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BOOKS

The Righteous Spy is my first espionage novel. Previously I wrote and published Be My Friend, a psychological suspense novel and Mother Care, collected short stories. These are all set in Darkbridge, a fictional village in leafy Surrey, UK, where nothing bad should ever happen.

The Righteous Spy is a shocking page turner that portrays a clandestine world in which moral transgressions serve higher causes. A must-read for fans of Homeland, Fauda and The Americans, it will also appeal to readers of Charles Cumming and John le Carré. Eli Amiran is Mossad's star spy runner and the man responsible for bringing unparalleled intelligence to the Israeli agency. Now, he's leading an audacious operation in the UK that feeds his ambition but threatens his conscience. The British and the Americans have intel Mossad desperately need. To force MI6 and the CIA into sharing their priceless information, Eli and his maverick colleague Rafi undertake a risky mission to trick their allies: faking a terrorist plot on British soil. But in the world of espionage, the game is treacherous, opaque and deadly…

 


'Intriguing and atmospheric. Merle Nygate is a writer to watch.' Charles Cumming

 

'A tense, compelling thriller, The Righteous Spy combines the high drama of a spy story with a clear-eyed telling of the grubby compromises and betrayals that are the reality of agents' lives. With vividly drawn characterisation and a gripping plot, I couldn't put it down'

– Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

 

'Relentless - goes where le Carré fears to tread. Merle Nygate's characters, their tradecraft and their dramas leap off the page in a spy tale that is as gripping as it is authentic'

– Martin Fletcher, author of Promised Land

 

WINNER OF THE 2017 LITTLE BROWN/UEA CRIME FICTION AWARD

Press Release here [pdf]