Book description
In July 1945 MI6 agent Paul Dark took part in a top secret mission to
hunt down and execute Nazi war criminals. He will discover that
everything he understood about that mission, about its consequences, and
about the woman he once loved, has been built on false foundations.
Now it's 1969 and a KGB colonel called Slavin has walked into the
High Commission inLagos, Nigeria,and announced that he wants to
defect. His credentials as a defector are good - he has highly
suggestive information which indicates that there is yet another
double agent within MI6, which would be a devastating blow for a
Service still coming to terms with its betrayal by Kim Philby and the
rest of the Cambridge Five.
Paul Dark has been largely above suspicion during MI6's years of
self-recrimination. But this time he can see his number coming up. For
some it would be fight or flight time. But when you discover that
everything you've taken for granted and trusted for twenty four years
turns out to be untrue, and when your arrest may only be moments away,
then perhaps the only option is both fight and flight.
Free Agent is a twisting, intense thriller set between London and
Nigeria during the height of the Cold War. It's a novel of innumerable
cliffhangers, all set within a constantly evolving moral universe, and
the surprises keep coming until the very last page.
'The history is credible, even instructive. The
action is fast and violent and so is the hero'
Literary
Review
'Deep knowledge of espionage and classic spy novels
informs this excellent debut….Be warned: Duns loves shocking
reversals'
Guardian
'...a retro-cool romp as spare of prose
as it is cleverly convoluted of plot. He has ingeniously caught both
the spirit of an era and the spirit of the books which made that era
the golden age of spy fiction'
Telegraph
'With echoes of
John Le Carre comes this sophisticated spy thriller...'
Daily
Mirror
'Paul Dark is a fascinating, morally ambiguous
protagonist, who remains conflicted by his past allegiances, crimes
and loves... A terrific spy thriller built on tight, fast-paced
plotting and genuinely surprising twists. Free Agen's
quasi-cliffhanger ending points toward another superior spy novel in
Free Country. A must-read for fans of the spy
genre'
popularcultureetc. blogspot. com
'...a rattling good
yarn... told with the pace of a Bourne movie and packed with espionage
tradecraft as convincing as John le Carre'
shotsmag.
com
'Terse, sardonic, and knowing, Free Agent is a
take-no-prisoners exploration of loyalty, duplicity and love. I dare
anyone to put this book down after reading the first electrifying
chapter.'
Eric Van Lustbader
'Utterly riveting, Free Agent
by Jeremy Duns is an international espionage thriller par excellence.
Lyrical prose, unforgettable characters, and a fascinating plot that
doesn't release the panting reader until the last page makes this spy
ride unforgettable. Free Agent is the beginning of a classic series
that's sure to be a huge hit'
Gayle Lynds, author of the New York
Times-bestselling The Last Spymaster and The Coil:
'A wholly
engrossing and sophisticated spy novel . . . Fascinating and
compelling, Jeremy Duns is a name to watch'
William
Boyd
'An authentic espionage novel with accurate tradecraft and
intelligence operatives who act with intelligence. If you like vintage
John le Carre, you'll love Free Agent. Set in the Cold War, packed
with history and tension, it's a must-read for any true spy-novel fan'
David Morrell, New York Times-bestselling author of The
Brotherhood of the Rose
'Free Agent is a sleek, fast-paced tale
of espionage and international intrigue that held me utterly
entranced. Duns is an exceptional talent. As I rapidly turned the
pages, I was transported back to the heyday of spy fiction and
reminded of the best of Le Carre, Deighton, and Forsyth. Recommended
without reservation' Christopher Reich, author of Numbered Account
(over 1 million copies sold)
'A tribute to the spirit of the spy
thriller's Sixties' heyday. Even though it is set in 1969, the
timeless feel fosters the clear impression of Duns as a talented
thriller geek posing a challenge to modern publishing'
Daily
Telegraph 28/11
'This is an action-packed novel very much of the
John le Carré school, with an intriguing and unusual premise - an
assassination attempt on British PM Harold Wilson on a visit to the
troubled African state. '
Irish Independent 15/05
Jeremy Duns is British, but currently lives and works in Stockholm.
