Description

‘Extravagantly enjoyable’ THE TIMES
‘William Boyd once again brings to the spy novel his particular storytelling genius’ MICK HERRON
‘Boyd is one of my favourite authors – he never disappoints’ KATE ATKINSON
‘The Predicament is ingenious, thrilling and wonderfully entertaining’ JOHN BANVILLE
‘Boyd’s addictive storytelling is at its very best as he navigates a collision of chance, ambition and human frailty’ HER MAJESTY QUEEN CAMILLA

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Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel’s reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realisation: there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy. In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher . . .
In The Predicament, Britain’s most beloved storyteller returns with a twisting adventure of obsessive love and elegant espionage from, from Sunday Times bestseller William Boyd.

Publisher Review

A swinging 60s espionage thriller * Guardian * Boyd raises the stakes with his second Cold War novel featuring reluctant spy Gabriel Dax . . . a deft mix of espionage, desire, and moral compromise * iNews * Stylish stuff * Observer * A faultless evocation of 1960s England, masterful, old-fashioned storytelling. The second novel in a trilogy that’ll leave you wanting more * Saga * One of our most thrilling writers * Daily Express * Beautifully crafted, with echoes of le Carre, Greene and Forsyth, this is a superb evocation of a vanished world, seen through the eyes of a relatably hapless accidental hero * Guardian * Boyd writes elegant prose and tells a convincing story, as he has been doing now for nearly 45 years * The Scotsman *