Lady Somers is rich, beautiful and powerful – and the first woman to head up the Ministry of Defence. She also has something to hide. Catesby's job is to uncover her story and bury it forever. His quest leads him through the sex scandals of London in the Swinging Sixties – and then on to Moscow where he is provided with a shocking missive that changes everything. His next mission is a desperate mole hunt through the war-torn jungles of Southeast Asia, where he finally makes a heart-breaking discovery that is as personal as it is political. It is a secret that Catesby may not live to share.

This captivating novel is set in a world of distorted reflections where nothing or no one is what they seem to be. Thrilling and deeply intelligent, The Whitehall Mandarin reveals the most guarded intelligence secret of modern times – not only exploring the enigma of China's rise to head the superpowers, but plumbing the depths of sometimes unbelievable events that have changed our world.

Edward Wilson's page-turning thriller is not just a chilling story of multi-national espionage, terror, greed and duplicity, but a frightening and eye-opening exposé of secrets, lies and false promises that may not, in fact, be fiction.