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White Fox
White Fox
Oct 9, 2024 11:17 AM

Author:Owen Matthews

White Fox

The new novel from a master of the Cold War thriller . . .

'This is Robert Harris storytelling territory' Daily Mail

'Outstanding' Sunday Times

'Tense, exciting and authentic' Charles Cumming, author of Judas 62

'Stunning' The Times

'Brilliantly plotted' John Sweeney, author of Killer in the Kremlin

'A standout thriller' Financial Times

1963. In a desolate Russian penal colony, the radio broadcasts news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy...

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vasin's new posting as director of a gulag camp in the middle of the frozen tundra is far from a promotion. This is where disgraced agents, like Vasin, disappear - sent to die forgotten. And quietly. But tensions in the camp are running high and when a violent revolt breaks out, Vasin finds himself on the run. With him is a mysterious prisoner - who holds the key to the most dangerous secret in the world: who ordered Kennedy's murder.

In a breathless race that takes them through the Soviet Union - from the barren Siberian wastelands to the stunning halls of the Katerina Palace and the grey streets of Leningrad and Moscow - Vasin must stay one step ahead of the most ruthless spy and police organizations in the world . . . and keep the most wanted man in Russia alive. It's a journey that will push Vasin's loyalty, morality and his patriotism to the limit. And he must confront the ultimate choice: fall in line, or die fighting the system.

With masterful storytelling that weaves together an explosive moment in history with the cutthroat machinations of Soviet politics, Owen Matthews' White Fox captures the paradigm-shifting assassination from a unique Soviet point of view. This is a page-turning thriller - a race against time across Soviet Russia, where the participants face impossible odds and must decide between truth, justice and all-out war.

Reviews

Matthews skilfully balances the exhilarating thrill of the chase with the conflict between duty, self-interest and justice in his hero's heart. A fine send off for a well-accomplished series.

—— THE TIMES 'Best Thrillers of the Month'

Matthews' excellent Black Sun spy trilogy comes to an impressively tense conclusion in White Fox . . . First rate.

—— MAIL ON SUNDAY

A white-knuckle ride through the grey paranoia of Cold War Soviet Russia, which Owen Matthews conjures up quite brilliantly.

—— SHOTS magazine

Superlative . . . balances thrills with historical fact (and speculation) in equal measure and it races you along to its breath-taking conclusion.

—— Maxim Jakubowski , CRIME TIME

Impressive . . . Matthews' knowledge of the USSR and the Cold War gives the novel the feeling of authenticity . . . a personal note at the end shows why Vasin's struggles are both so convincing and so affecting.

—— LITERARY REVIEW

Brings to mind The 39 Steps . . . impressive plotting and historical detail.

—— CRIME FICTION LOVER

Outstanding . . . [Matthews] writes with verve . . . Vasin is his finest creation.

—— Adam LeBor , FINANCIAL TIMES

One of the best of many western writers on Russia . . . a kind of Russian version of The Thirty-Nine Steps . . . such is the impact of the story as it progresses that we willingly suspend disbelief for the sake of an engrossing read.

—— Andrew Rosenheim , SPECTATOR

Coben is recognised as the master of the modern thriller and this is one you absolutely won’t want to miss

—— Glamour

This has such a superb opening that you’ll lock yourself away so you aren’t interrupted whilst reading! The master of Netflix adaptions is on fine form

—— Prima

This is a dramatic suspenseful Coben novel… a fabulous crime novel with a satisfying resolution

—— Press Association

An enthrallingly tense read from start to finish

—— Heat

You can’t go wrong with Harlan Coben. If you’re after the kind of thriller that has you taking the phone off the hook… and staying up past any reasonable hour in order to keep turning the pages, then he’s your man

—— Business Post

Harlan’s plots never drop below breakneck speed … By the end my head was spinning, but it’s expertly done, a visual tale that will surely be on screen one day. For now, it’s a perfect page-turner

—— RTÉ Guide

'Such is the intensity of the short chapters ending on cliffhangers that you want the main story to keep going, despite the crucial chapters dealing with time that has passed . . . Well written, this thriller makes for compulsive reading.'

—— The Examiner

'I read this in two sittings. As twisty as a corkscrew, as taut as a garotte, this is a total masterclass in thriller writing.'

—— Neil Lancaster

'I lost yesterday afternoon and the early hours of this morning to this absolutely gripping thriller from Andrea Mara. This book further cements her as an author to be reckoned with. Tense, heart-stopping and thrilling.'

—— Claire Allan

Wow! I loved it. It is so well plotted with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I was guessing, and second guessing, throughout.'

—— Patricia Gibney

'I absolutely loved No One Saw A Thing! Utterly engrossing, tense, and unpredictable with a great cast of characters. Highly recommended!'

—— Roz Watkins

'A nightmare for any parent, two children board the London tube but the doors close before their mother can join them. At the next stop, one child is missing. What follows in Andrea Mara's twisty, layered thriller will have you chewing through your nails and unsure of which character to trust as past betrayals and loyalties collide. Gripping.'

—— Olivia Kiernan

'Blooming clever - how does she do it?'

—— Mira Shah

'Wow! What a heart-stopping pageturner - I enjoyed this so much!'

—— Emma Curtis

'Andrea Mara takes a mother's worst nightmare and ramps it up into an unputdownable pageturner. Twisty, gripping and utterly chilling, you'll never look at a child on a train in the same way again.'

—— Sam Blake

'Beginning with every parent's worst nightmare, Andrea Mara's new book serves up another terrific hook that immediately draws the reader in. No One Saw a Thing is a fast paced family thriller that will keep you turning the pages'

—— Sinead Crowley

'Incredible thriller, amazing premise, Andrea Mara always delivers on twisty addictive pageturners. An adrenaline rush of a book.'

—— Sophie White

'Another delicious slice of domestic noir from Andrea Mara, No One Saw A Thing has a great hook, an ultra-satisfying ending and all manner of twists, lies and deceit in between.'

—— Catherine Kirwan

'A palpable sense of menace hangs over Andrea Mara's latest thriller which packs punch after shocking punch. Talk about suspense! No One Saw A Thing is a gloriously tangled, whiplash-inducing, electrifying read. I couldn't put it down and I can't recommend it highly enough.'

—— Amanda Cassidy

'Andrea Mara smashes it yet again with a story you simply cannot set aside! A pacy gritty acutely observed nightmare chase through London - helped or is it hindered by a group of toxic friends. My heart was thumping right to the end!'

—— Gill Purdue

Praise for Andrea Mara

—— :

'Next-level domestic suspense - even the twists have twists. I loved it - Andrea Mara is a star.'

—— Lee Child

'Original, clever, and unputdownable.'

—— Sarah Pearse

'A relentless, twisting page-turner, Hide and Seek delves deeply into every parent's worst nightmare. A first-class thriller.'

—— Chris Whitaker

The twists keep coming as the action rockets back and forth in time exposing the terrible truth that binds the friends together and eventually wrenches them apart.

—— The Gloss

Mara is truly gifted at this kind of story, and this is a proper page-turner, with several cliff hangers and plenty of red herrings. As the action progresses, the pace intensifies to a pulse-rising intensity . . . A most satisfying thriller.

—— Sunday Independent
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