Dominika Egorova, of the Russian Intelligence Service, is one of the most complex and compelling heroines to grace the espionage genre ... Palace of Treason is enthralling ... That Matthews, who served in the C.I.A. for 33 years, knows the world of espionage and its darkest corners is never in doubt ... Whether in Vienna, Moscow or Washington, Matthews's scene-setting is superb, and he has a fine eye for telling details ... Palace of Treason shimmers with authenticity

Taut, fast-paced and authentic. A great American spy novel

Sublime and sophisticated ... a fast-paced thriller ... as noteworthy for its superior style as for its gripping depiction of a secretive world

A primer in 21st-century spying... terrifically good

The best espionage novel you've ever read

There is much to relish, from its revival of the sexy spy (this time female) to its mischievous portrayal of Putin

As authentic a spy novel as you are ever apt to read, rendered in exciting prose by a master who helped craft the rules by which spying is conducted. A ten-cloak, ten-dagger read

Matthews is the insider's insider. He knows the secrets. And he is also a master storyteller

The world of a spy is unique and claustrophobic, but this bold tale captures its every nuance with expert precision. A tantalizing premise, and a heroine who's an alpha female, forge a solid piece of entertainment that does not disappoint

A sequel that's every bit as good as his début . . . Authentic tradecraft, a complex plot that steadily builds tension, and credible heroes and villains on both sides make this a standout

The tough and talented Egorova is a brilliant creation - her adventures make for a dazzling thrill-filled journey across the globe. Matthews spent 30 years as a CIA agent so this is the real deal. Thrilling, absorbing and brilliantly descriptive ... you won't fail to be won over

Egorova could well turn out to be the greatest ever female character in spy fiction

The story-telling is little short of brilliant

Perfect plotting, great characterisation, and the kind of payoff that a thriller of this calibre deserves

Masterful...apocalyptic... The result is magnificent... Readers who have never heard of Shakespeare will read this novel as a pure, suspenseful crime novel

Jo Nesbo has turned Macbeth into a hard-boiled and suspenseful story about a highly corrupt town where blood flows freely... The characters, the cities, the struggle for power, and the madness are portrayed with an apparent love for the original work and by the skilled hand of a professional... Jo Nesbo’s Macbeth is certainly a Nesbo novel... Nesbo’s hardcore fans will love it

Expect blood-soaked action amid corruption, vendettas, addiction and turmoil in a dark, intricate, roller-coaster read

Murder, ambition, domestic tragedy… all three appear, grippingly rendered, in the works of Norwegian crime write Jo Nesbo

Nesbø follows Shakespeare’s storyline faithfully… it is striking how well suited the plot is to a gritty modern thriller.

Deliciously wicked

Nesbø clearly had fun…it feels as if Shakespeare has been bent to Nesbø’s will. Refeshing’

This medieval whodunnit evokes the rural past with skill . . . shares common ground with Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent and Andrew Michal Hurley's The Loney.

A peek behind the respectable curtain of village life, narrated by someone who has seen more than most… Reve’s voice develops into one of freshness and restrained lyricism.

A consistently interesting contemporary voice.

Samantha Harvey's fourth novel is set in the 1400s but feels vivid and intimate.

In the end, the questions of faith and the purpose of humanity raised in this bold, impressive and lustrously written reimagining of a past world are as important as the solving of the crime.

Harvey's luminous prose, tight plotting and rich characterisation make this a riveting read.

Ingenious… Harvey has captured an unconsciously sophisticated, morally muddled, truly good and truly interesting protagonist.

A visceral sense of the smell and look of the medieval world has knowing echoes of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. Eco would also have admired the playfulness of the book’s shape… And Agatha Christie would recognise the cleverness of the reveal.

Harvey’s imagination, and her empathy for medieval Oakham, make this a convincing tale... [The Western Wind] beguile[s] the reader with numerous twists and turns.

Samantha Harvey ingeniously builds a marvelously convincing medieval world out of modern language.

The Western Wind is an unexpected but triumphant foray into historical fiction… it is both an unconventional murder mystery and an unforgettable re-creation of 15th-century rural life.

[The Western Wind is] worth returning to... it's terrific. It's formally interesting, it's got a heart, it's well put together, it's great.

This is the novel of recent years that I have most frequently pressed on people; it is magnificent… It’s a cunning mystery – who is responsible for the death of the village’s benefactor? – and a profound exploration of faith, guilt and social cohesion. What elevates it is the quality of Harvey’s attention to the minuscule kinks and reflexes of human behaviour.

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

His clues are traditional and beautifully finessed - and he keeps you turning the pages

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

Seductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda

Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson

A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens... first rate and highly recommended

A modern take on Agatha Christie-­-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

Seductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda