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The Enigma Girl

A gripping espionage thriller featuring a complex female protagonist

Henry Porter author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Quercus Publishing

Published:7th Nov '24

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The Enigma Girl cover

In The Enigma Girl, Slim Parsons, a disgraced MI5 agent, must navigate a dangerous mission while seeking her missing brother, intertwining personal stakes with national security.

In The Enigma Girl, readers are introduced to Slim Parsons, a disgraced MI5 operative who is grappling with the aftermath of her last mission. Following a harrowing encounter on a private jet, she finds herself on the run, not only from her deadly target but also from her own agency. With her reputation in tatters and accusations of violence looming over her, Slim is pulled back into the world of espionage when she is tasked with a new assignment. This time, her mission is to infiltrate a news website that poses a significant threat to national security, a task that feels like a demotion given her past successes in the field.

The stakes rise as Slim agrees to take on the assignment only if the Security Service will assist her in locating her missing brother. As she delves deeper into Operation Linesman, it becomes clear that this mission is fraught with danger and complexity. The narrative intertwines her personal loss with the overarching threat to MI5, creating a tense atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. Slim must navigate a web of secrets, lies, and hidden agendas while being pursued by someone lurking in the shadows, adding an extra layer of intrigue to her already perilous situation.

The Enigma Girl is not just a tale of espionage; it is a story of resilience and the quest for redemption. Slim's journey through betrayal, moral dilemmas, and the quest for truth makes this book a gripping read for fans of the genre, echoing the legacy of great espionage writers like John le Carré.

Enjoyable, beautifully written, surprising and engrossing, with a blazing moral energy * Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge *
The rarest of political thrillers - well written, fast paced, with an undercover MI5 protagonist who is forced to make very human choices. A smart thriller - it reads like it was drawn from today's headlines * Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station *
Porter is a master of the modern spy thriller. In Slim Parsons he has created a female agent for our times. The action packed storyline is taut with tension. A tour de force! * Jane Thynne, author of Midnight in Vienna *
Porter ... knows his way around both the corridors of power and the new media. [He] delivers another in a series of smart, timely reads * Financial Times *
Fastmoving, affecting ... touches on contemporary issues, from people trafficking and modern slavery to money's role in corrupting the powerful * Literary Review *
Porter draws on his journalistic experience in this riveting, deeply researched novel about the heirs to the Bletchley Park codebreakers, corruption, the role of AI, and state overreach * Saga magazine *
Dickensian in the size and diversity of its cast ... yet it never forgets to be an exhilarating thriller * Sunday Times Thriller of the Month *
Porter has established himself as one of Britain's finest spy writers, and here his supremely elegant talent is on full display * Daily Mail *
This superbly twist laden novel [is]the work of a wholly individual and readable talent ... * Observer *
Porter's compelling new espionage novel is the quite the achievement, pulling together a bewildering number of threads * Mail on Sunday *

ISBN: 9781529403343

Dimensions: 236mm x 154mm x 40mm

Weight: 722g

496 pages