From the author of Harry’s Game – A Sunday Times ‘100 best crime novels and thrillers since 1945’ pick
Two men who hate each other are committed to working together on a job far more dangerous than they knew when they signed up.
These men are surveillance experts, lying in a mosquito-infested Iranian marsh for days, part of a huge international operation designed to kill a celebrated maker of the roadside bombs which kill so many British soldiers.
And if things to wrong, as far as Her Majesty’s Government is concerned, their part in the plot is totally deniable.
Gerald Seymour expertly explores the moral compromises of the secret world upon which we rely for our everyday security – and the amazing reserves of courage which ordinary people can find in extraordinary circumstances.
Two men who hate each other are committed to working together on a job far more dangerous than they knew when they signed up.
These men are surveillance experts, lying in a mosquito-infested Iranian marsh for days, part of a huge international operation designed to kill a celebrated maker of the roadside bombs which kill so many British soldiers.
And if things to wrong, as far as Her Majesty’s Government is concerned, their part in the plot is totally deniable.
Gerald Seymour expertly explores the moral compromises of the secret world upon which we rely for our everyday security – and the amazing reserves of courage which ordinary people can find in extraordinary circumstances.
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Reviews
An extraordinary work of fiction . . . Serious readers will find in A DENIABLE DEATH not only suspense, strong characters and a realistic look at the world of espionage, but a majesty that is rare in fiction. At a certain point, the novel rises to a mythic level, portraying courage and loyalty and sacrifice almost beyond understanding.
One of the most venerable names of the thriller genre
Veteran thriller writer Seymour's outstanding 26th novel chronicles a British "interdiction" mission in contemporary Iraq and Iran . . . Seymour (Harry's Game) is strong on the details of surveillance and spycraft, but on even surer ground with his characters . . . Once the narrative gains momentum, it's hard to put this one down.
Gerald Seymour is the grand-master of the contemporary thriller and A DENIABLE DEATH is his greatest work yet. Gripping, revealing and meticulously researched, this is a page-turning masterpiece that will literally leave you breathless.
Gerald Seymour is considered the dabbest hand in the industry . . . still a master who executes his spy tales of murderous and political intrigue with rigour and flair . . . Seymour is a master at evoking the seemingly unchartable terrain of foreign landscapes - as a former reporter covering wars in Vietnam, Northern Ireland and Borneo, he brings to bear some every pertinent experience. His research into the espionage world is meticulous. Splendid stuff.
After 28 novels, Seymour's empathy for those he ensnares in his moral minefields remains movingly even-handed.
gripping thriller
Seymour [is] incapable of creating a two-dimensional character . . . The ending is brilliantly orchestrated.
Crisp, taut and contemporary, by a stylish writer.
'Discerning thriller readers can safely say that the best practitioner currently working in the UK is the veteran Seymour. He is, quite simply, the most intelligent and accomplished in the current field . . . Here, we have a typically compromised Seymour anti-hero, a masterfully organised globe-spanning narrative and a mass of highly persuasive detail. The Dealer and the Dead is Seymour firing on all cylinders, and his rivals need, once again, to look to their laurels.
With Seymour, not only do you get a cracking story deftly told, but you also feel you are learning something.
[Seymour's latest story] doesn't disappoint
The final scenes are brilliantly orchestrated by Seymour, the sustained tension becoming almost unbearable . . . Without doubt, The Dealer and the Dead is one of the finest thrillers to be published so far this year.
[Seymour's] meticulous research shines through in his latest thriller.
riveting stuff
'In a day when shop-worn plots in the disguise of well-written books are doing the rounds, The Dealer and the Dead comes as a refreshing, breathtaking story that keeps you gripped right till the very end.
The Dealer and the Dead displays his usual ability to concoct a tightly controlled plot that is cleverly engineered . . . steadily crafted into a compelling tale . . . Another first-class thriller from the always reliable Seymour.
A tense thriller.
In a class of his own
A dense, intensely satisfying thriller from one of the modern masters of the craft, Seymour's latest novel will remind the world just how phenomenally accomplished a thriller writer he is.
a vividly drawn ensemble of spooks, terrorists and civilians
A genuinely gripping page-turner
[A] seasoned writer still adept at chronicling political intrigue . . . convincing and suspenseful
It's a terrific read and one of Seymour's best.
It's a terrific read and one of Seymour's best.