Friends and Traitors: 8 (Inspector Troy Novels) - Hardcover

Friends and Traitors is a refreshingly irreverent tale of the dark underbelly of spying. A joy to read. -- Michael Ridpath Superb... Lawton's portrayal of Burgess as far less dangerous than in most accounts adds to the interest of this smart, fascinating historical thriller. * Publishers Weekly * Burgess makes a delicious antagonist in this eighth instalment in the franchise. Lawton, who writes with rueful acumen, puts a human face on the moral and political complexities of the Cold War. * Kirkus * John Lawton finds himself in the same boat as the late Patrick O'Brian - a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack but overlooked by too many readers for too long. * Daily Telegraph * John Lawton's books contain such a wealth of period detail, character description and background information that they are lifted out of any category. Every word is enriched by the author's sophistication and irreverent intelligence, by his meticulous research and his wit. * Literary Review * Lawton's gift for memorable atmosphere and characters, intelligent plotting and wry prose put him solidly at the top of anyone's A-list of contemporary spy novelists. * Seattle Times * Lawton's up there with Philip Kerr and Alan Furst. Yes, he's that good. * The Sun * Intricate plotting, colourful characters, and a brilliant prose style put Lawton in the front rank of historical thriller writers. * Publishers Weekly * It's an extraordinary story - both in history and Lawton's bold re-imagining. It's been told many times before, in both fiction and non-fiction, but Lawton has a fresh approach, shaping Friends and Traitors as more of a character study than a standard-issue thriller. * Seattle Times *

A new novel in the Inspector Troy series, a tale of Cold War spy dealings centred around Guy Burgess