What if you knew your next national leader really was a Russian spy? The new thriller by an author who is “a candidate for eventual superstardom” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson is in possession of the political equivalent of a nuclear bomb. She heads up the Russia Desk of the Secret Intelligence Service, and one of her undercover operations has revealed some … has revealed some alarming evidence that a senior UK politician is a high-level Russian informer.
Determined to find the identity of the traitor, Kate must risk everything to get to the truth. Until a young woman is brutally murdered as a consequence, which puts Kate and her team under the spotlight. With blood on her hands, her reputation to uphold, her family hanging by a thread, and an election looming, Kate is quickly running out of options–and out of time . . .
From the author of Shadow Dancer and The White Russian, who has been a finalist for multiple Crime Writers Association awards, this is a tense, timely novel of secrets, betrayals, and spycraft.
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Tom Bradby is a UK television news presenter for ITN who produces the occasional novel. He isn’t nearly as widely read in the US as in the UK, and he has published an extraordinarily eclectic collection of unconnected books over his career. Here, oddly enough, he turns his hand to the Washington DC thriller. It’s a commendable effort and a good read, but it also has a certain curiosity factor going for it. Who can resist seeing what a Brit newsman, one who does tell a good story and writes it well, comes up with when he tries that most American of all genres?
The author must’ve had a crystal ball. I read this in the very week the Prime Minister resigned and leadership elections were taking place. It made the story particularly topical and relevant. I love a good conspiracy theory, particularly on TV. I don’t normally read them but decided to give this one a go. I enjoyed it but can’t help thinking it would be a better TV series. There were times when there was nothing but dialogue and it was easy to lose the thread of who was saying what. A minor thing and my only reason for minus a star.
Upon reading the book description, I knew I had to read SECRET SERVICE, and the prologue confirmed I had made the right decision; it was exactly the sort of book I was hoping for. It’s almost impossible to say anything about the superb plot without giving away spoilers, so I won’t. Kate Henderson is a spy and chief of MI6’s Russia Desk, she is married to Stuart, a civil servant; they have two teenage children. When the Prime Minister resigns for health reasons, all hell breaks loose: Kate learns that one of the candidates is backed by the Russians, and there is a traitor in the house.
At first, I wasn’t too sure I liked that there was so much emphasis on Kate’s family life, but in the end, it was for the best, as it gives Kate more depth, more dimension, more challenges than a typical lone wolf agent. In the beginning, I also wondered if the book was part of a series, as some information seemed to be missing. It was not the case, we are told everything in due time, and in fact, it prevented info dumping. Kate is unlike any other spy I had ever seen, yet SECRET SERVICE is very much like the glorious spy stories of old.
Tom Bradby writes in a polished, refined style that flows easily, with crisp descriptions giving an overall clear picture of the characters, their work environment, and the various locations. The pace remains steady throughout while allowing for the tension to build naturally. Mr Bradby achieves a perfect balance of adrenaline-fuelled action and the more sedate sides of espionage: watching, planning, and digging for information. There is never any respite, as there is always something going on. SECRET SERVICE kept me guessing all the way through. I think I must have suspected everyone at least once of being the traitor. Yes, everyone! The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and I connected with all of them, the good and the bad. At 96%, I still didn’t know who was Viper – the mole! It was the person I had first suspected, but I just didn’t know for sure! I wish I could say more about my favourite characters, but in true British fashion, Mr Bradby treats us to positively shocking plot twists, where the unfathomable happens and no one is safe. I was stunned a few times, and I admire an author who dares to be so bold. It gives the narrative so much more authenticity, and raises the excitement level tenfold. If you enjoy a flawlessly executed classic British espionage novel, SECRET SERVICE is a book you do not want to miss!