THE SECRET LIES WITHIN
TRAPPED IN A MAZE OF SECRETS AND LIES
WHAT IS THE “TRUTH” WHEN THE NUMBERS GET BIGGER?
When Joe Hawkins left the US State Department, he left international intrigue behind and took a prestigious position as a professor at Oxford University. His younger brother’s disappearance upends his tranquil academic life and plunges him into a world where covert government intelligence meets international high finance. His search for Sam will uncover his brother’s ties to a shadowy London investment firm and an insidious network of international corruption.
CAN YOU TRUST YOUR MEMORY AND SENSES?
MI6 psychiatrist Kate Farrow has cracked some tough cases, but when faced with a suspected terrorist suffering from torture-induced amnesia, she knows she’s in over her head. The clock is ticking, and Kate must unlock the secrets in his battered psyche to prevent the loss of innocent life. Only by discovering what lies at the core of her own identity will Kate find a way to separate the truth from a shell game of greed and exploitation.
MYSTERY, SUSPENSE AND UNEXPECTED ROMANCE
Skin in the Game is an intricately woven story of international political and corporate wrangling that takes readers on a fast-paced journey across Europe and the Middle East.
With a backdrop that includes the globalization of capital, the geopolitics of scarce resources, the proliferation of international arms sales and the prospect of a perpetual war on terrorism, Skin in the Game brings in to focus how government and business interact behind the closed doors of international finance, and highlights the ongoing debate concerning information imbalances in our society.
CAN SENSORY DEPRIVATION AND FORCED MEMORY LOSS DESTROY A NATIONAL IDENTITY?
When our governments take morally dubious actions in the name of national security, whose interests do they have in mind, what ends are sought?
“Powerful forces in society want only one thing — abject, servile characters, a stagnant pool of weaklings cowed by the fear of heresy, afraid to confront the truth.”
To what extent are we willing to compromise our own principles in order to defend them, and is the greater good ever served?
“When we lose the ability to stand up for ourselves, it is up to a small minority of people who have the inner strength to find and expose truth in society. It goes beyond the importance of any particular message – it is the act of speaking out that is vital. The character and bravery of the speaker, the whistle blower.”
Editorial Reviews
‘The Bottom Line: A breathtakingly intense conspiracy thriller ripped straight from the headlines. Brilliant characterization and a riveting global puzzle will have Jason Bourne fans clamoring for Byrne’s next installment in the series.’ — bestthrillers.com (awards list: The Best Thrillers of 2015)
‘Tomas Byrne’s first novel is an ingenious and seamless blend of fast-paced, page-turning, mainstream, at times almost Bondian fiction and something rather more mysterious, even weird and highly literary. This is an outstanding, richly entertaining, effortlessly smart and very promising debut. Skin in the Game is a book that deserves to be widely read and Byrne, already an assured talent, is an author to watch.’ — Karl French, book and film critic, author and editor
‘One is reminded of Orwell’s dystopian nightmare Nineteen Eighty-Four … Byrne’s vision is of such a world. He warns us not to fear the enemy “within” so much as the horrifying truth that the enemy is actually all around us, governs us, knows and controls everything we do and is prepared to do anything to preserve its power. One immediately recoils at such a thought, and attempts to deny the implications, but the insistency of the writing and the thrust of the unfolding plot make it impossible but to draw the same stark conclusions.’ — Jeremy Sheldon, screenwriter and author
‘A very superior thriller … Byrne adroitly manages the tension and confusion … entertaining and informed.’ — The Morning Star
‘VERDICT: Touchdown’ – The Wisconsin Lawyer
Select Customer Reviews
‘Web of intrigue — A tightly woven web of intrigue built on the foundations of the globalized world in which we now live, filled with corruption and deceit, blinded by greed and addicted to power.’
‘Skin in the Game challenges your intellect and makes you examine your personal ethics and beliefs. It is a spine tingling intelligence thriller that you will not want to stop reading. After you have read this book you WILL want to tell all your friends to read it.’
‘Absolutely spell binding well written book that resonates with the events shaping our world.’
‘Provocative, thoughtful and entertaining thriller — This is a book that will appeal to the reader who is looking to be enlightened and entertained … Your emotions are strung out by the masterful character development provoking empathy, shock, disbelief, disgust, hatred and compassion at various points in the narrative.’
‘A smart, timely and compelling read — A thinking person’s thriller which provides gripping insight into the world of finance, terrorism and corruption at the highest levels of government … a smart, viscerally compelling work of fiction.’
‘Philosophical Thriller — If Kafka and Dostoevsky had teamed up to write a 21st century perspective on terrorism, torture, and global terror from a British perspective, the result might be SKIN IN THE GAME.’
‘If you’re a bit tired of square-jawed action heroes operating in a simplified good-versus-evil world, then Skin in the Game is an uncommonly smart thriller … If you’re looking for a thriller that has got guts and a brain, then Skin in the Game is highly recommended indeed.’