L'Homme sans nom

The Frenchman #1

by Jack Beaumont

Espion aux multiples légendes, Alec de Payns travaille à la DGSE, les services secrets extérieurs français. C'est lors d'une mission en Sicile qui tourne mal qu'il comprend qu'il y a une taupe dans son équipe. Alors qu'une enquête s'ouvre en interne, de Payns est envoyé au Pakistan pour infiltrer une usine de produits agricoles soupçonnée de fabriquer des armes chimiques. Quel lien unit ces deux missions pourtant si différentes en apparence ? Et sur qui de Payns peut-il compter autour de lui ? Entouré d'ennemis, il craint le pire non seulement pour lui et sa famille, mais également pour la France, menacée par une attaque terroriste imminente…

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, France, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

485 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2021

About the author

Jack Beaumont is the pseudonym of a former operative in the clandestine operations branch of the French foreign secret service, the DGSE. He joined 'The Company' after being an air force fighter pilot and later flying special operations and intelligence missions. Beaumont's background gives The Frenchman a level of authenticity that few other spy thrillers have been able to achieve.

Reviews

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Frenchman is a spy thriller based on real life experience by author Jack Beaumont (pseudonym). Jack is a former French intelligence operative of the French foreign secret service, the DGSE and was also an Air Force fighter pilot and a military pilot flying for special operations and intelligence missions before he became a spy.

You know you are in for a high level of authenticity in this spy thriller set in Europe and Pakistan with the author’s background. I found the book fascinating and the opening chapters were blood curdling.

Our main character is Alec de Payns, he is married with a young son. Alec takes on a variety of different identities throughout the book. The security procedures he went through to separate and protect his family/home whereabouts from his spy life when returning to his family residence were intriguing.

Alec is on a mission to investigate a secretive biological weapons facility in Pakistan. This was frightening stuff and filled with tense moments!

What a cool read!

I'd like to thank Allen & Unwin for an advanced copy of this book I had the opportunity to win

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to put down. The attention to detail was impressive and made all the scenarios seem very authentic. The main character is a French spy and he’s married with a family. He maintains various identities that he uses in various missions and there’s all the spy stuff you’d expect, dead drops, avoiding tails, using burner phones etc . There’s plenty of tension and I didn’t really guess the plot twists. The characters apart from the main guy aren’t really developed, the story is driven by action and mystery. After an initial operation in Palermo is compromised there is a possibility of a mole and there’s a lot of suspense and paranoia wondering who the traitor is. The author is described as a former French intelligence operative which makes it all the more believable.
An excellent spy thriller that I really enjoyed. In my house we’ve been working our way through the 10 seasons of Spooks so this fitted right in!

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Croix de Rosey wasn’t a bar that Paris guidebooks recommended to tourists…off the main boulevards, set back in a small street that ran north-south from the Seine- no outdoor tables, no cute umbrellas advertising Campari. As he walked down the cobbled street towards a glowing Kronenbourg sign, de Payns was reminded of what Paris must have looked like before various kings and emperors cleared the slums. There were smells and sounds in these streets that had taken centuries to create.

I was very taken by this contemporary thriller, written by a former agent of the French counter intelligence network DGSE, starring former fighter pilot, Alec de Payns, using the code name “AGUILAR”. The de Payns name links back to Hugh de Payns, a crusader and founder of the Knights Templar, and with his closest associates, “TEMPLAR” (Gael Py) and “SHREK” (Guillaume Tibet) they manage to foil a plot to release a lethal bio-weapon on French soil.

I liked this one for many reasons: good plot, nasty villains, a main character devoted to family as well as country but his personal problems are not allowed to overwhelm the story, nor his character dominate á la James Bond. The story emerges slowly with the failure of a mission in Sicily to capture or unmask the key player in an Al-Qaeda offshoot, which has Internal Affairs running a manhunt and DGSE suspecting a mole. But who can you really trust?

Not going to give much away but the tension gradually builds to a point where I was flicking through the pages, and then backtracking to pick up details I might have missed. Plenty of field craft and a nerve-wrecking denouement.

