The Story
August 1917. Britain is mired in bloody stalemate on the Western Front and questions are being asked about the leadership of the army. Soldier spy Sandy Innes is summoned from his undercover work in Belgium by the new Secret Service to investigate. Officially transferred to Field Marshal Haig’s headquarters in France to join an advance assault group known as ‘The Suicide Club’, Innes’ secret mission is to spy on Haig’s intelligence chiefs.
At GHQ Innes discovers his fellow officers have little faith in the top secret information being offered to Haig, and as Innes digs deeper he begins to suspect treachery. The stakes could not be higher: the fate of hundreds of thousands of British soldiers.
In a tense race against time, against the background of political machinations in government and at GHQ, Innes must survive membership of the Suicide Club and then risk all by going back behind enemy lines to uncover the truth.
Reviews
‘Economical but utterly persuasive character drawing, a pungent sense of locale and period, and sheer storytelling impetus that is impossible to resist.’ Barry Forshaw, The Financial Times
‘Williams has quietly become one of Britain’s most accomplished thriller writers. His fourth novel is a tour de force.’ Geoffrey Wansell, The Daily Mail
‘The Suicide Club is one of those compelling reads that, once started, cannot be put down. Just one among the many of several moral mazes that gripped me was Williams’ insight into the way in which raw intelligence could be twisted to suit the whims of men in powerful positions.’ Tam Dalyell, Scotland on Sunday Books of the Year
‘Admirable. What stands out about this book is the depth of the author’s research, coupled with strong narrative and a nuanced understanding of the internal politics of GHQ.’ Andrew Taylor, The Spectator
‘Masterly… It establishes Williams as an unusually accomplished craftsman, a master of the intelligent historical spy thriller. His research is thorough and has been absorbed; it never obtrudes. His imagination works in harmony with his powers of observation. His plotting is intricate and coherent. The narrative drives compellingly along.’ Allan Massie, The Scotsman
‘Meticulously researched and classily written, the novel offers a distinctive perspective on the conflict by avoiding the trenches, rather like Second World War thrillers that similarly concentrate on spooks.’ John Dugdale, The Sunday Times
‘The war damaged hero is a strong, sympathetic character, and the meticulously researched historical background is fascinating.’ Marcel Berlin, The Times
‘One of the best historical spy thrillers of recent time. The Suicide Club exceeded all my expectations. It really is very, very good: comprehensively researched, carefully plotted and quite brilliantly written.’ Mike Ripley, SHOTS