INTRODUCING A CLASSIC SPY THRILLER FEATURING ASSASSIN-FOR-HIRE AUGUSTUS MANDRELL. ‘Exciting, hard-edged, full of tradecraft, whimsical eccentricity and rough-hewn philosophy.’ LEE CHILD Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Best Paperback Original Award. America, 1948. The exploits of the notorious assassin-for-hire Augustus Mandrell are legendary across two continents. But for a while, Scotland Yard can relax. Mandrell is crossing the Atlantic to ply his unholy trade in America. Seven years ago , Mandrell smuggled General Von Ritterdorf — one of Hitler’s doubles — out of Europe and onwards to Argentina. Now , Mandrell is back in America and working with the Hitler look-alike to block the New York Giants from winning the Pennant. But there’s much more at stake than a mere baseball game. And what’s more, Mandrell’s old foe Louis Proferra — now in the C.I.A — has reared his ugly head again. Proferra has been assigned the task of protecting the major-league baseball player Mandrell is hunting. Always a fly in the ointment, that guy. How many more body parts must Louis Proferra lose before he gets the message? Augustus Mandrell is sure one more won’t hurt . . . Fans of Len Deighton, Ian Fleming, George MacDonald Fraser and Frederick Forsyth will devour this classic spy series full of twists. Please note this edition includes a new introduction by award-winning crime writer Mike Ripley. PRAISE FOR FRANK MCAULIFFE: ‘Mandrell combines the gallows humour of the first grave-digger of Hamlet, the elusiveness of the Scarlet Pimpernel, the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes, the assassin soul of James Bond and the raffish charm of Raffles.’ Cleveland Plain Dealer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Among the cleverest, funniest books ever written in any genre.’ Socrates 17 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Some of my very favourite books .’ M.Brandes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of the greatest characters I have ever come across .’ Richard ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Terrific . . . One of the best anti-heroes in fiction.’ Jim H. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Black comedy at its finest . . . There is nothing I can recommend more highly .’ Bill R. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Augustus Mandrell is a new hero to my pantheon. Dark, twisted, funny .’ Marley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wonderfully dark, wicked, hilarious, twisted stories.’ Doctor M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sharply written, with wry humour. Very good .’ Chris MEET AUGUSTUS MANDRELL — but be careful when you do . . . No one is sure who Augustus Mandrell is, where he came from, or where he will turn up next. He is a master of disguise, a connoisseur of beautiful women, and an expert assassin. He can speak several languages — and lie fluently in all of them. He will kill anyone for a price — and he doesn’t leave witnesses. From England in 1939 to America in 1950, via France, Iran and Ireland during and just after World War II, the services of Mandrell Limited are available to all — or all who can pay. Each commission comes with a contract which has two main clauses: (1) You will be charged a fee in keeping with the excellence of the service; (2) You will pay that fee. (3) Woe betide anyone who ignores Clause (2). ALSO BY FRANK MCAULIFFE CLASSIC SPY THRILLERS Book 1: OF ALL THE BLOODY CHEEK! Book 2: RATHER A VICIOUS GENTLEMAN Book 3: FOR MURDER I CHARGE MORE