by Mark McShane
First published 1986
Appleton Porter stands out in any crowd, and not just because he works as a British intelligence agent. His exceptional height makes him Britain's most recognizable spy, yet somehow he keeps finding himself in the thick of dangerous assignments. This time Porter joins a movie production crew on location, expecting routine surveillance work. Instead he discovers that someone on the film set is running a lethal conspiracy that reaches far beyond the cameras and craft services. Porter must navigate the strange world of filmmaking while untangling a plot that threatens to turn deadly. The movie business provides perfect cover for secret operations, but Porter learns that distinguishing between performance and reality becomes a matter of survival. His investigation pulls him deeper into a network of deception where the stakes are much higher than box office receipts.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, undercover
180 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday