Tightrope

Mawer's research and attention to period is unmatched, with the uneasy Cold War atmosphere seeping through the page * Mr Hyde * The closest thing to a female James Bond in English literature * Guardian * Mawer's period detail is perfect, and his prose impeccable -- Ian Sansom * Guardian * [Marian Sutro is a] completely compelling character. The period atmosphere is done with perfect pitch, and the narrative is as taut as the title * Tablet * Tightrope is the perfect title for this absorbing, flawlessly constructed and memorable novel * Choice * Mawer sensitively evokes the crushing normality of postwar Britain . . . intriguing, often lyrical * The Times * SUtro is a singular creation - a fascinating and compelling character and the account of how she becomes caught up in Cold War espionage is enthralling * Sunday Mirror * Dazzling * Daily Express * Simon Mawer is a true master of literary espionage . . . Tightrope is gripping stuff * Mail on Sunday * Mawer's evocation of poor, battered post-war London, still a drab city of thick and clammy fogs, is beautifully done. Likewise he handles his plot, moving back and forward in time, in masterly fashion . . . Mawer blows the dust off the history and makes it matter as you read. He is one of the most accomplished novelists today -- Allan Massie * Scotsman * Mawer is a skilful writer and this is a sophisticated, deviously constructed story of a woman who finds her true self in the distorting mirrors of the intelligence game -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times * A compelling Cold War story -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler *