The Outsiders: A Thriller - Hardcover

Seymour, Gerald

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250058856 ISBN 13: 9781250058850

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2015

Synopsis

A couple finds their perfect beach vacation shattered when MI5 use their villa to spy on the crime boss next door in the newest thriller from the "best spy novelist ever" (Philadelphia Inquirer)

MI5 officer Winnie Monks has never forgotten - or forgiven - the brutal murder of a young agent on her team at the hands of a former Russian Army officer turned fixer and criminal known as the Major. Now, ten years later, she learns that the Major is travelling to a villa at the popular Spanish holiday destination Costa del Sol, and she asks permission to send in a surveillance unit.

The spooks locate an empty property near the Major's: the Villa Paraiso. It's perfect to spy from - and as a base for Winnie's darker, less official, plans.

But it turns out the villa isn't deserted. The owners have invited a young British couple to house sit while they are away. Jonno and Posie, a new couple, think they are embarking on a romantic, carefree break in the sun. But when the MI5 team arrives in paradise, everything changes―their holiday is about to become a terrifying journey into the violent global business of organized crime in The Outsiders by Gerald Seymour―a sophisticated thriller from a renowned master.

About this title

About the Author:

GERALD SEYMOUR was a reporter at ITN for fifteen years, where his first assignment was covering the Great Train Robbery in 1963. He later covered events in Vietnam, Borneo, Aden, Israel and Northern Ireland. Seymour was on the streets of Londonderry on the afternoon of Bloody Sunday, and was a witness to the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Seymour's first novel was the acclaimed thriller Harry's Game, set in Belfast, which became an instant international bestseller and later a television series. Six of Seymour's thrillers have now been filmed for television in the UK and US. The Outsiders is his twenty-ninth novel.

Review:

“Seymour again deploys a sizable cast of very well developed characters and a complex but utterly believable plot to produce another terrific read. Winnie is luminous, a force of nature. The Major is as cold an evildoer as fiction will see this year. Another 10 characters are similarly compelling, even the nameless Latvian policeman working in The Hague who serves as Seymour's Greek chorus, explaining the architecture of contemporary Euro crime to EU politicians. Already classed with Eric Ambler and John le Carré as an espionage master, Seymour burnishes his reputation with each new book.” ―Booklist

“Seymour keeps the book's motor humming, changing scenes and points of view with expert timing... A fresh Spanish setting, a stream of characters with great nicknames like "the Tractor," and a mix of British, Eastern European and American crime fighters make Seymour's 29th novel one of his most entertaining.” ―Kirkus

“Those [Seymour] sends off into dangerous territory are, in fact, his readers. With each book, we enter a dangerous universe, and are totally involved with utterly plausible characters, faced with moral choices that are rarely straightforward.” ―The Independent (UK)

“Once again demonstrating his ability to probe the moral murkiness of the spy trade and create an absorbingly diverse ensemble, Seymour crafts a sophisticated, reader-teasing tale.” ―The Sunday Times (UK)

“Seymour is a master of the thriller set on the murky edges of modern war . . . As ever he juggles action, context and suspense with a special-forces level of expertise.” ―i (UK)

“A gripping thriller.” ―Sun (UK)

“[Seymour's] books are rich in the drama of people reacting to events and situations they never could have expected.” ―Weekend Press (New Zealand)

“Seymour [is] incapable of creating a two-dimensional character . . . The ending is brilliantly orchestrated.” ―The London Times on The Dealer and the Dead

“Crisp, taut and contemporary, by a stylish writer.” ―The Observer (UK) on The Dealer and the Dead

“Discerning thriller readers can safely say that the best practitioner currently working in the UK is the veteran Seymour. He is, quite simply, the most intelligent and accomplished in the current field . . . Here, we have a typically compromised Seymour anti-hero, a masterfully organised globe-spanning narrative and a mass of highly persuasive detail. The Dealer and the Dead is Seymour firing on all cylinders, and his rivals need, once again, to look to their laurels.” ―Barry Forshaw, author of The Man Who Left Too Soon, on The Dealer and the Dead

“With Seymour, not only do you get a cracking story deftly told, but you also feel you are learning something.” ―Birmingham Press on The Dealer and the Dead

“The final scenes are brilliantly orchestrated by Seymour, the sustained tension becoming almost unbearable . . . Without doubt, The Dealer and the Dead is one of the finest thrillers to be published so far this year.” ―Yorkshire Evening Post on The Dealer and the Dead

“[Seymour's] meticulous research shines through in his latest thriller.” ―Oxford Times on The Dealer and the Dead

“Riveting.” ―Manly Daily on The Dealer and the Dead

“In a day when shop-worn plots in the disguise of well-written books are doing the rounds, The Dealer and the Dead comes as a refreshing, breathtaking story that keeps you gripped right till the very end.” ―Indian Express on The Dealer and the Dead

“The Dealer and the Dead displays [Seymour's] usual ability to concoct a tightly controlled plot that is cleverly engineered . . . steadily crafted into a compelling tale . . . Another first-class thriller from the always reliable Seymour.” ―Canberra Times on The Dealer and the Dead

“A tense thriller.” ―Choice on The Dealer and the Dead

“Veteran British spy novelist Gerald Seymour has written an extraordinary work of fiction. This is Seymour's 21st novel, and critics on both sides of the Atlantic have for years compared him to John le Carre, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and other masters of spy fiction, but his reputation has never quite equaled theirs. No matter. Serious readers will find in A Deniable Death not only suspense, strong characters and a realistic look at the world of espionage, but a majesty that is rare in fiction. At a certain point, the novel rises to a mythic level, portraying courage and loyalty and sacrifice almost beyond understanding.” ―Washington Post on A Deniable Death

“Outstanding... Seymour (Harry's Game) is strong on the details of surveillance and spycraft, but on even surer ground with his characters as he focuses on Gibbons's stoic dedication, Badger's ruthless single-mindedness, and Foxy's prideful professionalism. Even the Engineer comes across as a human being, thanks to a complex subplot about getting his wife to the West for cancer treatment. Once the narrative gains momentum, it's hard to put this one down.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review on A Deniable Death

“A book for those seriously into espionage who want to absorb every detail of how a spy mission is planned and carried out... Seymour's painstaking attention to detail is a plus, as it gives the story an authentic ring and lets the reader experience the mission in real time.” ―Kirkus on A Deniable Death

“A vividly drawn ensemble of spooks, terrorists and civilians.” ―Sunday Times Books of the Year 2011 on A Deniable Death

“Picking up a novel by Gerald Seymour is like taking a deep breath of fresh air . . . When readers get to the nailbiting climax, involving an agonising wait for airborne rescue, they may be wondering why they should bother with any other thriller writer.” ―Independent (London) on A Deniable Death

“The novel exemplifies Seymour's ability to create and control a large, vividly drawn ensemble who are unwittingly connected (in this case via two fed-up soldiers)... Also characteristic is a Hitchcockian skewing of the reader's sympathies, with the ostensible good guys in Whitehall shown as coldly ready to sacrifice lives, and the bomb-maker seen in the round as both killer and devoted husband.” ―The Sunday Times (London) on A Deniable Death

“Seymour is a master of the thriller set on the murky edges of modern war . . . As ever he juggles action, context and suspense with a special-forces level of expertise.” ―i on A Deniable Death

“After 28 novels, Seymour's empathy for those he ensnares in his moral minefields remains movingly even-handed.” ―Daily Telegraph (London) on A Deniable Death

“A gripping thriller.” ―Sun on A Deniable Death

“Mr Seymour is . . . on form . . . The tradecraft of silent watching and the discomfort, thirst and increasing claustrophobia of the hideout are brought very much to life . . . the grim landscape of the border region and the harsh lives of its inhabitants are skilfully evoked.” ―The Economist (Australia) on A Deniable Death

“Great storytelling . . . You just have to read this novel as it is absolutely gripping.” ―Eurocrime on A Deniable Death

“Gerald Seymour is the grand-master of the contemporary thriller and Deniable Death is his greatest work yet. Gripping, revealing and meticulously researched, this is a page-turning masterpiece that will literally leave you breathless.” ―Major Chris Hunter, author of Extreme Risk, on A Deniable Death

“Suspense master Seymour dazzles with commanding language and meticulous detail.” ―Entertainment Weekly on Rat Run

“Seymour is not one to cut corners. He does his research, thinks hard about his story and gives us richly imagined novels that bristle with authenticity.” ―Washington Post on The Collaborator

“In a class of his own.” ―The Times on THE WAITING TIME

“A dense, intensely satisfying thriller from one of the modern masters of the craft, Seymour's latest novel will remind the world just how phenomenally accomplished a thriller writer he is.” ―Daily Mail on THE COLLABORATOR

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1250058856
• ISBN 13: 9781250058850
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400