*** One of the 50 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023 in the Daily Telegraph ***
*** A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 ***
*** A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 ***

‘Superbly constructed in an elaborate twisty spy yarn. It’s highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year’ THE SUNDAY TIMES

‘A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making’ PETER JAMES

‘Hugely impressive and compelling’ WILLIAM BOYD

‘A natural-born storyteller’ JEFFERY DEAVER

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London, present day

Historian Max Archer is invited to a clandestine meeting with legendary Cold War spymaster, Scarlet King.
Her offer to share the explosive secrets born of over half a century at the heart of global espionage would be life-changing.

But Max has little reason to trust a woman whose name is a byword for deceit and ruthlessness.
Soon he is on the wrong side of the law and on the run. As the net closes tighter around him he must somehow discover the truth.

Because it’s not just his life on the line – but also the fate of the Western world . . .
___________

‘Intricate and fast moving, it weaves a thrilling spell’ DAILY MAIL

‘Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph’ TONY PARSONS

‘A masterpiece’ TIM GLISTER

*** DISCOVER MY NAME IS NOBODY AND THE INSIDER, FURTHER SPY NOVELS BY MATTHEW RICHARDSON ***

‘A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making’ PETER JAMES
‘A shot in the arm for thriller fans’ THE TIMES
‘Hugely impressive and compelling’ WILLIAM BOYD
‘Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing’ STEVE CAVANAGH
‘The most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron’s Slow Horses’ DAILY MAIL
‘Magnificent’ LITERARY REVIEW
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VIENNA, 1946: A brilliant German scientist snatched from the ruins of Nazi Europe.

MOSCOW, 1964: A US diplomat caught in a clandestine love affair as the Cold War rages.

RIGA, 1992: A Russian archivist selling secrets that will change the twentieth century forever.

LONDON, THE PRESENT DAY: A British academic on the run with the chance to solve one of history’s greatest mysteries.

Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world are bound by a single manuscript. A document feared and whispered about in capitals across the globe. In its pages, history will be rewritten. It is only ever known as . . .

THE SCARLET PAPERS

The devastating secrets contained within teased by a brief invitation:

Tomorrow 11AM. Take a cab and pay in cash. Tell no one.
___________

‘Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph’ TONY PARSONS

‘A masterpiece’ TIM GLISTER

‘Grand in scope and packed with fascinating insights’ MICK HERRON

‘An extraordinary novel’ HOLLY WATT

‘Addictive, original and outrageously entertaining . . . Matthew Richardson proves himself a writer of huge talent and skill’ CHARLOTTE PHILBY

‘An epic read!’ JEREMY DUNS

A Russian defector is found brutally murdered in a London hotel.

Only four people knew he had turned – the four most important and powerful figures in Whitehall.

There’s only one conclusion:

A mole has infiltrated the highest levels of the nation’s security.

Operating in secret from within Westminster’s darkest corners, former spy, Solomon Vine, must uncover the traitor.

Because Britain’s future hangs in the balance.

And with it, the fate of the whole world . . .

Praise for Matthew Richardson

‘Proof that the spy genre is flourishing in the 21st century . . . [Richardson’s] plotting has an old-school, Swiss-clock precision’ The Guardian

‘Compelling, intense and sharply authentic’ James Swallow, bestselling author of Nomad

‘A splendid tale of espionage starring an old-fashioned MI6 hero . . . Exciting spy literature’ The Times

‘A bang-up-to-date thriller told with old-school panache. A great read’ Mick Herron, CWA Gold Dagger-winning author of the Slough House Series