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ICARUS 17
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ICARUS 17

By: Charles Cumming
Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
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FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR CHARLES CUMMING, THIS IS THE ENTHRALLING NEW ESPIONAGE THRILLER FOLLOWING CAREER SPY, LACHLAN KITE

'Nobody writes more enjoyable spy thrillers’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ

‘Charles Cumming has breathed new life into the spy novel’ BEN MACINTYRE

'The rightful inheritor of John le Carré's crown' OBSERVER

Lachlan Kite should have left fieldwork behind by now.

As director of covert intelligence agency Box 88, he’s at the apex of his espionage career. But when Martha Raine – a woman he hasn’t seen in twenty years – begs for his help, Kite finds himself back in the game, racing to avert disaster.

Kite must find Martha’s son, Max, who vanished in Athens with his girlfriend, Yasmine. But the couple aren’t just missing, they’re running for their lives. Two rival agencies are hunting them, both with orders to kill on sight.

Max and Yasmine are carrying a dizzying secret, one which could pull apart the foundations of the Middle East for a generation. If Kite fails to save them, the costs – both personal and professional – will be catastrophic.

'If there was any question as to who is the rightful inheritor of John le Carré’s crown as the king of elegant spy fiction, this proves that it’s Cumming beyond any doubt' Observer

'Icarus 17 demonstrates Cumming’s inimitable combination of human insight, geopolitical acumen and sheer excitement’ Christopher de Bellaigue

©2026 Charles Cumming Action & Adventure Espionage Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Political Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense
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Critic reviews

Early praise for ICARUS 17
'The fourth in his Box 88 series – and the best yet. If there was any question as to who is the rightful inheritor of John le Carré’s crown as the king of elegant spy fiction, this proves that it’s Cumming beyond any doubt' Observer, Fiction to Look out for in 2026
Praise for the BOX 88 series
‘Charles Cumming has delivered an enthralling and sprawling espionage epic for the ages. In his BOX 88 series, Cumming paints a deeply realistic picture of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal across a canvas of twisty, white-knuckle action and spycraft. A terrific achievement’ David McCloskey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Persian
‘A vivid sense of place…echoes of le Carré and Greene’ Sunday Times, Thriller of the Month
‘The Rwandan genocide still casts a long shadow in this haunting, masterful work, which also asks tough questions about international justice’ Financial Times, Thriller of the Year
'Tense and topical' Waterstones Best Espionage Thrillers of 2023
‘A bold choice of setting, which adds skilful dabs of colour to a tightly wrought tale' The Times
‘A compelling exploration of the consequences of realpolitik and the intermingling of the personal with the political’ Guardian
‘A first-rate spy thriller’ Mail on Sunday
‘Atmospheric and packed with threat, it thrills on every single page’ Daily Mail
‘Compulsively readable’ Daily Telegraph
‘The unusual setting gives it real heft’ Sun
‘Charles Cumming is up there with the very best espionage writers’ Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus books
‘A wonderful spy novel’ Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses
‘Excellent’ Anthony Horowitz, author of Magpie Murders
‘A layered and seamlessly constructed story’ Charlotte Philby, author of Edith and Kim
‘Utterly gripping. A great new spy hero is born’ Amanda Craig, author of The Golden Rule
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