Box 88
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Author Description
An Organisation That Doesn't Exist. A Spy That Can't Be Caught. Years Ago, A Spy Was Born... 1989: The Cold War Will Soon Be Over, But For Box 88, A Top Secret Spying Agency, The Espionage Game Is Heating Up. Lachlan Kite, Recruited From An Elite Boarding School, Is Sent To France, Tasked With Gathering Intelligence On An Enigmatic Iranian Businessman Implicated In The Lockerbie Bombing. But What Kite Uncovers Is More Terrifying Than Anyone Expected... Now He Faces The Deadliest Decision Of His Life... 2020: Mi5 Hear Rumours Of Box 88's Existence And Go After Kite - But Iranian Intelligence Have Got To Him First. Taken Captive And Brutally Tortured, Kite Has A Choice: Reveal The Truth About What Happened In France Thirty Years Earlier - Or Watch His Family Die. In A Battle Unlike Anything He Has Faced Before, Kite Must Use All His Skills To Stay Alive. 'a Spy For The 21st Century' Daily Mail, Books Of The Year 'wonderfully Taut, Exciting And Up-to-date' Spectator, Books Of The Year 'an Ambitious Fusion Of Coming-of-age Novel And Gripping Espionage Thriller' Financial Times, Books Of The Year 'box 88 Is So Good. Charles Cumming Is Up There With The Very Best Espionage Writers' Ian Rankin 'a Wonderful Spy Novel; Charles Cumming's Most Ambitious - And His Best - Yet' Mick Herron 'charles Cumming Has Breathed New Life Into The Spy Novel' Ben Macintyre 'atmospheric And Full Of Sharply Realised Characters' Sunday Times 'a Clever Thriller' Sun 'intelligence, Grace, And Stunning Verisimilitude' Gregg Hurwitz 'an Engaging Hero' James Swallow 'all The Hallmarks Of The Finest Spy Thriller' Charlotte Philby 'sharp-eyed And Satisfying' Henry Porter 'a Great New Spy Hero Is Born' Amanda Craig 'ideal For Anyone Nostalgic For Their First Love And The Whiff Of Marlboro Lights' The Times
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
A clandestine spy agency's past mission resurfaces, forcing a compromised agent to confront his history or lose his family. Lachlan Kite, a young recruit for the shadowy organization known as Box 88, is dispatched to 1989 France to investigate an Iranian businessman linked to the Lockerbie bombing. His discovery there proves more dangerous than anticipated, setting in motion a chain of events that will haunt him for decades. In 2020, Kite finds himself captured by Iranian intelligence, facing brutal torture and a devastating choice: reveal the secrets of his past mission or sacrifice his family.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Dual timeline narrative structure, alternating between 1989 and 2020.
- Focus on espionage, intelligence gathering, and the moral complexities of spy work.
- Exploration of a protagonist's formative experiences and their long-term consequences.
- Themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the personal cost of national security.
- Inclusion of historical context, specifically the late Cold War era and the Lockerbie bombing.
- A high-stakes thriller plot driven by capture, interrogation, and escape.
- The protagonist's internal conflict as he grapples with past decisions and present threats.
- The presence of multiple intelligence agencies (Box 88, MI5, Iranian Intelligence) and their operations.
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Box 88 has been lauded by critics for its ambitious fusion of coming-of-age narrative and gripping espionage thriller, with Ian Rankin and Mick Herron among those praising Charles Cumming's skill in the genre. Reviewers highlight the taut, exciting, and up-to-date nature of the plot, noting its intelligence, grace, and stunning verisimilitude. The novel is recognized for introducing an engaging new spy hero in Lachlan Kite, whose character development is central to the story's appeal. The book is considered a significant entry in contemporary spy fiction, earning spots on 'Books of the Year' lists from publications like the Daily Mail, Spectator, and Financial Times.
Page Count:
496
Publication Date:
2021-01-01
Publisher:
HARPER COLLINS
ISBN-10:
0008200394
ISBN-13:
9780008200398
Thriller
Historical Fiction
Fiction
Coming of Age
English literature
Espionage
