Liberation Square

A gripping high-concept thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Turnglass 
 
'This richly imagined thriller is set in an alternate past . . . Tightly plotted, tense and set in a chillingly plausible world' Sunday Mirror 
 
 'A gripping story, with heart' Best thrillers of 2019, Daily Telegraph 
 
***** 
 
 It's 1952 and Soviet troops control British streets. 
 
 After the disastrous failure of D-Day, Britain is rescued by Russian and American soldiers. The two superpowers divide the nation between them, a wall running through London like a scar. 
 
 On the Soviet side of the wall, Jane Cawson suspects her husband, Nick, of secretly seeing his ex-wife, Lorelei, glamorous star of Soviet propaganda films. 
 
But before Jane can confront them, Lorelei is murdered. 
 
 To her horror, Nick is arrested for the killing. Desperate to clear his name, Jane must risk the attention of the brutal secret police in order to discover the truth. 
 
Evading them, her search uncovers a trail of corruption - and the higher it leads, the more dangerous it becomes... 
 ___________ 
 
 'A gripping and well-imagined yarn' Sun 
 
 'A gripping murder mystery set in an alternative 1950s Britain . . . One not to miss' William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier 
 
 'A superb and intelligent piece of alternate history. By turns gripping, terrifying and trenchant, it is a remarkably assured debut' Stav Sherez, author of The Intrusions 
 
 'A twisting murder mystery combined with a chillingly plausible alternative history of a divided Cold War London. Brilliant' Mason Cross, bestselling author of The Samaritan 
 
 'A brilliantly researched, shockingly plausible thriller' Claire McGowan, author of The Fall 
 
 'A tantalising alternative world, and a murder mystery that's sure to appeal to fans of The Man in the High Castle, and Fatherland' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child

Gripping alternative history . . . Ingeniously plotted, with storytelling that's full of heart

This richly imagined thriller is set in an alternate past . . . Tightly plotted, tense and set in a chillingly plausible world

A taut, psychological thriller with a plausible twist, Rubin's debut novel does not disappoint . . . an extraordinary but believable tale of corruption, power play and black-market racketeering . . . Well researched and imaginative, Rubin's alternative history novel creates an eerie landscape full of menace . . . Writing with panache and creative flair, Rubin breathes credibility into a disturbing 'what if' scenario. Chilling and intriguing in equal measures

An interesting take on the 'What if we'd lost World War II?' debate. A gripping and well-imagined yarn

Rubin paints a shocking picture of what might have happened had we lost the Second World War and been invaded first by the Nazis and then the Soviet army. It's an edgy ride, a reminder that we should not take our freedom for granted

Far more than an intellectual exercise - it is a gripping story, with heart

Daily Telegraph, Best Thrillers of the Year

A riveting story of betrayal, corruption and dark secrets, set against the backdrop of a divided Britain

Rubin constructs a tantalising alternative world with 1950s Britain riven apart by its own version of the Berlin Wall - and all because the D-Day landings failed. Against this dystopian nightmare, the author overlays a murder mystery that's sure to appeal to fans of SS-GB, The Man in the High Castle, and Fatherland

David Young, CWA Dagger-winning author of Stasi Child

A gripping murder mystery set in an alternative 1950s Britain. Rubin's London, split between American and Soviet zones after a disastrous World War Two, is vividly realised and his story is elegantly constructed. One not to miss

William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

In the great tradition of SS-GB and Fatherland, Rubin's alternative-1950s murder mystery takes an ingenious premise - the Americans and the Soviets have carved up Britain between them after rescuing the country from the Nazis - and makes it come alive through sheer storytelling skill

A twisting murder mystery combined with a chillingly plausible alternative history of a divided Cold War London. Brilliant.

