"The storytelling is first-rate, with all the minutiae of spycraft, sense of place and memorable supporting characters you could wish for"

– Sunday Times

"The first Kite novel was excellent, but this is even better — an elegant exposition of what being a spy in the field actually feels like and the fear it can instil in even the most hardened operator. Superbly constructed, it never hurries, but evokes the world of espionage in a way the late John le Carre would have much admired"

– Daily Mail

"Some of the best writing around on the intricacies of spycraft and the high price agents pay for doing their job"

– Sun

"Charles Cumming knows how to write a good spy novel"

– The Herald

"Cumming does a superb job creating portraits of people, eras, and places. This powerful spy thriller should win the talented author new fans."

– Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

"An engrossing cloak-and-dagger thriller that's both chilling and convincing."

– Kirkus

"Combining dexterous plotting in the manner of Daniel Silva with full-throttle action and character building that whets our appetite to learn more about Kite and his colleagues, Cumming is in top form here."

– Bill Ott, Booklist STARRED REVIEW

"Charles Cumming effectively ramps up suspense, in this hefty page-turner revelatory of modern espionage's methods."

– NY Journal of Books

"Charles Cumming is an expert at immediately placing readers at the heart of the often unbearably suspenseful espionage activity featuring the one and only Lachlan Kite. The result is a spy novel that reads like a high-octane thriller and succeeds on nearly every level."

– Book Reporter