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Liar's Game: A Frenchman Thriller
Alec de Payns is on the run - and wanted for murder - in the new thriller by the bestselling author of The Frenchman.
'A gripping spy novel that could only be written by someone who has operated in this world.' - Gary Jubelin, journalist, former homicide detective and author of I Catch Killers
While recruiting a Russian human source embedded in the shadows of illicit financial networks, French spy Alec de Payns is abruptly pulled from the field. His new exfiltrate a North Korean walk-in from Beijing who claims to know the details of a massive cyberattack that could destroy the world's economy. But before the defector can utter a word, he dies in de Payns' arms on the journey home.
The failure of such a routine job enrages France's new prime minister, who views the covert actions of the DGSE - the French external spy agency - as a political liability. When de Payns' next mission mysteriously collapses, the Company has no choice but to disavow him.
Now exposed, hunted across South-East Asia and cut off from official support, de Payns must survive alone, untangle a deadly conspiracy and protect his family. But in a world of deception, who can he trust? And who is truly pulling the strings in this deadly liar's game?
Based on Jack Beaumont's experiences as a former DGSE operative, Liar's Game delivers the incredible authenticity, action and suspense that have made the bestselling Frenchman series an international success.
'A rare and on occasion frighteningly accurate window into the workings of modern intelligence agencies ... Jack Beaumont has produced an exciting, fast moving novel.' - Duncan Lewis, former Director-General, ASIO
'Tense, clever, and brutal. Liar's Game takes you inside the secretive world of spies, where power corrupts, loyalties are tested, and the stakes couldn't be higher. The French John le Carré—Jack Beaumont is the real deal.' - Tim Ayliffe, author of State of Fear
'Jack Beaumont has battled on the frontlines of modern espionage. He's done the tradecraft, felt the fears, and counted the cost of making ruthless calls for his country. Liar's Game grabs you by the throat and puts you there alongside him. You'll feel the anxiety, treachery and moral pain our spies endure in the shadows. Jack Beaumont will have you looking over your shoulder when he's done with you.' - Andrew Hastie MP, former SAS
'A gripping spy novel that could only be written by someone who has operated in this world.' - Gary Jubelin, journalist, former homicide detective and author of I Catch Killers
While recruiting a Russian human source embedded in the shadows of illicit financial networks, French spy Alec de Payns is abruptly pulled from the field. His new exfiltrate a North Korean walk-in from Beijing who claims to know the details of a massive cyberattack that could destroy the world's economy. But before the defector can utter a word, he dies in de Payns' arms on the journey home.
The failure of such a routine job enrages France's new prime minister, who views the covert actions of the DGSE - the French external spy agency - as a political liability. When de Payns' next mission mysteriously collapses, the Company has no choice but to disavow him.
Now exposed, hunted across South-East Asia and cut off from official support, de Payns must survive alone, untangle a deadly conspiracy and protect his family. But in a world of deception, who can he trust? And who is truly pulling the strings in this deadly liar's game?
Based on Jack Beaumont's experiences as a former DGSE operative, Liar's Game delivers the incredible authenticity, action and suspense that have made the bestselling Frenchman series an international success.
'A rare and on occasion frighteningly accurate window into the workings of modern intelligence agencies ... Jack Beaumont has produced an exciting, fast moving novel.' - Duncan Lewis, former Director-General, ASIO
'Tense, clever, and brutal. Liar's Game takes you inside the secretive world of spies, where power corrupts, loyalties are tested, and the stakes couldn't be higher. The French John le Carré—Jack Beaumont is the real deal.' - Tim Ayliffe, author of State of Fear
'Jack Beaumont has battled on the frontlines of modern espionage. He's done the tradecraft, felt the fears, and counted the cost of making ruthless calls for his country. Liar's Game grabs you by the throat and puts you there alongside him. You'll feel the anxiety, treachery and moral pain our spies endure in the shadows. Jack Beaumont will have you looking over your shoulder when he's done with you.' - Andrew Hastie MP, former SAS
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2025
52 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Jack Beaumont
3 books110 followersJack 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.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 8, 2025
good story, but a really long setup with lots of minute spycraft detail. arguably necessary, but more detail than I wanted to digest. The setup took half the book and I nearly gave up. The second half is more action packed
July 16, 2025
An action-packed and spy thrilling adventure , I have enjoyed every instalments of The Frenchman series and this third book did not disappoint me.
