Synopses & Reviews
Survivors of a Serbian massacre seek revenge against the arms dealer who betrayed them in the newest heart-pounding thriller from the “best spy novelist ever” (
Philadelphia Inquirer)In a Croatian village near the Serbian border, no one who survived will ever forget the night they waited for the weapons they needed to make a last-ditch fight against the advancing Serbs. The promised delivery never came, and the village was overrun. Eighteen years later, a body is unearthed from a field, and with it the identity of the arms dealer who betrayed them. Now the villagers can plot their revenge. For Harvey Gillott, now living in leafy England, that was all a long time ago. But Gillott, his family, his friends and his enemies are about to be pitched into a sequence of events that will unfold across Europe with breath-taking drama and almost biblical power.
Gerald Seymour is a perennial bestseller in the UK, with the same kind of cerebral style that has made authors such as Frederick Forsyth and John le Carré bestsellers in the U.S. He routinely receives rave reviews for his work, and The Dealer and the Dead is no exception— The Observer (UK) called it “crisp, taut and contemporary,” while The London Times raved “Seymour [is] incapable of creating a two-dimensional character . . . The ending is brilliantly orchestrated.”
Praise for A Deniable Death:
“Serious readers will find in A Deniable Death not only suspense, strong characters and a realistic look at the world of espionage, but a majesty that is rare in fiction.” —Washington Post
“Outstanding.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
Review
Praise for Gerald Seymour: "The three British masters of suspense, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John le Carre, have been joined by a fourth—Gerald Seymour." -
New York Times"Not since the arrival of John le Carre has the emergence of an international suspense novelist been as stunning as that of Gerald Seymour." -
Los Angeles Times Book Review"[Seymour] isn't just abreast of the headlines, [but] ahead of them." --
The Washington Post"Seymour may be the best spy novelist ever." -
Philadelphia Inquirer"In a class of his own." -
The London Times"One of the modern masters of the craft." --
Daily Mail Praise for The Dealer and the Dead:"A war crime propels this stellar thriller from Edgar-finalist Seymour (Harrys Game)…. How Seymour develops these characters and manipulates them until they all end up in Vukovar is a testament to his talent and skill." -
Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Seymour loves detail, and The Dealer and the Dead serves it up brilliantly…. The Bosnian conflict was spectacularly cruel. Two decades on, it continues to spur headlines and to provide potent plotlines for novelists. Its fitting that Seymour, one of the finest contemporary espionage novelists, shines his unique light on it.” -Booklist, starred review
"Those who are drawn to densely woven, slowly unfolding plots and thoughtful writing will rate this book a winner. Decades after establishing himself as a master of British spy fiction with Harry's Game, Seymour shows no signs of slowing down or losing relevance." --Kirkus"Seymour [is] incapable of creating a two-dimensional character . . . The ending is brilliantly orchestrated." -The London Times
"Crisp, taut and contemporary, by a stylish writer." --The Observer (UK)
"Discerning thriller readers can safely say that the best practitioner currently working in the UK is the veteran Seymour. He is, quite simply, the most intelligent and accomplished in the current field . . . Here, we have a typically compromised Seymour anti-hero, a masterfully organised globe-spanning narrative and a mass of highly persuasive detail. The Dealer and the Dead is Seymour firing on all cylinders, and his rivals need, once again, to look to their laurels." --Barry Forshaw, author of The Man Who Left Too Soon
"With Seymour, not only do you get a cracking story deftly told, but you also feel you are learning something." --Birmingham Press
"The final scenes are brilliantly orchestrated by Seymour, the sustained tension becoming almost unbearable . . . Without doubt, The Dealer and the Dead is one of the finest thrillers to be published so far this year." --Yorkshire Evening Post
"[Seymour's] meticulous research shines through in his latest thriller." --Oxford Times
"Riveting." --Manly Daily
"In a day when shop-worn plots in the disguise of well-written books are doing the rounds, The Dealer and the Dead comes as a refreshing, breathtaking story that keeps you gripped right till the very end." --Indian Express
"The Dealer and the Dead displays [Seymours] usual ability to concoct a tightly controlled plot that is cleverly engineered . . . steadily crafted into a compelling tale . . . Another first-class thriller from the always reliable Seymour." --Canberra Times
"A tense thriller." --Choice
Praise for A Deniable Death:"Veteran British spy novelist Gerald Seymour has written an extraordinary work of fiction. This is Seymours 21st novel, and critics on both sides of the Atlantic have for years compared him to John le Carre, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and other masters of spy fiction, but his reputation has never quite equaled theirs. No matter. Serious readers will find in A Deniable Death not only suspense, strong characters and a realistic look at the world of espionage, but a majesty that is rare in fiction. At a certain point, the novel rises to a mythic level, portraying courage and loyalty and sacrifice almost beyond understanding." -Washington Post"Outstanding… Seymour (Harrys Game) is strong on the details of surveillance and spycraft, but on even surer ground with his characters as he focuses on Gibbonss stoic dedication, Badgers ruthless