The Hidden Hand
ISBN: 9781526652713
Description
Li Min, a Chinese student, is forced by her government to transfer from Harvard to Oxford University, where she is recruited to an elite Chinese study centre based out of St Felix's College. Meanwhile, the centre's newly recruited head stumbles on its more sinister purpose: recruiting Chinese and sympathetic British students to steal high-value research and intellectual property. Unsure who at the university he can trust, he turns to CIA agent Manon Tyler for help. But as Li and another Chinese-American student are drawn deeper into a deadly game, will Manon be able to penetrate the heart of St Felix's secrets in time to save them?
Reviewed on 31st August 2025
Manon Tyler returns for a second spy adventure when a Chinese student, a leading expert in deepfakes, is unexpectedly moved by her government to Oxford.
This is a great spy novel from someone who really knows the industry inside out, and has a sense of utter realism throughout. Mostly, this makes it extremely compelling to read, although in some places does feel like it's led to things feeling more mundane than they might from the pen of another thriller author.
I love the set-up, and the world-building, the various characters that are introduced, and how their relationships develop alongside the plot. It shows how difficult it can sometimes be to do the right thing, or even to determine what the right thing might be, from a number of different angles.
A great holiday read that I raced through. I'm only sad that there can't be more adventures.
