Shadow of the Rock

The first in an exciting new crime series set in Gibraltar and Morocco, featuring lawyer Spike Sanguinetti.

A humid summer night in Gibraltar. Lawyer Spike Sanguinetti finds Solomon Hassan, an old school friend, waiting on his doorstep. Accused of murdering a Spanish girl in Tangier, Solomon swears his innocence. He has managed to skip across the straits, but the Moroccan authorities demand his return.

Spike travels to Tangier in the hope of delaying the extradition. Solomon's boss, Nadeer-the founder of a renewable-energy company called Dunetech that is on the verge of financing an enormous solar-powered site in the Sahara-suggests that if Spike can delay Solomon's trial until after the deal signs, he will persuade the governor of Tangier to bury the extradition demand. Complicating this offer, Spike encounters a Bedouin girl who insists that Dunetech is engaged in a nefarious scheme linked to the disappearance of her father. As Spike uncovers the truth, he finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a world of secrets, corruption, and murderous lies.

Skillfully evoking the exotic landscapes and complicated politics of Gibraltar and Morocco,Shadow of the Rock marks the arrival of a compelling new thriller series.

Thomas Mogford studied modern languages at Oxford University and holds a postgraduate diploma in law from City University, London. He works for ITV Sport as a translator and reporter on the UEFA Champions League. His short fiction has been published in the Field, Litro, and Notes from the Underground. An early work featuring Spike Sanguinetti was a semifinalist for the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and was referred to by Publishers Weekly as "an exotic, addictive mystery." Mogford is married and lives in London.