Matthew Richardson studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford. After a brief spell as a freelance journalist, he began working as a researcher and speechwriter in Westminster, and has also written speeches for senior figures in the private sector. He is the author of My Name is Nobody and The Insider.
Chosen by many readers as the best spy novel of this year * Daily Telegraph, 2023 * Superbly constructed and written with flair, it manages to debunk John le Carré's world and to reaffirm its mystique. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year * Sunday Times * Standout * Guardian, Books of the Year 2023 * A natural-born storyteller * JEFFERY DEAVER * A shot in the arm for thriller fans * THE TIMES * Blissfully ingenious * Daily Telegraph * A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making -- PETER JAMES This is the most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron's Slow Horses. Filled with fast-moving action and a fine line in threat, it weaves a thrilling spell * DAILY MAIL * Hugely impressive and compelling -- WILLIAM BOYD Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing -- STEVE CAVANAGH Magnificent * Literary Review * Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph -- TONY PARSONS A masterpiece -- TIM GLISTER Grand in scope and packed with fascinating insights -- MICK HERRON An extraordinary novel -- HOLLY WATT Addictive, original and outrageously entertaining . . . Matthew Richardson proves himself a writer of huge talent and skill -- CHARLOTTE PHILBY An epic read! -- JEREMY DUNS Sprawling, ambitious, inspired by real events * Financial Times * Superbly constructed and written with flair ... this might be the best spy novel of the year * Sunday Times * Superbly constructed in an elaborate twisty spy yarn. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year * Sunday Times * The Cold War is given a new twist ... Impressive, superior spy stuff * Shots Magazine * Intricate and fast moving, it weaves a thrilling spell * Daily Mail * Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets James Bond * Historical Novels Review *