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Codebreaker: An Emily Stearn Spy Thriller Omnibus
'Draws the reader into the desperate world of the Intelligence Service's constant battle to avert disaster.' Alan Bardos
The 13th Assassin
Emily Stearn is young, headstrong, logical - and believes that someone has murdered her Uncle Sebastian.
Whilst going through his belongings, after his sudden death, Emily discovers an encrypted journal.
It reveals that Sebastian, a Cambridge history professor, was a spy. Code name WHISPER.
His one mission came in 1981 when British Intelligence believed that he was the only agent capable of getting close to Colonel Igor Kalenkov. A disciple of the 13th Directorate – the Soviet killing and kidnapping department – Kalenkov was closely-guarded, and was planning an attack on the British Royal Family at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana to sow division in the West.
Sebastian arranged to lure the Russian into a trap for a sniper to take him out at Moscow’s international history convention.
As the journal surrenders its chilling secrets 40 years on, Emily believes that the Russians must have assassinated her uncle.
Emily is determined to uncover the truth, no matter what the cost.
The Hit List
A Russian assassin is operating on the streets of London.
Emily Stearn has recently joined British Intelligence. She is a trainee. Watching, listening, analysing. Nothing too dangerous. Until she witnesses a colleague gunned down amid a routine surveillance mission.
Emily is convinced the masked killer is a woman. But the department concludes the killing bears the hallmarks of Andrei Reblov, codename Tinman. Reblov is suspected of working through a hit list of defence chiefs in revenge for European nations supplying Ukraine with weapons following Russia’s invasion.
Emily tracks Reblov across Europe, linking him to deaths in Rome, Berlin and Brussels. Now she’s sure he is heading for Paris, where the British prime minister is meeting European leaders in Versailles’ historic Hall of Mirrors.
Easton’s attempt to foil Reblov’s most daring assassination leads to an encounter aboard the last train to Paris. With the fate of Europe’s leaders at stake, neither is prepared to back down.
The Killing Circle
Emily Stearn is an office-based secret intelligence officer with an expertise for deciphering codes.
When Sir Robert Bellingham, a high-ranking naval chief, is murdered, Stearn is given the opportunity to infiltrate a London gang of female mercenaries, prepared to maim and kill in pursuit of the UK’s defence secrets.
She discovers the women, known as the Ivan Group and controlled by Roman Smirnov, a charming but ruthless Russian oligarch, are already in possession of the UK’s most-guarded political secret, the Letter of Last Resort, setting out the nation’s orders in the event of a nuclear attack.
With its military strength weakened by war in Ukraine, and an agent aboard a UK submarine, Russia is prepared to do whatever it takes to break the code that the letter contains - to take control of Britain's nuclear arsenal.
When her true identity is discovered, Stearn is given a chilling ultimatum.
Frank Malley is a journalist and novelist who worked as a columnist for the Daily Express in London. He began writing books in 2014 and his memoir, Living on the Deadline, was acclaimed by the Library Journal of America as 'fun and exciting to read'.
The 13th Assassin
Emily Stearn is young, headstrong, logical - and believes that someone has murdered her Uncle Sebastian.
Whilst going through his belongings, after his sudden death, Emily discovers an encrypted journal.
It reveals that Sebastian, a Cambridge history professor, was a spy. Code name WHISPER.
His one mission came in 1981 when British Intelligence believed that he was the only agent capable of getting close to Colonel Igor Kalenkov. A disciple of the 13th Directorate – the Soviet killing and kidnapping department – Kalenkov was closely-guarded, and was planning an attack on the British Royal Family at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana to sow division in the West.
Sebastian arranged to lure the Russian into a trap for a sniper to take him out at Moscow’s international history convention.
As the journal surrenders its chilling secrets 40 years on, Emily believes that the Russians must have assassinated her uncle.
Emily is determined to uncover the truth, no matter what the cost.
The Hit List
A Russian assassin is operating on the streets of London.
