Anthony Bacon returns after thirteen years in France to live in his brother’s house at Gray’s Inn. Though seldom strong enough to leave his rooms, his gouty legs never hinder his agile mind. He’s built the most valuable intelligence service in Europe. Now the Bacon brothers are ready to offer it to the patron with the deepest pockets. Then Francis finds a body lying near Anthony’s coach. The clues point to Anthony’s secretary. Worse, the murdered man had been spreading rumors that could destroy Anthony’s reputation. Francis thinks his brother did it. Assistant Thomas Clarady thinks the secretary did it. As they investigate, they hear one story after another about what happened. Which is the truth? Can they sort through the lies before disaster strikes?
"Only eleven men and one woman are alive today who have made the life-and-death decisions that come with running the world's most powerful and influential intelligence service. With unprecedented, deep access to nearly all these individuals plus several of their predecessors, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the United States president alone, but whose activities--spying, espionage, and covert action--take place on every continent. At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a brake on rogue presidents, starting in the mid-seventies with DCI Richard Helms's refusal to conceal Richard Nixon's criminality and continuing to the present as the actions of a CIA whistleblower have ignited impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. Since its inception in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests. For The Spymasters, Whipple conducted extensive, exclusive interviews with nearly every living CIA director, pulling back the curtain on the world's elite spy agencies and showing how the CIA partners--or clashes--with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Topics covered in the book include attempts by presidents to use the agency for their own ends; simmering problems in the Middle East and Asia; rogue nuclear threats; and cyberwarfare"--
#1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author W.E.B. Griffin continues his gripping series featuring the legendary OSS—fighting a silent war of spies and assassins in the shadows of World War II. Summer 1943. Two of the Allies’ most important plans for winning World War II are at grave risk—the coming D-Day invasion and the Manhattan Project’s race to build the atomic bomb. OSS spy chief William “Wild Bill” Donovan turns to his top agent, Dick Canidy, and his team. They’ve certainly got their work cut out for them. In the weeks to come, they must fight not only the enemy in the field—and figure out how to sabotage Germany’s new “aerial torpedo” rockets—but also the enemy within. Someone is feeding Manhattan Project secrets to the Soviets. And if the Soviets build their own atomic bomb, winning the war might only lead to another, even more terrible conflict… FIRST TIME IN PAPERBACK
From the former New York Times bureau chief in Baghdad comes the gripping and heroic story of an elite, top-secret team of unlikely spies who triumphed over ISIS. The Spymaster of Baghdad tells the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS. The Falcons, comprising ordinary men with little conventional espionage background, infiltrated the world’s most powerful terrorist organization, ultimately turning the tide of war against the terrorist group and bringing safety to millions of Iraqis and the broader world. Centered around the relationship between two brothers, Harith al-Sudani, a rudderless college dropout who was recruited to the Falcons by his all-star younger brother Munaf, and their eponymous unit commander Abu Ali, The Spymaster of Baghdad follows their emotional journey as Harith volunteers for the most dangerous mission imaginable. With piercing lyricism and thrilling prose, Coker’s deeply-reported account interweaves heartfelt portraits of these and other unforgettable characters as they navigate the streets of war-torn Baghdad and perform heroic feats of cunning and courage. The Falcons’ path crosses with that of Abrar, a young, radicalized university student who, after being snubbed by the head of the Islamic State’s chemical weapons program, plots her own attack. At the near-final moment, the Falcons intercept Abrar’s deadly plan to poison Baghdad’s drinking water and arrest her in the middle of the night—just one of many covert counterterrorism operations revealed for the first time in the book. Ultimately, The Spymaster of Baghdad is a page-turning account of wartime espionage in which ordinary people make extraordinary sacrifices for the greater good. Challenging our perceptions of terrorism and counterterrorism, war and peace, Iraq and the wider Middle East, American occupation and foreign intervention, The Spymaster of Baghdad is a testament to the power of personal choice and individual action to change the course of history—in a time when we need such stories more than ever.
The Good Spy is Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird’s compelling portrait of the remarkable life and death of one of the most important operatives in CIA history – a man who, had he lived, might have helped heal the rift between Arabs and the West. On April 18, 1983, a bomb exploded outside the American Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. The attack was a geopolitical turning point. It marked the beginning of Hezbollah as a political force, but even more important, it eliminated America’s most influential and effective intelligence officer in the Middle East – CIA operative Robert Ames. What set Ames apart from his peers was his extraordinary ability to form deep, meaningful connections with key Arab intelligence figures. Some operatives relied on threats and subterfuge, but Ames worked by building friendships and emphasizing shared values – never more notably than with Yasir Arafat’s charismatic intelligence chief and heir apparent Ali Hassan Salameh (aka “The Red Prince”). Ames’ deepening relationship with Salameh held the potential for a lasting peace. Within a few years, though, both men were killed by assassins, and America’s relations with the Arab world began heading down a path that culminated in 9/11, the War on Terror, and the current fog of mistrust. Bird, who as a child lived in the Beirut Embassy and knew Ames as a neighbor when he was twelve years old, spent years researching The Good Spy. Not only does the book draw on hours of interviews with Ames’ widow, and quotes from hundreds of Ames’ private letters, it’s woven from interviews with scores of current and former American, Israeli, and Palestinian intelligence officers as well as other players in the Middle East “Great Game.” What emerges is a masterpiece-level narrative of the making of a CIA officer, a uniquely insightful history of twentieth-century conflict in the Middle East, and an absorbing hour-by-hour account of the Beirut Embassy bombing. Even more impressive, Bird draws on his reporter’s skills to deliver a full dossier on the bombers and expose the shocking truth of where the attack’s mastermind resides today.
