Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Publisher's Synopsis

Someone wants Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev dead. After years flying under the radar in Sydney, he’s just had a narrow escape when a sex worker is poisoned in his hotel room. In desperation he contacts his former CIA case officer, Ronnie Johnson, offering to expose a traitor inside the Australian government in return for protection.

John Bailey has spent decades risking his life to break news stories. Along the way he’s made some interesting friends, including Ronnie — who saved his life in Iraq — and Scarlett Merriman, whose night with Lebedev left her in a coma. And now they both need Bailey’s help.

While Bailey investigates what happened to Scarlett, Ronnie Johnson is calling in an old debt. Because the same people going after Lebedev have framed Ronnie for murder.

My Review of Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy is the 4th book in the fast-paced and oftentimes brutal John Bailey series. The first three books in the series have established Bailey as a hard-nosed, dogged and determined investigative journalist with all kinds of front as he pursues a story. Once again he’s prepared to take a few hits as he chases down a politically explosive story.

In his past he has worked all over the world, particularly in war ravaged regions and has survived some of the most brutal conditions but in this case, the danger is much closer to home. From a relatively quiet start he is dragged into an intriguing situation that threatens to explode into an internationally dangerous encounter. After all, Bailey has been through the wringer a couple of times and he’s already prone to suffering flashbacks from previous close calls, so his initial reluctance is understandable.

But it’s a little personal because Scarlett Merriman, a friend of Bailey’s, is poisoned with what appears to be a nerve agent after drinking from a glass of vodka while visiting with Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev. She’s in an induced coma, Lebedev has disappeared and Bailey wants answers.

Ronnie Johnson, another longtime friend of Bailey’s and a CIA agent, is involved. He calls in a favour from Bailey, asking him to run an investigation on the Russian man, along with another suspicious death that has shone a spotlight on Johnson himself. 

When Bailey digs further he uncovers suspicions of a Russian agent who has infiltrated the Australian government at the highest level. Secrets are being passed out of the country, sensitive material is being stolen and people are dying in an effort to keep it all covered up. It’s a matter of working out who’s behind it all and proving that it’s going on. 

From Sydney to Canberra and back again, dealing with secretive local operatives and Russian nationals, there’s a lot for an investigative journalist to take in. And even with Ronnie Johnson on his side, there’s a whole lot more danger involved than you would expect a scribbler to usually be faced with.

Like most good spy novels it’s difficult to nail down good, solid information about the bad guys. Spies tend not to pass on information, so whenever Bailey asks a question the answers are generally evasive and non-committal. This means we’re left to make assumptions about the whats, whos and whys of what’s going on. Yes, it can be a little frustrating, but it also heightens the anxiety levels and makes for a much more exciting read.

Killer Traitor Spy is a deeply involved spy novel set within the borders of Australia. The pace is furiously fast and relentless and there are numerous moments of near misses and tense stand-offs. In short, it delivers the kind of action that kept my attention fully for the entire book.