Verdict: classy.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2021, I heard Jack Beaumont talk at Bad Crime in Sydney. I was fascinated by his stories, as an former spy in France. I bought The Frenchman and my husband snapped it up. His review:

A spy thriller written by a former spy.

This is a fast paced story of Alec de Payns, an operative in the secretive Y division of the DGSE, France's foreign intelligence service.

It is a well written and informative tale of what happens when a well prepared routine mission goes wrong, and the consequences for Alec, his family and his co workers.

The story feels real, less James Bond, more real world, and as it is written by an insider, is gives it a depth with real world know how.

Really enjoyed it, even if I had to look up the odd French word!

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like undercover and espionage stories and The Frenchman by Jack Beaumont falls into that category. It is probably one of the best ones I've read in a very long time. The attention to detail is astounding. Maybe it's not such a surprise when you learn that this was the life the author lived for a long time. It is not a fast paced action book but it sure is filled with suspense and thrilling events. I always enjoy it when I feel like I learn something when reading and I do have that feeling with this story. I am glad I finally got around to reading this great adventure and the best part is that I have book two waiting on my tbr shelf. Highly recommended from me to you.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why this is reviewed so highly. I found it boring and didn't keep my interest though I perservered and listened to the recording and ho-hummmm "adventure". First and last of this series.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of international espionage from the narrative perspective of a French agent working for the DGSE. Alec de Payns must work to reveal the identity of Pakistani terrorist Murad and save France from a mass terrorist plot.

Whilst the espionage plot was good, the writing was far too expository for my enjoyment, everything is spelled out for the reader, in the same way someone might need to explain how to hook up a VCR.
At one point the central character de Payns is completing a report, and it is explained that all evidence of one's personality must be removed from the language and writing of the report, so that the language is neutral and as matter-of-fact as possible. Jack Beaumont, the pseudonymous author, was formerly a DGSE agent himself, and so I can appreciate that a lifetime of removing colour from one's writing, makes the penning of an engaging spy thriller a new challenge.

If you are interested in the inner workings of the French secret service and you don't mind books where everything is spelled out so that you don't misunderstand, then you'll enjoy this one.

[Kimmy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: describes torture and assault
Actually picked this one up for my husband, thinking it might be an action man type for him to enjoy, but the temptation (and reviews) were too great, and I started reading it.
From Australia’s own ABC: ‘Jack Beaumont is the pen name of a Sydney-sider with an intriguing background. A fighter pilot for the French air force, Beaumont was injured when his 60 million Euro, single-seat Mirage 2000 (Dash 5) crashed during dogfight training. He was then recruited by French intelligence to work for the DGSE, their foreign secret service. For eight years, he balanced life as a loving husband and father with the darkness of clandestine foreign operations. Eventually, the toll was too great, and his Australian wife convinced him to walk away. Now living in a beach-side suburb of Sydney and working for a big city firm, he's a world away from the life he left behind in France, and has written a thriller, The Frenchman, based on his life as a spy, and the experiences that changed him forever.’

So, the author has pedigree for this writing, and what an insight it is. The balancing of field operations, ‘gardening’ (doing work such as frequenting offices, sending emails, being seen in order to maintain your other aliases), the home life and constant worry about compromising the safety of your loved ones, and the bureaucracy (bien sûr!), in addition to saving the day certainly gives pause to thought about what goes on to keep us safe as we go about our daily lives.
In this case, several stories intertwine, including some field operations necessitating cover identities and stories (which do not always go to plan), a terrorist threat for chemical poisoning in the water supply of Paris, and a mole in the ranks feeding information directly to the enemy and jeopardising the safety of the participants and success of the mission.
It’s the detail here which really sets this apart, the work (which was Jack Beaumont’s daily pain et beurre), the changing from one identity to another, the steps taken to ensure they’re not followed, the tiny details which we wouldn’t even think of all described in engrossing detail. (Fact: wearing a wedding ring at all is not encouraged, as a) it shows that you have someone who may be a weak point to get to you, and b) the tan marks are a giveaway if you’re working under the persona of a single person). Interesting stuff.
It runs at a pace between madcap action (a chase through the streets of Paris) through to mundane daily activities, but at no stage does it lose the readers’ interest.
Highly recommended.

