Official Secrets

Novak and Mitchell #1

by Andrew Raymond

After a devastating political assassination, two reporters stand between the truth and a conspiracy that will shock the world.

Tom Novak and Stella Mitchell are covering the aftermath of a chilling terror attack targeting the British Prime Minister and a U.S. Cabinet member. But the further the American and English pair investigate, the more holes they find in the official version of events.

With help from a maverick CIA officer and a brilliant intelligence analyst, Novak and Mitchell uncover evidence of an extraordinary conspiracy involving the White House, the British government, and a shadowy deep-state organization.

As conspirators close in from all sides, Novak and Mitchell must risk everything to track down the one source who can break their story and expose the truth. On the run for their lives, they will find out just how far those in power are willing to go to preserve their secrets...

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Espionage, Crime, Ebooks

360 pages, ebook

Published July 5, 2018

About the author

I've been a fan of thrillers ever since watching All the President's Men when I was far too young to understand what was going on. Now every day I get to indulge in my passion for fast-paced stories, characters you really care about, and to bring you behind the scenes of the intelligence agencies and the most secretive parts of the political world (the parts they don't want you to know about).

It's often said that I write cinematically, which isn't a coincidence, as my influences are as much in cinema as literature: Daniel Craig's Bond films, Glengarry Glen Ross, Spartan. TV has also been a major factor in my writing. From the original BBC miniseries State of Play, David Simon's The Wire, and Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing; and the US version of House of Cards.

I have worked in the book industry since I was 21.

Reviews

[Mike Winters · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a let down.

With so many glowing reviews, I was drawn in, but found plot that is entirely implausible, with prose that reeks of boring predictability and page after page of political and technical nonsense.

And whoever it was that did the final edit - don't give up your day job.

Are the reviews bought and paid for?

Where is the objective assessment of this?

[Thomas Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow where did this guy come from? I loved this! What makes it so great is the characters. And by the way the plot is amazing, story just doesn't let up with some awesome twists throughout. But yeah, having a male and female kind of co lead works really well. There's so much zip between them in their dialogue. I've got tired of seeing the same old CIA agent or assassin thriller. Too many of them and quality's getting really poor. But man, reading this reminded me of I Am Pilgrim when that came out. Never heard of it or the writer before and when I read it, it was just amazing. So sharp and witty and the writing is so much better than most thrillers I read lately.

It reminded me of John Grisham's early conspiracy thrillers like The Firm, but this is on a MUCH bigger scale without ever getting silly. Scarily believable. And the research drips into the book in a really nice way. So many nice touches that make the characters so real. It's like he was really in the intelligence agencies and Downing Street and Washington, the way the characters talk just feels so authentic.

ALso a big plus for me is no cliffhanger endings here to snare you into book 2 (though for use there's some character points I'm sure will be continued in the series) but this is a truly satisfying plot altogether.
Can't wait for more from this guy and he's said on social media book 2 is coming soon. Awesome read!

[Jimp · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this because of all the 5-star reviews: I wish I hadn’t.
From start to finish we are run from one Machiavellian event to another; everything that has transpired in the last 60 years and anything else imaginable is thrown into the pot. Is that a plotline or just a jumble of everything the author can think of that might keep us from giving this to the charity shop?
This is long-winded, over complicated and confusing; with a heap of unnecessary techno-speak about hacking and digital surveillance thrown at us to pad it out.
I want characters I can admire, respect and loath. I want an understanding of what makes those characters tick. I want to see those characters developed as the story unfolds. Alas, there was none of that in this over- imagined and improbable story.
I would suggest the author needs to find a good book on grammar and a good proof reader.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is quite gripping and keeps you guessing, but there are so many grammatical errors and typos that I found it frustrating to read.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd have given this more stars if I could. From start to finish it was difficult to put down. A story of spies, espionage, dirty tricks, misdirection, manipulation etc. etc. How many of the techniques used, the places of detention, the secret offices, were fiction I have no idea but it is very convincing that these are all based on fact. The final sentence is amazing and there is no way you wouldn't want to read what happens next.