single-mindedness, and Foxys prideful professionalism. Even the Engineer comes across as a human being, thanks to a complex subplot about getting his wife to the West for cancer treatment. Once the narrative gains momentum, its hard to put this one down." -Publishers Weekly, starred review"A book for those seriously into espionage who want to absorb every detail of how a spy mission is planned and carried out… Seymours painstaking attention to detail is a plus, as it gives the story an authentic ring and lets the reader experience the mission in real time." --Kirkus"A vividly drawn ensemble of spooks, terrorists and civilians." --Sunday Times Books of the Year 2011"Picking up a novel by Gerald Seymour is like taking a deep breath of fresh air . . . When readers get to the nailbiting climax, involving an agonising wait for airborne rescue, they may be wondering why they should bother with any other thriller writer." --Independent (London)"The novel exemplifies Seymour's ability to create and control a large, vividly drawn ensemble who are unwittingly connected (in this case via two fed-up soldiers)… Also characteristic is a Hitchcockian skewing of the reader's sympathies, with the ostensible good guys in Whitehall shown as coldly ready to sacrifice lives, and the bomb-maker seen in the round as both killer and devoted husband." --The Sunday Times (London)"Seymour is a master of the thriller set on the murky edges of modern war . . . As ever he juggles action, context and suspense with a special-forces level of expertise." --i"After 28 novels, Seymour's empathy for those he ensnares in his moral minefields remains movingly even-handed." --Daily Telegraph (London)"A gripping thriller." --Sun
"Mr Seymour is . . . on form . . . The tradecraft of silent watching and the discomfort, thirst and increasing claustrophobia of the hideout are brought very much to life . . . the grim landscape of the border region and the harsh lives of its inhabitants are skilfully evoked." --The Economist (Australia)"Great storytelling . . . You just have to read this novel as it is absolutely gripping." --Eurocrime "Gerald Seymour is the grand-master of the contemporary thriller and Deniable Death is his greatest work yet. Gripping, revealing and meticulously researched, this is a page-turning masterpiece that will literally leave you breathless." --Major Chris Hunter, author of Extreme Risk
Praise for Seymours other work:"Suspense master Seymour dazzles with commanding language and meticulous detail." -Entertainment Weekly on Rat Run
"Seymour is not one to cut corners. He does his research, thinks hard about his story and gives us richly imagined novels that bristle with authenticity." --Washington Post on The Collaborator
"Seymour [is] incapable of creating a two-dimensional character." --The Times
"In a class of his own." --The Times on THE WAITING TIME
'A dense, intensely satisfying thriller from one of the modern masters of the craft, Seymour's latest novel will remind the world just how phenomenally accomplished a thriller writer he is.' (Daily Mail on THE COLLABORATOR 20100824)"Gerald Seymour is considered the dabbest hand in the industry . . . still a master who executes his spy tales of murderous and political intrigue with rigour and flair. Seymour is a master at evoking the seemingly unchartable terrain of foreign landscapes - as a former reporter covering wars in Vietnam, Northern Ireland and Borneo, he brings to bear some every pertinent experience. His research into the espionage world is meticulous. Splendid stuff." --City AM
"A vividly drawn ensemble of spooks, terrorists and civilians." --Sunday Times Books of the Year 2011
"A vividly drawn ensemble of spokes, terrorists and civilians." --John Dugdale
"One of the most venerable names of the thriller genre, Gerald Seymour, showed that age was not withering him." --Independent Books of the Year
Synopsis
"The three British masters of suspense, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John le Carre, have been joined by a fourth—Gerald Seymour." -
New York TimesThe Dealer and the Dead is the newest heart-pounding thriller from international bestselling author Gerald Seymour, the "best spy novelist ever" (
Philadelphia Inquirer)Sometimes surviving a war can almost seem worse than dying in it.Vukovar, 1991--a small Croatian village near the Serbian border. In a moonlit field, the villagers await an arms shipment they need to make a last-ditch fight against the advancing Serbs. The promised delivery never comes, and the village is overrun.Eighteen years later, a body is unearthed from a field, and with it the identity of the arms dealer who betrayed them. Now the villagers can plot their revenge. In leafy England, Harvey Gillot regards himself a man of his world. There is only one blemish on his record, and that was all a long time ago. But Gillot, his family, his friends and his enemies are about to be pitched into a sequence of events that will unfold across Europe with breath-taking drama and almost biblical power.
Harvey Gillott is about to find out what happens when the hand of the past reaches out to the present—and its holding a gun.
About the Author
GERALD SEYMOUR was a reporter at ITN for fifteen years, where his first assignment was covering the Great Train Robbery in 1963. He later covered events in Vietnam, Borneo, Aden, Israel and Northern Ireland. Seymour was on the streets of Londonderry on the afternoon of Bloody Sunday, and was a witness to the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Seymour's first novel was the acclaimed thriller Harry's Game, set in Belfast, which became an instant international bestseller and later a television series. Six of Seymour's thrillers have now been filmed for television in the UK and US. The Dealer and the Dead is his twenty-seventh novel.