A Foreign Country

From Charles Cumming, the internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of The Trinity Six, comes a compelling tale of deceit and betrayal, conspiracy and redemption: A Foreign Country

On

the vacation of a lifetime in Egypt, an elderly French couple are

brutally murdered. Days later, a meticulously-planned kidnapping takes

place on the streets of Paris. Amelia Levene, the first female Chief of

MI6, has disappeared without a trace, six weeks before she is due to

take over as the most influential spy in Europe. It is the gravest

crisis MI6 has faced in more than a decade. Desperate not only to find

her, but to keep her disappearance a secret, Britain's top intelligence

agents turn to one of their own: disgraced MI6 officer Thomas Kell.

Tossed out of the Service only months before, Kell is given one final

chance to redeem himself - find Amelia Levene at any cost. The trail

leads Kell to France and Tunisia, where he uncovers a shocking secret

and a conspiracy that could have unimaginable repercussions for Britain

and its allies. Only Kell stands in the way of personal and political

catastrophe.

**

From Booklist

Amelia Levene and Thomas Kell, once colleagues as MI6 field agents, have seen their careers move in opposite directions. Amelia is about to become the first woman to head the agency, leapfrogging ambitious—but less talented—male bureaucrats. Kell has been forced into retirement, scapegoated by those same bureaucrats in the wake of revelations and uproar about torture. Kell is recalled because Amelia abruptly takes a week’s leave in the south of France and, even more abruptly, disappears into thin air. Kell’s job is to find her. This plot synopsis is mere prelude. Cumming, once recruited to MI6, has fashioned a gripping story of conspiracy, the Arab Spring, MI6 politics, maternal love, and a man with a “talent for the clandestine.” Amelia and Kell are complex, engaging characters, and Kell’s tradecraft will delight espionage lovers. The conspiracy might strain credulity a bit, but stranger things have happened in the Great Game, and Cumming’s track record (The Trinity Six, 2011) ensures demand for this one. --Thomas Gaughan

Review

"Bestseller Cumming follows 2011's The Trinity Six with another superb stand-alone...Cumming is particularly skilled at sketching his characters...The elegant prose will appeal to those who don't usually read spy fiction." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Praise for Charles Cumming and A Foreign Country "A fast-paced and absorbing spy thriller."--"Wall Street Journal" "Charles Cumming makes his espionage novel feel fresh." --"The New York Times" "Simmers and crackles until the explosive finale."--"Library Journal" "Eat your heart out, Daniel Craig... Cumming vividly showcases meticulous research and insight into the undercover life of spies."--"GQ" "Superb."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review) "A tale of European intrigue and conspiracy from a novelist who knows how the espionage game is played."--Shelf Awareness "Smart and intricate, with a large cast of cool characters and an authentic feel."--"Kirkus Reviews" "One of those very rare books that from its first page demonstrates that it's something out of the ordinary, one of those tales that the reader hopes will never end..."--Bookreporter