The Predicament

Author: Boyd, William

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 9 April 2026 by Penguin Books Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 304 pages
195 x 130 x 21 | 216g

‘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‘The Predicament is ingenious, thrilling and wonderfully entertaining’ JOHN BANVILLE'Boyd’s addictive storytelling is at its very best as he navigates a collision of chance, ambition and human frailty' HER MAJESTY QUEEN CAMILLA---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, Britain's most beloved storyteller returns with a twisting adventure of obsessive love and elegant espionage from, from Sunday Times bestseller William Boyd.