Emily Stearn has recently joined British Intelligence. She is a trainee. Watching, listening, analysing. Nothing too dangerous. Until she witnesses a colleague gunned down amid a routine surveillance mission.
Emily is convinced the masked killer is a woman. But the department concludes the killing bears the hallmarks of Andrei Reblov, codename Tinman. Reblov is suspected of working through a hit list of defence chiefs in revenge for European nations supplying Ukraine with weapons following Russia’s invasion.
Emily tracks Reblov across Europe, linking him to deaths in Rome, Berlin and Brussels. Now she’s sure he is heading for Paris, where the British prime minister is meeting European leaders in Versailles’ historic Hall of Mirrors.
Easton’s attempt to foil Reblov’s most daring assassination leads to an encounter aboard the last train to Paris. With the fate of Europe’s leaders at stake, neither is prepared to back down.
The Killing Circle
Emily Stearn is an office-based secret intelligence officer with an expertise for deciphering codes.
When Sir Robert Bellingham, a high-ranking naval chief, is murdered, Stearn is given the opportunity to infiltrate a London gang of female mercenaries, prepared to maim and kill in pursuit of the UK’s defence secrets.
She discovers the women, known as the Ivan Group and controlled by Roman Smirnov, a charming but ruthless Russian oligarch, are already in possession of the UK’s most-guarded political secret, the Letter of Last Resort, setting out the nation’s orders in the event of a nuclear attack.
With its military strength weakened by war in Ukraine, and an agent aboard a UK submarine, Russia is prepared to do whatever it takes to break the code that the letter contains - to take control of Britain's nuclear arsenal.
When her true identity is discovered, Stearn is given a chilling ultimatum.
Frank Malley is a journalist and novelist who worked as a columnist for the Daily Express in London. He began writing books in 2014 and his memoir, Living on the Deadline, was acclaimed by the Library Journal of America as 'fun and exciting to read'.
862 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2023
1 person is currently reading
About the author
Frank Malley
13 books4 followersFrank Malley could tell you he has kicked with Jonny Wilkinson, played tennis with Greg Rusedski, sailed with Ben Ainslie and played in a cup final at Wembley.
All of which are true, but in reality he is a writer who spent a lifetime watching, reporting and marvelling at the feats of men and women with talents he could only ever dream about. It has taken him around the world to places as diverse as Tirana and Tokyo.
As a columnist and deputy sports editor with the Daily Express for 15 years and as chief writer with Press Association Sport, he covered Olympic Games, World Cups in football and rugby and top events in golf, tennis and motor racing.
He was also shortlisted for Columnist of the Year in the Sports Journalists’ Association awards.
Born in Wigan, he is the author of eight books, most recently THE KILLING CIRCLE - published by Sharpe Books (October 2023). The third and final book in the Emily Stearn series. An action-packed thriller in which the main code-breaking character infiltrates a gang of female mercenaries who are intent on stealing the UK's defence secrets.
THE HIT LIST, book 2 in the Emily Stearn thriller series, published on March 2nd 2023 by Sharpe Books is a fast-paced spy story pitting a young female British Intelligence officer against a top Russian assassin. It is the sequel to THE 13TH ASSASSIN, a cosy murder mystery cum spy tale, also published by Sharpe Books on 19 April 2022. This book was inspired by a holiday in the seaside resort of Weymouth overlooking Portland Bay, famous for the Portland Spy ring which operated in the 1950s and 60s.
His first novel, WHEN THE MIST CLEARS, was published on 14 May 2020 by Whisper Publishing and was inspired by his part-time voluntary work for charity, transporting cancer patients in an ambulance car to radiotherapy treatment. The book is a tribute to some of the inspiring characters who, despite their fears, invariably make the car journeys funny, irreverent and life affirming. All royalties go to the Primrose Car Service (part of the Bedford Hospital and Friends charity).
The sequel, a crime mystery entitled IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, featuring the same main characters, was released in August 2022.
