Frame 37
The gripping political thriller from a prizewinning author
Published on 14. May 2026
384 pages
978-1-5299-5613-9 (ISBN)
Description
Ex-journalist John Dyer must take on a dangerous political conspiracy to bring a killer to justice.
IN A WORLD OF LIES, PROOF IS POWER.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes everything: an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who forty years ago committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds himself in danger of his life. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof - but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow's headlines.
'Superbly written, with atmosphere, intelligence and tension, it reminds you of the best of Graham Greene. There can be no higher praise' Daily Mail
PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE:
'An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carre' Evening Standard
'A tremendous, richly rewarding novel, written with great intelligence and narrative brio. Completely enthralling' William Boyd
'One of our best and truest novelists' The Times
'Exciting... A page-turner' Daily Telegraph
'Wonderfully well written... with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages' Guardian
IN A WORLD OF LIES, PROOF IS POWER.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes everything: an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who forty years ago committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds himself in danger of his life. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof - but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow's headlines.
'Superbly written, with atmosphere, intelligence and tension, it reminds you of the best of Graham Greene. There can be no higher praise' Daily Mail
PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE:
'An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carre' Evening Standard
'A tremendous, richly rewarding novel, written with great intelligence and narrative brio. Completely enthralling' William Boyd
'One of our best and truest novelists' The Times
'Exciting... A page-turner' Daily Telegraph
'Wonderfully well written... with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages' Guardian
Reviews / Votes
A tremendous, richly rewarding novel, written with great intelligence and narrative brio. Completely enthralling -- William Boyd If you're not averse to a slow-burn literary thriller, this globe-trotting saga is a first-rate example: nothing is stereotypical * Sunday Times * A fast-paced political thriller, completely contemporary and very believable...an addictive page-turner with a relatable protagonist in a race against time to evade a shadowy force of murderous intent... a beautifully-written novel about memory and youth, and loss of innocence... highly recommended -- Charles Beaumont Frame 37 is terrifyingly resonant at a time when allegations of high level corruption and sexual violence are shrugged off in Washington. With our hero in mounting danger, I was unable to put down this intelligently written thriller as I sped towards the denouement -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor Channel 4 News, and author I BROUGHT THE WAR WITH ME; STORIES AND POEMS FROM THE FRONT LINE This master of the meaningful thriller has again astounded me...reminiscent of the best of Graham Greene. If you want your thriller writer to be an accomplished novelist: Shakespeare's your man. If you want your thriller writer to let things rip: Shakespeare's your man. He is an encompassing talent. -- Thomas Keneally Frame 37 finds John Dyer coming into conflict with an old university classmate now running for high office. The title agreeably suggests dark tricks. He is a novelist who blends public and private lives persuasively in a way that is reminiscent of a master of this sort of novel, Graham Greene -- Allan Massie * Scotsman * Rich in atmosphere and foreboding and menace; from Buenos Aires to Washington DC, a group of friends are being hunted down by the unburied past. A thriller with chilling contemporary resonance, exploring shifting identity and the darkness at the heart of power. Can the innocent outrun the shadow of history? -- Sinclair McKay The prize-winning novelist and Ian Fleming biographer blends suspenseful political fiction with elegant prose stylings in a new thriller featuring ex-foreign correspondent-turned-investigator John Dyer * Zoomer * Superbly written, with atmosphere, intelligence and tension, it reminds you of the best of Graham Greene. There can be no higher praise * Daily Mail * Shakespeare writes with elegance and plenty of colourful metaphors, and his narrative is dense with detail and ideas... this is a terrific novel * Literary Review *More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Edition type
New edition
File size
0,89 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5299-5613-9 (9781529956139)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Person
Nicholas Shakespeare was born in 1957. The son of a diplomat, much of his youth was spent in Asia and South America. One of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 1993, and considered by the Wall Street Journal as 'one of the best English novelists of our time', his prize-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages. They include The Vision of Elena Silves (winner of the Somerset Maugham Award), Snowleg, The Dancer Upstairs, Inheritance, Priscilla, Six Minutes in May and acclaimed biographies of Bruce Chatwin and Ian Fleming. His most recent thriller featuring John Dyer was The Sandpit. He has been longlisted for the Booker Prize twice, was a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
