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Fallout
South Africa, Zimbabwe, China and In the shadow of the Cold War, a deadly secret connects three continents—and time is running out.
When a mild-mannered scientist accidentally uncovers a web of international espionage during a routine visit to Beijing, he's thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse. His only ally? A magnetic anti-apartheid activist who may have secrets of her own.
As they race to expose the truth, a veteran South African intelligence operative moves through the streets of newly-independent Zimbabwe, his mission intertwined with the machinations of a mysterious Chinese power player from Mao's inner circle. Meanwhile, a sinister collaboration between apartheid forces and rogue British intelligence agents works in the shadows to keep their nuclear conspiracy buried—at any cost.
From the neon-lit backstreets of Beijing to the wild, untamed lowveld where Zimbabwe meets South Africa, this explosive thriller weaves together Cold War tensions, political intrigue, and the threat of nuclear devastation. As these disparate threads converge, our unlikely heroes find themselves at the centre of a plot that could reshape the balance of power in the Southern Hemisphere—if they can survive long enough to expose it.
When a mild-mannered scientist accidentally uncovers a web of international espionage during a routine visit to Beijing, he's thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse. His only ally? A magnetic anti-apartheid activist who may have secrets of her own.
As they race to expose the truth, a veteran South African intelligence operative moves through the streets of newly-independent Zimbabwe, his mission intertwined with the machinations of a mysterious Chinese power player from Mao's inner circle. Meanwhile, a sinister collaboration between apartheid forces and rogue British intelligence agents works in the shadows to keep their nuclear conspiracy buried—at any cost.
From the neon-lit backstreets of Beijing to the wild, untamed lowveld where Zimbabwe meets South Africa, this explosive thriller weaves together Cold War tensions, political intrigue, and the threat of nuclear devastation. As these disparate threads converge, our unlikely heroes find themselves at the centre of a plot that could reshape the balance of power in the Southern Hemisphere—if they can survive long enough to expose it.
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Published September 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 9, 2025
Another excellent read from Hain. His writing is sharp, vivid, and packed with detail, pulling the reader straight into a world of Cold War intrigue, international espionage, and political tension. I especially enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters and the richly drawn settings, from Beijing’s backstreets to the borderlands of Southern Africa. The blend of history, politics, and suspense makes this both a gripping thriller and an atmospheric dive into a fascinating era.
That said, I don’t think this book will be equally approachable for all readers. To fully appreciate it, one probably needs a deeper interest in geopolitics, regional tensions, and cultural context. Luckily, those are exactly the things I love, which meant I found myself fully immersed and devoured every page.
A complex, intelligent, and highly rewarding thriller for those who enjoy political and historical depth alongside fast-paced plotting
That said, I don’t think this book will be equally approachable for all readers. To fully appreciate it, one probably needs a deeper interest in geopolitics, regional tensions, and cultural context. Luckily, those are exactly the things I love, which meant I found myself fully immersed and devoured every page.
A complex, intelligent, and highly rewarding thriller for those who enjoy political and historical depth alongside fast-paced plotting
October 4, 2025
Peter Hain’s latest thriller is not an easy book to get into. Set against a backdrop of nuclear espionage in 1980s China and the violent struggle between anti-apartheid campaigners and South African assassins, the novel launches straight into action with little room for orientation. The reader is immediately required to juggle a wide cast of seemingly unconnected characters and shifting locations. I’ll admit that after the first page I set the book aside for a week, wary of the challenge.
Once I returned, however, I found the writing engaging and the story increasingly compelling. As new layers of intrigue unfolded, I was drawn on by the question of how the disparate strands would ultimately converge.
The copy I read was an unformatted file, and I hope its main irritation is resolved in the final edition. Scene transitions were abrupt to the point of disorientation: one moment we are in the office of a senior Chinese Communist Party official, the next in a Harare mortuary—sometimes without even a paragraph break to signal the shift. The lack of clear visual cues made these jumps very difficult to process and at times rendered the book close to unreadable.
The constant switching between groups of characters also means that none of the protagonists are given space to develop beyond the role they serve in the plot. They remain functional rather than fully rounded, with sympathies guided more by political positioning than by emotional connection: apartheid agents and the Chinese Communist Party are bad; the ANC and CND are good. As a result, the novel is driven far more by the mechanics of its thriller plot than by characterisation.
Of course, with his background, Hain knows his South African/apartheid struggle intimately and he communicates that knowledge well in this book. There are some clear instances of information dumping, which stuck out a mile. On the other hand these provided the only real relief from the relentless nature of the plot. The action never falters. This is perhaps not my sort of book, but overall it wasn't too shabby.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC. This review is my unbiased response to reading the full novel.
Once I returned, however, I found the writing engaging and the story increasingly compelling. As new layers of intrigue unfolded, I was drawn on by the question of how the disparate strands would ultimately converge.
The copy I read was an unformatted file, and I hope its main irritation is resolved in the final edition. Scene transitions were abrupt to the point of disorientation: one moment we are in the office of a senior Chinese Communist Party official, the next in a Harare mortuary—sometimes without even a paragraph break to signal the shift. The lack of clear visual cues made these jumps very difficult to process and at times rendered the book close to unreadable.
The constant switching between groups of characters also means that none of the protagonists are given space to develop beyond the role they serve in the plot. They remain functional rather than fully rounded, with sympathies guided more by political positioning than by emotional connection: apartheid agents and the Chinese Communist Party are bad; the ANC and CND are good. As a result, the novel is driven far more by the mechanics of its thriller plot than by characterisation.
Of course, with his background, Hain knows his South African/apartheid struggle intimately and he communicates that knowledge well in this book. There are some clear instances of information dumping, which stuck out a mile. On the other hand these provided the only real relief from the relentless nature of the plot. The action never falters. This is perhaps not my sort of book, but overall it wasn't too shabby.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC. This review is my unbiased response to reading the full novel.
October 1, 2025
Fallout is a powerful and gripping political thriller set in the cold war era and taking the reader to China and Africa and as well as England. Peter Hain knows his subjects of apartheid South Africa and international espionage well and does not flinch from conflict. It's a fast-moving and engaging read throughout with convincing characters.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews