The Sixth Directorate
Peter Marlow goes undercover to infiltrate the KGB
The Soviet intelligence agency's worst nightmare has come true: Besides the five directorates that oversee its operations, there lurks a sixth—a shadow directorate that may be plotting a coup against the Communist Party. Disruption of the KGB might spell trouble for Moscow, but for the British Intelligence, chaos in the Soviet Union means a chance to infiltrate.
To make the most of the opportunity, Her Majesty's intelligence service turns to Peter Marlow, a disgraced former spy who has spent the last four years in jail. He is given his freedom in exchange for his espionage service. Peter assumes the mantle of George Graham, a KGB agent with more secrets than he's prepared to handle.
The Sixth Directorate is the second book in the Peter Marlow Mystery series, which also includes The Private Sector and The Valley of the Fox.
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Joseph Hone
Joseph Hone was a British author of spy novels. Born in London, he was sent to Dublin in 1939, and spent most of the next two decades living in Ireland. His first novel, The Private Sector (1971), introduced the globetrotting spy Peter Marlow - the character for whom Hone would become best known. Set during the Six Day War, The Private Sector was well received by critics, who have compared it to the work of Eric Ambler, Len Deighton, and John Le Carré.
Hone published three more titles in the series The Sixth Directorate (1975), The Flowers of the Forest (1980), and The Valley of the Fox (1982) before moving on to other work.
In addition to his espionage fiction, Hone also found success in travel writing.
The Peter Marlow Mysteries
The Peter Marlow Mysteries consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
