Quantum of Menace

Filled with wit and verve, Vaseem Khan brings his vibrant and dynamic style to this spin-off cosy crime series set in the world of James Bond. Charming, drily humorous, and intelligently crafted, Quantum of Menace, the first in the Q mystery books, will appeal to Bond fans, readers of Murder Before Evensong, The Thursday Murder Club and Slow Horses novels, and those who are looking for a new take on clever crime fiction. 'Excellent. An entertaining mash-up of Fleming, Le Carré and the best of British detective fiction' CHARLIE HIGSON AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW Q is out of MI6 . . . . . . and in over his head After Major Boothroyd (aka Q) is unexpectedly ousted from his role with British Intelligence developing technologies for MI6's 00 agents, he finds himself back in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. His childhood friend, renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a cryptic note. The police seem uninterested, but Q feels compelled to investigate and soon discovers that Napier's ground-breaking work may have attracted sinister forces . . . Can Q decode the truth behind Napier's death, even as danger closes in? 'Fast, wise, funny, suspenseful and highly recommended' LEE CHILD 'A cunning and propulsive thriller brimming with wit. A sparkling addition to Bond's literary universe' MARK BILLINGHAM 'Clever, cunning and quirky ... Quintessential Khan' MICK HERRON 'A wonderful novel, escapist and playful, but with moments of deep tenderness and serious comment' ANN CLEEVES 'Punchy, witty, smart and thrilling' JANICE HALLETT 'An irresistible cocktail of thrills, wit, and style ... Fans of Slow Horses will LOVE this' WILL DEAN 'An original idea, brilliantly executed; shaken not stirred' RAGNAR JÓNASSON 'Only one man could bring a fan favourite 007 character to life with such wit and skill: the name's Khan, Vaseem Khan' BENJAMIN STEVENSON

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India, the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House historical crime novels set in 1950s Bombay. His first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020, and is translated into 17 languages. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House won the Crime Writers Association Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. In 2006, he returned to the UK and joined University College London's Department of Security and Crime Science, where he has helped manage the Dawes Centre for Future Crime. In 2023, Vaseem was elected Chair of the UK Crime Writers' Association.