Breathe

'Donald combines historical events and fictional characters to superb effect, in a novel that deserves to win prizes' The Sunday Times

'Remarkably accomplished . . . the most appealing, original protagonist I've read for some time . . . Donald's depiction of the city's thickening gloom is splendidly evocative . . . A very impressive debut' Observer

A stunning debut crime novel for fans of Robert Harris, Philip Kerr and C.J. Sansom's Dominion.

London, 1952. Dick Bourton is not like the other probationer policemen in Notting Hill. He fought in Europe and then Korea, and has now brought his exotically beautiful Russian fiancee back to drab streets and empty bombsites.

The new copper also has a mind of his own. After an older colleague is shot by a small-time gangster in a pea-souper fog, Bourton begins to make connections his superiors don't want to see, linking a series of deaths with the fogs that stop the city in its tracks.

Desperate to prove himself, Bourton fails to notice the fear which his mysterious bride is doing her best to conceal - and overcome. Soon both are taking dangerous paths into the worst fog London has ever known...

**

'London had gone. As he stepped through the wicket, a dry smoky chill puffing over the lintel, everything that made the city - skyline, street signs, crowds, scarlet double-deckers - had disappeared, lost in the murk. I can't see the kerb, for God's sake, let alone Barker's across the road. He looked both ways, the chill crawling down his neck . . . Coshing gangs will love this. And our man. But we're on your trail, sunshine. He raised his hat to Marling, locking up behind. Tomorrow we nab you.'

“Remarkably accomplished . . . the most appealing, original protagonist I've read for some time . . . Donald's depiction of the city's thickening gloom is splendidly evocative . . . A very impressive debut ' - ObserverA brilliant book, an extraordinary mix of fiction and fact so real it will make your skin crawl. The sights, sounds, grit and desperation of postwar London hang over every step into the poisonous mysteries of the fog. Close the windows, pull up the duvet and keep the light on.Dominick Donald is an exceptional writer. His depiction of post-war London is beautifully detailed, as are his descriptions of the lethal fogs that left the city gasping for breath. On top of that he has peopled his nail-biting story with a rich variety of characters, many of them coppers, who might easily have stepped out of a Dickens novel. Gripping to the last page, it's a mystery unlike any other I've read.Dominick Donald's portrayal of the difficulties and dangers faced by Londoners is superb . . . Breathe is a hugely impressive debut . - The TimesAn outstanding debut . . . Donald combines historical events and fictional characters to superb effect, in a novel that deserves to win prizes. - The Sunday Times, Crime Book of the MonthThis subtly woven mixture of fiction and fact , which partly draws on the notorious case of 10 Rillington Place and the serial killer Reg Christie, casts a magical spell , and even includes a moving love story. It is a stunning debut from a former academic, security expert and journalist. You can smell the fog and feel the breath being sucked out of your body as you struggle to understand what is happening in the darkness - Daily MailThis debut will keep you absorbed for nights on end . . . Dominick Donald combines tangy depiction of ration-era London with a strong historical context , featuring among many vividly realised scenes, a chase through the Underground that will haunt your commute for weeks. - MetroThe combination of thriller plot with pervasive moral uncertainty reminded me at times of le Carre. Historically fascinating, too. All in all, this is one of the finest debuts I've read for a while.”

Remarkably accomplished . . . the most appealing, original protagonist I've read for some time . . . Donald's depiction of the city's thickening gloom is splendidly evocative . . . A very impressive debut' - Observer

A brilliant book, an extraordinary mix of fiction and fact so real it will make your skin crawl. The sights, sounds, grit and desperation of postwar London hang over every step into the poisonous mysteries of the fog. Close the windows, pull up the duvet and keep the light on.

Dominick Donald is an exceptional writer. His depiction of post-war London is beautifully detailed, as are his descriptions of the lethal fogs that left the city gasping for breath. On top of that he has peopled his nail-biting story with a rich variety of characters, many of them coppers, who might easily have stepped out of a Dickens novel. Gripping to the last page, it's a mystery unlike any other I've read.

Dominick Donald's portrayal of the difficulties and dangers faced by Londoners is superb . . . Breathe is a hugely impressive debut. - The Times

An outstanding debut . . . Donald combines historical events and fictional characters to superb effect, in a novel that deserves to win prizes. - The Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month

This subtly woven mixture of fiction and fact, which partly draws on the notorious case of 10 Rillington Place and the serial killer Reg Christie, casts a magical spell, and even includes a moving love story. It is a stunning debut from a former academic, security expert and journalist. You can smell the fog and feel the breath being sucked out of your body as you struggle to understand what is happening in the darkness - Daily Mail

This debut will keep you absorbed for nights on end . . . Dominick Donald combines tangy depiction of ration-era London with a strong historical context, featuring among many vividly realised scenes, a chase through the Underground that will haunt your commute for weeks. - Metro

The combination of thriller plot with pervasive moral uncertainty reminded me at times of le Carre. Historically fascinating, too. All in all, this is one of the finest debuts I've read for a while.

Dominick Donald was brought up in Britain and the US before studying at Oxford University. Stints as a soldier, a lecturer, a UN official and an editorial writer, plus a War Studies PhD, led eventually to political risk analysis for a large London firm, which he left in 2016 as its Head of Geopolitics. He has written editorials for The Times and US business magazine Red Herring, and reviews for the Guardian and the TLS. Now a freelance writer and political risk advisor, he is married with three children and lives on the Oxfordshire-Wiltshire border.

'Donald combines historical events and fictional characters to superb effect, in a novel that deserves to win prizes' The Sunday Times 'Remarkably accomplished . . . the most appealing, original protagonist I've read for some time . . . Donald's depiction of the city's thickening gloom is splendidly evocative . . . A very impressive debut' Observer A stunning debut crime novel for fans of Robert Harris, Philip Kerr and C.J. Sansom's Dominion. London, 1952. Dick Bourton is not like the other probationer policemen in Notting Hill. He fought in Europe and then Korea, and has now brought his exotically beautiful Russian fiancee back to drab streets and empty bombsites. The new copper also has a mind of his own. After an older colleague is shot by a small-time gangster in a pea-souper fog, Bourton begins to make connections his superiors don't want to see, linking a series of deaths with the fogs that stop the city in its tracks.Desperate to prove himself, Bourton fails to notice the fear which his mysterious bride is doing her best to conceal - and overcome. Soon both are taking dangerous paths into the worst fog London has ever known...**'London had gone. As he stepped through the wicket, a dry smoky chill puffing over the lintel, everything that made the city - skyline, street signs, crowds, scarlet double-deckers - had disappeared, lost in the murk. I can't see the kerb, for God's sake, let alone Barker's across the road . He looked both ways, the chill crawling down his neck . . . Coshing gangs will love this. And our man. But we're on your trail, sunshine . He raised his hat to Marling, locking up behind. Tomorrow we nab you.'

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