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SIDESHOW
The secrets of a superpower. . .for sale to the highest bidder.
Gulf War veteran. NSA contractor. Traitor. For years, Brandon Nantz guarded America’s secrets—now he’s selling them.
It’s enough money to start anew, have the life he’s always dreamed of. Deserved. If he lives long enough.
But as Nantz flies half-way around the world to evade the long arm of American counterintelligence, nothing is as it seems. Every dream harbors the germ of nightmare. And his old employers aren’t far behind.
Assigned to recover Nantz, CIA paramilitary officer Jack Richards finds himself forced to improvise when the trail leads to Malaysian Borneo, attempting to pin down the rogue contractor before it’s too late.
But secrets attract violence, like flies to a carcass. And the final bid will be in blood.
Gulf War veteran. NSA contractor. Traitor. For years, Brandon Nantz guarded America’s secrets—now he’s selling them.
It’s enough money to start anew, have the life he’s always dreamed of. Deserved. If he lives long enough.
But as Nantz flies half-way around the world to evade the long arm of American counterintelligence, nothing is as it seems. Every dream harbors the germ of nightmare. And his old employers aren’t far behind.
Assigned to recover Nantz, CIA paramilitary officer Jack Richards finds himself forced to improvise when the trail leads to Malaysian Borneo, attempting to pin down the rogue contractor before it’s too late.
But secrets attract violence, like flies to a carcass. And the final bid will be in blood.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2025
18 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Stephen England
35 books160 followersStephen England is the author of the bestselling Shadow Warriors thrillers, including Amazon's #1 Bestselling Political Thriller, Pandora's Grave, and its long-awaited sequel, Day of Reckoning--a novel hailed as "the perfect spy thriller for our time--chaotic, cynical, with only a few good men keeping the barbarians from the gate."
Drawing upon nearly a decade of research into the nature of Islam, the Middle East, espionage and counterterrorism operations, England's work has drawn praise for breathing new life into the genre with the hard-edged, unsparing realism of his portrayal of the war on terror, the people who wage it, and the moral and psychological costs exacted of those who take the war to the enemy where he lives. "Soldiers without uniforms. Fighting a war without end. Shadow warriors. . ."
The short stories NIGHTSHADE and TALISMAN round out the Shadow Warriors series, and England's work also includes the stand-alone historical adventure novel, Sword of Neamha.
Drawing upon nearly a decade of research into the nature of Islam, the Middle East, espionage and counterterrorism operations, England's work has drawn praise for breathing new life into the genre with the hard-edged, unsparing realism of his portrayal of the war on terror, the people who wage it, and the moral and psychological costs exacted of those who take the war to the enemy where he lives. "Soldiers without uniforms. Fighting a war without end. Shadow warriors. . ."
The short stories NIGHTSHADE and TALISMAN round out the Shadow Warriors series, and England's work also includes the stand-alone historical adventure novel, Sword of Neamha.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 4, 2025
Stephen England remains unmissable
A senior NSA analyst goes rogue, betraying his country out of a combination of ego and misguided love. The secrets he takes with him to sell for the highest bidder are sensitive enough to kill for - not just for the Chinese or the Russians but also for sinister forces far closer to home than Jack Richards and his team realize…
England yet again mixes cinematic thrills with gritty realism and emotional depth – creating real, human stakes with spectacular results!
His characters are multilayered and relatable, his plot timely and complex and the action scenes are hard-hitting and practically leap from the page with authenticity.
The spy game cloak-and-dagger is the icing on the cake and prove that England remains at the top of his game and hopefully at the top of any spy thriller addict’s reading list. Can’t wait for the next one!
A senior NSA analyst goes rogue, betraying his country out of a combination of ego and misguided love. The secrets he takes with him to sell for the highest bidder are sensitive enough to kill for - not just for the Chinese or the Russians but also for sinister forces far closer to home than Jack Richards and his team realize…
England yet again mixes cinematic thrills with gritty realism and emotional depth – creating real, human stakes with spectacular results!
His characters are multilayered and relatable, his plot timely and complex and the action scenes are hard-hitting and practically leap from the page with authenticity.
The spy game cloak-and-dagger is the icing on the cake and prove that England remains at the top of his game and hopefully at the top of any spy thriller addict’s reading list. Can’t wait for the next one!
September 17, 2025
Disclaimer: I read an advance copy of this book, but will still purchase a copy upon publication, and would have rated it exactly the same either way. Simply put, this is one of the best series and authors in this genre that you can possibly read.
An unlikable, miserable, narcissistic NSA employee absconds with a treasure-trove of classified material and heads abroad to hand it over to the Chinese. Closely following his trail is the CIA, who also brings in the British once the target is located in Malaysia. The Russians pick-up word of the situation and deploy their own team, more blunt, simple, and brutal, and less subtle and sophisticated, than their Chinese counterparts. While the CIA paramilitary element deploys and prepares to rendition or terminate the traitor, someone still needs to convince the President, who's an eccentric populist with no love for the deep state Intelligence Community, to authorize the operation, and meanwhile, there might be even deeper problems brewing in DC and perhaps the traitor from the NSA is only the tip of the iceberg that no one can see.
Sideshow is an immensely well-written thriller, plotted with complexity and nuance and expertly crafted, with shades of grey, richly-developed characters on all sides, and feels like it can be unfolding right now in the real world. If you're new to Stephen England's work, but enjoy the works of authors like Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsyth, or Daniel Silva, then Sideshow is a perfect place to start and you'll be left satisfied and wanting more.
An unlikable, miserable, narcissistic NSA employee absconds with a treasure-trove of classified material and heads abroad to hand it over to the Chinese. Closely following his trail is the CIA, who also brings in the British once the target is located in Malaysia. The Russians pick-up word of the situation and deploy their own team, more blunt, simple, and brutal, and less subtle and sophisticated, than their Chinese counterparts. While the CIA paramilitary element deploys and prepares to rendition or terminate the traitor, someone still needs to convince the President, who's an eccentric populist with no love for the deep state Intelligence Community, to authorize the operation, and meanwhile, there might be even deeper problems brewing in DC and perhaps the traitor from the NSA is only the tip of the iceberg that no one can see.
Sideshow is an immensely well-written thriller, plotted with complexity and nuance and expertly crafted, with shades of grey, richly-developed characters on all sides, and feels like it can be unfolding right now in the real world. If you're new to Stephen England's work, but enjoy the works of authors like Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsyth, or Daniel Silva, then Sideshow is a perfect place to start and you'll be left satisfied and wanting more.
September 24, 2025
When an NSA contractor finds 'true love' on the internet, he decides to betray his country and sell the secrets that he stole. The CIA can't let this happen and asks for help from their British friends. China wants the promised data and Russia can't stand on the side. A multilayered thriller taking place mainly in South Asia, and the reader feels like they're there. Another amazing read by Stephen England. I hope I'll live long enough to have the pleasure of reading a lot more booky by this master of words:
October 8, 2025
Another Great Read by Stephen Englamd
CIA spooks, Russian mercenaries, and Chinese spies all after one !man, a traitor formerly working for NSA. Great story!
For fans of Clancy, Thor, Greaney, at al!
CIA spooks, Russian mercenaries, and Chinese spies all after one !man, a traitor formerly working for NSA. Great story!
For fans of Clancy, Thor, Greaney, at al!
December 26, 2025
very good
This book is enjoyable as its “realistic “. And it ends with n
The reader wanting more. I’ll read the next one. I miss Nichols.
This book is enjoyable as its “realistic “. And it ends with n
The reader wanting more. I’ll read the next one. I miss Nichols.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews