out now HarperCollins Australia

THE PEAK

coming in August UK

Sam Guthrie distills the clash of civilisations into an intimate, personal war – a battle for the world, fought as a struggle for the soul. He reminds us of Solzhenitsyn’s enduring truth: ‘The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being’

Chris Uhlmann, journalist and author of Secret City

Gripping from the get‑go, The Peak is a compelling, rollicking thriller; a must read for fans of Le Carré and a terrifying glimpse into the very near future

Steve Lewis, Secret City

Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat

Hayley Scrivenor, Dirt Town

Sam Guthrie is a born writer – this is a cracking thriller

Dervla McTiernan, The Ruin

Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century

Nigel Inkster, former director for operations and intelligence for MI6

A twisty political thriller that asks if it’s possible to really ever know your friends

Alma Katsu, author of Red London and former CIA and NSA analyst

A confident, explosive debut from an author sure to be the next big thing

Laura McCluskey, The Wolf Tree

Gripping and original … an insight into contemporary espionage and geopolitics

Oliver Harris, The Hollow Man

Two best friends, one secret that could end the world.

'Now I’ll tell you what happened, as best I can. No spin. No agenda. If I get something wrong, it’s not because I’m being evasive or trying to protect Sebastian. It’s simply because I’m still trying to understand what happened today… It’s to explain, as best I can, what Sebastian has done, and why tomorrow when you wake up, it will be the end of the world.’

Political hatchet man Charlie will do anything to protect Sebastian, his best friend and a member of Australia's parliament. Friends since school, they've always had each other's backs.

But then a single phrase in Mandarin is spoken in Sebastian's ear, and he does the unthinkable. As Charlie tries to piece it all together – from their youth spent in Hong Kong to the recent past in Beijing – things in the outside world start to fall apart too. Planes can't land, the phone lines go down and the power is out.

Then the Secret Intelligence Service comes knocking.

The Diplomat meets House of Cards in this propulsive espionage thriller
set across Canberra, Hong Kong and Shanghai.