Non-fiction publications:
LIVING ON THE DEADLINE is a memoir of his life as a sports journalist, described by the Library Journal of America as ‘Fun and exciting to read’ and ‘A warm and witty reflection of a career well spent’.
All royalties from this book go directly to a Multiple Sclerosis charity.
SIMPLY THE BEST– The inside story of how Wigan became rugby’s greatest cup team, pays homage to his home town of ‘pie eaters’ and arguably one of the most successful sports teams of all time. Royalties from this book also help support the Joining Jack charity, which was set up to aid Jack Johnson, the son of former Wigan player Andy Johnson, when he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The charity, backed by England rugby union captain Owen Farrell and many other sports stars, has grown into a multi-million-pound initiative which helps thousands of children suffering from the disease.
CHAMPIONS - the 26 year quest for glory, tells the story of Manchester United’s first Premier League title win. The book rose to number four in the UK best sellers’ charts and was endorsed and promoted by George Best.
He enjoys cycling, playing the piano and is a keen pub quizzer and box-set watcher. He lives with his wife, Carole, in a small, picturesque village in deepest Bedfordshire.
All of which are true, but in reality he is a writer who spent a lifetime watching, reporting and marvelling at the feats of men and women with talents he could only ever dream about. It has taken him around the world to places as diverse as Tirana and Tokyo.
As a columnist and deputy sports editor with the Daily Express for 15 years and as chief writer with Press Association Sport, he covered Olympic Games, World Cups in football and rugby and top events in golf, tennis and motor racing.
He was also shortlisted for Columnist of the Year in the Sports Journalists’ Association awards.
Born in Wigan, he is the author of eight books, most recently THE KILLING CIRCLE - published by Sharpe Books (October 2023). The third and final book in the Emily Stearn series. An action-packed thriller in which the main code-breaking character infiltrates a gang of female mercenaries who are intent on stealing the UK's defence secrets.
THE HIT LIST, book 2 in the Emily Stearn thriller series, published on March 2nd 2023 by Sharpe Books is a fast-paced spy story pitting a young female British Intelligence officer against a top Russian assassin. It is the sequel to THE 13TH ASSASSIN, a cosy murder mystery cum spy tale, also published by Sharpe Books on 19 April 2022. This book was inspired by a holiday in the seaside resort of Weymouth overlooking Portland Bay, famous for the Portland Spy ring which operated in the 1950s and 60s.
His first novel, WHEN THE MIST CLEARS, was published on 14 May 2020 by Whisper Publishing and was inspired by his part-time voluntary work for charity, transporting cancer patients in an ambulance car to radiotherapy treatment. The book is a tribute to some of the inspiring characters who, despite their fears, invariably make the car journeys funny, irreverent and life affirming. All royalties go to the Primrose Car Service (part of the Bedford Hospital and Friends charity).
The sequel, a crime mystery entitled IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, featuring the same main characters, was released in August 2022.
Non-fiction publications:
LIVING ON THE DEADLINE is a memoir of his life as a sports journalist, described by the Library Journal of America as ‘Fun and exciting to read’ and ‘A warm and witty reflection of a career well spent’.
All royalties from this book go directly to a Multiple Sclerosis charity.
SIMPLY THE BEST– The inside story of how Wigan became rugby’s greatest cup team, pays homage to his home town of ‘pie eaters’ and arguably one of the most successful sports teams of all time. Royalties from this book also help support the Joining Jack charity, which was set up to aid Jack Johnson, the son of former Wigan player Andy Johnson, when he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The charity, backed by England rugby union captain Owen Farrell and many other sports stars, has grown into a multi-million-pound initiative which helps thousands of children suffering from the disease.
CHAMPIONS - the 26 year quest for glory, tells the story of Manchester United’s first Premier League title win. The book rose to number four in the UK best sellers’ charts and was endorsed and promoted by George Best.
He enjoys cycling, playing the piano and is a keen pub quizzer and box-set watcher. He lives with his wife, Carole, in a small, picturesque village in deepest Bedfordshire.
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