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The Maze of Cadiz
On sale
5th August 2010
Price: £9.99
‘Atmospheric and surprising’ The Sunday Times
‘Cotton’s investigating is clever and fascinating’ Guardian
Book 1 in the Peter Cotton spy thriller series, for fans of John le Carré and Robert Harris.
Spain, September 1944. The war in Europe is drawing to a close; formerly neutral Franco is edging closer to the Allies. Peter Cotton, a young Intelligence officer, is sent to investigate the activities.
On his arrival, Cotton learns that a fellow British agent, May, has been found dead. May had spent much of the war in the remote outpost of Cadiz, monitoring the Spanish smuggling of raw materials to aid the Axis war efforts. But in the months leading up to his death he had severed all contacts with his London controllers.
Cotton travels to Cadiz where he must work with sinister local police inspector Ramirez to investigate May’s death. But they are not the only ones with an interest in May. Cadiz is a hotbed of rumours and shifting political alliances. And what Cotton discovers amid the stifling heat and dust could just tilt the emerging balance of post-war power.
The Peter Cotton spy thriller series:
Book 1: The Maze of Cadiz
Book 2: Washington Shadow
Book 3: Icelight
Book 2: Black Bear
Short story: Redeemable
‘Cotton’s investigating is clever and fascinating’ Guardian
Book 1 in the Peter Cotton spy thriller series, for fans of John le Carré and Robert Harris.
Spain, September 1944. The war in Europe is drawing to a close; formerly neutral Franco is edging closer to the Allies. Peter Cotton, a young Intelligence officer, is sent to investigate the activities.
On his arrival, Cotton learns that a fellow British agent, May, has been found dead. May had spent much of the war in the remote outpost of Cadiz, monitoring the Spanish smuggling of raw materials to aid the Axis war efforts. But in the months leading up to his death he had severed all contacts with his London controllers.
Cotton travels to Cadiz where he must work with sinister local police inspector Ramirez to investigate May’s death. But they are not the only ones with an interest in May. Cadiz is a hotbed of rumours and shifting political alliances. And what Cotton discovers amid the stifling heat and dust could just tilt the emerging balance of post-war power.
The Peter Cotton spy thriller series:
Book 1: The Maze of Cadiz
Book 2: Washington Shadow
Book 3: Icelight
Book 2: Black Bear
Short story: Redeemable
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Reviews
'Monroe's eye for character and the general atmosphere of the book make it an entertaining read'
'Addictive'
'Her writing is skilful and evocative...The Maze of Cadiz is a stylish and impressive debut'
'The slow pace of this novel is deliberate and perfectly authentic as it captures the Spanish approach to life ... a joy to read and a real page turner'
'Monroe writes in an intriguing way that is not always easy to follow but does seduce the reader to keep turning the pages'
'In Aly Monroe's memorable thriller, British agent Peter Cotton arrives in the port to investigate the death of a fellow intelligence officer and immediately finds himself in danger'
'The Maze of Cadiz is a splendid debut mystery ... Monroe provides terrific and convincing historical atmosphere; I am delighted that she is writing more Peter Cotton novels'
'Aly Monroe has created an impressive novel with an extraordinary, dream-like atmosphere ... only the first of a series of novels about him. The next can't come too soon.'
'Intelligent spy tale with little action and lots of intrigue ... very atmospheric'
'Enormously promising, THE MAZE OF CADIZ moves from the serious and sad to the quirky to the historical to the literary to the near poetic . . . the best historical mystery I have read this year. It is extremely well-written, involving, clever, emotional and satisfying - a debut novel of the very highest promise'
'Aly Monroe is a newcomer to crime writing, whose accomplished debut, The Maze of Cadiz, is set in 1944 ... Monroe's portrait of Cadiz in the aftermath of the civil war is atmospheric, and in a surprising twist the mild-mannered Cotton turns out to be as devious as his adversaries'
'Cotton's investigating is clever and fascinating'
'I have been quite captivated ...The book had me totally convinced that Ms Monroe knows her Spain and, more to the point, knows the Spain of 1944 ...wonderfully atmospheric, very well-written'
'Monroe lines up an array of strong and picturesque characters'
'Fans of convoluted espionage fiction will find much joy in this, the first instalment of a promising new series'
'It is extremely well written, involving, clever, emotional and satisfying - a debut novel of the very highest promise'
'First-time novelist Aly Monroe brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of the southern Spanish seaport...this is the first in a promised series of Peter Cotton novels. I can't wait for the next'