Praise for Red Corona

‘Relentless and sleek. This pitch-perfect debut—a gripping espionage thriller in the vein of Charles Cumming, Tom Rob Smith and Mick Herron—signals the arrival of a remarkable talent.’

—A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window

‘Catchy title! Actually, Red Corona has nothing to do with viruses, but the space race in 1961…. An entertaining, not to say nostalgic, espionage thriller.’ —The Times and Sunday Times Crime Club

‘A thoroughly engaging spy thriller that had me gripped from start to finish and left me desperate for more!’ —S.J. Watson, author of

Before I Go to Sleep

‘Thrills by the bucket…. An entertaining blend of Le Carré-like in-house establishment rivalries and sheer propulsive action reminiscent of Len Deighton.’ —Maxim Jakubowski

‘A clever and complex thriller with truly memorable characters. The 60s setting is brilliantly done.’ —Elly Griffiths,

author of the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries

‘A thriller of true ambition and scope—with Red Corona, his debut novel, Tim Glister announces himself as a writer to watch.’

—Lucie Whitehouse, author of Critical Incidents

‘A gripping historical thriller, impeccably researched and skilfully told.’

—Charles Cumming, author of The Man Between

‘An engrossing and original spy thriller. Glister writes with confidence and excitement. A star of the espionage genre is born.’

—Michael Wood, author of the DCI Matilda Darke series

‘A fascinating chase through an extraordinary time in history. Tim Glister blends technical insight with a clever story that races along. I enjoyed the intriguing characters who are rushing to solve a mystery as superpowers teeter on the brink.’ —Holly Watt, author of To the Lions

‘Red Corona is a fantastic and clever new Cold War spy novel. If you like le Carré you’ll enjoy it.’ —Chris Deerin

‘A fascinating and gripping Cold War thriller that shines a light on the surveillance race that hid in the shadow of the space race.’

—Gareth Rubin, author of Liberation Square

‘Taut, ambitious and engaging with a superb sense of time and place, Red Corona is an excellent debut thriller and Tim Glister an author to watch. Highly recommended.’

—Hair Past a Freckle blog

‘A really entertaining read; it’s lightly written, action driven and fun…. Fans of high-octane thrillers will love this novel. The characters are intriguing and there are enough twists to satisfy a puzzle-hardened reader. All that glistens may not be gold but all that Glisters is.’

—New Books Magazine

‘In this complex espionage plot Mr Glister has crafted a very fine thriller by creating a suffocating but at the same time an intoxicating mood whilst bringing to life a most desperate and dangerous time in our history.’ —Shots blog

‘There are twists and turns and a satisfactory ending. Tim Glister has clearly researched the worlds of intelligence and the space race. I recommend this debut novel and look forward to the next.’

—Mystery People

Title Page

A Loyal Traitor

A Richard Knox Thriller

Tim Glister

Prologue

Prologue