[Annette Chidzey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this novel on a recent book buying tour with two avid readers primarily because of the detail on the blurb that made reference to Paris and Pakistan, two locations I have been fortunate to visit.
The writing was gripping and the chapter lengths contained to enable the plot to unfold quickly and compellingly.
Having visited Islamabad, Rawalpindi and related places, I could visualise these settings as well as many of the locations described within and around Paris.
I suspect Alec De Payns is an operative who will reappear in subsequent novels as will Bijar the equally chilling antagonist.
I look forward to more creations by Jack Beaumont, a debut novelist with an intriguing mystique to create more novels deflecting further detection at this point.

[Charles Broughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. An enjoyable page-turner with real tension and momentum, and fleshed-out characters you could relate to and engage with. The contemporary plot was compelling. But what was most compelling was the verisimilitude of Alec de Payns' world and mental states - first time author and former French intelligence operative Jack Beaumont tangibly presents the world of a field operative in our current era - their mindset and concerns, their tradecraft, how they, their teams and their organisations operate.

I found the short opening chapter a bit wobbly and the writing a little clunkier than I would have preferred. But from there on in it improved and was much more than fine. And the pacing was very good. For a first novel this was damn good and shows a lot of promise for future stories.

If you like spy or action thrillers, this book is highly recommended. I hope Jack Beaumont is right now busy working on the next Alec de Payns story.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alec de Payns is an operative of the DGSE, the French Foreign Intelligence Service, regarded by insiders as ‘The Company’. Whilst ‘running’ a Pakistani aeronautical engineer sources reveal that ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, has lethally tortured the man and his family. The means of communication however remain open, and a meet is set up at the next international conference ... with the dead man.
2 years later Alec is in Palermo, Sicily running the immigration agent Lambardi during Operation Falcon. At stake are 5 French passports worth 3m euro to Murad, the commander of Sayef Alber European operations. The mission goes awry, there are 2 deaths in public places and de Payns must laboriously exfiltrate himself to escape while being followed with intent. During a review of the Operation Falcon, the lone survivor of an Afghani village wiped out by a weaponised bioagent is delivered to a French hospital. Intercepted military communications indicate the Russians suspect the bacteriological chemical has been developed at MERC, trading as the innocuous Pakistan Agricultural and Chemical Company. Under the guise of filmmakers, de Payns and his team travel to Islamabad embarking on the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering Operation Alamut. The fictitious movie’s screenplay has been downloaded from the cloud and with name changes and clever edits becomes ‘Lake Forgiveness’. Again the team must evade capture and interrogation by the enemy who seem to be a step ahead.

Is failure the only link between the operations? What went wrong? Were the operations compromised by a leak? Sabotaged by someone within the Company? Is there a traitor? How many people will die?

Jack Beaumont’s espionage experience is conspicuously evident in ‘The Frenchman’. The attention to detail of tradecraft is reminiscent of John le Carre, as are the plot twists and the heightening tension. The concern for loved ones, team camaraderie and pseudo names has parallels to the works of Daniel Silva. Less high tech and more gommettes, not an improbable James Bond Aston Martin in sight ensures this novel more real and therefore convincingly sinister.

Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.

[jeff popple · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good and very enjoyable spy novel.

Beaumont is apparently the pseudonym of a former French intelligence operative who now lives in Australia, and his debut book filled with a lot of convincingly detailed spy tradecraft and seemingly insider knowledge of the French security services.

The story opens with a jolting prelude in Singapore and Pakistan, before moving to an exciting operation in Palermo, aimed at disrupting a new terrorist organisation. The mission goes terribly wrong and leaves Alec de Payns, an operative in the secretive Y Division of the French foreign intelligence service (DGSE), suspecting that there is a leak in his team. That suspicion grows as de Payns is tasked to investigate a heavily secured biological plant in Pakistan that may be producing a weaponised bacteria capable of killing millions.

