Captivating and horrifying at once, a completely plausible evocation of the putrid morass that is the British Establishment and its craven capitulation to Russian money – or indeed, any money. Oliver Harris is squarely in the territory of the greats: Greene and le Carré but also the modern masters, Mick Herron and Adam Brookes. There can be no higher accolade’ Manda Scott
How does a secret service confront its past, when its secrets must never be revealed?
Buried deep in MI6’s digital archives is the most classified directory of all. It doesn’t contain war plans or agent profiles, but shame: the misdeeds of politicians, royalty, business leaders and the service’s own personnel.
There are seven decades’ worth of images and recordings, usually acquired for the sake of assessing risk, sometimes as a guard against betrayal, often engineered by MI6 for their own purposes. They are the most sensitive two thousand terabytes of data in the Service’s possession. When material from the archive begins appearing online, panic spreads through the Establishment like wildfire.
At first, the security breach only manifests itself in apparently random events: a suicide, a disappearance, a breakdown. But when it’s discovered that the individuals concerned were all contacted by the same anonymous person, a connection comes into focus. The archive has been leaked. The hunt is now of unprecedented urgency before the entire political and business systems are fatally weakened. That’s when they call for Elliot Kane…
My thoughts about Oliver Harris’s The Shame Archive transcends the boundaries of the traditional spy thriller genre by delving into the psychological depths of its characters. Harris deftly explores the toll that a life of secrecy and deception takes on those who inhabit this world, painting a portrait of individuals who are as flawed as they are compelling. Oliver Harris’s The Shame Archive is more than just a gripping spy thriller, it’s a thought-provoking meditation on the nature of secrecy, accountability, and the cost of betraying one’s principles. Harris has crafted a novel that is both timely and timeless, reminding us that the truest secrets are often the ones we keep from ourselves. The story of Oliver Harris’s The Shame Archive begins with Buried deep in MI6’s digital archives is the most classified directory of all. It doesn’t contain war plans or agent profiles, but shame: the misdeeds of politicians, royalty, business leaders and the service’s own personnel. There are seven decades’ worth of images and recordings, usually acquired for the sake of assessing risk, sometimes as a guard against betrayal, often engineered by MI6 for their own purposes. They are the most sensitive two thousand terabytes of data in the Service’s possession. When material from the archive begins appearing online, panic spreads through the Establishment like wildfire. At first, the security breach only manifests itself in apparently random events: a suicide, a disappearance, a breakdown. But when it’s discovered that the individuals concerned were all contacted by the same anonymous person, a connection comes into focus. The archive has been leaked. The hunt is now of unprecedented urgency before the entire political and business systems are fatally weakened. That’s when they call for Elliot Kane. Overall Oliver Harris’s The Shame Archive is a gripping spy thriller that combines pulse-pounding action with thought-provoking themes, delivering a reading experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. Whether you’re a fan of espionage thrillers or simply enjoy a well-crafted story that challenges the status quo, Harris’s latest novel is sure to leave a lasting impression. I would like to say a big thank you to writer Oliver Harris and publishers Abacus books for kindly sending me a gifted copy for me to read and review this brilliant book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
About Author Oliver Harris
surjit's Books Blog 