We are thrilled to bring you the third in our series of commentaries on spy novels read by the students of Fiction and Espionage at the University of Edinburgh.
This week on the Spybrary Spy Book Podcast the students discuss The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming. The students, sorry ‘The Dead Drops‘ share their views and observations on The Trinity Six and reflect on a conversation they held with the author Charles Cumming prior to this episode.
Please do check out the intro to this series to give you some context around what the students were requested to produce for the course.
So what is Trinity Six by Charles Cumming all about?
Charles Cumming Interview – The Trinity Six from the whole buffalo on Vimeo.
A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book for 2011
The most closely-guarded secret of the Cold War is about to be exposed – the identity of a SIXTH member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring. And people are killing for it…
London, 1992. Late one night, Edward Crane, 76, is declared dead at a London hospital. An obituary describes him only as a ‘resourceful career diplomat'. But Crane was much more than that – and the circumstances surrounding his death are far from what they seem.
Fifteen years later, academic Sam Gaddis needs money. When a journalist friend asks for his help researching a possible sixth member of the notorious Trinity spy ring, Gaddis knows that she's onto a story that could turn his fortunes around. But within hours the journalist is dead, apparently from a heart attack.
Taking over her investigation, Gaddis trails a man who claims to know the truth about Edward Crane. Europe still echoes with decades of deadly disinformation on both sides of the Iron Curtain. And as Gaddis follows a series of leads across the continent, he approaches a shocking revelation – one which will rock the foundations of politics from London to Moscow…
“Cumming's novel is characterized by a gripping sense of realism. He displays a vast knowledge of spycraft and Cold War history, and the dense, three-dimensional world he crafts comes complete with seedy hotels and smoky nightclubs. The result is absolutely gripping. Taut, atmospheric and immersive—an instant classic.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Trinity Six
The Trinity Six is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Thrillers title.
Intrigued? Find out more about Charles Cumming
Want to know more about Charles Cumming? Check out his official site. You can also check out her other novels on his Amazon Author page.
Fiction and Espionage Series on the Spybrary Spy Podcast in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh
Session 1 – Free Agent by Jeremy Duns
Session 2 – Black Bear by Aly Monroe
Session 3 – Trinity Six by Charles Cumming
Session 4 – Liars Candle by August Thomas
Session 5 – Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Join the Spybrary Listeners and Readers Group
