'Historical fiction of a high order' The Times To avoid war across Europe, a killing strike is needed. 1937. Flying for the infamous Condor Legion over the battlefields of Spain's civil war, Merz has been able to unleash the fearsome potential of the Luftwaffe's newest weapon against his opponents. In Dieter's hands, the Messerschmitt Bf-109 is as graceful as a matador's killing strike: la estocada . Scotsman and ex-marine Tam Moncrieff is recruited by a nameless intelligence agency in London to go to Germany and sound out Hitler's resolve. Does he really intend to invade Czechoslovakia? Do his generals support him? Can the march to war be stopped? As duty collides with conscience, fate will bring both men together. In a world wedded to violence and ambition, desperate steps must be taken. To avoid war a killing strike is needed. The question is, who is the matador, who is the bull? A gripping historical thriller based on real events, Estocada is part of the SPOILS OF WAR Collection, a thrilling, beguiling blend of fact and fiction born of some of the most tragic, suspenseful, and action-packed events of World War II. From the mind of critically acclaimed thriller author GRAHAM HURLEY , the blockbuster non-chronological collection allows the reader to explore Hurley's masterful storytelling in any order, with compelling recurring characters whose fragmented lives mirror the war that shattered the globe. “Graham Hurley is one of Britain's most under-appreciated thriller writers... [ Estocada is] an engrossing read'” ― Crime Time “Hurley weaves fact and fiction seamlessly together in another excellent work of suspense and intrigue” ― Soldier Magazine “With a strong plot, the author brings alive this period of intense political and social drama. The main characters are well-written, with the use of actual historical characters – Ribbentrop, Hitler, Churchill, etc., giving structure and support” ― Historical Novel Society Graham Hurley is a documentary maker and a novelist. For the last two decades he's written full-time, penning nearly fifty books. Two made the short list for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year, while Finisterre – the first in the Spoils of War collection – was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award. Graham lives in East Devon with his lovely wife, Lin. Follow Graham at grahamhurley.co.uk