Pariah

A High-Stakes Spy Thriller of Celebrity and Corruption

From acclaimed thriller master Dan Fesperman comes a razor-sharp, high-stakes spy novel. When disgraced comedian Hal Knight is sent to infiltrate an Eastern European dictator’s inner circle, he must deliver the performance of his life—or die trying. A taut, intelligent, and powerful page-turner of power, deception, and redemption.

'A delightful blend of humour and high tension - Our Man in Havana for the twenty-first century' Mick Herron

‘Twisty, topical, and often darkly comedic, Pariah is Fesperman at his best' David McCloskey, author of Damascus Station

An adrenaline-fueled thriller about a disgraced comedian-turned-politician who takes on the role of a lifetime: infiltrating a corrupt Eastern European country to spy on their brutal dictator.

After a humiliating on-set incident, Hal Knight — movie star, comedian and former congressman — retreats to a Caribbean island to drown his career and pride. But when CIA operatives approach him with a wild proposition — to exploit the admiration of Bolrovia’s despot, Nikolai Horvatz — Hal seizes the chance for redemption.

As Horvatz’s guest of honour, Hal faces his greatest acting challenge yet. What begins as simple espionage becomes a deadly battle of wits, with consequences stretching from the palace to Washington.

With Pariah, Dan Fesperman delivers a razor-sharp story of espionage, celebrity and one man’s search for meaning amid power, deception and danger.