Canelo to publish A Spy at War, the sequel to A Spy Alone, by former MI6 operative, Charles Beaumont

Canelo is delighted to announce it will be publishing A Spy at War by Charles Beaumont on 27 March 2025 in mass market paperback and ebook formats. It is the sequel to runaway word-of-mouth espionage thriller sensation A Spy Alone.

Since publication in November 2023, A Spy Alone has sold over 55,000 units across all formats, and was praised by James O’Brien (‘One of the best books I’ve read’), Luke Harding (‘The best spy novel I’ve read in years’) actor Bill Nighy (‘A cracker of a debut’), the FT (‘Highly accomplished’), Times (‘First class’) and Private Eye (‘Everything a le Carré fan could ever wish for’), among others. TV rights have been snapped up by Elaine Collins at Tod Productions, creator of Vera, Shetland and Criminal Record for Apple TV+, as has recently been reported.

The author, Charles Beaumont – writing pseudonymously – is a former MI6 operative who worked undercover in war zones, on diplomatic missions and in international business. His work spanned two decades and four continents.

A Spy at War is the second book in a planned trilogy, and will see main character Simon Sharman head to the war-torn Donbas region of 2022’s Ukraine to track down the Chechen assassin who killed his colleague.

The novel lifts the lid on Russia’s disinformation tactics during this conflict, exposing how, while the war for Ukraine is being fought on the battlefield, another war is being fought behind the scenes for global public opinion.

To mark the release of A Spy at War Canelo will invest in a major marketing and publicity campaign including a widespread proof mailing, social media trailers and high-impact advertising.

Commissioning Editor Craig Lye says: ‘It has been incredible to see A Spy Alone do so well and receive the accolades it richly deserves. A Spy at War takes the promise of the first novel and dials the tension and stakes up to eleven. Charles offers insights into the modern world few can articulate so clearly, and fans of the first novel will find their eyes widening once again at what is really going on. It has been an absolute privilege to work with Charles.’

Charles Beaumont says: ‘I couldn’t have hoped for a better response to A Spy Alone, thanks in no small part to the brilliant efforts of the team at Canelo. So I’m very excited to be reaching this exciting milestone with A Spy at War. I hope that this book succeeds in being diverting and entertaining but above all I want it to help people understand why Ukraine really matters to all of us.’

A Spy at War will be published on 27 March 2025, in B-format MMP and ebook. Canelo acquired rights to the trilogy from Michael Dean at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

For more information please contact [email protected]