The Frenchman is a confidently plotted and well written novel, presumably in English as no translator is listed. Beaumont moves his story along at a good pace and the book builds to a violent climax in Paris, complete with the usual concluding twists.

The book excels in its detailed descriptions of spycraft, the politics of French Intelligence operations and the security measures taken by agents. In the main this is seamlessly woven into the plot, although it appears overly elaborate at times. This seemingly insider grasp of spy technique also gives the novel a convincing shine of credibility and Beaumont uses it well to produce some very tense scenes. His depiction of the operation in Pakistan and its fall-out is particularly outstanding and very tense. He is also good at describing the foreign locations through which de Payns passes and conveying the atmosphere in a few telling descriptions.

His characters are well crafted and are not the one dimensional, gun-toting super heroes to be found in some spy fiction. He is also very good at articulating the personal cost of spying, both on the families of the French agents and those foreign assets that they use.

Overall, a surprisingly enjoyable book that kept me well entertained.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book - so good that I have been delaying my review until I thought I could 'do it justice' but I doubt I ever could, so here goes:
The author, allegedly, was an actual air force fighter pilot who then went into intelligence and worked for the France secret service. Whether that is true or not this book is spectacular at detailing minutiae of daily activities for a clandestine operative. Some of them are SO minute, that they should almost be tedious, but instead they build up to create a intense felling of urgency and tension in the reader.

The main character, Alec De Payns, is the same background as the author, he has a wife and children in Paris and seems a normal man but he goes to work and becomes anything but normal. He sheds his name and identity on the way to work and then becomes any one of a thousand characters, working in France and overseas for the French government.

Terror threats, biological weapons and overseas threats are just some of the core elements of this book and they are told so well as to make it hard to put down this book. One must put it down though, there is SO much detail within the pages! No flash thrill this one, which you can read in a day. The 392 are full, fascinating and complex.

The book kind of starts with a mission in Palermo, which goes horribly wrong and so Alec has the threat of being betrayed from within his organisation hanging over him the whole novel. There are then missions to Pakistan, which, again, seem to have information leaking in a way that does endanger him and could endanger his family.

The central plot line is evolved along the way by dozens of smaller missions and operations, both by Alec and his teammates, small details and organisational politics. All of it building up a seriously thrilling read.

Not much more I can really say without giving too much away, but this is one of the best thrillers I have read for years. They became repetitious for me, after a while however this one was unique and not to be missed for anyone who loves the genera.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spy thriller that's slightly different from the run of the mill "one man to save the world", there is much to like about THE FRENCHMAN.

For a start this is obviously a book written by an author who knows the reality of life as an intelligence service agent all too well. The author name "Jack Beaumont" is allegedly a pseudonym for a former French special operator and you can believe that. The level of authority that shows in the details of the life of an agent, the hyper-vigilance, the routines for getting into and out of missions, and the clash when returning to family life is amazing. All of which built into a story that fizzes along with speed and a constant ramping up of tension that makes this a most informative, and engaging thriller.

At the heart of the story are the threats that France faces from terrorist attacks and external enemies and the DGSE (known as "The Company"), France's foreign intelligence service, who are supposed to stop those attempts at the earliest possible stage. Alec de Payns is a top operative in the top-secret Y Division of The Company, responsible for the most dangerous international undertakings, often manipulating targets into giving themselves, and their plots away. During an operation in Sicily, when trying to infiltrate a dangerous terrorist group, the small cell de Payns is a part of is blown, forcing him to flee from a very close call, using all his spycraft to get away undetected, and return to his daily life in Paris, all the while convinced they were betrayed by a fellow agent and worried sick about how close danger is lurking to his family because of that.

Despite the threat of a possible traitor in their midst, de Payn's small cell is then sent on an urgent mission in Pakistan, investigating a believed biological weapons facility, rumoured to be producing a bacterial weapon, intended for release in France. The preparation for this mission, and the ruse of a film crew scouting locations, is rapidly, but thoroughly put together (and the methods for doing this are particularly fascinating), but once again, the mission is compromised and uncovering the threat within becomes increasingly urgent, and complicated.

