Moscow Exile

Praise for Moscow Exile:

Barry Award Finalist for Best Thriller

Named a Best Mystery/Crime Novel of 2023 by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“John Lawton’s reputation as one of the best authors of espionage fiction is burnished by Moscow Exile . . . Kim Philby, H.G. Wells and Andrei Gromyko are among the other real-life figures who enliven these pages, which seem to hold all the action and intrigue of an old Len Deighton trilogy. With its dalliances that transcend political alliance, the book sometimes has the feel of a drama by Noël Coward—who himself makes a cameo appearance. Mr. Lawton’s mordant wit is worthy of an Evelyn Waugh dark comedy . . . Wheels spin within wheels and love occasionally conquers ambition in this capacious chronicle, which proves that high-level spycraft can be as dangerous as it is farcical.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“[A] lush historic novel . . . The resilience and determination of his Charlie, Coky, and eventually Joe Wilderness provide a strong portrait of Lawton’s real-life sense of espionage: calculating, well-armed, self-defined.”—New York Journal of Books

“A must for those who enjoy leisurely paced historical spy novels . . . Intricately plotted . . . Gracefully winds its way through various machinations and surprises to an unexpected conclusion . . . Lawton’s stylish prose and his ability to limn a compelling sense of place and time drags the reader happily along.”—Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“A fast romp through the exploits of British intelligence agents who played for Mother Russia . . . In the world Lawton creates, no one ever really disappears forever—they reappear just when they’re most needed (or not, as the case may be) . . . What’s next for Joe Wilderness? Countless readers are looking forward to his next adventure.”—Criminal Element

“Beautifully written and cut with flashes of sardonic wit, it is, nominally, the fourth of Lawton’s ‘Joe Wilderness’ novels, but also features members of the Troy family from his primary series which has been delighting the discerning reader for more than twenty-five years now and as a body of work, is shaping up to be one of the most impressive achievements in spy-fi.”—Shots

“Lawton brings the band back together for another virtuoso performance in what continues to be an espionage series of uncommon depth and breadth . . . Lawton infuses the entire troupe with sparkling life, using crackling dialogue and rapier wit to bring a Technicolor sheen to the moral ambiguity of the Cold War.”—Booklist (starred review)

Praise for Hammer to Fall:

Named a Best Book of the Year by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“A witty, melancholy, first-class work.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“Hammer to Fall continues the saga of Joe Wilderness, a roguish and immensely appealing combination of MI6 agent and sometime smuggler . . . This terrifically written and well-paced balancing act between the absurd and the deadly serious has some especially droll subplots.”—Adam Woog, Seattle Times

“An entertaining read, with an intelligent backdrop of cold-war geopolitics.”—Financial Times

“In this third Joe Wilderness spy thriller, John Lawton’s MI6 protagonist is on the move from Germany to Finland. Not your typical James Bond-style spy, Wilderness’ postings get more interesting by the minute. He ends up in Czechoslovakia just before the Soviets send in tanks to quash the 1968 Prague Spring uprising. Lawton is a master of the genre, and his writing is not only historically accurate, but also rich, ribald, cynical, informed, inventive, and hilarious.”—Christian Science Monitor

“A rich cacciucco of a novel, almost a menu degustation of politics, class, history (the Prague Spring of 1968), and impressive spy ‘tradecraft,’ with a gripping climax on a famous bridge of spies in Berlin, and it is all written with a knowing wit by an author in total command of his historical research. Fans of vintage British thrillers (surely there are some out there) will spot the homages made to Gavin Lyall, John Le Carré, and Len Deighton.”—Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“John Lawton’s British detective fiction has reached the height of being predictably stirring, powerfully written, and cleverly knit together in terms of both plot and the painful personal wounds of World War II . . . The final scenes lead dramatically to a high-tension Cold War quandary that promises more to come in this entertaining series.”—New York Journal of Books

“John Lawton infuses Hammer to Fall with ironic, dispassionate humor . . . Wilderness is a lightning rod for trouble and danger—and his sardonic, deadpan approach to life’s vicissitudes adds to the pleasure of reading Hammer to Fall.”—Criminal Element

“From Berlin, surviving on airlift support, to Finland, England, and ultimately, Prague in the spring of 1968, MI6 spy Joe Holderness, aka Wilderness, gets into and out of a number of compelling spots of trouble in this installment of his story . . . By turns witty, erudite, and exciting and supporting a host of interesting characters, imaginary and historical . . . Not one sour note. A terrific thriller: fun, satisfying, and humane.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Lawton scores another hit with his third Joe Wilderness novel . . . Terrific writing, a complex plot with a twist ending, and a roguish lead will have readers eagerly awaiting his next adventure.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Lawton does a brilliant job of incorporating backstory here, deepening our understanding of and feelings for rule-breaking Joe, who cares more for people than governments, while delivering a jaw-dropping finale that will leave readers palpitating for more.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A delight. Lawton’s ongoing recreation of Cold War chicanery is one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction.”—Mick Herron

Praise for John Lawton:

“Meticulously researched, tautly plotted, historical thrillers in the mold of World War II and Cold War fiction by novelists like Alan Furst, Philip Kerr, Eric Ambler, David Downing and Joseph Kanon.”—Wall Street Journal

“Wickedly seductive entertainment . . . John Lawton is creating some of our finest, and some of our most enjoyably ambiguous historical fiction.”—Washington Post

“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] is a master of creating a feeling of time and place, of amalgamating true-life events into his imaginative plot, of bringing every character, real or fictitious, major or minor, vividly to life.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Intricate plotting, colorful characters, and a brilliant prose style put Lawton in the front rank of historical thriller writers.”—Publishers Weekly

“Constantly entertaining . . . The spying is well mixed with humor.”—Times (UK)

“Lawton’s books contain such a wealth of period detail, character depiction, 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