'There is no better American spy novelist. It's like the best parts of ten John le Carre novels all put together ' - Time 'The nonstop peregrinations of this league of extraordinary spooks take them to a score of exotic locales, pitting them against Chechen thugs, Chinese secret police, Nazi doctors, and a case of acute myocardial fibrillation. McCarry's commitment to this fanciful premise is absolute, and the resulting yarn combines the intrepid exploits of John Buchan, the cagey intrigue of Eric Ambler, and the clipped cadences of Dashiell Hammett. Tremendous fun.' - Booklist, David Wright

Charles McCarry was born in 1930, and is the author of many books, including the renowned Paul Christopher novels. He spent much of his non-writing life working in the world of intelligence and now divides his time between New England and Florida.