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David McCloskey The Persian

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Code 9781800754041
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Binding: Paperback

Date Published: 02 Jul 2026

'A superb and compelling espionage drama inside the Iran Israel shadow war by the top spy thrillerist of these wild turbulent times' Simon Sebag Montefiore

'A great spy writer' Tim Shipman

What happens when a spy is forced to reckon with the consequences of his deception?

Kamran Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist from Stockholm, dreams of starting afresh in California. To finance his new life, he agrees to spy for Mossad in Iran, working with a clandestine unit tasked with sowing chaos and sabotage inside the country. When he's captured by Iranian security forces, Kamran is compelled to confess his experiences as a spy, in a testimonial dealing not only with the security of nations, but also with revenge, deceit, and the power of love and forgiveness in a world of lies.

Mixing suspense with strikingly cinematic action, David McCloskey takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel, delivering propulsive storytelling and riveting tradecraft.

THE FOURTH NOVEL FROM FORMER CIA OFFICER, THE REST IS CLASSIFIED PODCAST CO-HOST AND THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ***THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE YEAR***DAMASCUS STATION ('One of the best spy thrillers in years' THE TIMES) AND ***SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR*** MOSCOW X

READER REVIEWS

'A brilliant gripping read. This is one of his best books'

'An excellent read from the pen of one who has been there and done it all, especially in light of current events in the Middle East.'

'This is the best book I have read in years. A superb spy novel.'

'Couldn't put it down, this is an amazing book...This is a must read from a great writer!'

About the Author

David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst who worked in field stations across the Middle East and briefed senior White House officials and Arab royalty. His first novel, Damascus Station, was called 'one of the best spy thrillers in years' by The Times; his second, Moscow X, was a Sunday Times Thriller of the Year. His third, The Seventh Floor, was a Sunday Times bestseller, as was his fourth, The Persian. He is the co-host of the podcast The Rest is Classified, and lives in Texas.

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'Tragically topical and utterly gripping' - The Guardian


'Absolutely top-notch contemporary espionage fiction' Mail on Sunday


'A masterful work of fiction' - Financial Times


'High drama and twists with characters you care about. There is much here on love and loyalty as well as deep cover operations. It's deep and satisfying ... traits of great tradecraft and headlong dash to the end. It proves he is a great spy writer' - Tim Shipman, Spybrary


'A superb and compelling espionage drama inside the Iran Israel shadow war by the top spy thrillerist of these wild turbulent times' - Simon Sebag Montefiore


'The Persian sees David McCloskey write himself into a completely new and different context - both Israeli and Iranian - in a way that seems completely authentic. The story is gripping and wholly topical and the telling of it is wonderfully executed' - Charles Beaumont


'A could-not-be-more-topical thriller focusing on the covert machinations of players operating inside the crucible of the wider Middle East conflict. Caught between personal desires and the hostilities of nation states, these all-too-human actors, in McCloskey's hands, become both victims and aggressors of a war without end. An immaculate spy novel' - Vaseem Khan


'In four short years David McCloskey has written a quartet of spy thrillers which have rightly taken the genre by storm. The Persian is the best of the lot' - Charles Cumming


'McCloskey, once an analyst for the CIA, paces his revelations well and provides a clear view of the tensions in the Middle East and the history behind them' The Literary Review


'[A] taut political thriller.... Intricately plotted and populated with multidimensional characters whose complicated motives drive them to desperation, the novel deftly balances geopolitical tensions and human stakes. Fans of John le Carre will have a tough time putting this down' - Publishers Weekly


'David McCloskey keeps writing spy thrillers, and the plots keep coming true' - Mary Louise Kelly, NPR


'The Persian instantly pulls the reader into a completely plausible and dramatic story, told in a fluent and highly original style. The plot and the main characters are so credible you half expect to see it unfold on the following days' news. David McCloskey has written a clever novel which is hard to put down and is highly recommended' - Alex Gerlis


'Pitch-perfect, utterly gripping and deliciously timely. Seriously good' - The Express


'A thrilling read' - The Express


'David McCloskey made waves with his latest spy novel The Persian. Highlighting Mossad's unique tradecraft in the shadow war with Iran, McCloskey hits another home run in describing the actual feel of espionage operations. Former case officers like myself have celebrated McCloskey's writing, as getting our old world just right' - Marc Polymeropoulos, former CIA senior intelligence service officer


'McCloskey has evidently gleaned insights into the tradecraft of its intelligence services and that of their Mossad counterparts... Compelling' - The Times


'Former CIA Analyst McCloskey has established himself as one of the world's best spy novelists, but this, his fourth story, confir

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