It was entertaining and a great spy book from start to finish!
I loved it!
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Allen & Unwin for the amazing ARC.
It was entertaining and a great spy book from start to finish!
I loved it!
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Allen & Unwin for the amazing ARC.
August 13, 2025
Eagerly anticipated, and did not disappoint, this third in the Frenchman series takes a slightly different direction, (no spoilers here), but delves a lot into the home lives of the agents, the politics of bureaucracy, and exactly how far an agent would go to secure a source or information. It’s all here, the brotherhood of spies, the duplicity and double duplicity of people, the stepping on folks to advance oneself, and the useful introduction to what, as in all his books, could happen financially. Or maybe it very nearly has, and we’ve been kept safe without our knowledge.
Wondering if there’s going to be a fourth?? I’ve just got to grips with all the initials for departments…
Wondering if there’s going to be a fourth?? I’ve just got to grips with all the initials for departments…
July 19, 2025
Ex-spy Jack Beaumont’s thrillers featuring French DGSE operative Alec de Payns started with The Frenchman and continued with Dark Arena. Those books were characterised by a strong sense of verisimilitude – that this was espionage fiction written by someone who knew what they were talking about. That sense continues with the third, and probably best and maybe last volume in this series – Liar’s Game.
French spy Alec de Payns has a lot on his plate when Liar’s Game opens. He is in a Russian coastal town trying to romance the personal assistant of a Russian oligarch who has ties to the Chinese. But he is called away to take his team to China and extract a North Korean defector who has walked into the French embassy seeking asylum. At the same time he is also trying to become an expert in quantum computing to try and head off the recruitment of a French scientist also by the Chinese secret service. Everything starts to unravel when the North Korean defector is killed at the airport and de Payns and his team begin to suspect that they are being targeted due to internal machinations of the French secret service.
Because of everything going on in Liar’s Game it takes a fair while to set everything up. But for those interested in this shadow world, the way in which all of this is described by Beaumont is fascinating. And once all of those plot threads are in play, the action and the tension ramps up to some page-turning covert and overt missions.
Liar’s Game is one of a number of novels coming out from people who have first hand experience in the espionage game. These includes books by former MI5 head Stella Rimington and those by former CIA analyst David McCloskey. As with both of these other writers, Beaumont has become better as he has gone along. Finding greater comfort in combining his technical knowledge with plot and character work. Liar’s Game may or may not be the final Alec de Payns novel, either way it will be interesting to see what Beaumont delivers next.
French spy Alec de Payns has a lot on his plate when Liar’s Game opens. He is in a Russian coastal town trying to romance the personal assistant of a Russian oligarch who has ties to the Chinese. But he is called away to take his team to China and extract a North Korean defector who has walked into the French embassy seeking asylum. At the same time he is also trying to become an expert in quantum computing to try and head off the recruitment of a French scientist also by the Chinese secret service. Everything starts to unravel when the North Korean defector is killed at the airport and de Payns and his team begin to suspect that they are being targeted due to internal machinations of the French secret service.
Because of everything going on in Liar’s Game it takes a fair while to set everything up. But for those interested in this shadow world, the way in which all of this is described by Beaumont is fascinating. And once all of those plot threads are in play, the action and the tension ramps up to some page-turning covert and overt missions.
Liar’s Game is one of a number of novels coming out from people who have first hand experience in the espionage game. These includes books by former MI5 head Stella Rimington and those by former CIA analyst David McCloskey. As with both of these other writers, Beaumont has become better as he has gone along. Finding greater comfort in combining his technical knowledge with plot and character work. Liar’s Game may or may not be the final Alec de Payns novel, either way it will be interesting to see what Beaumont delivers next.
September 20, 2025
Jack Beaumont delivers a razor-sharp, pulse-pounding thriller in Liar’s Game, a novel that cements his reputation as one of the most authentic voices in the espionage genre. Drawing from his deep well of real-life intelligence experience, Beaumont crafts a narrative that feels less like fiction and more like a classified report smuggled out of the shadows.
The story is brilliantly paced, balancing heart-stopping action with moments of unnerving quiet where danger lurks just beyond the edges of the page. What makes Liar’s Game stand apart, however, is its authenticity—every detail of tradecraft, surveillance, and manipulation rings true, making it both gripping and disturbingly plausible.
Beaumont’s characters are equally compelling: flawed, human, and deeply entangled in the moral gray zones of espionage. The protagonist is caught in a world where every alliance can shift in an instant, and the novel masterfully explores the personal cost of living in perpetual deceit. It’s not just a spy story—it’s a study of loyalty, betrayal, and survival in the most perilous of professions.
Few modern thrillers can claim to combine raw adrenaline with such sharp realism, but Liar’s Game achieves exactly that. It’s an unputdownable read that will leave you questioning not only who to trust on the page, but in the real world as well. A must-read for fans of intelligent, authentic espionage fiction.
The story is brilliantly paced, balancing heart-stopping action with moments of unnerving quiet where danger lurks just beyond the edges of the page. What makes Liar’s Game stand apart, however, is its authenticity—every detail of tradecraft, surveillance, and manipulation rings true, making it both gripping and disturbingly plausible.
Beaumont’s characters are equally compelling: flawed, human, and deeply entangled in the moral gray zones of espionage. The protagonist is caught in a world where every alliance can shift in an instant, and the novel masterfully explores the personal cost of living in perpetual deceit. It’s not just a spy story—it’s a study of loyalty, betrayal, and survival in the most perilous of professions.
Few modern thrillers can claim to combine raw adrenaline with such sharp realism, but Liar’s Game achieves exactly that. It’s an unputdownable read that will leave you questioning not only who to trust on the page, but in the real world as well. A must-read for fans of intelligent, authentic espionage fiction.
November 20, 2025
The Liars Game’s political architecture is by far its most compelling strength: the geopolitical manoeuvring is intelligently constructed, highly engaging, and delivered with enough momentum that I finished the book within a couple of days. It’s undeniably a page-turner.
Beaumont’s prose, however, is variable. Much of the narrative is written in an accessible, fast-moving style that’s easy to consume. Yet the flow is periodically interrupted by dense, technical explanations that feel a little clunky.
One of the more interesting elements is the way the protagonist’s perspective implicitly highlights male privilege within the operational and political spheres he moves through. Beaumont doesn’t overtly interrogate this dynamic, but the narrative itself exposes it, intentionally or otherwise. It’s noticeable, and it adds a layer of social realism, though it remains largely unexamined within the text.
Overall, it’s an absorbing political spy thriller with strong conceptual foundations and clear narrative drive, even if its execution is uneven at times.
Beaumont’s prose, however, is variable. Much of the narrative is written in an accessible, fast-moving style that’s easy to consume. Yet the flow is periodically interrupted by dense, technical explanations that feel a little clunky.
One of the more interesting elements is the way the protagonist’s perspective implicitly highlights male privilege within the operational and political spheres he moves through. Beaumont doesn’t overtly interrogate this dynamic, but the narrative itself exposes it, intentionally or otherwise. It’s noticeable, and it adds a layer of social realism, though it remains largely unexamined within the text.
Overall, it’s an absorbing political spy thriller with strong conceptual foundations and clear narrative drive, even if its execution is uneven at times.
June 30, 2025
I've really enjoyed "The Frenchman" series, and "Liar's Game" - the third in the series - is another excellent spy thriller. Given it's written by a former French Secret Service operative, it has a very authentic feel.
Our charismatic protagonist Alec De Payns is pulled from the field to exfiltrate a potential North Korean defector who has information regarding a cyber attack. But he's murdered during the extraction process, making Alec wonder whether there are internal sources working against him in attempts to discredit his agency.
Full of suspense, intrigue and action.
