Never

2021 | Contemporary | 800 pages

More than a thriller, a gripping high stakes human drama with a chilling ‘What If’ premise from master storyteller, Ken Follett. Never is available to buy in bookshops and online now.

The must-read epic from master storyteller Ken Follett: more than a thriller, it’s an action-packed, globe-spanning drama set in the present day.

In the Sahara Desert, two elite intelligence agents are on the trail of a powerful group of drug-smuggling terrorists, risking their lives—and, when they fall desperately in love, their careers—at every turn. Nearby, a beautiful young widow fights against human traffickers while traveling illegally to Europe with the help of a mysterious man who may not be who he says he is.

In China, a senior government official with vast ambitions for himself and his country battles against the older Communist hawks in the government, who may be pushing China—and its close military ally, North Korea—to a place of no return.

And in the United States, Pauline Green, the country’s first woman president, navigates terrorist attacks, illegal arms trading, and the smear campaigns of her blustering political opponent with careful and deft diplomacy. She will do everything in her power to avoid starting an unnecessary war. But when one act of aggression leads to another, the most powerful countries in the world are caught in a complex web of alliances they can’t escape. And once all the sinister pieces are in place, can anyone—even those with the best of intentions and most elite skills—stop the inevitable?

Never is an extraordinary thriller, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and a delivers a visceral, heart-pounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable.

Reviews

"Ken Follett can't write a bad book, and NEVER is his best. It's terrifying. I defy anyone to put it down..." — Stephen King

“Urgent and fiercely compelling… Never is first-rate entertainment that has something important to say.” — The Washington Post

“In this terrific international thriller… a political chess game between China and the U.S. that could lead to all-out war… This is a powerful, commanding performance from one of the top writers in the genre.”

— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Ken Follett has never been short of ambition. And it’s the global scope and vast multinational cast that chiefly impress in Never, his return to contemporary storytelling… Bold in scale and meticulously researched, Never makes other international spy novels appear timid, lazy and parochial.”

— The Sunday Times

"I couldn't put it down....terrifying read....masterful detail...It's a stunning thriller and one of the most compelling reads of the year. It's not quite The Godfather, but it comes pretty close."

— Daily Express and Daily Mirror

“A complex, scary thriller that feels too plausible for comfort… On one level, it’s great entertainment; on another, a window into a sobering possibility.”

— Kirkus (starred review)