Another great spy story by Tom Bradby. Lots of tension in this one and an unexpected conclusion. Keep them coming!.

Bradby's usual more than competent and full of verve in this one - I always enjoy his work - despite often the usual tropes of this genre ... flawed men with big egos willing to be humble at a cost. But historical contexts are intriguing in this one too ... recommendable

Very satisfactory tying up of Kate's story (for now?). It just got a bit tedious towards the end too many potential villains, I got a bit bored. Shame as the middle was great.

I wish I could have enjoyed this cleverly written tale of espionage, double dealing and politics a little more. I read to the end to find out the ‘who’ and when I found out, sadly, I didn’t care. The careless way lives were tossed aside left me cold. There wasn’t enough depth to the characters for me & I simply wasn’t engaged. I’m sure that for fans of espionage and spy thrillers it will be a real hit.

After her breakdown Kate Henderson no longer works for SIS and is contemplating her future prospects when she is called up by the Prime Minister to identify a double agent who has been in place for several decades and who has manipulated recent events. The shortlist is Kate's ex-boss, her mentor and even Kate herself. The hunt for the double agent takes Kate from London to Prague and finally to Moscow but the answer is much closer to home.
Bradby writes very accessible and relatively straightforward espionage thrillers which are entertaining without being to complex. Here the story picks up from the end of the last book and the plot is suitably interesting with a few topical slants (paedophile billionaires with private islands etc). The identity of 'Dante' was easy to guess, I had it barely half-way through the book but the lead-up is fun.

This is the third in the Kate Henderson series and wraps up the story of the Russian spy and the intrigue around the Prime Minister. The book is satisfying and the plotting is paced nicely and well developed. I didn’t anticipate the ending (no spoilers here) although I did think it was a little contrived - but then all endings are…

Kate is relaxing in the south of France with her children and estranged husband when she gets an unexpected visitor - the Prime Minister is calling on her to help clear his name. Kate is amazed and says no but he says - quite rightly - that given she was always suspicious of him, if she gets evidence that satisfies her that he is clean, the establishment will also believe it. Reluctantly and with much negotiation - as Kate has things she wants - she agrees and the intrigue and betrayal kicks off again.

Kate is an excellent character and it is nice to see an intelligent, middle aged woman at the centre of a spy novel. She performs her role brilliantly even while doubting two thirds of what she is being told and uncertain who can be trusted. You need to have read the other two books to get the most out of this one but it is worth it. And the ending gives Mr Bradby some future possibilities which I hope he will pick up.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review

A pretty complicated spy story with Kate both trying to ensure her name is cleared and find the true mole.
Once a top member of SIS Kate left pretty much under a cloud. Her husband Stuart has defected and their children are pretty unhappy having been drawn in to past events.
The Prime Minister wants Kate to keep his name clear of unfolding events and just about everyone Kate knows or knew in the service could be the culprit.
Lots of blind alleys until the truth is revealed - not a book to read late at night when you are falling asleep, you need your wits about you!

An ideal summer read.

Kate Henderson returns. Life after retirement?

Kate is a modern woman and also a brilliant, resourceful, “kick-ass” spy. You don’t need to have read the previous two books in this collection where she demonstrated her spy-craft and unique abilities to take up her story here.

What a great read. Such a pleasure to read a strong female lead in this often male dominated genre. Not that she’s a female Jason Bourne in a figure hugging stab vest or a girlie Harry Palmer with a better choice of designer specs.
Kate Henderson is a fully envisioned character, driven, brave and loyal at the heart of Britain’s secret service.
In this third instalment the story remains much as before. Kate has been sidelined and pensioned off as her standing has been compromised by a failed assignment, the death of agents and losing the diplomatic kudos to the Russians. Her position has not been helped by an adulterous husband who has been giving secrets to the Russians. Her resolve to leave also came about for personal reasons after her children were abducted and threatened with death if she didn’t comply with their wishes and end her investigation.

When the PM approaches her with a special assignment outside the powers and influence of the secret service she is conflicted but believes she can redeem the situation. The damaged PM needs his name to be finally exonerated and who better than by his biggest critic who was /(is) Kate.

Time for a refreshment of the plots of books 1 and 2.

Pulling together these narratives without appearing to retell the stories or divulge new information Bradby brings his readers up to speed with an clear resumé of past events. You quickly see how many loose ends remain despite the range and depth of these first two captivating novels.

