The City of Strangers

The SUNDAY TIMES top 20 bestseller!

Shortlisted for the CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger Award

New York, 1939: A city of hope. A city of opportunity. A city hiding dark secrets …

A brutal murder in an affluent suburb of Dublin and the unexplained death of an Irish diplomat in Manhattan…

Garda Sergeant Stefan Gillespie is sent to America to bring a killer to justice, but his mission soon becomes part of an increasingly personal struggle. A chance encounter with an old friend draws him deep into a chilling network of conspiracy, espionage and terror with disturbing connections to home.

He becomes more involved than he should in an Irish woman’s bid for freedom from the clutches of the Manhattan underworld, and discovers that the war that is looming in Europe is already being played out here on the streets, with deadly consequences.

In this time when people must make a stand for what they believe in, the stakes for Stefan Gillespie, and everything he holds dear, couldn’t be higher.

Elegant and atmospheric, The City of Strangers is a perfect thriller for fans of C.J. Sansom and Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Reviews

‘Complex but compelling … utterly vivid and convincing …Michael Russell’s style is a pleasure: easy, fluent, clear, always calm and never over-heated. The result is an exciting comfort read, which sounds like a paradox but isn’t’ (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY)

‘Part thriller and part historical novel, this is a blinder of a read!’ (SUN)

Praise for City of Shadows:
‘A superb, atmospheric thriller…A page turner of high quality, populated by a marvellous set of fictional characters, interwoven cleverly with real characters of the era. Highly recommended’ (Irish Independent)

‘A great insight into a turbulent time in Dublin and Ireland, in a challenging-to-your-heartbeat kind of way’ (Evening Herald)

‘In action ranging from Dublin to Danzig Russell has drawn on real-life Irish characters whose decent behaviour in the face of the impending Holocaust has been sadly lost over the years. This book has triumphantly revived their reputation’ (Jewish Chronicle)

‘This is a sterling debut not to be rushed, but to be savoured’ (www.crimesquad.com)

About the author

Michael Russell read English at Oxford before spending three years working in farming in North Devon, trying to get someone to pay him to write. He worked for Yorkshire Television as a script editor, on Emmerdale Farm, working his way up to Series Producer. He also spent several years in the Drama Department, first as Script Consultant then Producer, before leaving ITV to write full-time. He was a regular contributor to Midsommer Murders and scripted the last ever Touch of Frost which topped the ratings. He lives in Ireland with his family, where he is doing what he always wanted to do, writing novels.