Cold Sunset cover art

Cold Sunset

The new mystery novel in the bestselling espionage series, from the author of Gabriel's Moon

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Cold Sunset

By: William Boyd
Narrated by: George Blagden
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.79

Buy Now for £13.79

Season's Savings | £0.99/mo for 3 months

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly

The stylish mystery from acclaimed bestseller William Boyd takes you deep into a shadow-drenched world where loyalty blurs, motives darken and every step could be fatal.

COLD WAR MOSCOW IS A PLACE SMOLDERING WITH SECRETS . . .

Gabriel Dax is on route to Russia, tasked with delivering a mysterious Blanco drawing to celebrated defector, Kit Caldwell. But Caldwell is convinced that the KGB suspects him of treachery and he wants to get out - now.

When Gabriel is ordered by his enigmatic handler Faith Green to help, he is pulled into a web of shifting loyalties and dangerous escape plans. As tensions rise and trust fractures, he is forced to confront the fine line between devotion and deception. But which will he choose?

COLD SUNSET is the third thrilling novel by William Boyd to star Gabriel Dax: travel writer, reluctant spy and accidental hero. The Sunday Times bestselling series also features GABRIEL'S MOON and THE PREDICAMENT.

‘Boyd does shadowy worlds and moral complexity better than anyone’ OBSERVER
'For page-turning glamour, you can bank on a William Boyd novel to hit the spot' GUARDIAN
'Extravagantly enjoyable' THE TIMES
‘Storytelling genius’ MICK HERRON

© William Boyd 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 20th Century Espionage Historical Historical Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Russia Exciting Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

William Boyd once again brings to the spy novel his particular storytelling genius (MICK HERRON)
Boyd is one of my favourite authors – he never disappoints (KATE ATKINSON)
Boyd is always engaging, intelligent and deeply satisfying. I rate him one of our greatest living novelists (PETER JAMES)
Extravagantly enjoyable
One of our most thrilling writers
For page-turning glamour, you can bank on a William Boyd novel to hit the spot
All stars
Most relevant
Good story. Tense and exciting. Had difficulty putting it down as so much was happening.

Spy 3

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Gabriel Dax returns accompanied with a new story that builds on his relationships with the characters in the first two books and especially Faith Green. A great story that will keep you guessing and at the end you'll be checking fir the next release date. Bravo!

Well worth the wait

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Probably the best book in the series but the ending was a cop out. Boyd contrived an ending designed for an important aspect of the story to be continued in the next adventure whereas it demanded a conclusion and not be left hanging in mid-air, so to speak.

A Cop-Out Ending

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I counted down the weeks and days until the third instalment of the Gabriel Dax series was released, and the wait was definitely worth it. The trilogy is superbly thought out, and Boyd captures the world of 1960s espionage perfectly. The narration is excellent too, bringing the characters and atmosphere vividly to life. The ending ties things together nicely while leaving the story open enough that I'm hoping Boyd has more Dax novels, or even a new series, in mind. Highly recommended.

A perfect climax, or is it?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love these Gabriel Moon stories for the atmospherics of the time in which they are set, the constant smoking & drinking (period authentic!) and of course the plot and characters within. Well worth a listen!

Another Wm Boyd cracker!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews