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Frame 37
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26Ex-journalist John Dyer must take on a dangerous political conspiracy in order to bring his friend's killer to justice in this gripping thriller by an award-winning writer.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who, forty years ago, committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds his life in danger. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof—but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow’s headlines.
John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate.
What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who, forty years ago, committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds his life in danger. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof—but will he find it in time?
As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow’s headlines.
Audible Audio
Expected publication May 19, 2026
6 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Shakespeare
38 books110 followersNicholas William Richmond Shakespeare is a English novelist and biographer.
Born to a diplomat, Nicholas Shakespeare grew up in the Far East and in South America. He was educated at the Dragon School preparatory school in Oxford, then at Winchester College and at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He worked as a journalist for BBC television and then on The Times as assistant arts and literary editor. From 1988 to 1991 he was literary editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph.
Since 2000, Shakespeare has been Patron of the Anita Goulden Trust, helping children in the Peruvian city of Piura. The UK-based charity was set up following an article that Shakespeare wrote for the Daily Telegraph magazine, which raised more than £350,000.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married with two small boys and currently lives in Oxford.
Born to a diplomat, Nicholas Shakespeare grew up in the Far East and in South America. He was educated at the Dragon School preparatory school in Oxford, then at Winchester College and at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He worked as a journalist for BBC television and then on The Times as assistant arts and literary editor. From 1988 to 1991 he was literary editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph.
Since 2000, Shakespeare has been Patron of the Anita Goulden Trust, helping children in the Peruvian city of Piura. The UK-based charity was set up following an article that Shakespeare wrote for the Daily Telegraph magazine, which raised more than £350,000.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married with two small boys and currently lives in Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 27, 2025
One by one the old college friends of John Dyer are being bumped off. The university of Michigan student group comprised Americans , a Canadian , a South American and a Brit. So the action spans several countries as John tries to find the connection between the deaths.
John , a bit of a burned out journalist has moved from Oxford to Tasmania to escape pressure and try to finish an academic book. He has not heard from his old friends for many years when he gets a phone call from Miguel saying that John must come to see him. This starts off a fast paced adventure where the life of every one is at stake.
The group of students dispersed when a particularly nasty incident happened on the last day of their university course. Many things were left unsaid and John always regrets that he never expressed his true feeling for Lia who is now dead. So now he feels some responsibility to uncover the cause of her death and to prove to himself that he has grown up and no longer the reserved and too timid Brit who was too scared to grasp what life could offer.
So much of the book is seen from John’s POV so that we never know so much about the other characters apart from Miguel,s background but I really felt I could empathise with John and all his worries as he starts to discover the political machinations that he has become involved with.
The title of the book is clever and very important as John has to find some proof to support his bold accusations that would otherwise be too fanciful to be believed.
A great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC
John , a bit of a burned out journalist has moved from Oxford to Tasmania to escape pressure and try to finish an academic book. He has not heard from his old friends for many years when he gets a phone call from Miguel saying that John must come to see him. This starts off a fast paced adventure where the life of every one is at stake.
The group of students dispersed when a particularly nasty incident happened on the last day of their university course. Many things were left unsaid and John always regrets that he never expressed his true feeling for Lia who is now dead. So now he feels some responsibility to uncover the cause of her death and to prove to himself that he has grown up and no longer the reserved and too timid Brit who was too scared to grasp what life could offer.
So much of the book is seen from John’s POV so that we never know so much about the other characters apart from Miguel,s background but I really felt I could empathise with John and all his worries as he starts to discover the political machinations that he has become involved with.
The title of the book is clever and very important as John has to find some proof to support his bold accusations that would otherwise be too fanciful to be believed.
A great read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC
November 4, 2025
What begins as a quiet life is shattered by a single phone call—and from that moment, Frame 37 unfolds like a reel of buried truths, flickering with memory, betrayal, and the slow burn of justice long delayed.
John Dyer, once content in his solitude, is drawn back into the shadows by the death of an old friend. What follows is a globe-spanning pursuit—from Tasmania to Argentina to the cold heart of Michigan—where the past refuses to stay buried and the truth is a moving target. Shakespeare’s prose is taut yet lyrical, his pacing deliberate, like a man circling a wound he’s not yet ready to touch.
This is a thriller with soul. Beneath the political intrigue and the chase lies a deeper meditation on guilt, loyalty, and the cost of silence. Dyer is a compelling figure—haunted, driven, and achingly human. The novel’s title, Frame 37, becomes a metaphor for the elusive moment when everything changes—and the proof we seek may be hiding in plain sight.
A quietly devastating read, perfect for long evenings and thoughtful readers who like their mysteries with a touch of melancholy and moral weight.
My thanks to Nicholas Shakespeare, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
John Dyer, once content in his solitude, is drawn back into the shadows by the death of an old friend. What follows is a globe-spanning pursuit—from Tasmania to Argentina to the cold heart of Michigan—where the past refuses to stay buried and the truth is a moving target. Shakespeare’s prose is taut yet lyrical, his pacing deliberate, like a man circling a wound he’s not yet ready to touch.
This is a thriller with soul. Beneath the political intrigue and the chase lies a deeper meditation on guilt, loyalty, and the cost of silence. Dyer is a compelling figure—haunted, driven, and achingly human. The novel’s title, Frame 37, becomes a metaphor for the elusive moment when everything changes—and the proof we seek may be hiding in plain sight.
A quietly devastating read, perfect for long evenings and thoughtful readers who like their mysteries with a touch of melancholy and moral weight.
My thanks to Nicholas Shakespeare, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews