Overview

Jonas thought about what it would mean to cross a border in a place like this. He might have followed a trail laid down by others, but this time there would be no searchlights, no sirens, no soldiers in greatcoats. Philby had been disappointed by Moscow. Jonas suspected he would feel the same about Raqqa. Jonas is a spy with a problem. His quiet life spent writing reports for British intelligence is turned upside-down when his father is kidnapped by ISIS, and he soon finds himself dangerously out of his depth in Beirut, struggling to put into action the most audacious plan imaginable. As events hurtle towards a confrontation with the kidnappers, and the British government realises the full horror of what he is planning, Jonas is forced to decide how far he is willing to go to see his father again.

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9781912242139

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Gritty and diamond-sharp, an irresistible and dazzling thriller for our time. -James Naughtie; This important book...brought home the complex and shifting situation in the Middle East and the danger of looking for simple explanations. I loved Jonas - the quiet man pushed by his own guilt into becoming a hero. -Ann Cleaves; Great characters, convincing detail and a compelling story. All too human MI6 desk jockey, Jonas, is no James Bond but he manages to stay one step ahead of his ex-employers, the CIA, Hezbollah, Isis and the reader right up until the final showdown in the desert. -Charlie Higson; James Wolff clearly knows in detail the complex and murky world of Middle Eastern intrigue. An intelligent, exciting and wholly convincing novel . -Piers Paul Read, author of Alive and The Misogynist.; Tautly-drawn tale of espionage in the badlands of Beirut. Wolff brings the thriller bang up to date as a rogue agent takes on Islamic State - as flawed a hero as Alec Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. -David Loyn, author of Butcher and Bolt: Two Hundred Years of Foreign Engagement in Afghanistan. ; A compelling story of our times, beautifully written and told with all the authority and authenticity of an insider familiar with the complex and dangerous terrain. -Peter Taylor, author of Talking to Terrorists. A Personal Journey from the IRA to Al Qaeda. ; A gripping tale of plots and counterplots, of militias, spies, and priests; of love of family and loyalty to cause. -Emma Sky, author of The Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq.

Author Information

James Wolff is an exciting new voice in literary thriller writing. He grew up in the Middle East and now lives in London. He has worked for the British government for the past ten years. Beside the Syrian Sea is his first novel.

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