The Scarlet Papers: The Times Thriller of the Year 2023

‘Check the statute book, Professor. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009.’ ‘Refresh my memory.’ ‘Clearly prohibits any monetary gain by the description of a crime. Little thing called an “exploitative proceeds order”. Mainly ex-cons looking to cash in. But it comes in handy for us spooks now and then.’

‘You’ve given your life to a cause,’ said Aunt Maria. ‘The cause has given nothing back. A life is to be lived. Forget the world. Think for yourself. I’ve lived with regrets, but I don’t want to die with them too.’

Nothing went in print for a politician unless it was iron-clad.

According to the papers, he had unwittingly committed the cardinal sin of being pale, male and stale. None of the above seemed likely to change in the immediate future.

‘History, my child, is the most powerful motive of all.’ Aunt Maria rested her hand gently on Scarlet’s shoulder. ‘Now, I’m afraid, we must leave.’

‘Oh, Dr Archer, people rarely say what they truly mean. It’s one of the first lessons of spycraft.’

Samson Syndrome. It was the spy’s equivalent of the mid-life crisis. The most famous case was the MI5 officer Michael Bettaney who was convicted of spying for the KGB in the eighties. The cause? Not buying a train ticket. Because he was caught fare-dodging, Bettaney knew he would fail his next security review; failing the review would lead to his d

All of us shapeshifters, eternally mutating.

Max almost laughed. It was known in media circles as the ‘Lorraine Kelly defence’. The Scottish TV presenter had successfully avoided paying HMRC back-taxes by claiming that ‘Lorraine Kelly’ was an on-screen persona and therefore not related directly to herself as a private individual.