Crossfire

Wilbur Smith
(with David Churchill)

STILL haunted by the ghosts from deadly events in occupied Belgium, Special Operations Executive’s Saffron Courtney is now sailing to America on a mission that could save – or scupper – the Allies’ plans for military success.

On board the Queen Mary with Saffron in late spring of 1943 is British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who is heading for crucial talks with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but before the two leaders meet, she must embark on a race against time to track down the mole who is on treacherous manoeuvres in the British Embassy in Washington DC .

From the dawn of the 17th century right through to the 20th century, we have witnessed the fortunes and misfortunes of the sprawling and ambitious Courtney family as they negotiate war, social upheaval and the dark side of history. Their creator is the phenomenally successful South African author Wilbur Smith (below, left), a legendary figure in historical adventure fiction who died in 2021 and left behind a vast literary legacy of over 40 novels, including the Courtney, Ballantyne, and Egyptian series. Since 2015, critically acclaimed writer David Churchill (below, right) has co-authored several of the later Courtney books, helping to successfully usher Smith’s treasure trove of family sagas into a thrilling new era which fuses real history, action, drama and espionage.

Crossfire is the staggering 25th book in the Courtney series and, after following her daring deeds in Courtney’s War and Legacy of War, we meet up once again the feisty, fearless Saffron Courtney who grew up on a sprawling Kenyan estate under the watchful eye of her distinguished war veteran father Leon Courtney but was lured to England by her thirst for knowledge and adventure.

Now it’s 1943 and the tide of the Second World War is turning. The Russian victory at Stalingrad – one of the bloodiest battles in history – has opened the door into Europe for the Allies who must now move in and strike decisively at the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Twenty-three-year-old Saffron Courtney is sailing from the west coast of Scotland to New York on the Queen Mary. Her mission is two-fold… to gather support for the Special Operations Executive and also, more importantly, to uncover a Nazi spy ring and a mole hidden deep within the British Embassy in Washington DC.

Churchill and Roosevelt – two of the world’s most powerful men  who are seen as the ‘living symbols of the Allied cause’ – are about to begin talks that will determine British and American military strategy for the next two years and it is vital that the enemy don’t discover their top secret plans.

Meanwhile, what Saffron doesn’t yet realise is that while she is on the tail of a ruthless spy, there are equally dangerous agents pursuing her, desperate for justice following the death of Hauptsturmführer Karsten Schröder, a powerful Nazi officer whom she killed in self-defence while on operations the previous year.

With the safety of not only the nation but also Saffron herself, under threat, can she uncover the truth and expose the dangerous plots before it’s too late for both herself and the pivotal Allied push into Europe?

Crossfire, a suspense-packed, fast-moving tale of perilous cat-and-mouse espionage, daring, and duty to king, country and family, is a thrilling journey alongside the latest, memorable member of the incredible Courtney family as the tough, clever and resilient Saffron risks life and limb in the battle to stop the derailing of an Allied advance through Europe.

As time starts to run out for undercover agent Saffron to foil a traitorous and potentially disastrous conspiracy plot, the tension ratchets up to breaking point and traumatic events from Saffron’s tumultuous time in Belgium threaten to overwhelm her. Setting the latest Courtney saga amidst of one of the most brutal wars in history was always going to be an electrifying chapter… and this new white-knuckle ride for long-suffering Saffron certainly delivers!
(Zaffre, paperback, £9.99)