The Americans meets Bridge of Spies in this can't-put-down Cold War story of love and patriotism. Caught between duty and conscience. Moscow, 1985. The more time KGB agent Artur Gregorovich spends undercover in the Jewish community—and with the mysterious Sofia—the more he questions everything he thinks he knows about his country, his family, and himself. Nuclear disarmament negotiations have stalled over accusations of his country's human rights violations against Jews, and Artur faces mounting pressure to catch and stop the traitors spreading anti-Soviet stories. Even if those stories happen to be true. As his sympathy for Sofia and her family grows, Artur finds himself asking how far he’s willing to go to stop them. To protect his country, he must do more than stop the traitors. He must hunt--and kill--a spy. "Shuster makes the emotional life of her major characters come fully alive while she continues to ratchet up the suspense--all of this set against a vivid rendering of Moscow's material and political culture."- Philip K. Jason, Jewish Book Council "I gobbled up "To Catch a Traitor" and found myself engrossed with the characters....I will see you back here soon for what I expect will be an equally magnificent sequel. Bravo!" - JN Reviews Sins of a Spy 1. To Catch a Traitor 2.To Hunt a Spy hr Fans of thrillers by Lee Child, Douglas Preston, Tim Tigner and Jason Kasper or Jewish historical fiction like Marie Benedict's The Only Woman in the Room will both love this edge-of-your-seat thriller for its historical accuracy, smart plotting and thrilling twists.hr
The historical romance that began Joanna Bourne's spectacular spymaster series! She's never met a man she couldn't deceive...until now. She's braved battlefields. She's stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She's played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit.
Robert F. Kennedy was the first conspiracy theorist about his brother's murder. In this astonishingly compelling and convincing new account of the Kennedy years, acclaimed journalist David Talbot tells in a riveting, superbly researched narrative why, even on 22 November 1963, RFK had reason to believe that dark forces were at work in Dallas and reveals, for the first time, that he planned to open an investigation into the assassination had he become president in 1968. BROTHERS also portrays a JFK administration more besieged by internal enemies than has previously been realised, from within the Pentagon, the CIA, the FBI and the mafia. This frightening portrait of sinister elements within and without the government serves as the background for the emotionally charged journey of Robert Kennedy. Reading it, you can absolutely believe any number of people would have been happy for both brothers to meet a sticky end. The tragedy, not just for America but for the world, is that since their murders no one has had the nerve to stand against the dark forces they challenged in quite the same way.
This “vivid” historical mystery series debut captures “the light and dark of Elizabethan England . . . its squalor and splendor, filth and riches, intrigues and delights” (New York Journal of Books). When a brutal murder threatens the sanctity of Queen Elizabeth’s court, it’s up to a hot-tempered spy to save the day. The court of Elizabeth I is no stranger to plotting and intrigue, but the royal retinue is thrown into chaos when the Queen’s youngest and sweetest lady-in-waiting is murdered, her body left on the high altar of the Chapel Royal in Whitehall Palace. Solving the murder will require the cunning and savvy possessed by only one man. Enter Nicholas Holt, younger brother of the Earl of Blackwell—spy, rake, and owner of the infamous Black Sheep tavern in the seedy district of Bankside. Nick quickly learns that working for the Queen is a mixed blessing. Elizabeth—salty-tongued, vain, and fiercely intelligent—can, with a glance, either reward Nick with a purse of gold or have his head forcibly removed. When a second lady-in-waiting is slain at Whitehall, the court once again reels with shock and dismay. On the trail of a diabolical killer, Nick and his faithful sidekick—an enormous Irish Wolfhound named Hector—are treading on treacherous ground, and only the killer’s head on a platter can keep them in the Queen’s good graces.
Justice or Revenge Which would you choose? When a bandit raid destroys his home, Gabriel Kane believes his whole family is killed in the fire. Burdened by guilt, he dedicates his life to bringing those responsible to justice. Xander Kane has a secret place, a crawlspace under the kitchen perfect for stealing snacks. When the bandits attack Xander is trapped by the flames. Xander emerges hours later scarred and near death, his whole world reduced to ashes. Blind with rage, Xander dedicates his life to killing those responsible. Four years pass before Xander, now an elite assassin, learns Gabriel survived the attack and is now an officer of the city watch. Xander returns home for a reunion, but what reaction will he get from his by the law brother? Will the two brothers be able to set aside their differences to bring down the evil responsible for their pain?
