THE BOOK THOSE IN THE KNOW ARE CALLING THE BEST SPY NOVEL OF THE YEAR *** One of the 50 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023 in the Daily Telegraph *** *** A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 *** *** A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 *** ‘Superbly constructed in an elaborate twisty spy yarn. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year’ THE SUNDAY TIMES 'A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making' PETER JAMES 'Hugely impressive and compelling' WILLIAM BOYD ‘A natural-born storyteller’ JEFFERY DEAVER ___________ London, present day Historian Max Archer is invited to a clandestine meeting with legendary Cold War spymaster, Scarlet King. Her offer to share the explosive secrets born of over half a century at the heart of global espionage would be life-changing. But Max has little reason to trust a woman whose name is a byword for deceit and ruthlessness. Soon he is on the wrong side of the law and on the run. As the net closes tighter around him he must somehow discover the truth. Because it’s not just his life on the line – but also the fate of the Western world . . . ___________ ‘Intricate and fast moving, it weaves a thrilling spell’ DAILY MAIL 'Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph' TONY PARSONS 'A masterpiece' TIM GLISTER *** DISCOVER MY NAME IS NOBODY AND THE INSIDER, FURTHER SPY NOVELS BY MATTHEW RICHARDSON ***