A Financial Times Best Book of the Summer 2025
‘Top marks’ The Times Book of the Month (March)
‘Brilliant… Beaumont is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Mick Herron’ James O’Brien, author of How They Broke Britain
Russia is struggling to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. But can it win the war for influence?
August 2022. Simon Sharman is out for revenge, pursuing the assassin of his former colleague across war-torn Ukraine. Back in London, a Russian spy ring at the heart of the British Establishment remains active, attempting to sabotage the West’s support for Ukraine.
In the fiercely contested Donbas region, Simon finds himself sucked into a terrifying shadow conflict between Russia and the West. Can a lone spy make a difference to the course of a conflict?
From the ruins of Bakhmut to the corridors of Whitehall, A Spy at War reveals the secret struggle for Ukraine, on the frontlines and in the arena of global public opinion.
Praise for A Spy at War
‘Beaumont must surely be the most plugged in spy writer of the day, almost ahead of the curve… He pens thrillers you can’t let go of, page turners full of power and intelligence. Indispensable’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time
‘Beaumont is a skilled guide to the murky interface between the corridors of power and the human consequences of the decisions made there’ Adam LeBor, Financial Times
‘Beaumont strikes back… A Spy At War is the best sort of espionage novel, shimmering with authentic tradecraft, geopolitical intrigue and a gritty exploration of betrayal and revenge’ David McCloskey, author of The Seventh Floor and co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast
‘Charles Beaumont is that rare combination in spy fiction: a genuine former intelligence officer who is also a first-class writer’ Charles Cumming, author of Kennedy 35
‘With his second novel, Beaumont has cemented himself as an author who both fearlessly tackles hard subjects and spins masterful tales. A Spy at War is daring and unflinching, a must-read’ I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow
‘This second espionage thriller from former MI6 operative Charles Beaumont underlines his quality’ Daily Mail
‘Retired spy Charles Beaumont brings to life the terror, violence and confusion of the war in Ukraine… in this well-informed and revealing novel. Excellent’ Literary Review
‘An unadorned take on the brutal realities of the Ukrainian war, told with literary flair and an insider’s insights’ Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station
‘Angry, propulsive and very, very timely. If A Spy Alone was Beaumont’s cry of rage as a citizen, A Spy at War is his cry of rage as a spook… Topping A Spy Alone was a tough ask. Beaumont has managed it’ Dominick Donald, author of Breathe
‘Many works of fiction will be inspired by the war in Ukraine. Charles Beaumont literally blasts out ahead of the field with an effort that is both cinematic and compassionate… A worthy sequel to his debut masterpiece’ Dr Fiona Hill, CMG, former US National Intelligence Officer for Russia
‘Beaumont has done it again: a gripping spy thriller, this time set in war-torn Ukraine, which is so true to life you feel you are there. It’s also about Britain, now, and how so many in the Establishment have sold their souls for Russian gold’ John Sweeney, author of Killer in the Kremlin
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