Get ready, because Precipice, the next thriller from New York Times bestselling author Robert Harris, will be available in bookstores everywhere on September 3, 2024.
After nearly a decade of writing nonfiction, Robert Harris first made a name for himself in the fiction market when he released his debut novel, Fatherland, back in 1992. That book, a reimagining of World War II, set in an alternate universe where Nazi Germany won the war, was an instant bestseller and kicked off what would become a brilliant career for the former journalist. From historical fiction to spine-tingling espionage, Harris has straddled multiple genres, churning out such hits as Archangel (1998), An Officer and a Spy (2013), Munich (2017), The Second Sleep (2019), and many others. Most recently, he published Act of Oblivion in 2022, which is set in 1660 and follows Richard Nayler of the Privy Council, who is tasked with tracking down the regicides Edward Whalley and William Goffe. Though not as well reviewed as some of his past books, the story itself was notable due to Harris’ use of real-life characters, who make up the vast majority of the cast.
Now, Harris is gearing up to release Precipice—a story about a young British intelligence officer who’s assigned to investigate the disappearance of secret documents on the eve of WWI—later this fall.
Check out all the plot details and cover art below.
“Robert Harris is, simply put, masterful.”—Karin Slaughter
A spellbinding novel of passion, intrigue, and betrayal set in England in the months leading to the Great War from the bestselling author of Act of Oblivion, Fatherland, The Ghostwriter, and Munich.
Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe.
In London, twenty-six-year-old Venetia Stanley—aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless—is part of a fast group of upper-crust bohemians and socialites known as “The Coterie.” She’s also engaged in a clandestine love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state.
As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer with Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a leak of top-secret documents. Suddenly, what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that could topple the British government—and will alter the course of political history.
An unrivaled master of seamlessly weaving fact and fiction, Precipice is another electrifying thriller from the brilliant imagination of Robert Harris.
Robert Harris is the author of Act of Oblivion, Pompeii, Enigma, and Fatherland. He has been a television correspondent with the BBC and a newspaper columnist for London’s Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph. His novels have sold more than ten million copies and have been translated into thirty languages. He lives in Berkshire, England, with his wife and four children.
Readers looking to pre-order Harris’ next thriller can now do so here or anywhere else books are sold.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.