[Eric Grounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracking good tale. I greatly enjoyed this first look at Andrew Raymond and much look forward to the next one

[Cindy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t usually give a 5 for this genre but it’s deserved. Well narrated by a cast.

[Anne Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. The advertising drew me and did t disappoint. It s been a long time since I enjoyed a book this much.

[Hpnyknits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non stop action!
The mystery was a bit convoluted.
Absolutely terrifying because it’s all about “the state” being able to know everything with technology.

[Berkshire Blue Pencil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same old, same old

Mildly interesting to start off with, despite the irritation of misspellings and solecisms – all too common in recent publications. And then, wham! We're back into the 'right-wing conspiracy' themes. Left-wingers get elected because they're good, but right-wingers (basically anyone not a raging Trot) only get votes because of algorithms! YAWN.

[Susan Potts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't understand this book. I suppose it was about some sort of plot going on between some secret service groups. The characters were all robots. What I imagine was meant to be a twist at the very end was incomprehensible.

[Keshav Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first installment from the little-known author Andrew Raymond, but an intriguing one that is centered around an investigative journalist, Thomas Novak working for Republic magazine in the US, and Stella Mitchell, who joins in as a Foreign Affairs correspondent from the Guardian in the UK. I happened to stumble upon the blurb of the third installment of this book and found the plot suiting my taste for a political thriller with a well-blended concoction of espionage, betrayal, and shadowy organizations. I, therefore, decided to go with the first book in the series to have a comprehensive understanding of the characters and their origin, failing which such anecdotes in the series are not enjoyable to read.

The book opens with an MI6 agent working undercover in Afghanistan being renditioned to a CIA black site in Poland, all of which was captured by a local journalist Artur Korechi on video. The MI6 agent warned that his handler, Abbie Bishop working with GCHQ was in danger. Later that night, Abbie falls to death from her safe house, and another MI6 agent, Goran Lipsky is found dead. Specialized skills officer from the CIA, Walter Sharp is investigating this debacle. Days later, a chilling terror attack at Downing Street, London results in the assassination of UK Prime Minister, Simon Ali and the US Secretary of Defense, Robert Snow.

The Editor in Chief at Republic, Diane Schlesinger assigns her best journalist duo of Tom and Mitchell to report on the events. But as they begin their investigation, they find themselves getting deep into a murky world of nefarious conspiracy and a shadow organization, GoldCastle who intend to keep their secrets hidden and do anything to anyone, who tries to expose them. Assisting Walter Sharp in the UK is a part-time hacker and GCHQ analyst for National Security, Rebecca Fox, who is also on a mission to find her father, who mysteriously died in a hospital fire. Together with Tom Novak and Stella Mitchel, CIA office Sharp, and Rebecca Fox try to uncover a deep-rooted politically driven conspiracy that involves high-ranking officials within the UK and US governments working closely with GoldCastle.

The plot is fast-paced with some awesome twists and turns along a roller coaster ride, and having a male-female duo in a lead role made it even more interesting. Subterfuge, betrayal damaging a nation, suspicion, and clueless about the main twist are the hallmarks of this machination that kinda hits you right in the gut. I must admit that there were too many characters in the plot with several locations, safe houses and black sites, secret offices, etc, and political manipulation of gargantuan proportions that one cannot comprehend. Although the book did end well partly leaving the readers at a cliffhanger, it has left several questions answered, which will hopefully be revealed in the second installment. I am already halfway into the second book and it is as provocative and daring as its predecessor. I would strongly recommend keeping track of the characters if you wish to follow this series, as there are several references to the characters from the first book and new ones as well.

