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The Scarlet Papers

The Times Thriller of the Year

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The Scarlet Papers

By: Matthew Richardson
Narrated by: Leighton Pugh, Lucy Scott
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

ONLY SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH. ONLY HE CAN TELL THE WORLD.

VIENNA, 1946
A brilliant German scientist spirited out of the ruins Nazi Europe in search of a new life

MOSCOW, 1964
A rising star of the British diplomatic service whose job is not what it seems

LONDON, THE PRESENT DAY
A once promising academic offered an opportunity to seal his place in history

Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world, are bound by a single document:

THE SCARLET PAPERS

The devastating secrets contained within teased by a brief invitation:

Tomorrow 11AM. Take a cab and pay in cash. Tell no one.


'Smart, slick and totally gripping...The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph.' TONY PARSONS

'Look out for The Scarlet Papers...An engrossing adventure' STEVE CAVANAGH

'A masterpiece' TIM GLISTER

'Grand in scope, and packed with fascinating insights' MICK HERRON


©2023 Matthew Richardson (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Espionage Genre Fiction Historical International Mystery & Crime Mystery Political Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Fiction Exciting
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Critic reviews

Chosen by many readers as the best spy novel of this year
Superbly constructed and written with flair, it manages to debunk John le Carré's world and to reaffirm its mystique. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year
Standout
A natural-born storyteller
A shot in the arm for thriller fans
Blissfully ingenious
A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making (PETER JAMES)
This is the most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron's Slow Horses. Filled with fast-moving action and a fine line in threat, it weaves a thrilling spell
Hugely impressive and compelling (WILLIAM BOYD)
Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing (STEVE CAVANAGH)
All stars
Most relevant
A good spy book leaves you with this question. Could it be a true story? Surely Matthew Richardson is the pen name of a spy and the insider knowledge he has, gives the book its authentic ring. All the references to actual people add to that. Of course he had to uphold the apparent belief in certain false flags and operations. I think Craig Murray is closer to the truth on the Skripal case and well, 9/11...I’m sure Richardson knows there’s a little more to that one than the papers said.
However, I don’t want to give any spoilers but the plot keeps twisting, satisfyingly to the last paragraph.

A true story?

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What a spy story, what a web of lies and subterfuge and more twists and turns than a helter skelter! You find yourself invested in these characters, caring what happens to them. I hope that maybe one or to of them will be back some time with more tales to tell.

More twists and turns than a helter skeleter!

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A wonderful, gripping and labyrinthine plot beautifully narrated. SIS, MI5, Cold War, Philby, Skripol, they are all there.
For readers of Christopher Andrew and Ben Macintyre, this is a must.
A really good beach/holiday read.
One or two tiny niggles: for example, Downing Street had no postcode until Tony Benn, just a postal district and it takes more than 20 minutes to get from Paris to CDG. I don’t blame the author, just the poor standard of editing so often found today.

Gripping spy thriller with twists and turns.

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Narration is great. This is a spy thriller with a little more than the usual twists, really enjoyed it and it’s nice & long so you don’t feel cheated, but still keeps your attention.

Loved it - more than the typical spy thriller.

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Intrigue, suspense, kept me guessing until the very end. The characters were fascinating. Will be reading more by this author.

A gripping tale

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