The combination of action, undercover missions, and external threats with a real-life knowledge of the way that cells are developed, supported, and infiltrated into and out of situations is another fascinating aspect of THE FRENCHMAN. The tension, the sense of threat and a connection with Alec de Payns is done with the reader allowed to get a real sense for how exhausting and vulnerable the life of an undercover operative with a family must be. There's a really clever balance of a standard spy thriller, spycraft, and personal aspects here that's illuminating, entertaining, and elegantly constructed. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster of a ride, whilst also gaining a deep understanding of the difficulties that intelligence agencies experience in a world where hatred is deep and the means to inflict mass carnage soberingly straight forward to obtain.

Whilst THE FRENCHMAN is obviously going to work really well for readers who like spy thriller novels, there's a lot more here for those that are more equivocal about the standard offering. This is seat of the pants thriller fodder, high octane action, almost fun and a bit rollicky in places, delivered with a lot of thought and a beating heart.


https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...

[Unseen Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Frenchman from Allen & Unwin to review.

Rating of 4.5.

Prepare to dive into the world of international espionage as debuting author Jack Beaumont delivers an impressive and deeply authentic spy thriller with The Frenchman.

In these turbulent times, France faces threats from innumerable international enemies and terrorist attacks, and it falls to the members of the DGSE, also known as The Company, France’s famed foreign intelligence service, to discover dangers in their infancy and eliminate them. Alec de Payns is one of the top operatives of the top-secret Y Division of the DGSE, who take on the Company’s most dangerous international assignments. With a speciality in manipulating targets into turning against their country or revealing their secrets, de Payns is the man on the ground in many of these missions, ensuring that terrorists operations and illegal weapons programs pose no threat to his country.

During his latest operation in Palermo, Sicily, de Payns attempts to infiltrate a dangerous terrorist group who have their sights set on attacking France. However, before their planned contact and surveillance can begin in earnest, de Payns’s cover is blown and he is forced to flee from the scene, leaving behind two dead bodies. Returning to Paris, de Payns begins to suspect that he was betrayed by a fellow agent, forcing himself to consider that his life and the lives of his young family may be in danger.

With the threat of a potential traitor hanging over him, de Payns is sent on another urgent mission to Pakistan to investigate a secretive biological weapons facility that is rumoured to be producing a weaponised bacteria for an attack on France. In an attempt to gain information from within the facility, de Payns begins to establish a new identity to get closer to a person connected to the bacteria production. However, when he is once again compromised, de Payns must find out who has betrayed him and what their sinister plans for Paris are.

The Frenchman is a clever and exciting spy thriller from an intriguing new author that takes a detailed and captivating look at French foreign intelligence. This amazing new novel was written by Jack Beaumont, a pseudonym of a former French special operator who worked as part of the DGSE secret service. Having relocated to Australia, Beaumont has utilised his experiences to create an enthralling spy thriller, packed full of impressive detail and with a central character strongly based around the author himself. This results in an extremely thrilling and compelling novel that I found to be extremely addictive and which was a heck of a lot of fun to read.

To see the full review, click the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2021/01/18/...

An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 14 January 2021:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2021/01/20/...

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

[Bridget Dunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sophisticated spy thriller that will transport you to the streets of Paris. Different from other spy novels I’ve read in that the family life is very much present and adds to the suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[XOX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alec De Payne is a French intelligent agent. He was a flight pilot but injury stopped him in that path. So he got a new job withe the Company. He has a wife and two kids. His secret job has been ruining his work life balance.

He has identities that he used to get close to people for intelligent gathering. Not a gun person, and working on shoe string budget, not a lot of glamour either.

What it is, is a slow start of a story that only got better after the half way point. When shit got real and there is an active threat if bioweapon use on French city.

The team is interesting too. At least two are better fighter than the main character. The threat of divorce is weighing on the the main character that created interesting story of kidnapping and recrue without the family knowing it.

Overall, a real good read. The first half could do better in getting faster, and tighter. Still, enjoyable.

[Debbie Terranova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spy thriller written by a spy, what more could you want? I found this novel a little difficult to warm to at the start. Too many characters and aliases and acronyms that I couldn't keep in my mind. When at last, I realised that it wasn't necessary to know what DGSE, DGSI, DR analysts, OT numbers, etc, etc were or stood for, the narrative took over and swept me away. Most interesting to me was the mindset of French spy, de Payns, his constant checking and rechecking for 'followers', for booby-traps, for alternate escape routes. Even an innocent social visit to his son's friend's apartment turns into a surveillance exercise. Unable to sit still, he excuses himself and goes to the bathroom, where he methodically checks all the cupboards, and even the toilet cistern, for listening devices and bombs. Like all good thrillers, everything happens at the end. The tension builds and builds. It is impossible to put the book down until all the puzzles are resolved.

[B. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you gave up reading spy books after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, thinking the genre was a bit passé, then it’s time to reacquaint yourself. This, simply, is a superb novel written in pseudonym by a former French intelligence officer and jet fighter pilot. It’s attention to detail, and sheer capacity to thrill is up there with the best. The story starts with a degree of spy craft technicality but just gets better and better. The plot is deft, the dialogue appropriately sparse and the theme more than relevant in today’s political climate, being set mainly in France and Pakistan. Characterisation might not be Jack Beaumont’s greatest strength but everything else lands in the right spot.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just finished “le bureau des legends “ on SBS
Reading this novel provided the most fun filled holiday reading . I could not put it down. Started to dream. I was a spy and started to look at people differently in a bar or restaurant !!
Please can we have another one? We are hooked ..

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good spy thriller in the vein of le carre. Dont expect the tough guy action scenes on every page. This is more spy suspense with a touch of realism. It doesnt feel like a cheesy Hollywood film at all. The scheming and political aspects from various countries was handled extremely well.

[Imran Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Beaumont’s The Frenchman is a taut, intriguing espionage novel that draws from the author’s own experience as a former French intelligence operative. Marketed as a realistic portrayal of the clandestine world of French intelligence, the novel largely succeeds in capturing the pulse and paranoia of modern espionage, even as it occasionally leans on familiar genre conventions.

The plot is well-crafted and briskly paced, with a series of twists to keep the reader engaged. Beaumont possesses an understanding of spy trade craft, i.e. the methods, language, and psychology of those who live their lives in the shadows. His attention to operational detail, from surveillance countermeasures to human intelligence handling, provides the story with a sense of authenticity. Beaumont captures the tension of quiet intelligence work, the coded phone calls, the moral compromises, and the uncertainty that encompasses every mission.

One of the more interesting aspects of the novel is Beaumont’s depiction of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The novel, set during the height of the global war on terror, situates the ISI within the complex interplay of post-9/11 geopolitics. The author portrays Pakistan’s intelligence agency as both a partner and an obstacle to Western interests - a duality that mirrors real-world debates about Pakistan’s ambivalent role in counterterrorism. The ISI’s portrayal is, predictably, wary and conflicted. Professionals on one level, but with motives that rarely align fully with those of Western agencies. It’s a portrayal that feels consistent with mainstream Western narratives, distrustful but grudgingly respectful.

Yet this raises an important question: is Beaumont’s treatment of the ISI accurate, or is it designed for popular consumption to appeal to Western sensibilities about Pakistan and its opaque intelligence apparatus? Readers familiar with the actual complexities of South Asian geopolitics may find that The Frenchman reinforces certain stereotypes; a Pakistan seen through the prism of Western suspicion rather than understanding a state with its own geopolitical interests. This tendency, while common in spy fiction, slightly diminishes the novel’s claim to realism. Beaumont’s focus remains squarely on the Western point of view, perpetuating familiar themes of Europe standing for order and professionalism, while countries like Pakistan remain unpredictable terrain.