[Sameen Farouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this novel is just waiting for a screenwriter to snap it up. Its written almost at a breathless pace from the off. After the first chapter, i thought this would be a Dan Brown/Robert Ludlum style breeze. By the fourth chapter, I was thinking "hang on a second, what the hell is going on here? how does he even know that?". The detail is what makes this a great story to persevere with as you explore the arcane and kafka esque world of codenames and clearances in british intelligence. Its post-brexit dystopia but not obvious until you get half way.

The story here is so layered and there is so much detail. You are bombarded with little observations about the nexus between (spy) tradecraft, military adventurism, high politics, cryptography and journalism. There are lots of little chase scenes but chapters 14 and 15 were gripping because they contained so many reveals punctuated by short metaphors. There is this quality metaphor in chapter 15 just when the tension becomes unbearable about a snooker ball and im thinking this is genius.

I just recently watched "Official secrets", the story about Katherine Gun and you can see it has made an impact here. At first, I thought Goldcastle was like a cross between Cambridge Analytica/SPECTRE but by the end I realised this was almost Jay Crispin's organisation in Le Carre's A Delicate Truth. And this happens throughout, you see something familiar in so many parts of the book whether its the scheming home secretary, the faithless foreign secretary, the fallen tabloid which was the fulcrum for News International as a thinly disguised NOTW. What I'm trying to say is that at times, this is almost
a delightful fan fiction for followers of uk current affairs in the past 15 years. Brexit reared its ugly head in this story too, albeit as a plot device or a character in itself.

The best thing about this book are most of the characters, some are less polished than others. But Dan Leckie is a masterpiece in storytelling. If this story makes it to the screen, whoever does Leckie will be winning awards. The backstories are intelinking and Leckie was so vividly compelling as a character. Completely flawed and vilified for doing exactly what the spooks were doing. His tale was so central to this and when his story ended in the book, i felt it lost momentum. You wanted to really know what happens to Leckie because his exploits were so set up to fail. It was totally unpredictable

There are flaws in this book, but i won't ruin the review with spoilers. I felt the end, right at the very end in the epilogue in the court was a little disappointing and anticlimactic. Some of the nastier characters in the story are almost hidden in plain sight with little to dwell on. The set piece action scenes like the bombing at number 10, you were thrown around a bit in the narrative between washington and london. I'm not sure that was a good idea. But this is a first novel and its a quality effort

[Jacob Peled · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all have an affinity for thrillers filled with unexpected plot twists and surprises. However, the issue with this particular book lies in its excessive deployment of these narrative elements. The sheer abundance of twists and surprises within the story becomes quite overwhelming. The first half of the book is undeniably deserving of a five-star rating; however, it is in the latter portions that the narrative takes a detour into increasingly implausible territory.

Attempting to maintain a coherent understanding of the unfolding events becomes challenging as the story starts to resemble science fiction. Despite my growing frustration, I persevered with my reading, albeit with clenched teeth.

The final 10% of the book proved to be a laborious read, plagued by protracted and superfluous descriptions that needlessly prolonged the conclusion. As a result, the overall quality of the book gradually declined, ultimately warranting no more than a two-star rating in my estimation. Nevertheless, considering that I did derive enjoyment from at 1st half of the book, I opted to award it a three-star rating in my review.

The central intelligence organization in the book is the GCHQ which is the equivalent of the NSA in the USA. Less about the CIA organization itself.

[Steven Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Official Secrets is one of those books that seems to be have written with the purpose of being sold as a show or movie. It even might have started as a movie script it feels like. I thought this might be more of a mystery but it is an attempt to write a thriller about journalists. It's fine if you don't want to pay a lot of attention but if you really start to get into it, it seems lacking.

I say attempt because the writer doesn't seem to have ever seen actual journalists at work. It's so light weight on the actual description of how working a story works. Most stories about journalists have a slower, more serious pace. They are able to take smaller moments and heighten them. There is a lot of moving around in this novel, big action moments and the entire research aspect is as simple as getting to the new source. These reporters also seem like they are supposed to be great but at times they are also portrayed as not having done a lot of actual reporting.

