This is another classic spy thriller from Beaumont! I loved the reality of Dark Arena, it was believable even though espionage is a lifestyle very different to most. I think that has to do with the detail in Dark Arena. I feel myself looking at everyday life through a different lens after reading this one. Can't wait for the next one in the Frenchman franchise!

This is quite a long book to read but luckily it is one that doesn't feel as long as it is as it is so exciting and intriguing. Fast paced, lots of thrills and a real page turner. But I must say I do need to get the first book (didn't know there was one when I requested) as it sounds as if that is a great read and a great lead in to this book.

Espionage, spies, secrets, great characters and so well written you just won't want to put it down. Even though I haven't read the first book I can say I still really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good thrilling read. 4 1/2 stars from me (Might go to 5 stars once I have read The Frenchman and reread this one).

Thank you NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a copy of Dark Arena from Allen & Unwin Australia to review.

Rating of 4.75.

Former French spy Jack Beaumont presents a powerful and captivating sequel to his awesome debut with Dark Arena, a gripping read with a compelling look at European espionage.

When a member of the DGSE, France’s foreign secret service, is brutally murdered in front of his family by a team of Russian agents, Alec de Payns is brought in to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his attack. De Payns soon discovers that this bloody operation is related to a recent piece of intelligence the DGSE recovered, which identifies hostile actions the Kremlin is authorising throughout Europe.

Infiltrating a secret meeting of businessmen, terrorists and Russian mercenaries aboard a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean, Alec discovers details about a mysterious assassination plot that could tip the balance of power in Europe. Determined to intervene for France’s advantage, de Payns and his team attempt to uncover the target of the assassination, as well as the underlying reasons for the death sentence. But the more they dig, the more they begin to suspect that someone is manipulating the DGSE into a confrontation with the Russians.

Closing in on their targets, de Payns soon discover the full extent of their opponent’s plans, and the DGSE are soon left with hard decisions, especially as intervening could impact France’s energy security. Caught between dangerous superpowers and with a war on the horizon, can de Payns and his team make the right choice, or will doing the right thing cost their country terribly?

This was a superb and extremely clever spy thriller sequel from Jack Beaumont, who expertly follows on from his debut with another outstanding novel. Dark Arena is an incredible read, which I think I enjoyed even more than The Frenchman, due to its excellent twists and compelling examinations of European politics and espionage.

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/01/13/dark-arena-by-jack-beaumont/

An abridged review of this book also ran in the Canberra Weekly on 11 January 2024:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/01/13/canberra-weekly-column-thrillers-11-january-2024/

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I read an interview on the author the other day which was engrossing. Alec de Payns, The Frenchman, is by all accounts a realistic portrayal of the author's life as a counter-terrorism spy. And this story is very similar to a mission that the author carried out. Hence, it adds real credence to the reading experience because it's not just fiction but a fictional account of a real life mission.

What's fascinating about the story is that we never really know what de Payns' goal is. Because he doesn't know it. His French agency knows that the Russians are up to something, but what exactly, they're not sure. And it's not until the last 50 or so pages that the ultimate target is identified and de Payns and his team are sent to stop it occurring!

What we spent almost 400 pages prior to that is de Payns and his team doing a whole series of espionage activities trying to flush out the Russians end game. It's engrossing even if there is a degree of repetition in a number of the activities.

What is also fascinating is the parallel storyline involving de Payns family. Romy, his wife, is employed in a significant climate change think tank and she's busy. de Payns life is unpredictable and manic so for this couple and their two young boys to find some consistent rhythm is terribly difficult and stressful. It creates a great deal of tension between de Payns and Romy. Once again, this is a very realistic representation of the author's life. No wonder, he got out of it after eight years. No good marriage could survive such unpredictability and risk for an extended period of time.

There is a lot of detail which helps in visualising the narrative. However, if, like me, understanding all the details of the various weapons and such is not your thing, then it tends to slow down the pace of the story. But, I imagine a spy's world has lots of slowness and waiting for other combatants to move. It's like a chess game, I expect and Beaumont does a good job setting us into the nitty gritty of the spy world.

This is the second in the series and I'll go find the first one, which apparently, has been optioned by the Le Carre sons, for a TV series, which is tremendous for Beaumont. I hope it makes it to the small screen.

If you like a great spy thriller, try this series. Let's hope Beaumont becomes the Aussie (well, we've adopted him as one) John le Carre.

I feel very fortunate to have received an early ebook copy of the story from Allen & Unwin via Net Galley. This has had no bearing on my review.

A highly detailed spy novel set in France and other parts of Europe with the full works. Set before the Ukraine war, it’s filled with gas plots and bad Russians and all the rest. An entertaining read.

