Present Danger [Paperback] Rimington, Stella

Liz Carlyle is back, and this time MI5's sharpest intelligence officer is tracking a Russian sleeper agent who's been dormant in Britain for decades. When a respected academic turns up dead and whispers of a cold war ghost resurface, Liz must navigate a labyrinth of old grudges, new threats, and the kind of betrayal that only comes from people you thought you could trust. Stella Rimington — former Director General of MI5 — writes espionage with the kind of insider authority that makes every detail feel uncomfortably real. No flashy gadgets, no over-the-top heroics. Just smart, tense, methodical spycraft where one wrong move could bring down an entire operation. If you like Le Carré's moral complexity but want a faster pace and a brilliant female lead, this is your next read.