A Foreign Country (Thomas Kell Series #1)

“Silkily written, and more cool than hot…might make le Carré proud.”—The New York Times BOOK REVIEW

On the vacation of a lifetime in Egypt, an elderly French couple is brutally murdered. Then, days later, on the streets of Paris, a young French accountant is kidnapped. When Amelia Levene, who in six weeks is due to take over as the first female Chief of MI6, disappears without a trace while in the south of France, it is the gravest crisis MI6 has faced in more than a decade. Desperate not only to find her but to keep the press from learning that she has gone missing, Britain’s top intelligence agents turn to one of their own: disgraced former MI6 officer Thomas Kell.

“Eat your heart out, Daniel Craig...Cumming vividly showcases the undercover life of spies.”—GQ

Tossed out of the Service only months before, Kell is given one final chance to redeem himself—all he has to do is find Amelia Levene: quickly, quietly, and at any cost. Following a trail that leads him to France and then Tunisia, Kell uncovers a shocking secret and a conspiracy that could have unimaginable repercussions for Britain and its allies. All that stands in the way of personal and political catastrophe is Kell himself…

“Superb.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)