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Book Review – Cold Sunset by William Boyd @VikingBooksUk

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About the Book

Gabriel Dax is on route to Russia, tasked with delivering a mysterious Blanco drawing to celebrated defector, Kit Caldwell. But Caldwell is convinced that the KGB suspects him of treachery and he wants to get out – now.

When Gabriel is ordered by his enigmatic handler Faith Green to help, he is pulled into a web of shifting loyalties and dangerous escape plans. As tensions rise and trust fractures, he is forced to confront the fine line between devotion and deception. But which will he choose?

Format: Hardcover (272 pages) Publisher: Viking
Publication date: 3rd September 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller

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My Review

Cold Sunset is the third book in the series featuring reluctant spy Gabriel Dax, the follow-up to Gabriel’s Moon and The Predicament.

He may still be a reluctant spy who would rather be pursuing his career as a travel writer but Gabriel Dax is certainly now a more experienced one. However it’s not in ways he’s very happy about. Previous missions have put him in a position where he’s been involved in fatal confrontations making him ponder just what he’s become capable of. ‘How had he managed to do what he’d just done? What instincts had taken over? What kind of person was he becoming?’

It’s all because he remains in thrall to the alluring and enigmatic Faith Green, head of the MI6 section known as ‘the termite hunters’ charged with rooting out traitors in the service.

It’s as part of one of these ‘termite hunting’ missions that Gabriel finds himself sent to California to make contact with a poet, Francis Falkner, who has information about a former Bletchley Park colleague he suspects of passing information to the Russians. Gabriel feels uncomfortable about the task given they often end up so badly. On the other hand it gives him an opportunity to gather material for his latest book. One of the joys of the series is the insight we get into the books Gabriel is working on, some of which sound really interesting, and getting glimpses of his rather florid writing style. I suspect Boyd has a lot of fun with this.

Gabriel’s fear that past events will catch up with him proves well-founded, resulting in another narrow escape once back in England. He barely has time for another long lunch with his publisher or a quickie with his ex-girlfriend before he’s sent to Russia to assist in the exfiltration of Kit Caldwell, a British triple agent for whom Gabriel has been acting as decoy by posing as a double agent. (Yes, it got my head spinning too.) Caldwell believes his position has been compromised and he needs to get out of Russia in double quick time before the KGB catch up with him. The carefully planned mission looks foolproof on paper but is anything ‘foolproof’ in a world where duplicity is a way of life.

Ah, duplicity thy name is Faith Green. (It’s not even her real name.) Gabriel finds her tantalising even though she seems able to move from passionately intimate to coldly indifferent in a split second. He believes he loves her but does she feel the same way about him? Sometimes he thinks the answer is yes, at other times he wonders if he’s just being manipulated. One of the great things about the series is the way the author keeps us guessing about her as well, no more so than in this book.

The fallout from the exfiltration mission and the possibility there is another traitor in MI6 means Gabriel must lie low for a while. But is there anywhere in the world where someone can’t track you down?

Gabriel is someone you can’t help rooting for even though he often makes foolish blunders, smokes and drinks too much and is a bit of a loner. (The only person he really opens up to is his therapist Dr Katrina Haas.) But while researching his books he’ll happily chat to anyone whether that’s a man employed to clear up cigarette butts and dog shit in Red Square or a barber on a remote Greek island.

Cold Sunset is another thoroughly enjoyable, stylish spy thriller. Is this the final outing for Gabriel Dax? I really hope not.

I received a review copy courtesy of Viking via NetGalley.

In three words: Intriguing, entertaining, well-crafted
Try something similar: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

About the Author

Author William Boyd

WILLIAM BOYD was born in 1952 in Accra, Ghana, and grew up there and in Nigeria. He is the award-winning author of seventeen highly acclaimed novels and five collections of stories. He divides his time between London and France. (Photo: Goodreads author page/Bio: Publisher author page)

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Book Review – Conqueror (Agricola #4) by Simon Turney @HoZ_Books

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About the Book

Following years of distinguished military and political exploits, Agricola has been rewarded with control of Aquitania by the Emperor Vespasian.

But Agricola’s greatest glories have always come in that rainy northern corner of the Empire: Britannia. When Vespasian sends him back to Britannia, this time as governor, he has a chance to cement his place in Roman history.

To conquer Britannia completely Agricola must overcome its many Celtic tribes. The Ordovices have massacred a Roman cavalry unit. The Selgovae and Damnonii resist Imperial rule fiercely. And he must take them on with ever fewer troops due to a series of changes at the heart of Roman power.

Failure will mean disgrace or death, but if he should succeed, Agricola will be forever lauded among the pantheon of Rome’s heroes.

Format: Paperback (416 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 27th August 2026 Genre: Historical fiction

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My Review

Conqueror is the fourth and final book in the series depicting the life of Roman statesman and general Gnaeus Julius Agricola. Links from each title will take you to my reviews of the previous three books in the series – Invader, Warrior and Commander.

As with the earlier books, the events in Conqueror are based on available historical sources, including Tacitus’s biography of Agricola (Tacitus was Agricola’s son-in-law) and the author’s own in-depth knowledge of the period. However, like the previous books, Conqueror is very much a picture of Agricola the man not just the historical figure.

Appointed its governor, Agricola returns to Britannia charged by the Emperor Vespasian with conquering the whole of the island and placing it under Roman control. It’s a huge task made even more challenging by being accompanied by a time limit, the withdrawal of legions to protect other parts of the Empire and, being Britannia, the weather. The pressure to complete the task, likely to be the defining moment of Agricola’s career, is always uppermost in his mind. It informs his tactics, the deployment of forces and increasingly requires a change of mindset. As the pressure to complete the task builds, we see a more ruthless side of Agricola, latterly influenced by tragic events in his personal life.

Agricola was ever the tactician but his relentless progress northwards, quelling the various tribes either through negotiation or direct engagement, really demonstrates his ability to innovate. For example, combining his land forces with the Roman fleet, which at the time was separately commanded. He never quite loses his desire to be at the heart of the action, fighting alongside his men, although now resigned to the fact that, as governor, he can only sit and watch. Well, for a time…

Some of the tribes Agricola encounters prove particularly hostile, seemingly preferring death over defeat. This leads to epic battle scenes including the climactic encounter with the Caledonii at Mons Graupius. It is a bloody affair leaving Agricola, even at the moment of conquest, feeling hollow at the loss of life. ‘All around him, a whole generation of humanity lay strewn in their own blood and gore.’

Being the final book in the series, it’s a time of partings, one especially poignant, and the end of longstanding relationships. As the author notes, history provides a bittersweet ending. As Tacitus records, ‘Perdomita Britannia et statim omissa‘ [Britain was conquered and immediately lost].

Conqueror brings to a close a series which combines fascinating historical detail with the immersive ‘cacophony of battle’. If you have a desire to learn more about Agricola, Simon’s biography of Agricola was published in 2022. And Simon has just embarked on a new series about Constantine, the last Emperor of Rome. The first book in the series, Prince, was published by Canelo on 16th July.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Gripping, authentic, fascinating
Try somethig similar: Agrippa by Robert Harris

About the Author

Simon Turney author of Bellatrix and The Capsarius

Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty. He lives in North Yorkshire with his family.

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