Our charismatic protagonist Alec De Payns is pulled from the field to exfiltrate a potential North Korean defector who has information regarding a cyber attack. But he's murdered during the extraction process, making Alec wonder whether there are internal sources working against him in attempts to discredit his agency.
Full of suspense, intrigue and action.
September 21, 2025
Liar's Game is a return to form (the second book wasn't as good) - intricately plotted and with extensive descriptions of tradecraft, it really kicks off when Alec de Payns' is disavowed and is on the run.
October 20, 2025
I have been getting into the espionage genre of late which is easy when reader a master writer of the genre.
Despite a slow start the pace assuredly picked up and i got 'lost' in Alec's next adventure to save the world [and France !}
Despite a slow start the pace assuredly picked up and i got 'lost' in Alec's next adventure to save the world [and France !}
January 2, 2026
Almost wish I’d never found this book. Much like when a blockbuster Netflix series ends, I feel a void left behind after finishing Jack Beaumont’s third book Liar’s Game.
Can’t recommend this book enough, but have another at the ready to fill the void after you’re finished.
Can’t recommend this book enough, but have another at the ready to fill the void after you’re finished.
August 7, 2025
One of the best spy/action thrillers that I’ve read. An absolute masterpiece, thank you Jack Beaumont.
August 13, 2025
Exciting but very detailed in the description of perhaps mundane activities….
Pertinent choice of cryptocurrency as an economic weapon
Pertinent choice of cryptocurrency as an economic weapon
September 4, 2025
A complex but fascinating story
November 8, 2025
I was counting down the days until this was available. Loved it! I love all the Jack Beaumont books.
November 11, 2025
My favourite of the series. Jack's writing has developed and the pace of the storyline has improved. This book almost feels like a movie. Highly enjoyable.
August 21, 2025
Another stunner
The Jack Beaumont books are great. I’m an unequivocal fan. Well-crafted, fascinating, believable tales from a former operative who really knows his stuff. You’re left with enormous respect for people like Alec de Payns who are brave, smart, tough, ingenious, careful, self-disciplined and humane. It’s a relief to know that people like this exist to keep democracy safe. It’s also sobering to realise that people at high levels are subject to the same vainglorious behaviour as lesser mortals. Ah! The human condition. In this one Alec is outed as connected to 2 deaths, 1 in China, 1 in Vietnam. He’s been set up, but by whom and why? Romy and the kids are again in danger. Alec has to be both extremely resourceful and to face career-killing options. Oh - and do a little demon facing too. The man isn’t super human. Excellent novel by a real mensch.
The Jack Beaumont books are great. I’m an unequivocal fan. Well-crafted, fascinating, believable tales from a former operative who really knows his stuff. You’re left with enormous respect for people like Alec de Payns who are brave, smart, tough, ingenious, careful, self-disciplined and humane. It’s a relief to know that people like this exist to keep democracy safe. It’s also sobering to realise that people at high levels are subject to the same vainglorious behaviour as lesser mortals. Ah! The human condition. In this one Alec is outed as connected to 2 deaths, 1 in China, 1 in Vietnam. He’s been set up, but by whom and why? Romy and the kids are again in danger. Alec has to be both extremely resourceful and to face career-killing options. Oh - and do a little demon facing too. The man isn’t super human. Excellent novel by a real mensch.
August 27, 2025
As good as the first. Much better than the second.
June 21, 2025
Exactly what I needed. A new Jack Beaumont thriller. This will keep me warm, and it did. Jack Beaumont whoever he is can write and he knows his stuff, both how to write and the French DGSG, although to be honest they are all pretty much the same no matter what the country. That’s why being a fabulous writer makes the difference. This time the setting is Asia with China directly involved. It will move to other parts naturally as our protagonist picks up assignment after assignment. The problem is they also seem to die, the North Korean seeking political asylum in Paris and then the French scientist they want to recruit dies too. Not a good look for our man. If that isn’t enough there is a change of government in France and we all know what that means. Destabilisation - nothing worse fora somewhat bureaucratic spy agency. But our man has friends within. Thank goodness. Equally as gripping as his other novels and very much un put down able.
Come
Come
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews