Reading this first-rate debut novel The Fifteenth Man by William Cook is like having a swig from a long forgotten bottle of vodka just rediscovered. You know what you’re about to get but as you take a considered gulp, it kicks in like a steam train it continues to take you by surprise.
He writes in a world weary way that is knowingly familiar and yet fresh and engaging. There are strains of Len Deighton running through these pages, Cook has similar brush strokes and that’s not a bad thing by any means. Deighton’s nine book series collectively known as the Bernie Samson novels comes to mind, that lost Berlin, a world of talking shadows and whispering doors, set when the Berlin wall had just come crumbling down, the world it reveals to the West is still scary and treacherous.
I visited Berlin around the time this book is set and the differences between East and West Berlin were as stark as black and white and colour.
The level of detail Cook has included makes this book not only extremely reliable from a reader’s point of view, but it takes you right there, the paranoia, the brutal state systems still in place, the mistrust and the certainty that all is not what it seems.
We follow hardened hack Michael Braun as he discovers more about the Nazis and what they did to survive after the war, and one in particular Nazi who seems to have pulled off the impossible. As what appears to be a routine assignment starts to become more challenging and dangerous, Braun’s world is badly shaken and quickly starts to unravel with life changing consequences.
The Fifteenth Man is a solid Cold War thriller with its roots firmly embedded in the horrors of WW2 with a side helping of espionage gently tossed in a dressing of paranoia and derangement. The perfect literary meal. Lured into a mirky world, definitely lacking in moral fibre as Braun swigs reluctantly from that bottle he wished he’d never opened. It all races along to a gripping and perilous denouement.
This outstanding first novel is not only well written by somebody who has lived in these streets and drank that lonely drink in these bars but also manages to make this fictional tale (with a little nod to a factual family past, you’ll have to read the book to find out more) completely believable. A thoroughly enjoyable book that had me hooked from the start. Bravo Mr Cook, I hope we see more from you very soon.
Published: 1st October 2026
ISBN: 978-1-8052 2994-0
UK Price: £16.99 / eBook: £12.99 / Audio: £24.99
Format: 238 x 160 x 36 mm, Hardback
Pages: 336 pages
The Fifteenth Man
By William Cook
Published by Profile Books Ltd
The Fifteenth Man is available to buy at Foyles, TGJones, Browns Books, Waterstones and on Amazon. For more information on the publisher, please visit: www.profilebooks.com.
Author Bio:
Neil Hennessy-Vass has spent a lifetime in the media working across a multitude of platforms. From broadcasting to journalism Neil takes his unique lens to seek out the essential and distinctive. He currently runs his own creative agency Xavicus Media based in London but still finds time to trot around the globe, soak up the arts and read a good book.
Book cover image courtesy of Profile Books Ltd
Be the first to comment