The Predicament

William Boyd author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:9th Apr '26

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Predicament cover

Britain's most beloved storyteller returns with another twisting adventure of obsessive love and elegant espionage starring reluctant spy and accidental hero, Gabriel Dax.

'Extravagantly enjoyable' THE TIMES
'The Predicament is ingenious, thrilling and wonderfully entertaining' JOHN BANVILLE
'Boyd’s addictive storytelling is at its very best as he navigates a collision of chance, ambition and human frailty' HER MAJESTY QUEEN CAMILLA

GABRIEL DAX, TRAVEL WRITER TURNED ACCIDENTAL SPY, IS BACK IN THE SHADOWS . . .

Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, Gabriel has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. His latest operation takes him to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel's reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realisation: there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy.

In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher . . .

‘Engaging, intelligent and deeply satisfying. I rate him one of our greatest living novelists’ PETER JAMES
‘I enjoyed it hugely. Boyd is one of my favourite authors – he never disappoints’ KATE ATKINSON
‘Simply the best realistic storyteller of his generation’ SEBASTIAN FAULKS
‘There are few reading pleasures as great as giving in to a William Boyd novel’ SUNDAY TIMES

A swinging 60s espionage thriller * Guardian *
Boyd raises the stakes with his second Cold War novel featuring reluctant spy Gabriel Dax . . . a deft mix of espionage, desire, and moral compromise * iNews *
Stylish stuff * Observer *
A faultless evocation of 1960s England, masterful, old-fashioned storytelling. The second novel in a trilogy that’ll leave you wanting more * Saga *
One of our most thrilling writers * Daily Express *
Beautifully crafted, with echoes of le Carré, Greene and Forsyth, this is a superb evocation of a vanished world, seen through the eyes of a relatably hapless accidental hero * Guardian *
Boyd writes elegant prose and tells a convincing story, as he has been doing now for nearly 45 years * The Scotsman *

ISBN: 9781405978415

Dimensions: 196mm x 127mm x 22mm

Weight: 206g

304 pages