Another well-earned award - the Steel Dagger went to Simon Conway's A Loyal Spy. Thrillers that straddle the globe and have millions of lives at stake are standard issue in the genre. But this one does it differently. It's sprawling, violent and contemporary, with whiffs of authenticity that lift it above the crowd. * Spectator *
A thumping read that joins the dots in the War on Terror. Conway writes with passion and authority on the murky forces unleashed after 9/11. * Tim Butcher, author of Sunday Times No1 Bestseller Blood River - A Journey To Africa's Broken Heart *
Complex and detailed . . . Conway has concocted a credible, and wholly cynical, tale of dirt, death and double-dealing, of deracine anti-heroes for whom perpetual conflict has become both lifeblood and poison. * The Times *
Simon Conway boldly illustrates the anarchy of asymmetric warfare by adopting a shapeless plotline . . . our reward for grasping the complexities is an enhanced sense of the authenticity of Conway's personal experience and a conventionally stonking action climax. * The Telegraph *
accuracy seeps out of every page * Daily Mail *
A Loyal Spy is full of the elements that make a thriller such a joy. Simon has a huge amount of knowledge of that part of the world, he has a facility for believable scenes, for convoluted plotting that would confuse le Carre, and a marvellous range of characters. * Shots magazine *
. . . impressive for the wealth of authentic detail . . . and the intricate architecture of its story . . . a compelling and very enjoyable British spy novel which offers some fascinating insights into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. * Canberra Times *
A LOYAL SPY has incredibly well drawn characters, evocative descriptive passages, and a superbly balanced narrative structure - the twists are unexpected but convincing and the final extended sequence is truly nail-biting. Terrific! * Misha Glenny, author of McMafia *
Alarmingly current, alarmingly possible. This is a book that captures the new world of asymmetric warfare and yet sustains the narrative and tension of the very best of the thriller genre. A LOYAL SPY is so vivid, so real, that reading it you sense Simon Conway must almost have lived it himself. * Jon Snow, Channel 4 newscaster *
Simon Conway takes you to the world's most chaotic and dangerous places - and does it with the raw descriptive power of someone who's been there and done that * Mark Urban, author of Rifles and Big Boys' Rules *
Tautly written and cleverly plotted, with well-drawn characters, vivid scenes and nail-biting passages, this is thrilling fiction that is unnervingly believable. * Choice magazine *
[a] gripping thriller * Books Quarterly (Waterstone's) *
A dizzying journey starring international terrorists, Uday Hussein, freelance salvage merchants and a container full of suffocated Kuwaiti businessmen. Authoritative and authentic . . .;a thriller that manages to balance adrenaline with intelligence. * Scotland on Sunday on RAGE *
In a word: Great * The Herald Sun on RAGE *
Conway writes with brutal immediacy, his mordant irony resonating uncomfortably even as it entertains...Grim, kinetic thriller set against an unconventional and inspired backdrop * Kirkus Reviews on RAGE *
Debut of a roaring and prodigal talent ... Not so much a novel as a life experience. Don't miss it. * Literary Review on DAMAGED *
Imagine John le Carre on bad acid - edgy, twisted and very, very dark. * Howard Marks on DAMAGED *
Good background, with an on-the-nail summary of Northern Ireland wheeling and dealing . . . and a wild Celtic streak that marks Conway as one to watch. * Guardian on DAMAGED *
A debut novel to rival The Beach. * Publishing News on DAMAGED *
Cruel, violent and lyrical, it's Iain Banks meeting Alan Warner in Tom Clancy's missile silo. Excellent. * Select on DAMAGED *
