Pan Mac nets two from ex-MI5 officer Marcus

Pan Mac has netted two novels from Tom Marcus, a former MI5 surveillance officer whose identity is kept under wraps for his own safety.

Wayne Brookes, associate publisher, acquired world rights for the unnamed books from Luigi Bonomi at LBA Books. They will be published in hardback in May 2022 and May 2023 respectively.

The new novels continue the story of former MI5 agent Matt Logan, now part of an undeniable government organisation known as Blindeye, with full licence to do whatever it takes to neutralise threats to the UK’s national security.

Brookes says: “Tom Marcus is quite simply the real deal. A true insider who has lived and breathed the action he puts inside his books. After the success of Capture Or Kill and his latest non-fiction project I Spy, I jumped at the chance to publish two more novels featuring Matt Logan. I cannot wait to see what Tom has planned for Matt’s next mission.”

Marcus left the service after a decade on the frontline protecting his country after being diagnosed with PTSD. His 2017 debut book Soldier Spy (Penguin), which was vetted and cleared for publication by MI5, was billed as the first true ground-level account ever to be told and the first time in the Security Services' history a surveillance officer has told the real story of the fight on our streets.

He said: “I'm excited to continue the Matt Logan story with Pan Macmillan. This isn't James Bond, this is real and raw based on my own experiences, so it's vital to work with the right team. Wayne and Pan Macmillan alongside my agent Luigi Bonomi is the perfect fit.”

Bonomi commented: “Tom Marcus’ novels are fast, furious plots written by someone who has been there and who knows what it is like to risk his life to save ours. This is a terrific commitment from Macmillan for one of our most exciting thriller writers and I couldn’t be more pleased for Tom and for Wayne Brookes who has championed him at every stage.”