by Adam Hall
First published 1982
Quiller stands among the crowds gathered in Peking for the Chinese Premier's funeral ceremony. British delegates arrange themselves alongside the catafalque as their leader positions the Queen's wreath with ceremonial care. The moment shatters when the coffin explodes without warning. Flowers rain from the sky as the blast hurls the bloodied Secretary of State against Quiller. The spy finds himself thrust into chaos at what should have been a solemn state occasion. The explosion transforms a diplomatic gathering into a scene of violence and terror. Quiller must navigate the deadly aftermath while determining who orchestrated this attack and why they chose this moment to strike. The mission pulls him deeper into the dangerous world of international espionage where funeral ceremonies become battlegrounds.
Genres: mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Peking, China
Period: 20th-century
280 pages · Hardcover · Playboy Enterprises Inc
Content warnings: violence