Though Beaumont’s command of the tradecraft and plot mechanics is impressive, The Frenchman occasionally struggles with the “dig a little deeper” test. Certain plot turns hinge on improbable coincidences or assumptions that stretch credulity. Nevertheless, Beaumont’s writing is cinematic and immersive, filled with atmosphere and the book is a page turner.

The Frenchman is not a perfect novel, the characterisation can occasionally feel thin, and the geopolitical framing sometimes conforms too easily to conventional Western perspectives. But as spy fiction written by an intelligence operative, it succeeds in offering readers a credible glimpse behind the curtain of French intelligence and the post-9/11 world of covert operations.

For readers who enjoy spy thrillers that blend realism with pace, The Frenchman is a worthwhile read. Its strengths far outweigh its shortcomings, and enjoyable enough to make one keen to follow Alex, the protagonist, into Beaumont’s second novel. Entertaining, and at times thought-provoking, The Frenchman is an accomplished work of credible modern espionage fiction.

[John Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, intriguing spy thriller, all the more authentic for having been written by a former officer of the French external intelligence service, the DGSE.
It starts like a rocket with a particularly violent scene. The baddies - deservedly identified as such, are Pakistan's ISI, or Inter Services Intelligence, its primary spy service that reports to the chief of staff of the armed forces and an organisation that has played such a crucial role over the decades in actively promoting, supporting and controlling the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It's intriguing how similar the tradecraft and standard operating procedures are among most professional intelligence agencies, though the terminology obviously varies. The author takes us through the streets of Palermo and Paris in clandestine operations, and while he no doubt took care to exorcise anything sensitive, there's plenty of realism to inform the fiction.
What was special was the way in which a DGSE officer might have five different identities as he juggles agents and networks, and the immense amount of research and preparation that has to go into making each one stand up to intense scrutiny by hostile services. Also interesting was the 'decompression' an officer must undergo as he returns from a mission to pick up his own, genuine identity - shedding clothing, burner phones, watch and so on - and putting on his own gear before venturing out again onto the streets as his true self, to be reunited with partner and children.
As readers we learn how vulnerable intelligence officers' families are, and the extent to which an officer and his comrades must go to protect loved ones from the predations of some extremely nasty people. We have to include the Russians, Chinese and Iranians in this category.
This is among the very best contemporary spy novels, sitting on the shelf alongside Ambler, Deighton and Le Carre. It certainly is a gripping page-turner but by no means lacking in character or atmosphere. I look forward to the next.

[Under Milkwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a spy novel with a difference!
We've become accustomed (dare I say blasé) to agents in the field in their fight for the greater good. They're always confronted with a fiendish 'Blofeld' about to wreak havoc and true to form there's always a mole in their ranks.
Well. the innocuous sounding 'Frenchman' does indeed follow this tried and true formula. But stay with me. Jack Beaumont is the nom de plume of a former French secret service operative and he is writing from personal experience thanks to his clandestine past.
The nuances of the art of spying really come to the fore as chief protagonist Alec de Payns infiltrates a sinister terrorist operation that casts a net from Palermo to Islamabad. And, we as readers, are right inside Alec's meticulous brain all the way as he thoughtfully considers every aspect of his professional duty from surveillance to covering his tracks and ultimately protecting his identity (which is ever-changing). Most importantly, the safety of Alec's family back in Paris is his 'raison d'être'.
It makes for an insightful and often thrilling read and is highly recommended. Vive le difference!

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller and real page turner. After watching the tv series The Bureau I was ready for this and it didn’t disappoint. The main character is on a mission but all the while worried about his family.

[JayD · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the spy thriller enthusiast, 'The Frenchman' is compulsory reading. Five stars for believability. Four stars for tension; it didn't quite get there, but I'm being harsh. I'll be the first to buy the next novel from Jack Beamont.

[Jill Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turning spy thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Worth an extra half a star.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ripping spy tale, a little long in places but a very satisfying ending.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, face paced and believable. A good spy craft book.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into the project management side of espionage.

Not James Bond.


Would totally benefit from a glossary - the alphabet soup of French security organisations and their relationships was a struggle.