THE WORKS

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

I have now been fortunate enough to take two steps on the journey of my literary career.

THE DEATH OF A SMOKER

HIGH EXPLOSIVES YOU CAN STOCKPILE, NUCLEAR WEAPONS YOU CAN STOCKPILE, CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS YOU CAN STOCKPILE, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS YOU CAN NOT.

The year is 1991, and the Soviet Union is in a state of collapse. But with chaos reigning in Europe and secrets being leaked all too easily from the Ministry of Defence, why should the British Security Services be interested when the premises of a small biotech start-up are burgled, resulting in an accidental death?

Complete with suspected Russian spies and biological warfare, this peculiar case proves more complex to solve than anticipated, and truth and trust are tormented by doubt and deception when the path of the small unit of MI5 agents investigating the case is criss-crossed by innocence and subterfuge, bluff and bullying.

UNSAVOURY BUSINESS

'WE LEAD A QUIET LIFE. TALKING TO PEOPLE, BUILDING UP A PICTURE. LIKE A JIGSAW. AND JUST LIKE A JIGSAW, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME SORTING OUT PIECES OF SKY. THEY MAY SEEM DULL AND UNINTERESTING, BUT WE CAN'T LEAVE THEM OUT.'

Is a virus that takes up to eight weeks for symptoms to appear, and kills only 10% of infected people, really the perfect terrorist bioweapon?

In this sequel to The Death of a Smoker, four years have passed since Quinton Bickley-Morris, a suspected spy and adversary of the Tufton Street team, slipped out of the country undetected. After a chance sighting, Harry Nevile and his team are desperate to go after him, but the more immediate threat of a suspected terrorist attack on the government takes priority.

As Harry’s team investigates, piecing together fragments of evidence, the truth is gradually revealed, and it is far closer to home than they could ever have anticipated.

Available from the publisher Cranthorpe Millner, Amazon, Waterstones and all good on-line bookshops.

Reviews for 'The Death of A Smoker'

Wonderful spy novel: Auffret has managed to recreate the style and atmosphere of a classic British spy novel.

Scientific intrigue: Couldn't put it down….A great plot….Just like Kate Atkinson a great sense of place.

Intriguing cleverly crafted spy novel: Fantastic story that drew me in quickly and completely….An intriguing intellectual cat-and-mouse game, layered upon the proclivities of interesting British scientists, spies, and spy masters...Cleverly crafted and beautifully written.

A Great Read: What a great first novel from a new author….I sat up well into the night because I couldn’t put it down.

Intriguing: He captures the atmosphere of 1990s Cambridge, where anything was possible.

Perfect for anyone looking for a thoughtfully compelling story infused with deception, secrets and subterfuge. The novel possesses both an earthiness and grit to it which makes it impossible to put down,

Reviews for 'Unsavoury Business'

Classic spy novel - not to be missed. After the first few pages I thought - they just don't write books like this any more.

Auffret has reinvigorated a dormant niche in the UK literary world…..The tension grows in a steady, almost tantalising pace as the puzzle pieces begin to join up and unfold into a complex and delicious caper!

The plot firmly in the realm of the possible.

Does not disappoint….Beautifully written cleverly crafted tale. An excellent read.

An entertaining and scientifically credible plot making the novel an enjoyable page-turner.