'Almost anything is edible with a dab of French mustard on it'

Head of State Paperback

Head of State

Andrew Marr

When a young investigative reporter is found dead on the streets of London few people notice. But when another body – minus its head and hands – is washed up on the banks of the Thames, its grisly condition arouses a little more interest.

There appears to be no connection between the two dead men. But, unsuspected by the electorate, there is a shocking and dangerous secret at the very heart of government. While the United Kingdom approaches a crucial and delicately-balanced referendum on Europe, a group of ruthlessly determined individuals will stop at nothing – including murder – to prevent the truth from getting out.

Andrew Marr’s first novel is a gleefully twisted spin through the corridors of power. Making full use of his unrivalled inside knowledge of the British political scene, Marr has threaded his wickedly clever thriller with a distinctive strand of pitch-black humour, to offer an irreverent glimpse behind the parliamentary curtain.

Reviews of Head of State

  • ‘A satirical fantasia … In Marr’s novel, full-blown farce and well-salted insider gossip edge into a sharper, if not wholly serious, look around the darker corners of the UK state … The Machiavellian melodrama of House of Cards … veers into The Thick of It, and then off into the shadows where fixers out of John Le Carre lurk … here Marr excels … Lively and enjoyable.’ Independent

    ‘Andrew Marr is a marvel … what makes ‘Head of State’ worth reading is that Marr is unbuttoned … witty and wicked’ Adam Boutlon, New Statesman

    ‘The hottest thriller in town’ Evening Standard

    ‘Brilliant’ Mail on Sunday

    ‘Riveting’ Sunday Times

    ‘Marr is a stylish writer … his cast of characters are all lively, his brief sketch of King Charles III is a mini-masterpiece’ Sunday Express

    ‘I bow to no one in my admiration for the author of this book … there are flowing passages and telling phrases that one would expect from such an accomplished writer … the jokes are excellent and the inner workings of government … are described with complete accuracy’ Guardian

    ‘The characterisation is excellent … There are few shrewder observers of Westminster and Fleet Street than Marr, and his deft touch is apparent throughout … Marr obviously had fun writing it, and communicates some of that fun to his readers’ Sunday Telegraph

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