The characters are somewhat rote, the story isn't the greatest, and the pacing could be slower but it's not a bad way to spend some time. It's not quite a 3 to me but I'll be generous and probably see if the next one manages to improve.

[Corie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was something a little different for me. I don’t ordinarily read thrillers. That being said, I did enjoy this one. It’s insanely cleverly written, with all separate links coming together to expose the story (with a cheeky little Shakespeare nod 😉). It’s the kind of storyline I would enjoy to watch on the TV. While reading it I wasn’t overly happy with the way it jumped between places and people. It was necessary for the writing style, like I said, as it was a highly deep story which had several elements that came together to form the whole. I think perhaps it was just that my brain struggled a little at the beginning to keep up with all the characters and information thrown at me but as it went on it became more enjoyable. One thing I did adore was the fact that the last ten chapters were very quick, short chapters. I absolutely love that in a book as it means you can rattle through them quickly. However, it ended with clear indication of the second book but it’s not in my Libby so now I’m a little cheesed off. Nevertheless. I would definitely recommend if you like a good, well written and thought out thriller.

[Christine Ottaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting spy thriller that gallops along at an amazing pace. It nips around the globe, taking in Afghanistan, New York, London, GCHQ at Cheltenham and reveals a conspiracy of truly gargantuan proportions that would unravel the security of the known world should it succeed.

I have no idea if the wealth of detail to do with the darker dealings of government on both sides of the Atlantic and the agencies of CIA, GCHQ, MI5, MI6 is credible let alone plausible but it sure makes a good read. Add to that an incredibly detailed account of all manner of internet security at the highest level and how to publish a newspaper expose legally, and it made my head reel.

I was grateful for the intermittent recap that the protagonists gave one another to help the reader keep up with the plot. It’s much darker, faster paced and far more detailed than some other spy stories I have read but I recommend it and when my heart rate has calmed down, I shall read the second one in the series.

[Barry Waldron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action, imagination and superior storytelling

I don't usually review the books I read but I felt compelled to do so for Official Secrets. I didn't expect much, the book was downloaded at no cost. However, as soon as I started to read I was impressed with the writing style, the complexity of the unfolding plot and the author's total understanding of not only the locations in the story but of the speech patterns and mannerisms of the local inhabitants. The Londoners are authentic, the American characters seemed to be equally realistic. The story , as with most thrillers, is a little far fetched, but if we are to be entertained by our choice of novel that is an essential requirement. The assured manner in which the author reveals thd work of GCHQ analysts, the operation of a newsroom, the machinations of the intelligence community is outstanding in my opinion. If you like a good story well told with believable characters then I thoroughly recommend Official Secrets

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

High level government conspiracy, terrorism, rendition, black sites, surveillance, phone hacking, political manipulation by shady corporations... There's almost no aspect of the modern political thriller that is allowed to go unexplored here.

The story moves between the US, UK and Poland and the narrative proceeds at a breakneck pace, though it slows rather in the last few chapters.

The book could really have done with a better edit, there are two many errors and more than a few clunky passages. There are also some weak plot elements - a password clue that supposedly takes a GCHQ analyst hours to crack I had within 30 seconds for example.

Quibbles aside this is a thriller that will keep you turning the pages and ensure you're kept guessing until the end.

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant debut. This is a political conspiracy novel that feels real. A high octane thriller with a complex plot and a fine cast of characters. Set in the UK and US, with a few other locations thrown in too, it is compelling and engages the reader from the start.

With a back story that includes phone hacking, data mining and election influencing through cyber crime, there is plenty that is current about the novel. Throw in a CIA black site, an Islamic terrorist plot, the assassination of a Prime Minister and a shadowy political conspiracy. Then add a modern day Woodward & Bernstein trying to get to the truth ...

