The Oxford Spy Ring
2 total works
Everyone knows about the Cambridge Spies from the Fifties, identified and broken up after passing national secrets to the Soviets for years… But no spy ring was ever unearthed at Oxford.
Because one never existed? Or because it was never found…?
2022: Former spy Simon Sharman is eking out a living in the private sector. When a commission to delve into the financial dealings of a mysterious Russian oligarch comes across his desk, he jumps at the chance.
But as Simon investigates, worrying patterns begin to emerge. His subject made regular trips to Oxford, but for no apparent reason. There are payments from offshore accounts that suddenly just… stop.
Has he found what none of his former colleagues believed possible, a Russian spy ring now nestled at the heart of the British Establishment? Or is he just another paranoid ex-spook left out in the cold, obsessed with redemption?
From Oxford’s hallowed quadrangles to brush contacts on Hampstead Heath, agent-running in Vienna and mysterious meetings in Prague, A Spy Alone is a gripping international thriller and a searing portrait of modern Britain in the age of cynical populism. Perfect for readers of Charles Cumming, Mick Herron and John le Carré.
August 2022. Simon Sharman is out for revenge, pursuing the assassin of his former colleague across war-torn Ukraine. Back in London, a Russian spy ring at the heart of the British Establishment remains active, attempting to sabotage the West’s support for Ukraine.
In the fiercely contested Donbas region, Simon finds himself sucked into a terrifying shadow conflict between Russia and the West. Can a lone spy make a difference to the course of a conflict?
From the ruins of Bakhmut to the corridors of Whitehall, A Spy at War reveals the secret struggle for Ukraine, on the frontlines and in the arena of global public opinion.
Praise for A Spy at War‘Beaumont strikes back with an absolutely riveting plunge into the dark heart of the spy war between Russia and the West in Ukraine. A Spy At War is the best sort of espionage novel, shimmering with authentic tradecraft, geopolitical intrigue and a gritty exploration of betrayal and revenge’ David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and author of The Seventh Floor; co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast
‘Charles Beaumont is that rare combination in spy fiction: a genuine former intelligence officer who is also a first-class writer’ Charles Cumming, author of Kennedy 35
‘With his second novel, Beaumont has cemented himself as an author who both fearlessly tackles hard subjects and spins masterful tales. A Spy at War is daring and unflinching, a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the insidious nature of influence politics and soft power that defines modern warfare and espionage’ I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow
‘This second espionage thriller from former MI6 operative Charles Beaumont underlines his quality’ Daily Mail
‘An unadorned take on the brutal realities of the Ukrainian war, told with literary flair and an insider’s insights into the corrupt political forces at work behind the trenches’ Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station
‘Angry, propulsive and very, very timely. It feels like Beaumont’s home turf – and is all the better for it. If A Spy Alone was his cry of rage as a citizen, A Spy at War is his cry of rage as a spook... Topping A Spy Alone was a tough ask. Beaumont has managed it’ Dominick Donald, author of Breathe
‘Many works of fiction will be inspired by the war in Ukraine, the seminal European war of the 21st century. Charles Beaumont literally blasts out ahead of the field with an effort that is both cinematic and compassionate in depicting the frontlines of this terrible conflict, and merits its own Netflix series... A worthy sequel to his debut masterpiece’ Dr Fiona Hill, CMG, former US National Intelligence Officer for Russia
‘A classic of the spy fiction genre. Beaumont’s portrayal of the contrast between a dysfunctional, working-from-home Whitehall and the horrors of the Ukraine war is particularly powerful... Its denouement is both shocking and unexpected. A real tour de force’ Christopher Steele, author of Unredacted: Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy
‘Beaumont has done it again: a gripping spy thriller, this time set in war-torn Ukraine, which is so true to life you feel you are there. It’s also about Britain, now, and how so many in the Establishment have sold their souls for Russian gold’ John Sweeney, author of Killer in the Kremlin