The Story
London 1929, the lights on late in Downing Street and the country in the grip of austerity. This is not the land fit for heroes promised to the fighting men in the Flanders trenches.
Dick ‘Frenchie’ Stewart knows his occasional work for the intelligence services serves only the ruling classes, but he needs to feed his children. His scruples died on the Somme.
Ramsay MacDonald, Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister, is battling to keep the ‘fit for heroes’ dream which got him elected alive. So when he is blackmailed by Kristina Forster, his former lover, it is more than his sternly moral personal reputation that will be ruined by the erotic nature of the letters they exchanged. Frenchie is ordered to Paris to buy them back. It is clear there are many people who would see the Prime Minister fall – the Conservatives, their friends in the press, even Labour colleagues. But his own secret service? The longer Frenchie’s mission lasts, the deeper he is sucked into a whirlpool of cynical politics, love, and betrayal.
Reviews
‘A compelling story of power, passion and intrigue based on real events, The Prime Minister’s Affair is a terrific read.’ Nick Robinson, Presenter, BBC Today programme
‘Andrew Williams has fashioned a wickedly entertaining tale of political chicanery… He is a master at making the connections that allow him to fill in the interstices of history.’ Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph
‘Williams blends reality and fiction in a tense and intricate story that shows politics has always been a brutal business.’ Pick of the Week ***** The Sun
‘This brilliant historical thriller set against the backdrop of a real-life blackmail plot…shows political shenanigans are not a modern invention. I loved it!’ Matt Nixson, Daily Express
‘His new novel quietly ticks all the boxes… Albeit set in a period Le Carré never explored, this has all the trademark qualities of the Grand Master himself, an historical spy thriller which springs to life due to the complexity and humanity of its characters, both public and private.’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time
‘I couldn’t stop reading this book. It is utterly compulsive – a page-turner that also informs and educates. In either genre, it may prove the best novel of 2022. A must read for anyone with any interest in politics of the past or the present. ‘ Ted Wilson
‘Spy tradecraft of the old school, with no computers, fast cars or mobile phones, but not a whit less exciting for that. Highly recommended as both a spy story and a piece of social and political history.’ Mike Ripley, Shots Magazine
‘Compelling and full of rich portrayals of both real and fictional characters from the period . . . A wonderful read.’ Sarah Ward, author of the D C Childs series