The Spider Covenant

by Brian Klein

On 10 August 1944, with Germany on the verge of a crushing and humiliating defeat, Heinrich Himmler, the second most powerful Nazi and head of the notorious SS, holds a clandestine meeting in Strasbourg, with a handful of elite industrialists and bankers.

A covert organisation is born, codenamed 'Die Spinne' - The Spider. The network is tasked with helping senior SS officers escape the clutches of advancing allied forces. New identities are created, bankrolled by illicit funds, allowing notorious criminals to begin new lives in Europe and South America. Many of them land key roles in the worlds of politics, banking and industry. Decades later, they're able to pass on a privileged and influential birth right to their descendants.

Himmler's secret lovechild, Amelie, is also spirited out of Germany by 'Die ,armed with a Nazi nest egg of fifty million dollars. Eighty years on, Amelie's adopted son becomes the head of the Spider network, which has evolved, survived and prospered over the decades under a cloak of secrecy.

Employing a level of AI technology years ahead of anything currently known, the Spider network operates a secret facility based in Strasbourg, capable of creating undetectable Deepfakes of their own extremist perfect avatars, capable of conducting live interviews on a video stream with any news outlet in the world. The computer 'brain' of the Deepfakes is linked to state-of-the-art AI machines, programmed to create the perfect politician, spouting extreme right-wing rhetoric, aimed at winning over the masses. At a time of world disorder, with bitter wars across and the Middle East, the leaders of the Spider network look to seize their opportunity of grabbing control of the levers of political power.

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2025

About the author

Brian is an award-winning Television Director, with over twenty-five years' experience in the industry. His work regularly appears on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC and Sky. Amongst his directing credits are twenty-five seasons of the iconic car show, TOP GEAR and five seasons of A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN ROADTRIP, Sky One's highest rating entertainment show.

He was part of the core team that produced twenty-two series of the controversial car show that became the biggest TV phenomena in the world, with 350 million weekly viewers in 120 countries and worked extremely closely with TV heavyweights, Jeremy Clarkson and James Corden, high profile comedians, Jack Whitehall, Alan Carr, Tom Allen, Romesh Ranganathan and Micky Flanagan, sports stars turned presenters, Freddie Flintoff, Jamie Redknapp and Ronnie O’Sullivan and TV chefs Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.

He has directed two feature-length films for BBC Worldwide and five entertainment specials for Netflix. THE COUNTERFEIT CANDIDATE is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Guy Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This formulaic thriller plot line involves the fourth Reich, AI and deepfakes, brilliant girl hacker, enormous wealth and dastardly ex nazis.Sounds thrilling, it wasn't.
I wondered if AI had actually written this turgid thriller by numbers book, not an iota of originality , a plot that has become a cliche , denouncements that were utterly pedestrian and you could see coming a mile off.
Forsyth did the Odessa File 40 years ago , this is a very very pale imitation.

[Cem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became aware of this book thanks to Jeremy Clarkson’s recommendation. After checking the topic, I knew I had to read it. I love that the book connects historical figures with issues relevant in 2025; as someone interested in history, it’s refreshing to see contemporary themes (like Epstein or Putin`s alleged sickness) intertwined with historical facts. I’d like to explain what I liked—and what I didn’t—but this includes some small spoilers:



What I liked:

I love Klein’s writing style. The short chapters combined with his fluid prose make the book very engaging. You think, well, it’s just another eight-minute chapter, so why not stay on the bus for one more stop? (Yes, I read it on Kindle.)

Even though the book deals heavily with Nazis, it never feels oppressive. It’s not like Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, where you eventually get weighed down by the darkness and the “Germanic” atmosphere of the alternate world.

What I didn’t like:

What makes the book fast-paced and easy to read also makes it feel shallow at times. For example: the characters travel by car from Berlin to Geneva to Rome to Genoa in February 1945. There’s no mention of crossing the shifting frontlines between German and Allied troops, no sense of danger or logistical challenge. They just drive as if it were 2025, and the only real obstacle appears to be Swiss customs.

The Nazis move money freely around the world as if modern banking exists. We know they relied on gold and other valuables to shift wealth, not digital transfers.

Some characters feel caricatured—both the Nazis and the FBI. The FBI is portrayed as saving the world from yet another Nazi conspiracy, but somehow they’re also agonising over hacking satellites and other minor ethical dilemmas.

Some threads are introduced but never lead anywhere. For example, Amelie calls Nazis in Spain to rebuild “Die Spinne,” and Legrand prepares Morozov for the presidency and even gets threatened by Putin. None of this really pays off in the end.



To sum up: I love the idea, and I quite like the execution, but with more attention to detail it could have been more realistic and immersive. I’ll definitely read more from Klein.

[Rosanne Nutland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different but interesting

First time I’ve read this author’s work. The subject intrigued me and the history involved with the characters.

Starts off at the end of the Second World War when SS officers want to flee Germany to start new lives away from the horrors they undertook. Die Spinnie is born which gives these officers elite jobs in banking, politics & industries.

Himmler the creator of this group has a love child Amelie and when she is of age, she is sent to Paris with $50m. 80 years later her son becomes head of The Spider Network and an industry creating AI deepfakes is formed.

Legrand will stop at nothing to gain the power of this industry, although he always wondered who is real father was.

The novel goes between the post war years, to present day and between USA & Europe.

It was fast paced with the chapters short. I liked the characters and the descriptions were very good.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and enthralling story by an author I have not read before.
His attention to details and how AI can be used to control and manipulate
things was amazing .A good fast moving story which I enjoyed ,and would
give four and a half points if I could. I look forward to the next book.

[john dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

I really enjoyed reading this well researched book. The characters are very well brought into the story.
A book that keeps you gripped to what will be the outcome.
I cannot wait to read Brian's new book.

[Nigel Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Unputdownable!

[Gali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real page turner... hard to tell which events are true and which are fiction as you can tell it's based off some sort of truth in history.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read overall, light enough for consuming it on a chaise-long. Too many brand references though, makes it less believable in my view.

[Eloi Codina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Massa previsible

[Joe Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent read and an interesting story. Writing style is a tad jarring for me but I did enjoy this book