Author:Robert Goddard
From the author of the BBC 2 Between the Covers hit, The Fine Art of Invisible Detection
'Truly ingenious' The Tablet
Goddard sprinkles head-turning double-crossing with delightful by-play between his two leads' The Times
'Fast-paced, beautifully crafted with some excellently drawn characters... engages from start to finish' Choice Magazine
'Goddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense. His new one is magical and the title is simply the best' Stephen King
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On a stifling afternoon at Police HQ in Algiers, Superintendent Taleb, coasting towards retirement, with not even an air-conditioned office to show for his long years of service, is handed a ticking time bomb of a case which will take him deep into Algeria's troubled past and its fraught relationship with France.
To his dismay, he is assigned to work with Agent Hidouchi, an intimidating representative of the country's feared secret service, who makes it clear she intends to call the shots. They are instructed to pursue a former agent, now on the run after twenty years in prison for his part in a high-level corruption scandal. But their search will lead them inexorably towards a greater mystery, surrounding a murder that took place in Paris more than fifty years ago.
Uncovering the truth may be his responsibility, but Taleb is well aware that no-one in Algeria wants to be reminded of the dark deeds carried out in the struggle for independence - or in the violence that has racked the nation since. Before long, he will face a choice he has long sought to avoid, between self-preservation and doing the right thing.
And, ultimately, the choice may not even be his to make.
A pulse-pounding, breathless crime thriller, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne series, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series and LJ Ross's Alexander Gregory thrillers.
The new novel from Robert Goddard, THE FINE ART OF UNCANNY PREDICTION, is available for pre-order now.
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Praise for Robert Goddard
'The world's greatest storyteller' Guardian
'One of the finest crime writer of any generation' Daily Mail
'Our finest practitioner of double-crossing plotting' Mick Herron
Highly original and very good indeed...a delightful double act, crunchy dialogue, strong action scenes and provocative historical aperçus.
—— The Sunday TimesComplex and compelling
—— Choice MagazineGoddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense. His new one is magical and the title is simply the best
—— Stephen KingHarris's books are always supremely readable - he has practically trademarked the term 'master storyteller'
—— Alex Preston , Observer[Harris] writes with a skill and ingenuity that few other novelists can match
—— Financial TimesA lightning-quick thriller, the tension cranked right up throughout, and Harris' 17th century New England is so real you can almost smell it
—— Tim Weaver, author of BLACKBIRDHarris (Munich) again turns a historical event into a canny page-turner. . . Harris humanizes the hunter and the hunted, and brings to life an obscure chapter in colonial American history. This further burnishes Harris's reputation as a talented author of historical suspense
—— Publishers WeeklyGripping . . . Thoroughly enjoyable. . . . [This} deeply researched story is the author's brilliant reimagining of real historical events, with sympathetic characters and a compelling plot
—— Kirkus ReviewsHarris's cleverness, judgment and eye for detail are second to none
—— Dominic Sandbrook , Sunday TimesThe master of the intelligent thriller
—— Daily TelegraphI have been waiting for most of my life for Robert Harris to write a novel that is not gripping, insightful and entertaining. I am waiting still
—— Ben Macintyre , The TimesThe king of the page-turning thriller
—— i PaperHarris is a master of historical fiction, a compelling author who brings to life the recent and ancient past
—— Justin Warshaw , TLSAct Of Oblivion offers a resonant history of both England and America as they struggle to forge a myth of nationhood out of opposing ideologies
—— Daily MailThe joy is in the vivid re-creation of 17th Century England and America and in the sly parallels with today that Harris teases out
—— Mail on SundayHe has taken a truly extraordinary factual tale and turned it into a fun fictional version, with pace throughout, and a crowd-pleasing finale
—— The OldieA masterclass in storytelling, so enthralling that if you'd disembowelled me whilst I was reading this book I doubt I'd have noticed!
—— Daily ExpressA tale that grips from start to finish. It's a remarkable achievement
—— MetroMaster storyteller Robert Harris has forged history anew, melding fact and fiction
—— RTÉHarris spins an exciting tale which I hope will leave you hungry for more
—— Inside History MagazineIf you like your page-turning popular fiction at the more intelligent end of the spectrum, you could not do better than this.
—— Daily TelegraphA gripping thriller
—— Press AssociationA gripping revenger's tale... This is by far Harris's best book since An Officer and a Spy, which dealt with another great national division: the Dreyfus case. He has produced a ripping page-turner that breathes all the complexities and moral nuances of the Civil War period
—— Financial TimesLucid and full of suspense
—— SpectatorA thrilling page-turner based on real events . . . packed with rich and fascinating historical detail
—— The ScotsmanIn his new thriller, Robert Harris wrests [a] fascinating period back from its unjust oblivion, showing how closely its complex landscape of constitutional crises and Puritan politics played out in new unregulated media resonates with us today
—— The CriticHarris, deft as ever, weaves a hefty amount of historical fact into the narrative, politics, religion, colonial life, family ties - as well as themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Underneath it all though is the remorseless and building propulsion of hunter and prey
—— New StatesmanA drama so involving and nerve-wracking, you can barely turn the pages fast enough. Historic!
—— Saga MagazineAnother fantastic piece of historical fiction from Robert Harris, immaculately researched and utterly believable
—— IPU ReviewA gripping thriller and a timely reminder of the dangers of a deeply divided and intolerant society
—— The Shropshire MagazineThe book excels in its stunning recreation of the landscape of America... Harris proves himself to be masterful at this and it gives the book a vibrant memorability
—— New StatesmanFew writers combine history, politics and excitement of a thriller as enthrallingly as Robert Harris does.
—— Sunday TimesWhat Harris does here is nothing short of masterful.
—— Irish TimesHarris displays an impressive grasp of the historical context without taxing his readers by showing his 'workings'.
—— Church TimesBased on real and fascinating history, this is Robert Harris's best since An Officer and a Spy
—— The TimesPacy and tense, and the pungently evoked past offers up some shrewd present-day parallels
—— Mail on SundayAn absolutely stunning historical novel and a ripping crime thriller at the same time. I've been recommending it far and wide and buying it for people for Christmas!
—— Dead GoodThe best historical fiction combines a gripping plot with meticulous research - leaving the reader inspired to learn more about the real-life protagonists. And the latest release from Robert Harris once more proves his mastery of the genre
—— SoldierI loved Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris, which achieves the astonishing feat of taking 17th-century events and people and telling their stories in 21st-century language without a single seam showing
—— Ben Macintyre , The TimesThrilling
—— Gregory Doran , The TimesThis is a novel that asks big historical questions. You could read it as a pure thriller, and it is one of Harris's most compellingly paced to date. You could read it as a piece of intelligent historical immersion. I think it is more; I think it is his best novel since Fatherland.
—— Sunday TimesIt's a belter.
—— The TimesIf only all historical thrillers could be this entertaining.
—— ObserverIn this tense and beautifully written account of the ensuing manhunt, Harris brings sympathy to characters on either side of the civil war that divided a nation.
—— Daily MailA brainy, compulsive page-turner.
—— Daily TelegraphA violent, gripping, globetrotting chase thriller
—— Daily MirrorHe’s my go-to person that I know will keep me entertained
—— Jane Garvey[A] rich, propulsive novel
—— Sunday Times