Peak

'Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century' Nigel Inkster, former Deputy Chief MI6 'Hands down the best debut of the year' Tim Shipman for Spybrary ‘Packed with lies, sex and betrayal, a compelling debut’ – Daily Mail ‘[An] impressive first novel … illuminating and extremely alarming’ Literary Review THREE WORDS IN MANDARIN. THAT’S ALL IT TAKES TO END THE WORLD. Planes circle, unable to land. The phone lines are down. The power is out. And the only person who knows why is dead. That man was Sebastian, a handsome politician on the rise. Charlie, his political attack dog and childhood friend, just watched him kill himself. Then the Secret Intelligence Service comes knocking. What the hell did Sebastian do? And can Charlie find out before the world implodes? The Peak is a nailbiting and fast-moving international thriller that weaves a story of friendship and betrayal together with the ruthless geopolitics of China's rise, set in the last twenty four hours of the world as we know it. Real readers love The Peak: 'A taught and compelling tale recommended for fans of Tom Fletcher and Frederick Forsyth' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This was everything I love in a book and I just wish there were more books like this out there' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I absolutely couldn’t put it down – even reading well through one night' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An excellent political thriller and one heck of a debut' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fast-paced and edge-of-the-seat political thriller' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is one cracking, outstanding, excellent political thriller debut and if that’s a genre you like, this is a MUST read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sam Guthrie writes international political thrillers based on his experience working at the nexus of business, politics, and international diplomacy. His character-driven fiction explores the human desires and frailties that shape world-altering events, drawing on an insider’s knowledge of the machinations of power, political intrigue, and the geostrategic challenges confronting the global order. Prior to publishing his first novel, The Peak, Sam had a twenty-five-year career in international relations serving as a trade envoy to China, an Asia Pacific corporate affairs adviser and political lobbyist and a senior government official. He has worked extensively across Europe, the US and Asia, and has spent close to a decade living and working in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Prague. He has a master’s degree in international relations.