Mason Cross, Richard and Judy bestselling author of The Samaritan

Liberation Square is a superb and intelligent piece of alternate history. By turns gripping, terrifying and trenchant, it is a remarkably assured debut making Rubin's name one to watch out for in the crowded crime landscape

Stav Sherez, Gold Dagger-winning author of The Intrusions

A brilliantly researched, shockingly plausible thriller set in an alternative Britain

A stunningly plotted debut, that drags you at break-neck-speed through a nightmare alternative world that is eerily realistic. A must read

Gareth Rubin is an author and journalist who has written for most British national newspapers. He lives in London, and Liberation Square is his first novel.

1952. Soviet troops control British streets 
 
After the disastrous failure of D-Day, Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany, and only rescued by Russian soldiers arriving from the east and Americans from the west. The two superpowers divide the nation between them, a wall running through London like a scar. 
 
When Jane Cawson calls into her husband's medical practice and detects the perfume worn by his former wife, Lorelei, star of propaganda films for the new Marxist regime, she fears what is between them. But when Jane rushes to confront them, she finds herself instead caught up in the glamorous actress's death. 
 
Nick is soon arrested for murder. Desperate to clear his name, Jane must risk the attention of the brutal secret police as she follows a trail of corruption right to the highest levels of the state. 
 
And she might find she never really knew her husband at all.

Gareth Rubin

Exhaustively researched, superbly realised, The Winter Agent is a superior SOE novel. Gareth Rubin really knows his stuff and it shows on every page

Smart, stylish, meticulously researched. Rich in loyalty and double dealing, captures perfectly the horror and heroism, delivered at a cracking pace

Races along, with plenty of surprises

Brilliant. Blends meticulously researched history with a plot of double-crossing and deception

Gripping . . . For someone with a keen interest in history, as well as a love of a well-written thriller, this book provides perfect escapism

Praise for Liberation Square

(A) richly imagined thriller . . . Tightly plotted, tense and set in a chillingly plausible world

A twisting murder mystery combined with a chillingly plausible alternative history of a divided Cold War London. Brilliant

January, 1944. A bitter winter grips occupied France, where Marc Reece leads an SOE circuit facing deadly risks, operating in secret to sabotage the German war effort. 
 
But Marc has a second mission, secret from even his fellow agents - including Charlotte, the woman with whom he has ill-advisedly fallen in love. Everyone knows that D-Day is coming, and that the hours following the Allied landings will decide the war - and every last scrap of information he can provide might make all the difference to the fate of the Western world. 
 
But when the circuit is ambushed - with deadly consequences - Marc realizes there may be a spy in their ranks, putting at risk everything they've been fighting for. 
 
Then Charlotte goes missing. Marc faces an awful question - is she in peril, or has he been betrayed by the only woman he was sure he could trust? And if he risks everything in order to find her, what will become of his mission and of the lives that depend on it? 
 
Dramatic and atmospheric, this is the story of a man operating in the darkest of circumstances, and the unimaginable sacrifices war demands of those who fight it.

The Winter Agent

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

The perfect gift? A Penguin Shop gift card

Gareth Rubin

Praise for The Winter Agent

**Exhaustively researched, superbly realised, The Winter Agent is a superior SOE novel**. Gareth Rubin really knows his stuff and it shows on every page

Smart, stylish, meticulously researched. Rich in loyalty and double dealing, captures perfectly the horror and heroism, delivered at a cracking pace

Races along, with plenty of surprises

**Exhaustively researched, superbly realised, The Winter Agent is a superior SOE novel**. Gareth Rubin really knows his stuff and it shows on every page

Smart, stylish, meticulously researched. Rich in loyalty and double dealing, captures perfectly the horror and heroism, delivered at a cracking pace

Races along, with plenty of surprises

**Exhaustively researched, superbly realised, The Winter Agent is a superior SOE novel**. Gareth Rubin really knows his stuff and it shows on every page

Smart, stylish, meticulously researched. Rich in loyalty and double dealing, captures perfectly the horror and heroism, delivered at a cracking pace

Races along, with plenty of surprises

Books by Gareth Rubin

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter