Red Corona by Tim Glister

Summary:

It’s 1961 and the white heat of the Space Race is making the Cold War even colder.

Richard Knox is a secret agent in big trouble. He’s been hung out to dry by a traitor in MI5, and the only way to clear his name could destroy him.

Meanwhile in a secret Russian city, brilliant scientist Irina Valera makes a discovery that will change the world, and hand the KGB unimaginable power.

Desperate for a way back into MI5, Knox finds an unlikely ally in Abey Bennett, a CIA recruit who’s determined to prove herself whatever the cost…

As the age of global surveillance dawns, three powers will battle for dominance, and three people will fight to survive…

My Review:

I really enjoy reading spy thrillers and I was delighted to receive a copy of Red Corona (Point Blank Books) the debut novel by Tim Glister set in 1961 and at the height of the cold war and the space race and this was one book I literally raced through. Superbly written and researched.

In the world of politics and spies there was so much going on and this at a time when there were not computers as we know them today, so it was the basic spying techniques and this was at a time when the world was worried about nuclear war happening at a moment’s notice.

Richard Knox is out of MI5 meanwhile his boss James Holland is critically ill and in a coma. Somewhere out there is a traitor and Knox needs to find him. Time really is of the essence and it is not helped that the new Director General of MI5 believes Knox is a KGB spy.

The spy centres of the UK, USA and the USSR were red hot at this time as each one was trying to be the first to get the technological advance over Moscow and it was in space that the countries were focusing their attention. When two Italian men are found murdered in Depford in South East London and the two just happen to be of interest this could be a chance for Knox to take a closer look at what the two Italians were doing.

Meanwhile in Russia there is a secret city called Povenets B which was a former Soviet labour camp and this is now where top scientists are kept and treated extremely badly living on meagre rations and scientist Irina Valera is based here with her young son. But Irena has discovered something that could well change the course of the power over the West that involves sending messages via space that would be a huge victory for the Communist state. But Irina manages to escape putting lives in danger. Has she taken her secrets with her?

In London the CIA operative Abey Bennett who is now out of favour decides to forge an alliance with Knox and hunt down the traitor but they also take a real interest Irina Valera and want to meet her. A dangerous game of cat and mouse is underway as the major superpowers are on the very brink.

What I really enjoyed was how Tim Glister brings to life the characters in Red Corona and describes the time of the early 1960’s perfectly a lot of research has gone into Tim’s debut novel especially the science aspect of Red Corona and a lot of this science and technology is real. A gripping and compelling espionage thriller that delivers.

288 Pages.

My thanks to Margot Weale (Oneworld) for the review copy of Red Corona by Tim Glister.

Red Corona by Tim Glister was published by Point Blank Books and will be published on 14^th January 2021 and is available to order through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org