Sam Guthrie's own diplomatic experience adds a bit of heft to the novel's ominous undertow' - The Times 'Fast, furious and original' The Sun 'A compelling, authentic tale of politics and espionage ... A stunning debut' Jason King, Spybrary 'One of the year's ultimate page-turners' Australian Financial Review 'Sam Guthrie ... uses his insider knowledge to create a pacy international political thriller' - Crime Time 'Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century. Sam Guthrie draws on a lifetime's experience to provide a compelling depiction of China as a major player in the global intelligence game' Nigel Inkster, former Deputy Chief and director for operations and intelligence for MI6 'A twisty political thriller that asks if it's possible to really ever know your friends. The Peak provides a rare insider's look into the world of international trade policy, set against the ascendency of China as the world's leading superpower' - Alma Katsu, former CIA and NSA analyst 'The Peak is a classy and very clever contemporary thriller' Alex Gerlis 'Will there be a showdown between China and the west? The answer thrills - and chills - in Sam Guthrie's addictive tale of how human passion and geopolitical intrigue might bring doomsday closer' - Professor Rana Mitter 'The Peak is a fast-moving thriller, weaving a story of friendship and betrayal with ruthless geopolitics' - Adele Parks for Platinum Magazine 'It's brilliant, page-turning stuff, and an extremely impressive debut' R. S. Burnett 'Sam Guthrie is a born writer - this is a cracking thriller' Dervla McTiernan 'Gripping and original ... an insight into contemporary espionage and geopolitics' Oliver HarrisMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
242 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-874739-8 (9780008747398)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Sam Guthrie writes international political thrillers based on his experience working at the nexus of business, politics, and international diplomacy.
His character-driven fiction explores the human desires and frailties that shape world-altering events, drawing on an insider's knowledge of the machinations of power, political intrigue, and the geostrategic challenges confronting the global order.
Prior to publishing his first novel, The Peak, Sam had a twenty-five-year career in international relations serving as a trade envoy to China, an Asia Pacific corporate affairs adviser and political lobbyist and a senior government official.
He has worked extensively across Europe, the US and Asia, and has spent close to a decade living and working in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Prague. He has a master's degree in international relations.
His character-driven fiction explores the human desires and frailties that shape world-altering events, drawing on an insider's knowledge of the machinations of power, political intrigue, and the geostrategic challenges confronting the global order.
Prior to publishing his first novel, The Peak, Sam had a twenty-five-year career in international relations serving as a trade envoy to China, an Asia Pacific corporate affairs adviser and political lobbyist and a senior government official.
He has worked extensively across Europe, the US and Asia, and has spent close to a decade living and working in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Prague. He has a master's degree in international relations.