The Whitehall Mandarin

Book excerpt: A captivating spy thriller taking the reader from 60s sex scandals to the Vietnam War, by a former special forces officer who is 'poised to inherit the mantle of John le Carre' 'The thinking person's John le Carré' Tribune 'Edward Wilson seems poised to inherit the mantle of John le Carré' Irish Independent 'More George Smiley than James Bond, Catesby will delight those readers looking for less blood and more intelligence in their spy thrillers' Publishers Weekly Lady Somers is rich, beautiful and powerful and the first woman to head up the Ministry of Defence. She also has something to hide. Catesby's job is to uncover her story and bury it forever. His quest leads him through the sex scandals of London in the Swinging Sixties and then on to Moscow where a shocking message changes everything. His next mission is a desperate hunt through the war-torn jungles of Southeast Asia, where he finally makes a heart-breaking discovery that is as personal as it is political. It is a secret that Catesby may not live to share. This captivating novel is set in a world of distorted reflections where nothing or no one is what they seem to be. Thrilling and deeply intelligent, The Whitehall Mandarin reveals the most guarded intelligence secret of modern times not only exploring the enigma of China's rise to head the superpowers, but plumbing the depths of sometimes unbelievable events that have changed our world. Edward Wilson's page-turning thriller is not just a chilling story of multi-national espionage, terror, greed and duplicity, but a frightening and eye-opening exposé of secrets, lies and false promises that may not, in fact, be fiction. 'We attempt to second-guess both Catesby and his crafty creator, and are soundly outfoxed at every turn' Barry Forshaw, Independent 'This cynically complex plot is laid over perfectly described settings, from London to Moscow to Vietnam. Wilson's characters and their consciences come alive to lend the book its power' Kirkus Reviews Praise for Edward Wilson: 'Stylistically sophisticated . . . Wilson knows how to hold the reader's attention' W.G. Sebald 'A reader is really privileged to come across something like this' Alan Sillitoe 'All too often, amid the glitzy gadgetry of the spy thriller, all the fast cars and sexual adventures, we lose sight of the essential seriousness of what is at stake. John le Carré reminds us, often, and so does Edward Wilson' Independent