THE BRAND NEW BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL WITH THE HIGH-STAKES THRILLS OF SLOW HORSES AND THE ADRENALINE-SOAKED EXCITEMENT OF BOX 88

**SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH**

'A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making' PETER JAMES
'A shot in the arm for thriller fans' THE TIMES
'Hugely impressive and compelling' WILLIAM BOYD
'Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing' STEVE CAVANAGH
'The most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron's Slow Horses' DAILY MAIL
'Magnificent' LITERARY REVIEW
'Superbly constructed and written with flair. This might be the best spy novel of the year' SUNDAY TIMES
'The Cold War is given a new twist ... Impressive, superior spy stuff' SHOTS MAGAZINE
___________

VIENNA, 1946: A brilliant German scientist snatched from the ruins of Nazi Europe.

MOSCOW, 1964: A US diplomat caught in a clandestine love affair as the Cold War rages.

RIGA, 1992: A Russian archivist selling secrets that will change the twentieth century forever.

LONDON, THE PRESENT DAY: A British academic on the run with the chance to solve one of history's greatest mysteries.

Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world are bound by a single manuscript. A document feared and whispered about in capitals across the globe. In its pages, history will be rewritten. It is only ever known as . . .

THE SCARLET PAPERS

The devastating secrets contained within teased by a brief invitation:

Tomorrow 11AM. Take a cab and pay in cash. Tell no one.
___________

'Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph' TONY PARSONS

'A masterpiece' TIM GLISTER

'Grand in scope and packed with fascinating insights' MICK HERRON

'An extraordinary novel' HOLLY WATT

'Addictive, original and outrageously entertaining . . . Matthew Richardson proves himself a writer of huge talent and skill' CHARLOTTE PHILBY

'An epic read!' JEREMY DUNS

Superbly constructed and written with flair, it manages to debunk John le Carré's world and to reaffirm its mystique. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year * Sunday Times *
A shot in the arm for thriller fans * THE TIMES *
Blissfully ingenious * Daily Telegraph *
A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making -- PETER JAMES
This is the most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron's Slow Horses. Filled with fast-moving action and a fine line in threat, it weaves a thrilling spell * DAILY MAIL *
Hugely impressive and compelling -- WILLIAM BOYD
Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing -- STEVE CAVANAGH
Magnificent * Literary Review *
Smart, slick and totally gripping . . . The Scarlet Papers is always credible, always startling and almost painfully human. A total triumph -- TONY PARSONS
A masterpiece -- TIM GLISTER
Grand in scope and packed with fascinating insights -- MICK HERRON
An extraordinary novel -- HOLLY WATT
Addictive, original and outrageously entertaining . . . Matthew Richardson proves himself a writer of huge talent and skill -- CHARLOTTE PHILBY
An epic read! -- JEREMY DUNS
Sprawling, ambitious, inspired by real events * Financial Times *
Superbly constructed and written with flair ... this might be the best spy novel of the year * Sunday Times *
Superbly constructed in an elaborate twisty spy yarn. It's highly unlikely that there will be a better espionage novel this year * Sunday Times *
The Cold War is given a new twist ... Impressive, superior spy stuff * Shots Magazine *
Intricate and fast moving, it weaves a thrilling spell * Daily Mail *
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets James Bond * Historical Novels Review *

Matthew Richardson studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford. After a brief spell as a freelance journalist, he began working as a researcher and speechwriter in Westminster, and has also written speeches for senior figures in the private sector. He is the author of My Name is Nobody and The Insider.