Tim Ayliffe goes full throttle in Killer Traitor Spy, which sees journalist John Bailey and CIA officer Ronnie Johnson facing up against a deadly cabal, and a conspiracy with global implications. It begins with the attempted murder of a Russian millionaire in Sydney, then bolts from scene to scene, catapulting between the perspectives of Bailey and Johnson, and culminating in a spectacular finale. And just as you’re getting your breath back, there’s room for one last twist.
Ayliffe has carved a distinct place on the map of Australian thriller writers. His stripped, punchy writing style reminds me of John Sandford fused with the geopolitics of classic Robert Ludlum. He’s able to keep a story engine churning like nobody else.
Simon McDonald 