The Old Enemy
Published on 28. October 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
528 pages
978-1-5294-0329-9 (ISBN)
Description
'A timeless ripping espionage yarn'
'An up-to-the-minute political novel'
'Characters who become richer with every appearance'
Sunday Times Thriller of the Month
Heart-stopping international spy thriller from 'An espionage master' (Charles Cumming) starring ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson for fans of Mick Herron, Lee Child and John le Carre
Ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson has been tasked with secretly guarding a gifted young woman, Zoe Freemantle. He is just beginning to tire of the job when he is attacked in the street by a freakish looking knifeman. It's clear the target is on his back not hers. What he doesn't know is who put it there.
At that moment, his mentor, the MI6 legend Robert Harland lies dead on a remote stretch of the Baltic coastline. Who needed to end the old spy's life when he was, in any case, dying from a terminal illness? And what or who is Berlin Blue, the name scratched in the sketchbook beside his body?
A few hours later, Samson watches footage from the US Congress where billionaire philanthropist Denis Hisami is poisoned with a nerve agent while testifying - an attack that is as spectacular as it is lethal, but spares Anastasia Hisami, the love of Samson's life.
Two things become clear. One, it was a big mistake to lose the mysterious Zoe Freemantle. And two, Robert Harland is making a final play from beyond the grave.
'An up-to-the-minute political novel'
'Characters who become richer with every appearance'
Sunday Times Thriller of the Month
Heart-stopping international spy thriller from 'An espionage master' (Charles Cumming) starring ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson for fans of Mick Herron, Lee Child and John le Carre
Ex-MI6 officer Paul Samson has been tasked with secretly guarding a gifted young woman, Zoe Freemantle. He is just beginning to tire of the job when he is attacked in the street by a freakish looking knifeman. It's clear the target is on his back not hers. What he doesn't know is who put it there.
At that moment, his mentor, the MI6 legend Robert Harland lies dead on a remote stretch of the Baltic coastline. Who needed to end the old spy's life when he was, in any case, dying from a terminal illness? And what or who is Berlin Blue, the name scratched in the sketchbook beside his body?
A few hours later, Samson watches footage from the US Congress where billionaire philanthropist Denis Hisami is poisoned with a nerve agent while testifying - an attack that is as spectacular as it is lethal, but spares Anastasia Hisami, the love of Samson's life.
Two things become clear. One, it was a big mistake to lose the mysterious Zoe Freemantle. And two, Robert Harland is making a final play from beyond the grave.
Reviews / Votes
Porter skilfully tugs the taut threads of his global conspiracy towards a stirring climax * The Times * The story is complex and the sense of danger spreading across the world gives it urgency * Literary Review * At once an up-to-the-minute political novel about an emergent second Cold War, a timeless, ripping, espionage yarn and a continuation of the lives of characters who become richer with each appearance. An impressive achievement and, as ever with Porter, told in an addictive blend of tangy dialogue and polished prose * Sunday Times Thriller of the Month * Porter has an extra human depth to his stories that gives him the edge over others. Tense and packed with action, intrigue and great characters, you'll be hard pressed to find a better spy novel * Weekend Sport * Fast paced, uber-topical thriller... a roller-coaster ride of a story ... Porter deftly mixes well-structured storytelling with complex, engaging characters * Financial Times Best Thrillers of 2019 on White Hot Silence * Henry Porter is now one of the most accomplished practitioners of the modern thriller * Crime Time * Porter is both his own man and the proud carrier of the flag first unfurled by John le Carre more than fifty years ago. British espionage fiction is the best in the world, and Porter is part of the reason why -- Lee Child Enigmatic, pacy and international * Strong Words magazine *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 37 mm
Weight
364 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5294-0329-9 (9781529403299)
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
E-Book
04/2021
1st Edition
Quercus
€2.99
Available for download
Person
Henry Porter was a regular columnist for the Observer and now writes about European power and politics for The Hive website in the US. He has written several bestselling thrillers, including Brandenburg, which won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, A Spy's Life and Empire State, which were both nominated for the same award. He is also the author of the Paul Samson spy thrillers: Firefly, which won the 2019 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, and White Hot Silence. Henry Porter is frequently described as the heir to John le Carre. He lives in London.