These are spy novels we traditionally love to read. Fast-paced, contemporary and bringing an immediate and constant threat of danger to the principle characters.

Kate is a wonderful protagonist to take this journey with as the books unfold. We agonise over her problematic parent, her unresolved relationship with the father of her kids and see the dangers for her returning to this secret and manipulative world where others may be looking to set her up as a scapegoat.

Her investigation to clear the PM’s name and find the mole in MI6 is not welcome by everyone and with the truth remaining elusive, time running out and no convincing proof she shows signs of great stress. She is forced to take increasing risks to reveal Russia’s malevolent influence.

Warning. If you pack this book as your Summer read to enjoy on the plane (Ha!) or by the pool (Ha! Ha!) even on our staycation getaways-Beware!!
It reads quickly and is all consuming. It has a will of its own that does not allow itself to be put down and ignored even if it has stopped raining. Should you take all three books in this series they will only last a few days, a week at most.

This is a cracking spy thriller. Mr Tom Brady reads the news so well but in my opinion his writing elevates him to that of ‘classic spy author’.

What is perhaps most pertinent in all the thrills, action and misadventures of Kate that assail her is that they have a ring of truth - like news headlines Tom has yet to read.

When fact and fiction seem to fuse together you have a sure fire hit.

Another excellent thriller to follow on from the previous two. I, like other readers would suggest reading the first two to establish an idea of what was happening. It is a tad complicated in places for my simple brain, and I had to re-read some parts, as I got a bit muddled! Saying that, I had worked out who the traitor was early on and, yes, I was right.

I do like these kind of books, especially during lockdown, as it eases the boredom considerably.

This is, once again, fast paced and exciting. I did like the Prague visit, and could relate to most of it.

I felt for Kate, having children to care for and what had gone on before (can’t say anything else in case you’ve not read the first two books), she is, an excellent operative, and really, even in her job, you don’t know who to trust and who’s telling the truth.

There’s not a lot else I can say without giving the game away. Read the three together. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

My thanks to the author and publishers for the ARC. One little gripe, I know this book is only a proof but could you possibly sync the chapters? It’s a nightmare reading from iPhone to kindle without any synchronised pages. Other publishers do it, makes it easy for the reader.

Thank you 😊

Having left the Service after Stuart’s defection, Kate Henderson is spending time in France with her family, trying to decide what their future holds. When the Prime Minister offers her the chance of forgiveness, by finding the proof of his innocence in involvement with the Russians, she accepts. Little does she realise that by trying to identify the mole, Agent Dante, she will be risking everything.

Triple Cross is the final part of Tom Bradby’s political thriller series, and it nicely rounds off all the loose ends and identities of the previous books, it did become clear quite early, to me at least, the likely identity of Agent Dante, but that didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment of the story. There were moments of confusion, trying to keep on top of who was who, but overall an entertaining read.

Definitely need to have read the other books first, otherwise this will make no sense at all!

A most intriguing dramatic story of a PM under political siege with rivals circulating around him plotting for his downfall with talk of a high-level mole providing damaging information to the Russians for them to strew doctored news to manipulate events. To take control the PM decides to make a last throw in recalling a dismissed MI5 agent to join his staff in a last effort to find the truth. Who having failed to uncover the mole and becoming compromised in the process, it is also a chance to clear herself as well. As all the establishment are under suspicion, she has no choice except to undertake a dangerous operation undercover in Russia to obtain vital information to resolve matters from a dissident Russian agent who wants to defect. How things unfold with all odds against her provides a thrilling course of events from which she barely escapes with her life.

Lots of loose ends tied up.


This is the last in the trilogy featuring the life and work of Kate Henderson. It is thoroughly recommended that anyone should read the first two before tackling this thriller as it is a continuation of “Secret Service” and “Double Agent” and therefore could not be described as a stand-alone novel.

Kate has left her role at MI6 under somewhat of a cloud and is trying to rebuild her life in France where she is living with her two children, with whom she needs to reconnect. Everything she had in life has been turned upside down including losing her husband from whom she is now separated. Therefore, the last thing she wants is for the British Prime Minister to turn up unannounced on her doorstep. His reputation is at stake, largely due to Kate’s investigations in the previous novel in the series and he has come with an unbelievable story which he asks her to investigate. If true, it will clear his name and hopefully uncover a mole (Dante) who allegedly holds a senior position in the echelons of MI6. Against her better judgement and with a lot of bribery and arm-twisting, Kate accepts the challenges and leaves her children to work with her old team on an independent investigation sanctioned by the PM himself.

Maybe it is the benefit of having read the first two novels but in “Triple Cross” the characters seemed more fleshed out and 3D. The action runs smoothly from one chapter to the next at a varied pace which adds tension to the plot. The plot itself is easier to follow than the previous books in the series and seems to follow a more logical sequence. Again, this may well be due to the familiarity with the characters and their backgrounds.

On the downside, it could be argued that some of the scene-setting and descriptions were over-long, but it all added flavour and gave the reader an opportunity to draw breath. The ending was tense whilst not being over-dramatic and it was also totally logical and well planned. Many of the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily and “Triple Cross” is, therefore, a worthy conclusion to an interesting trilogy that is a worthwhile read.

mr zorg


Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.

After reading “Secret Service” which was the 1st in the trilogy, and finding it excellent, I have to admit to maybe being a little disappointed with its follow-up “Double Agent”. When I was offered the opportunity by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers to read the final instalment I was initially a little perplexed and unsure, wondering exactly where the story could go and whether there was actually any longevity in it.

Well my concerns were short lived as I found the climax to the trilogy to be nothing but gripping from beginning to end with twists a-plenty - very much an enthralling and enjoyable read and well worth recommending.

Well written and researched (I don’t think there is a better espionage thriller writer currently working), this book is a joy to read. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read the novel.

The first two books in Tom Bradby’s terrific trilogy about MI6 agent Kate Henderson, Double Agent and Secret Service, were among my favourite spy reads of the past few years. The third entry in the series, Triple Cross, is just as good and powers the trilogy to a thrilling conclusion.

Triple Cross opens with Kate retired from MI6 and trying to rebuild her shattered life, following the events in Double Agent, in the South of France. The pleasure of time with her family, however, is shattered by the arrival of the British Prime Minister and a request to re-enter the fray to determine once and for all, whether there is really a Russian mole, known as ‘Agent Dante’, at the heart of British Intelligence. Kate reluctantly accepts the task, for good reasons related to the earlier books, and finds herself commencing a dangerous investigation, which no one wants to succeed.

This is an exquisitely plotted spy thriller that relies heavily on the events in the previous two books. It is difficult to go into more detail about the plot of Triple Cross without ruining the many surprises in Secret Service and Double Agent for those who have not read them. Suffice to say that it follows up on the various revelations and betrayals in the earlier books in a credible way and sets the reader down an exciting new path.

Triple Cross is probably a more considered spy novel than its predecessors and there is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing about the mole’s identity and whether there is even a mole. The book, however, steadily builds in suspense, with some well-written and suspenseful set-pieces, and a terrific chase climax, which is as exciting as anything I have read in recent years. The final revelation of the truth behind ‘Agent Dante’ is well worked out and reasonably surprising, although there are clues in the final stages.

As with the earlier books, Bradby excels in his portrayal of the interplay of personal and professional relationships in the secret service, reminding me of Len Deighton’s Bernard Samson novels. The details of the investigation are well handled and convincing, and the characters are carefully wrought and interesting. Bradby’s depiction of Kate’s deteriorating emotional state and her questioning of her earlier conclusions is particularly well done and powerful.

Finally, the contemporary geopolitical detail and the locations also rings true. Bradby has a fine journalist’s eye for the telling detail, and he paints simple, but evocative, descriptions of the various locales from the South of France to London to Prague to the Russian/Georgian border. He gives his book a good patina of credibility and it is easy to sit back and enjoy it.

In all, Triple Cross is a very good spy novel, with a powerful conclusion.

Book three, in the Kate Henderson series, continues the politically astute and compelling espionage series. Best read in sequence, this story believably ties up the open threads in the previous two books. The characters are complex, and Kate is a worthy protagonist for this twisty tale full of misinformation and political intrigue. She is intelligent and independent but riven with insecurities. It is her flaws that draw the reader's empathy and make what happens to her important.

The settings are diverse, and the story remains authentic.

I received a copy of this book from Transworld digital via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Random House U.K./Transworld Publishers for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Triple Cross’ by Tom Bradby in exchange for an honest review.

