The Peak by Sam Guthrie

Two best friends, one secret that could end the world.

'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 or trying to protect Sebastian. 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, his best friend and a member of Australia's parliament. Friends since school, they've always had each other's backs.

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 - 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 Service comes knocking.

What the hell did Sebastian do?

Sam Guthrie writes international political thrillers based on his experience working at the nexus of business, politics, and international diplomacy.

His character-driven fiction explores the human desires and frailties that shape world-altering events, drawing on an insider's knowledge of the machinations of power, political intrigue, and the geostrategic challenges confronting the global order.

Prior to publishing his first novel, The Peak, Sam had a twenty-five-year career in international relations serving as a trade envoy to China, an Asia Pacific corporate affairs adviser and political lobbyist and a senior government official.

He has worked extensively across Europe, the US and Asia, and has spent close to a decade living and working in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Prague. He has a master's degree in international relations.

'A confident, explosive debut from an author sure to be the next big thing.' Laura McCluskey, The Wolf Tree

'Gripping from the get go, The Peak is a compelling, rollicking thriller; a must read for fans of Le Carre and a terrifying glimpse into the very near future.' Steve Lewis, Secret City