[Rob Bevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendid book. The story may be fictional but the actions of the politicians and security services in this book are pretty near the mark. The nature of a politician is to be a lying, scheming, egotistical, control freak. We had this with Blair, Thatcher, Cameron and virtually every other cabinet member in the last hundred years. It's the same story in American politics. GCHQ, MI5, MI6, CIA etc., are only interested in protecting the interests of themselves and the crooks in government who do what they want them to do. They don't give a toss about the general public. Hence I have never had or wanted a mobile phone. If you have one you may just as well be wearing a tracking device.

[Mrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a real page turner with all loose ends tied up by the end. It may have seemed far fetched, at times to some , but with everything that has been happening in western democracies over the past few years, I felt everything was plausible and many things resonated with current events and politics.
There are two main characters but also many other important characters that drive the story forward, which I liked. It is easy to read and the characters are likeable although flawed as well.
I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are into the internet, hacking, acronyms, and conspiracy theories, this is the book for you. The first half is a little painful as the author sets up the characters, the two journalists, the Polish internet enthusiast, the GCHQ cryptographer and the video of an USA rendition. With the plot developing and the various strands interweaving, the tension and pace combine to make this a thriller you cannot put down.
I will read the next in the series and as Novak and Mitchell need no introduction the plot will surely be developed earlier. As a thriller which has the potential to become a TV miniseries I judge it worth 4 to 5 stars.

[Kenny Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a journey. I had trouble getting into it; not really appreciating what was going on and who was the protagonist.

Eventually the main characters emerged out of the mists and the direction of the story made sense.

Some of the spycraft and GCHQ inner workings were interesting.

Eventually I got lost among the various ancillary characters and when it finally came to a conclusion I wasn’t entirely sure who was who and who did what to whom.

I had hoped this would be a series to pursue but I was put off by the ill-definite characters and I wasn’t reading it because I was enjoying it but rather to get it finished.

[johnmarkie1905 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well !!!!!!
Surprised you bet i was i was this book totally grabbed me from the off .
why ? Simple the storyline the characters the settings
Politics is not my usual type of theme for reading but somehow I was interested in this the book is is not a slow pace building up up it's a bang !!! Hello cmon let's go for a ride type face paced keeping you on th edge of your seat as the world goes by
I don't like spoiling stories and won't with this one all I'm going to say is this if you have this to read yet then put it to the top of the pile as you won't be disappointed my best read of 2020

[Ms Catherine Shane Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

A breathlessly brilliant, page-turning read and, if even 1% of the description of what goes on in the world of government secret agencies is true, totally mind-boggling! In these troubled times of fake news and people in powerful positions lying openly this book certainly begs the question “Is this really just a story”??? Well written too - I particularly appreciated the author’s postscript about his spelling of “defence”. Looking forward now to seeing what Novak & Stella will get up to next ...

[David Burness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller.

Andrew Raymond is a new author to me and I'm so glad I stumbled across Official Secrets. It is breathtaking in its pace, twisting and turning as the gripping political tale unfolds either side of the Atlantic. Raymond's descriptions of the machinations of the secret services is jaw-dropping. With only a couple of weeks left of 2019, this is without doubt the best book I have read all year.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

Quite simply this is like All the Presidents Men on steroids. Murder, mystery , intrigue , political machinations , technowizardry and behind it all the desperation of the press to get the biggest story of the decade out to the public. This book grabs you from the first chapter and keeps a grip right the way through.
It's a fascinating read worth more than just five stars . If you enjoyed the movie you'll love this book.Highly recommended.

[John Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best political thrillers I have ever read!

This story rattled along at a frantic pace and, at times, I had trouble remembering who was who and who was double crossing everyone else. This story had it all, political corruption at the highest level, both in the UK and US. Politicians orchestrating complex cover ups, infiltration of GCHQ and MI6, CIA "black ops" and good, old fashioned, journalistic integrity. An incredible read!

[Adrian Howles · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read, I struggled to put this book down for whatever reason, a gripping, thrilling storyline with twists & turns throughout. And the story is filled with strong characters. So good that as soon as I finished it I had to purchase the second book in the trilogy...Official Secrets