The Late Train to Gipsy Hill

A woman hiding a deadly secret. And the man who went in search of adventure, but found himself in danger ...

'The Girl on the Train with a dash of Russian poisoning and a classic femme fatale' Sunday Telegragh

'A fast-moving plot ... expertly told.' Alastair Campbell

'A cracking crime thriller.' The Sun

'Really gripping, so many twists and turns' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW

'I couldn't put this book down.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW

'Action from start to finish' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW

Gary Nelson has a routine for the commute to his rather dull job in the city. Each day, he watches as a woman on the train applies her make up in a ritual he now knows by heart. He's never dared to strike up a conversation . . . but maybe one day.

Then one evening, on the late train to Gipsy Hill, the woman invites him to take the empty seat beside her. Fiddling with her mascara, she holds up her mirror and Gary reads the words 'HELP ME' scrawled in sticky black letters on the glass.

From that moment, Gary's life is turned on its head. He finds himself on the run from the Russian mafia, the FSB and even the Metropolitan Police - all because of what this mysterious young woman may have witnessed. In the race to find out the truth, Gary discovers that there is a lot more to her than meets the eye . . .

Readers love Alan Johnson and The Late Train to Gipsy HIll

'A fast-moving plot ... expertly told. The fact it comes from the pen of a former Home Secretary makes the rich security detail all the more powerful' Alastair Campbell

'Espionage, the Russian Mafia and a gorgeous female on a train with a deadly secret' Fiona Phillips

'Johnson's writing style is easy, relaxed, self-deprecating . . . impressive' Observer

'Johnson writes wonderfully' Telegraph

'This boy can write . . .' The Spectator

“The Girl on the Train with a dash of Russian poisoning and a classic femme fatale-- Sunday Telegragh”

Fascinating and ingenious. Melvyn Bragg
A smart, captivating, modern but timeless thriller. John Marrs
A fast-moving plot, complex but all too credible, expertly told. The fact it comes from the pen of a former Home Secretary makes the rich security detail and the myriad relationships all the more powerful. Alastair Campbell
Featuring espionage, the Russian Mafia and a gorgeous female on a train with a deadly secret, the tantalising plot has set Alan up for dominance of the bestseller charts for years to come. Fiona Phillips
Is there no limit to his talents? Not content with being a top politician, and a very nice feller, he turns his hand to writing four memoirs, which win prizes and awards and sell bucketloads. God I was spitting with envy. Why didn't he just stick to politics? I absolutely loved Alan's new thriller, it's brilliant. Hunter Davies
Blends gentle humour and brutal assassination into a cracking crime thriller The Sun
The Girl on the Train with a dash of Russian poisoning and a classic femme fatale Sunday Telegragh

An enormously enjoyable caper that switches fluently between the fugitive duo, flummoxed cops and émigré spooks, intellectuals and gangsters.

Sunday Times

A very promising start to a career in fiction

Daily Mail

It's Johnson's witty, genial presence shining through the story that makes The Late Train to Gipsy Hill worth reading

Daily Record
Fast-paced, whimsical and charmingly genteel, The Late Train to Gipsy Hill is a hugely enjoyable caper Irish Times

Alan Johnson's childhood memoir THIS BOY was published in 2013. It won the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, and the Orwell Prize, Britain's top political writing award. His second volume of memoirs, PLEASE MR POSTMAN (2014) won the National Book Club award for Best Biography. The final book in his memoir trilogy, THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD (2016), won the Parliamentary Book Award for Best Memoir. IN MY LIFE - A MUSIC MEMOIR was published in 2018 and his highly acclaimed first novel, THE LATE TRAIN TO GIPSY HILL was published in 2021. The sequel ONE OF OUR MINISTERS IS MISSING followed up in 2022, and a third book in the series DEATH ON THE THAMES will be published in March 2024.

Alan was a Labour MP for 20 years before retiring ahead of the 2017 general election. He served in five cabinet positions in the Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown including Education Secretary, Health Secretary and Home Secretary.

He and his wife Carolyn live in East Yorkshire.

A woman hiding a deadly secret. And the man who went in search of adventure, but found himself in danger ... Gary Nelson has a routine for the commute to his rather dull job in the city. Each day, he watches as a woman on the train applies her make up in a ritual he now knows by heart. He's never dared to strike up a conversation . . . but maybe one day.Then one evening, on the late train to Gipsy Hill, the woman invites him to take the empty seat beside her. Fiddling with her mascara, she holds up her mirror and Gary reads the words 'HELP ME' scrawled in sticky black letters on the glass.From that moment, Gary's life is turned on its head. He finds himself on the run from the Russian mafia, the FSB and even the Metropolitan Police - all because of what this mysterious young woman may have witnessed. In the race to find out the truth, Gary discovers that there is a lot more to her than meets the eye . . . Readers love Alan Johnson and The Late Train to Gipsy HIll 'A fast-moving plot ... expertly told. The fact it comes from the pen of a former Home Secretary makes the rich security detail all the more powerful' Alastair Campbell'Espionage, the Russian Mafia and a gorgeous female on a train with a deadly secret' Fiona Phillips'Johnson's writing style is easy, relaxed, self-deprecating . . . impressive' Observer 'Johnson writes wonderfully' Telegraph 'This boy can write . . .' The Spectator

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