Every Spy a Traitor (Double Agent)

'One of the superstars of modern spy fiction' Daily Express

'One of the best spy novels I've read' I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

'Gerlis is at the top of his game' Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station

Trust no one. Suspect everyone.

It's 1937. Fear and suspicion stalk the Continent. A million have died in Stalin's Great Purge and the Nazi terror grips Germany. But British intelligence is still trying to work out who the enemy is.

As Europe heads towards war, treason is in the air. British spymasters know there is one Soviet agent in their ranks, codenamed Agent 'Archie', and there's a frantic search to find them. What they don't know is that he is not the only traitor.

The life of Charles Cooper, a young British writer travelling Europe to research his novel, is about to change for ever

The thrilling first novel in Alex Gerlis' new Double Agent espionage series, perfect for fans of Charles Cumming and Mick Herron.

'Fascinating... A pleasant blend of John Buchan derring-do if lightweight adventures and the more gritty Le Carr-like grey travails in the secret corridors of power' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time

'Clever plotting, rich detail and a compelling story of a young man forced to become a double agent to survive in a world where friends become adversaries and no one can be trusted.Every Spy a Traitor will reward fans of Graham Greene, Charles Cumming, Frederick Forsythe and Alan Furst' Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station

'An absorbing portrait of a world on the brink that disarms you before it floors you' Tim Glister, author of Red Corona

'With this brilliant tale of a writer entangled in pre-World War II espionage, Gerlis cleverly builds an ironic and darkly realistic world that shows just how nebulous is the border between good and evil, observer and participant, our inner and outer lives. Richly imagined, meticulously plotted, and chockfull of historic details, Every Spy a Traitor is one of those rare books that gets better with every page. One of the best spy novels I've read' I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

Alex Gerlis was a BBC journalist for nearly thirty years and is the author of fourteen Second World war espionage thrillers, all published by Canelo.

His first four novels are in the acclaimed Spy Masters series, including the best-selling The Best of Our Spies which is currently being developed as a television series. Prince of Spies was published in March 2020 and was followed by three more in the Prince series. The Wolf Pack novels, which began with Agent in Berlin, first published in November 2021. His most recent series is the Double Agent series, beginning with Every Spy a Traitor.

Alex was born in Lincolnshire and now lives in west London with his wife and two black cats, a breed which makes cameo appearances in all his books. Alex has two daughters and two grandsons and supports Grimsby Town, which he believes helps him cope with the highs and especially the lows of writing a novel. He’s frequently asked if he’s ever worked for an intelligence agency but always declines to answer the question in the hope that someone may believe he actually has.