Estocada Synopsis
'Historical fiction of a high order' The Times 1937. Flying for the infamous Condor Legion over the battlefields of Spain's civil war, Merz has been able to unleash the fearsome potential of the Luftwaffe's newest weapon against his opponents. In Dieter's hands, the Messerschmitt Bf-109 is as graceful as a matador's killing strike: la estocada.
Scotsman and ex-marine Tam Moncrieff is recruited by a nameless intelligence agency in London to go to Germany and sound out Hitler's resolve. Does he really intend to invade Czechoslovakia? Do his generals support him?
Can the march to war be stopped? As duty collides with conscience, fate will bring both men together. In a world wedded to violence and ambition, desperate steps must be taken.
To avoid war a killing strike is needed. The question is, who is the matador, who is the bull? Estocada is part of the
SPOILS OF WAR
Collection, a thrilling, beguiling blend of fact and fiction born of some of the most tragic, suspenseful, and action-packed events of World War II. From the mind of highly acclaimed thriller author GRAHAM HURLEY, this blockbuster non-chronological collection allows the reader to explore Hurley's masterful storytelling in any order, with compelling recurring characters whose fragmented lives mirror the war that shattered the globe.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781784977894 |
| Publication date: |
1st June 2018 |
| Author: |
Graham Hurley |
| Publisher: |
Head of Zeus an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
479 pages |
| Series: |
Wars Within |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
|
| Other Genres: |
|
Graham Hurley Press Reviews
Liked this. Went someway to plugging the ginormous hole that Philip Kerr's sad passing has left in my life -- Dermot O'Leary Graham Hurley is one of Britain's most under-appreciated thriller writers... [Estocada is] an engrossing read' - Crime Time
Beautifully constructed, the result is compelling and richly entertaining - Daily Mail
Hurley brings an almost noirlike sensibility to the surprising finale - Booklist
Tense, absorbing and faultlessly plotted, this thoughtful thriller weaves it all together - Sunday Times
Hurley weaves fact and fiction seamlessly together in another excellent work of suspense and intrigue - Soldier Magazine
With a strong plot, the author brings alive this period of intense political and social drama. The main characters are well-written, with the use of actual historical characters - Ribbentrop, Hitler, Churchill, etc., giving structure and support - Historical Novel Society
About Graham Hurley
Graham Hurley is a documentary maker and a novelist. For the last two decades he's written full-time, penning nearly fifty books. Two made the short list for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year, while Finisterre – the first in the Spoils of War collection – was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award. Graham lives in East Devon with his lovely wife, Lin.
Author Photo Credit: Laura Muños
Maxim Jakubowski's view on JOE FARADAY...
The investigations of a Portsmouth cop and a fascinating look into crime on the British coast. If you like Ian Rankin’s Rebus, this should be your next step. NO LOVELIER DEATH is the 9th book in the Faraday series.
A Q & A with Graham Hurley
Who’s your favourite author?
The Alan Furst of The Polish Officer and The World at Night.
Where do you live? And why?
Portsmouth. Because so many people ask me why.
What’s the greatest influence on your writing?
Lin Rowden.
What is your philosophy for life?
Check the tide tables and watch for eddies.
Have you had any formal tuition in creative writing? If so, where and what? Did you find it useful?
BA/MA Cambridge University (English – no help at all). No formal tuition in creative writing except a pathological nosiness and a fascination with story. Profound doubts about collective literary endeavour. Why? Because, in the end, writing is a solitary business.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you originally want to be and when and why did you change your mind?
Yes. And like most authors, I’m not sure why. But – emphatically – yes.
Who do you most admire and why?
My mum (seriously). Because she’s never failed to make the very best of an occasionally dodgy hand. Huge fortitude.
What jobs did you have before you started writing?
Ice cream salesman, deckchair attendant, lifeguard, prep school teacher (scripture and cricket), Radio Victory reporter, TV promotion scriptwriter, TV researcher, TV documentary director/producer, Oz TV cop series writer.
If your house was burning down what would you save?
Lin Rowden, the cats, a framed photo of the Otter estuary, me.
What do you do when you are not writing? How do you relax? What are your hobbies?
Sailing, cycling, nosing around, tussling with French, dreaming of the day Tony Blair resigns.
More About Graham Hurley
