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The Peak

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The Peak

By: Sam Guthrie
Narrated by: Max Brown
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About this listen

Sure to be THE debut thriller of 2025, The Peak is a nailbiting and binge-worthy listen, a powerfully taut, gripping and fast-moving international thriller that weaves a story of friendship, love and betrayal together with the ruthless geopolitics of China's rise, set in the last 24 hours of the world as we know it.

'Now I'll tell you what happened, as best I can. No spin. No agenda. If I get something wrong, it's not because I'm being evasive. It's simply because I'm still trying to understand what happened today ... It's to explain, as best I can, what Sebastian has done, and why tomorrow when you wake up, it will be the end of the world.'

Political hatchet man Charlie will do anything to protect Sebastian, government minister and his best friend since their brutal private school days. Rising to power and prominence through international diplomatic postings and then the rough and tumble of Australian politics, they are as close as brothers—or so Charlie thinks—while both keep the secret that lies at the very heart of their relationship—a secret that in one way or another will change the world.

But then a single phrase in Mandarin is spoken in Sebastian's ear and he does the unthinkable. As Charlie tries to piece it all together—from their youth spent in Hong Kong to the recent past in Beijing and Washington—things in the outside world start to fall apart too. Planes can't land, the phone lines go down and the power is out. Then the secret intelligence services comes knocking. Charlie wonders, what the hell did Sebastian do?

From the jostling streets of Hong Kong to Beijing's shadowy halls of power and the backstabbing Machiavellian workings of Parliament House in Canberra, The Peak is a powerful, propulsive and nailbitingly tense international thriller. Written with an extraordinary insider knowledge of China, the realities of global power and the inner dealings of the Australian Government, The Peak has the authenticity and moral complexity of a Le Carre novel and the narrative power of an Australian Robert Harris.

'Rewrites the script for spy fiction in the 21st century' Nigel Inkster, former director for operations and intelligence for MI6

©2025 Sam Guthrie (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure Espionage International Mystery & Crime Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Emotionally Gripping
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I really loved this book - great character play, enjoyed how it unfolds with enough intrigue to keep wanting to know more; and the descriptive language really brought the characters and settings to life - particularly in this audio version. Definitely work a read/listen and look forward to more from this author.

Captivating read

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Really enjoyed. Good performance from the narrator. Writing, plot and character development kept me hooked from start to finish. Impressive first book from the author. Will listen to the next one when it’s released.

Really enjoyable political thriller

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Completely gripping from the opening pages to the very end! I loved the geopolitical setting and just how contemporary the issues are. An impressive first novel and absolute five star read! ⭐️ Narration was excellent.

Absolutely gripping contemporary 5 star read

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The Peak by Sam Guthrie

I first heard about The Peak when Caroline Overington talked about it on her Instagram page, back in... maybe April (?), anyway, it was a while ago. I'm not usually into political thrillers, but when I saw it listed on NetGalley, I remembered Caroline's enthusiasm and requested it.

The Peak is Sam Guthrie's debut novel. It explores the line between right and wrong, where every action has a consequence, and the moral grey areas make for a twisty story, full of suspense and tension. While it's advertised as a geopolitical thriller, The Peak is really about friendships, family, flawed relationships and complicated emotional bonding.

If you are on the fence about reading this one, go to the bookshop (or the library) and read the first chapter. If you aren't hooked by the end of that chapter, just put it down and go home; it's just not for you (and that's OK!). But the chances are good that by the end of the very first chapter, you will be completely riveted.

The blurb suggests that if you enjoy political thrillers by authors like John le Carré, Daniel Silva, and Robert Harris, you might also enjoy this book. The truth is, I haven't read anything by those authors, so I couldn't say. However, if you like a well-paced thriller or a book that centres around complicated people with complicated relationships, then this might be a book you enjoy.

Body Count = 2 'in plain sight' but, seriously, that's a tricky question.

Thumbs up.

If you are on the fence, read the first chapter!

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