Very political heavy as you might expect. Took me a while to get into but then it got interesting. Some real edge of seat moments shocking scenes, cringe moments too. Lots packed in and lots of detail.

A really good book that initially I wasn’t sure I would enjoy and it took me ages to start it. I am so glad I did. It’s not my genre normally but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have read political thrillers in the past and spy novels but this was such a interesting book I couldn’t put it down.

As a preface to my eating umble pie, I have to say that discovering a proper political pontificator call Peston had written a book of fiction had me laughing at the possibility of it even being readable and the opening did mislead me into believing I was correct!

What a hasty prejudgement that turned out to be. By the end of Chapter 1 I was hooked. To say that I enjoyed the whole novel would be a massive understatement - I loved it - and whilst I hope Mr P writes a sequel, I cannot imagine where the plot would come from to have the impact that this book has had. Having said that, I was wrong about this book and hopefully I will be wrong about its sequel. So, Mr Peston when will your next Gil Peck novel appear, soon I hope??

My advice to anyone teetering and wondering if this book is worth reading, teeter ye not and read it as I cannot imagine that you will be disappointed.

The Whistleblower by Robert Peston is a fascinating read about politics, newspapers, and the people in high places running huge conglomerates. As a first novel written by Robert Peston it is interesting and intriguing and keeps the reader engaged all the way through. It is set in 1997 and it is an election year, who will win and who will lose?
Highly recommended

How incredibly good this is for a first novel. I know he has written non-fiction and is a journalist so he knows how to tell a story, but, this is a very impressive read.

There are more shifts and turns then a Rubik cube crossed with a Russian doll.

Set in the 90's when new labour came to town it's a thriller/murder mystery and a fascinating melange of coke sniffing journalists, evil capitalists and corrupt politicians. Unusually all politicians are corrupt including the Labour party. That makes it sound like it might be rather clichéd but somehow he manages to avoid this. Maybe through the excellent characterisation.

Its a story of how power, and the hope of power, corrupts and how 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Interestingly that quotation came from a politician.

What also comes through strongly is how important the press are in being able to duck and dive when it comes to holding politicians, famous people and businesses to account.

It ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. It will be interesting to see if there is a sequel.

If you loved Robert Harris and 'The Ghost', Mick Herron and 'Slow Horses' and the later Le Carre this is for you. I highly recommend it and read it over a couple of days

A complex and well written political thriller given extra credence by the author being a well known political journalist.
Thank you to netgalley and Zaffre for an advance copy of this book

I'm always a bit sceptical when people from other professions take up writing novels. I always feel that name recognition gets them a foot in the door that other novelists don't have the luxury of.

However, my fears were misplaced here. What I loved about this book was that Peston wrote about what he knows so well, the cut and thrust of British politics.

As a politics geek, the subject matter was right up my alley. This novel had everything, betrayal, manipulation, murder, sex all wrapped up in the corridors of Westminster.

A really great debut novel from one of Britain's best loved journalists. Perfectly set up for a sequel too....

Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books (Zaffre) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really gripping page turner, I was up late because I just had to finish the novel. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book, it was really enjoyable, I could not put it down until I had finished.