The Predicament

By: William Boyd

Narrated by: George Blagden

Brought to you by Penguin.

BRITAIN'S MOST BELOVED STORYTELLER RETURNS WITH A TWISTING ADVENTURE OF OBSESSIVE LOVE AND ELEGANT ESPIONAGE . . .

Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel's reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realisation: there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy. In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher . . .

In The Predicament, the second novel starring accidental spy Gabriel Dax, William Boyd weaves yet another masterful tale of suspense, loyalty, love and the dark temptations of spy craft.

‘Extravagantly enjoyable' THE TIMES

‘William Boyd once again brings to the spy novel his particular storytelling genius’ MICK HERRON

‘Boyd is one of my favourite authors – he never disappoints’ KATE ATKINSON


© William Boyd 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

A swinging 60s espionage thriller

Boyd raises the stakes with his second Cold War novel featuring reluctant spy Gabriel Dax . . . a deft mix of espionage, desire, and moral compromise

Stylish stuff

A faultless evocation of 1960s England, masterful, old-fashioned storytelling. The second novel in a trilogy that’ll leave you wanting more

One of our most thrilling writers

Beautifully crafted, with echoes of le Carré, Greene and Forsyth, this is a superb evocation of a vanished world, seen through the eyes of a relatably hapless accidental hero

Boyd writes elegant prose and tells a convincing story, as he has been doing now for nearly 45 years