A Financial Times Best Book of the Summer 2025 'Top marks' The Times Book of the Month (March) 'Brilliant... Beaumont is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Mick Herron' James O'Brien, author of How They Broke Britain Russia is struggling to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. But can it win the war for influence?August 2022. Simon Sharman is out for revenge, pursuing the assassin of his former colleague across war-torn Ukraine. Back in London, a Russian spy ring at the heart of the British Establishment remains active, attempting to sabotage the West's support for Ukraine. In the fiercely contested Donbas region, Simon finds himself sucked into a terrifying shadow conflict between Russia and the West. Can a lone spy make a difference to the course of a conflict? From the ruins of Bakhmut to the corridors of Whitehall, A Spy at War reveals the secret struggle for Ukraine, on the frontlines and in the arena of global public opinion. Praise for A Spy at War 'Beaumont must surely be the most plugged in spy writer of the day, almost ahead of the curve... He pens thrillers you can't let go of, page turners full of power and intelligence. Indispensable' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time 'Beaumont is a skilled guide to the murky interface between the corridors of power and the human consequences of the decisions made there' Adam LeBor, Financial Times 'Beaumont strikes back... A Spy At War is the best sort of espionage novel, shimmering with authentic tradecraft, geopolitical intrigue and a gritty exploration of betrayal and revenge' David McCloskey, author of The Seventh Floor and co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast 'Charles Beaumont is that rare combination in spy a genuine former intelligence officer who is also a first-class writer' Charles Cumming, author of Kennedy 35 'With his second novel, Beaumont has cemented himself as an author who both fearlessly tackles hard subjects and spins masterful tales. A Spy at War is daring and unflinching, a must-read' I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow 'This second espionage thriller from former MI6 operative Charles Beaumont underlines his quality' Daily Mail 'Retired spy Charles Beaumont brings to life the terror, violence and confusion of the war in Ukraine... in this well-informed and revealing novel. Excellent' Literary Review 'An unadorned take on the brutal realities of the Ukrainian war, told with literary flair and an insider's insights' Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station 'Angry, propulsive and very, very timely. If A Spy Alone was Beaumont's cry of rage as a citizen, A Spy at War is his cry of rage as a spook... Topping A Spy Alone was a tough ask. Beaumont has managed it' Dominick Donald, author of Breathe 'Many works of fiction will be inspired by the war in Ukraine. Charles Beaumont literally blasts out ahead of the field with an effort that is both cinematic and compassionate...
Author
Charles Beaumont was born Charles Leroy Nutt in Chicago in 1929. He dropped out of high school in the tenth grade and worked at a number of jobs before selling his first story to Amazing Stories in 1950. His story “Black Country” (1954) was the first work of short fiction to appear in Playboy, and his classic tale “The Crooked Man” appeared in the same magazine the following year. Beaumont published numerous other short stories in the 1950s, both in mainstream periodicals like Playboy and Esquire and in science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first story collection, The Hunger and Other Stories, was published in 1957 to immediate acclaim, and was followed by two further collections, Yonder (1958) and Night Ride and Other Journeys (1960). He also published two novels, Run from the Hunter (1957, pseudonymously, with John E. Tomerlin), and The Intruder (1959). Beaumont is perhaps best remembered for his work in television, particularly his screenplays for The Twilight Zone, for which he wrote several of the most famous episodes. His other screenwriting credits include the scripts for films such as The Premature Burial (1962), Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), The Haunted Palace (1963), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964). When Beaumont was 34, he began to suffer from ill health and developed a baffling and still unexplained condition that caused him to age at a greatly increased rate, such that at the time of his death at age 38 in 1967, he had the physical appearance of a 95-year-old man. Beaumont was survived by his wife Helen, two daughters, and two sons, one of whom, Christopher, is also a writer. Beaumont’s work was much respected by his colleagues, and he counted Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Roger Corman among his friends and admirers. -Valancourt Books
