The Devil's Bargain

STELLA RIMINGTON'S THE HIDDEN HAND IS OUT NOW 'Races along at breakneck speed. Packed with insider information, this is not one to miss' M. W. CRAVEN One lie put the nation at risk. Another might save it. Harry Bristow: policeman, father, chauffeur, fraud. In 1988 Harry made one mistake: he took a bribe, letting a man he knew as Igor into Britain – and he’s regretted it ever since. So when he recognises Igor many years later as his newly-elected MP, he knows he has to come clean. But the MP recognises him too – and Harry fears what he might do next. Peter Robinson, MP: salesman, politician, bachelor, spy. It was easy to get into Britain in 1988 as an illegal, working deep undercover, but the break-up of the Soviet Union cut Robinson off from his homeland. He’s inching closer to Britain’s levers of power – but now the one man who knows his secret has reappeared. With no way to contact Moscow, he must act fast to preserve his position and reap its rewards – at any cost. Manon Tyler, CIA analyst, has just boarded a plane to London – with a report on Russian illegals to read. 'Intriguing and very cleverly-plotted' ALEX GERLIS PRAISE FOR STELLA RIMINGTON: 'Damn good' Daily Telegraph 'A must-read for fans of contemporary spy fiction' Publishers Weekly 'This is something rare: the spy novel that prizes authenticity over fabrication, that is true to the character and spirit of intelligence work' Mail on Sunday

STELLA RIMINGTON'S THE HIDDEN HAND IS OUT NOW 'Races along at breakneck speed. Packed with insider information, this is not one to miss' M. W. CRAVEN One lie put the nation at risk. Another might save it. Harry Bristow: policeman, father, chauffeur, fraud. In 1988 Harry made one mistake: he took a bribe, letting a man he knew as Igor into Britain – and he’s regretted it ever since. So when he recognises Igor many years later as his newly-elected MP, he knows he has to come clean. But the MP recognises him too – and Harry fears what he might do next. Peter Robinson, MP: salesman, politician, bachelor, spy. It was easy to get into Britain in 1988 as an illegal, working deep undercover, but the break-up of the Soviet Union cut Robinson off from his homeland. He’s inching closer to Britain’s levers of power – but now the one man who knows his secret has reappeared. With no way to contact Moscow, he must act fast to preserve his position and reap its rewards – at any cost. Manon Tyler, CIA analyst, has just boarded a plane to London – with a report on Russian illegals to read. 'Intriguing and very cleverly-plotted' ALEX GERLIS PRAISE FOR STELLA RIMINGTON: 'Damn good' Daily Telegraph 'A must-read for fans of contemporary spy fiction' Publishers Weekly 'This is something rare: the spy novel that prizes authenticity over fabrication, that is true to the character and spirit of intelligence work' Mail on Sunday

They say the Devil doesn't bargain. I'm here to tell you that he does - but sometimes the price is still way too high. Ava I'm in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. I never meant for it to happen, but my ex is dead-and I'm the one who pulled the trigger. Whether he deserved it or not... whether anyone will even miss that jerk... it doesn't matter. Joey is dead, and I have to figure out what to do before I get caught with a corpse on my hand. Enter Lincoln Crewes. After the way we ended, I swore I would never turn to him again. But we were kids then, and in the fifteen years since I've seen him, he's gone from a scrappy fighter to one of the most powerful men in Springfield's seedy underbelly. If there's anyone who can help me right now, it's Link. With his power, his money, and his connections, I could put this all behind me. And all he wants in exchange is my soul... and my hand. Link Ava, Ava, Ava... She's the one who got away. The reason I've built my entire empire, and the only person I'd burn the whole entire world down for. I've done things I'm not proud of. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that's my life story right there. I wanted to show her that I could be the man she wants-the man she deserves-and, by doing so, I became the worst thing for her. I became the Devil. So I kept my distance, though I always kept my eye on her. If I can't have her, I could at least keep her safe, right? Wrong. She nearly got hurt, and it's all my fault. When she comes to me, she has no idea that I'm responsible. I'm not about to tell her, either. This is my second chance. My do-over. Ava is mine again, and no matter what I have to do to keep her, I will. Even if I have to force her to marry me in exchange for my protection. But who will protect her from me?

They say the Devil doesn't bargain. I'm here to tell you that he does - but sometimes the price is still way too high. Ava I'm in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. I never meant for it to happen, but my ex is dead-and I'm the one who pulled the trigger. Whether he deserved it or not... whether anyone will even miss that jerk... it doesn't matter. Joey is dead, and I have to figure out what to do before I get caught with a corpse on my hand. Enter Lincoln Crewes. After the way we ended, I swore I would never turn to him again. But we were kids then, and in the fifteen years since I've seen him, he's gone from a scrappy fighter to one of the most powerful men in Springfield's seedy underbelly. If there's anyone who can help me right now, it's Link. With his power, his money, and his connections, I could put this all behind me. And all he wants in exchange is my soul... and my hand. Link Ava, Ava, Ava... She's the one who got away. The reason I've built my entire empire, and the only person I'd burn the whole entire world down for. I've done things I'm not proud of. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that's my life story right there. I wanted to show her that I could be the man she wants-the man she deserves-and, by doing so, I became the worst thing for her. I became theDevil. So I kept my distance, though I always kept my eye on her. If I can't have her, I could at least keep her safe, right? Wrong. She nearly got hurt, and it's all my fault. When she comes to me, she has no idea that I'm responsible. I'm not about to tell her, either. This is my second chance. My do-over. Ava is mine again, and no matter what I have to do to keep her, I will. Even if I have to force her to marry me in exchange for my protection. But who will protect her fromme?