If you were to approach me in the shop and ask how I’d describe this book in three words, I’d say: unputdownable, propulsive, and explosive. After I’d recovered from the shock opening, the subsequent few hours I spent reading The Peak simply flew by. This is my kinda book, and it’s definitely one for all the politics wonks and nerds out there whose Sundays begin with a panel discussion on the national broadcaster. You know who you are. Very likely you’ve got a subscription to the Quarterly Essay, you rewatch Paul Abbott’s State of Play (2003), anything Armando Iannucci has done, and you reckon that the O.G. Francis Urquhart (in the BBC’s House of Cards) was the best. At least, that’s what’s on my bingo card.

Political intrigue, contemporary geopolitics, and a national security threat all bubble away over the course of The Peak while Charlie Westcott grapples with the incredible events of the morning. Who, or rather, what had his best friend and colleague Sebastian Adler become? And what the hell is happening to the country? Why is the power out in Sydney and Melbourne? We’ve all had a shocker of a workday at some point, but this one takes the cake.

As with John le Carré and Frederick Forsyth, whose careers in intelligence made excellent foundations for their thriller writing, so does Sam Guthrie’s experience as a political insider in the diplomatic corps. From the attention to detail and the level of research, it is clear Guthrie worked long and hard on crafting, and then fine-tuning, this plot. Set across a 24-hour period, this is an astonishing and thoroughly accomplished debut. Bring on the next book, please!!!