A SPY ALONE: CHARLES BEAUMONT'S DEBUT NOVEL TO BE ADAPTED BY CRIMINAL RECORD INDIE

Producers of Apple TV+ Criminal Record, Tod Productions, have secured the rights for Charles Beaumont's debut espionage novel A Spy Alone.

Set in 2022, former spy Simon Sharman is eking out a living in the private sector. The story explores the possibility of a secret Russian spy ring in Oxford and is described as a searing portrait of modern Britain in the age of cynical populism.

When a commission to delve into the financial dealings of a mysterious Russian oligarch comes across Sharman’s desk, he jumps at the chance. But as he investigates, worrying patterns begin to emerge.

He begins to question if he has found what none of his former colleagues believed possible, a Russian spy ring now nestled in the heart of the British Establishment. Or is he another paranoid ex-spook left out in the cold, obsessed with redemption?

Author Charles Beaumont said: “I am excited and delighted to be working with Elaine and her team at Tod Productions. Every author dreams of seeing their work on screen, but to be working with someone with Elaine’s considerable track record of successes is a real privilege. I feel that my book is in the best possible hands.”

Drama producer Elaine Collins said: “We’re thrilled to pick up A Spy Alone, the first in a new returnable franchise. Charles’ novel is a brilliant combination of old-school spy craft and contemporary politics. We were really drawn to the novel’s fresh approach to the spy genre – where our hero tussles with the new rules for intelligence in a post ideological world. Most of all, it’s a cracking thriller with a smart political message.”

More details will be announced in due course.