Thriller fans, get ready because, on September 17th, 2024, Simon Gervais—the bestselling author of The Last Guardian—is kicking off a brand new high-octane series being billed as “Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets political thriller” with The Elias Network.
Simon Gervais is no stranger to his franchises. Already, the author has several to his name, including series set around heroes like Mike Walton (The Thin Black Line, etc.), Pierce Hunt (Hunt The Down, etc.), and Clayton White (The Last Protector, etc.) That doesn’t even include The Blackbriar Genesis, his first book set in Robert Ludlum’s universe. With a treasure chest full of fan-favorite characters already at his disposal, Gervais will look to add to his already impressive lineup in 2024 when he introduces an assassin by the name of Caspian Anderson into the fold, who serves as the protagonist of The Elias Network.
“The Elias Network is my most intricate novel to date—it’s very Ludlumesque,” said Gervais in an exclusive comment to The Real Book Spy. “It’s the first book in a new series featuring Caspian Anderson—codename Elias— who is an assassin for what he thinks is a black program buried deep within the Department of Homeland Security.”
“What differentiates Caspian Anderson as a protagonist,” Gervais explained, “is that he actually wanted to become an assassin. Caspian didn’t have an abnormal childhood, nor was he plucked from an orphanage at a young age. Working for a covert organization within the U.S. government was his dream job, and he sacrificed a whole lot to get there. Ten years into it, he has never looked back and has no regrets. Then he’s caught overseas, and everything changes. His universe is turned upside down, and he begins to suspect that someone close to him has betrayed him, and that his entire world—including his relationship with the woman he wants to marry—is nothing more than an elaborate lie.”
It’s undoubtedly a fascinating setup—one that is not only different from Gervais’ other characters but even unique to others in the genre today—and one that he said is designed to leave readers asking two rather specific questions: “How well do you really know the person you live with?” the author asks. “And how far would you go to find the truth about the person you love?”
As with all of Simon Gervais’ books, he tells The Real Book Spy that he readers can expect a “full-throttle thriller filled with nail-biting action scenes and memorable characters.”
Check out the official plot details and cover art below.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets political thriller in this heart-pounding series debut about two undercover flames whose new mission risks exposing their true identities to the world…and, worse, each other.
Caspian Anderson is a translator for the United Nations―or so he’s led everyone to believe. No one suspects that mild-mannered Caspian, with his baggy clothes and sensible car, is actually an elite assassin for the US government. And that’s just how he wants it.
For ten years, Caspian has worked under the code name Elias for Onyx, a black program deep within the Department of Homeland Security. His latest mission takes him to Switzerland to kill a target tied to a human trafficking ring. There, Caspian stumbles onto a web of conspiracies involving high-level political figures.
Meanwhile, Caspian’s girlfriend is starting to pull away, and he wonders whether she may have secrets of her own. The truth is, Liesel Bergmann’s a spy. But neither knows the truth about the other…yet. As their covert operations converge, trust becomes paramount. Can they work together to bring down the enemy with their lives―and hearts―still intact?
Simon Gervais was born in Montréal, Québec. He joined the Canadian military as an infantry officer. In 2001, he was recruited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he first worked as a drug investigator. Later he was assigned to antiterrorism, which took him to several European countries and the Middle East. In 2009, he became a close-protection specialist tasked with guarding foreign heads of state visiting Canada. He served on the protection details of Queen Elizabeth II, US president Barack Obama, and Chinese president Hu Jintao, among others. Gervais lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children. He’s an avid boater, SCUBA diver, and skier. Visit his website at https://SimonGervaisBooks.com and follow him on Facebook @SimonGervaisAuthor, on Instagram @SimonGervaisBooks, and on Twitter @GervaisBooks.
Available on September 17 from Thomas & Mercer, readers can now pre-order The Elias Network here.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.