The Bastille Spy: Shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown 2020

By C.S. Quinn

Shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown 2020
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From the bestselling e-book sensation of The Thief Taker series comes a thrilling and sumptuous novel set during the early days of the French Revolution.

'A rip-roaring adventure.' Tessa Harris, author of the Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries

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'He was alive when he went in the mortuary.'

1789. The Bastille is marked for destruction. Skirmishes in the city are rife and revolution is in the air. When a gruesomely murdered rebel is found in the prison morgue, a plot is suspected.

English spy, Attica Morgan, is laying low after an abortive mission. So when she's given an assignment inside the Bastille, her instinct is to run. Instead, she's offered a pardon, in return for solving the mystery of the dead revolutionary; and exposing a plot that leads to Marie Antoinette.

But as tensions rise to breaking point in the city, Attica quickly realises she's in a race against time. Soon there could be no Bastille to investigate.

'Incredible! It's the best action adventure novel I've ever read... A fantastic achievement that has blown me away with its ingenuity, scope and breathless pace.' Louise Voss, author of the Detective Lennon series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Corvus
• Release date: Aug 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781786498441

C.S. Quinn

C.S. Quinn is the bestselling author of The Thief Taker, Fire Catcher and Dark Stars. Prior to writing fiction she was a travel and lifestyle journalist for The Times, the Guardian and the Mirror, alongside many magazines. In her early academic career, Quinn’s background in historical research won prestigious postgraduate funding from the British Arts Council. Quinn pooled these resources, combining historical research with first-hand experiences in far-flung places to create Charlie Tuesday’s London.

Reviews for The Bastille Spy

[vanessacw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A gripping, fast paced espionage thriller set during the French Revolution. Attica Morgan is a female English spy affiliated to The Sealed Knot Society and she has a date with the notorious Bastille to discover the whereabouts of her cousin, Grace, and also the location of a costly diamond necklace which belonged to Marie Antoinette. Along the way she meets charismatic pirate, Captain Jemmy Avery, (who did put me in mind of Captain Jack Sparrow☠️) and a host of other fictional and real characters including the infamous Maximilien Robespierre and Georges Danton.This is a fun and entertaining read, a real rollercoaster of a ride. It gathers pace and never lets go until the end. I loved the mix of fact and fiction. There’s a great sense of time and place and ‘The Terror’ is vividly described. It’s very well written with some humour thrown in, easy to read and kept me captivated from the first page. The Bastille Spy is the first in the Revolutionary Spy series and I look forward to reading the sequel. There is more than a hint of James Bond in this story, it’s action packed and full of ‘Q’ worthy gadgets. If you enjoy swashbuckling historical thrillers with a difference, this one’s for you.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked that this novel was set during the French Revolution, but it wasn't for me. I found the plot unbelievable and lacking substance. It was lightweight for an historical novel and lacking detail but for those who like adventure might find "The Bastille Spy" appealing.