This is the final book in Bradby’s trilogy of spy thrillers featuring MI6 operative Kate Henderson. While some background details are provided, this is a trilogy with a storyline that runs through all three books. As a result I won’t give plot details in order to avoid spoilers for those who have not read the others yet.

As I wrote previously these books are closer to George Smiley’s world to that of James Bond. There is still plenty of action along with the kind of twists and revelations that are integral to well written espionage fiction.

I have enjoyed this trilogy very much. It is tightly plotted with Kate Henderson continuing to be a strong lead. All three novels have been five-star reads for me.

‘Triple Cross’ was an excellent finale, bringing together all outstanding plot threads. I certainly will be seeking out Tom Bradby’s other titles and will keep a lookout for his future projects.

Political intrigue thriller, continuing the Kate Henderson series. Agent Dante, a Russian agent in the higher levels of the UK government needs to be identified, and Kate Henderson, now outside the security services, is seen as the perfect candidate to work out who the agent is - and more particularly for the prime minister - who it isn't. But this will all come at a personal cost to Kate - and is that a cost she is willing to pay. Good thriller which moves at a pace and throws in plenty of spy talk and actions. This is a decent series of pacy thrillers.

Triple Cross is the third outing for Kate and it is certainly a high-octane, high-stakes story full of palpable tension which builds and builds beautifully. It's an intense, gritty and topical thriller which has been a long time in the making. So was it worth the wait? ABSOLUTELY. Kate is a very likeable and relatable character who has to juggle family life with the need to drop everything at a moments notice to attend to work responsibilities. There are twists and turns aplenty and the author uses red herrings and misdirection to trick the reader into backing the wrong horse. The ending wraps things up nicely in a satisfying fashion and is the perfect way to conclude the heart-pounding suspense delivered through the entirety of the book.

Another great read by Tom Bradby!
This series has everything you need when looking for some kick-ass spy thrillers.
It is definitely a series you have to read in order otherwise you will be lost.

It's another tough day at the office for Kate Henderson; figuratively speaking. Kate thought she was done with MI 6 and everything related but what do you do when the PM comes calling with a juicy carrot he dangles before you? He will allow her husband to come back to the UK so that their children can still have him in their lives. Otherwise, they will never see Stuart again. In the end, not a difficult decision. Will Kate be able to find the elusive traitor Dante and will there be more heartache coming her way?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This is the third book in a trilogy and if you have read the other two it will certainly make more sense. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself lost in the crazy world of international espionage where as well as the characters struggling to know who to trust and what is real, you might find yourself doing it as well!

Kate Henderson thought she had left the Secret Service and MI6 but, of course, in that job you always know too much and you can never leave. At the start of the story, she is meeting her disgraced husband Stuart in the south of France with her children Fiona and Gus. Stuart is exiled after what happened in the previous book but is hoping to find a way to get back to Kate and family life. Also of course, that means doing a deal. As I said, she knows too much!

Just back from France, MI6 suddenly wants her services again. There is a scandal involving the Prime Minister and it ties in to an unknown secret agent, the third person after Stuart, known as Agent Dante. The circle of hell reference is appropriate! Helped by her trusted colleague Julie, Shirley Grove the Prime Minister’s sidekick and a new boy called Callum, Kate sets out to unravel the mystery. She is hoping that helping out will gain some additional freedoms for Stuart although she isn’t quite sure whether she wants to start a relationship again with an adulterous liar!

The book is about blind avenues, the chess moves played by the spy agencies of the superpowers and the human cost involved as Kate travels across Europe with her entourage. I complained in the first novel about how Kate arrived suddenly at some mid-European destination completely spick-and-span and ready for work whereas the rest of us would have crumpled clothes and headaches but this time you sense she is struggling as well. The children, nicely developed characters, are traumatised and torn between the benefit of Kate going back and them then seeing their father, and the dangers of the job. Also, Kate’s mother is on her last legs. There’s a lot to manage – and to manage with less enthusiasm.

Some old characters resurface, including the avuncular old service head, Sir Alan Brabazon and the slippery and ambitious Ian Granger all playing their own games as the stakes are raised and more plots are uncovered. It is all held together by Kate, an authentic character tied up in the world of espionage, bluff and double bluff wondering who she can ever trust again and, as it turns out, rightly so. I really like the way that Tom Bradby has developed her character across the three novels which makes the book stand out from other spy thrillers. It’s a great read and highly recommended!