Jack Beaumont , a pseudonym, obviously knows a lot about the operation of contemporary security agencies in Europe, Dark Arena is a fast paced totally believable piece on the shared intelligence work of key agencies operating in various countries. It’s so up to date that you know you’ve just hear the news that this is based on..This clever and thrilling expose of methods and madness of the intelligence operatives world is effectively packaged so that we can understand the machinations of agency heads as well as the lives of the field staff and operatives. Reminiscent of the brilliant French TV series Berlin Station the moments are sometimes shocking but softened by the very genuine ‘’for my county’ passions of the operatives. What differentiates Dark Arena is that these spies have families, marriages and day to day life challenges such as who picks the boys up from football. The women are strong and happily possessing their own careers as befits any contemporary look at the world. I hadn’t read his first novel The Frenchman but after this I think that I will. Thanks to @netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance copy. Much appreciated.

Jack Beaumont, purportedly the pseudonym of a former operative of the clandestine operations branch of the French foreign secret service (DGSE) who now lives in Australia, made a good entry into the international thriller genre with his first novel The Frenchman.

The Frenchman was a gritty espionage tale with plenty of seemingly authentic spy detail, which was seen through an interesting French perspective. Dark Arena continues the adventures of DGSE agent Alec de Payns, who is tasked with tracking down an agent of influence who is sending highly classified material against the Kremlin to embassies all over Europe. A deadly conspiracy is aligning the West against Russia. But who is behind it? And to what end?

As de Payns, and the other agents in the secretive Y Division of the DGSE, manipulate various sources, and even go undercover themselves, they become aware that a major operation is also being planned using Middle Eastern terrorist units.

Dark Arena is an intricate, but generally quick moving spy novel, that provides an interesting new perspective on events in Europe in early 2022. The plot unfolds in a credible way, with plenty of clandestine meetings and some nicely observed moments of tension and action. The story builds to gripping climaxes in Turkey and the Mediterranean, and a coldly observed final conclusion.

As with The Frenchman, it excels in its detailed descriptions of spycraft, the politics of French Intelligence operations, the relationships with other intelligence agencies, and the security measures taken by elite DGSE agents. Sometimes it all seems a bit too elaborate, but generally it is seamlessly interwoven into the story. This seemingly insider grasp of spy techniques, especially around organising secret meetings, gives the novel a convincing shine of credibility, and Beaumont is also good at describing the various locations through which de Payns passes through.

Beaumont’s characters are well crafted and are not the one dimensional, gun-toting super heroes to be found in some spy fiction. He is also very good at articulating the personal cost of spying, both on the families of the French agents and the foreign assets that they use. De Payns’ awkward relationship with his wife is well described and believable, and even the minor characters, particularly his boss Briffaut, are nuanced and interesting.

There are a couple of slow moments, and the final twist is easy to see coming, but overall I really enjoyed Dark Arena.

Jack Beaumont is part of a wave of new espionage and thriller authors who have come out of the security services. John Le Carre was in the British security services but probably the best known of recent times is former head of MI5 Stella Rimington. Jack Beaumont, formerly of the French secret service, or DGSE, is one of a new crop of espionage authors that also includes former CIA officer David McCloskey (Damascus Station). Beaumont’s first book The Frenchman introduced Alec de Payns, former airforce pilot and now spy with the DGSE (the path also taken by Beaumont in his career) and revolved around a potential terrorist attack on Paris and a possible mole in the DGSE. De Payns, still affected by the events of The Frenchman, and his team are back in the follow-up Dark Arena.
Dark Arena revolves around the running of agents to uncover a multipronged plot orchestrated by Russia. An agent is killed bringing classified information back from the field but at the same time, other information is being dropped into the ears of Western security services, urging them to take action against Russia. In order to follow the trail of evidence, de Payns has to go undercover on a luxury Mediterranean yacht. Meanwhile, his team are trying to determine what other services know, who is leaking the information to them and why. All of this taking place in the shadow of a looming war in Ukraine because while the chapters do not come date stamped the action is clearly taking place in the months before Putin’s invasion.
Dark Arena is replete with spy craft – dead drops, cut outs, mobile phone tracking, secret identities and interagency bickering. All of which feels very authentic. But the only character with any depth or range is de Payns himself. And that is: agent with PTSD, worried about his family who nevertheless will see the job through. The rest are agents with fairly interchangeable roles. The action builds to a couple of action set pieces as de Payns and his team try to foil various plans but probably the tensest part of the novel is the undercover mission on board the yacht.
All of which makes Dark Arena a spy novel that is likely to me most appreciated by espionage aficionados. While others may find the amount of jargon and technobabble detracts from their ability to connect with character and plot. But for those after a book that allows them to feel that they are deep in the workings of the security services, albeit in a highly fictionalised sense, Beaumont delivers.

This was a good story which kept me turning the pages throughout the night. Great mystery, writing and plotting will recommend to all my friends who love this genre.