Hammer to Fall — John Lawton

British agent Joe Wilderness returns in “Lawton's ongoing recreation of Cold War chicanery . . . one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction” (Mick Herron, award-winning author of the Slough House series).

It's London, the swinging sixties, and by all rights, MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, his postings are more grim than glamorous. In the wake of an embarrassing disaster for MI6 in a divided Berlin, Wilderness is reprimanded with a posting to remote northern Finland under the guise of a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad.

Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness strikes a deal with his old KGB pal Kostya to smuggle vodka into the USSR. But there is something fishy about why Kostya has suddenly turned up in Finland -- and MI6 intelligence from London points to a connection with cobalt mining in the region, a critical component in the casing of the atomic bomb. Wilderness's posting is getting more interesting by the minute, but more dangerous too.

Moving from the no-man's-land of Cold War Finland to the wild days of the Prague Spring, and populated by old friends -- including Inspector Troy -- and old enemies alike, Hammer to Fall is a gripping tale of deception and skullduggery, of art and politics -- a page-turning story of the always-riveting life of the British spy.

“Lawton scores another hit.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A jaw-dropping finale that will leave readers palpitating for more.” -- Booklist (starred review)

“A terrific thriller: fun, satisfying, and humane.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)