False Nine (37 page)
T
HE
BEAUTIFUL
GAME
JUST
GOT
UGLY
.
In Athens, where London City is set to play Olympiacos in the Champion’s League, the temperature is high, and tempers even higher. Greece is rioting and manager Scott Manson is keeping his team on a tight leash. There must be no drinking, no nightlife and no women. After the game, they are to get back to London refreshed and ready for a crucial match at home stadium Silvertown Docks.
But Scott didn’t plan for death on the pitch. When City’s star striker collapses mid-match, it shocks the nation. Is it a heart attack? Or something more sinister? As the Greek authorities mount a murder investigation, Scott Manson must find the truth – and fast – to get his team home in time.
The second Scott Manson thriller from bestselling crimewriter Philip Kerr.
Hand of God
is available
here.
JUST
BECAUSE
FOOTBALL
’
S
A
GAME
,
DOESN
’
T
MEAN
YOU
HAVE
TO
PLAY
FAIR
.
Scott Manson needs to leave England. His career managing London City football team is over, and it cuts deep to watch them play on without him.
But finding a job in the star-studded world of international football is harder than it looks. A new position in Shanghai turns out to be part of an elaborate sting operation. And in Barcelona, he’s hired not as a football manager, but as a detective. Barca’s star player is missing, and they need to find him fast.
Scott has a month to track him down. As he follows the trail from Paris to Antigua, he encounters corrupt men, wicked women, and the rotten core of the beautiful game...
Bernie Gunther
March Violets
The Pale Criminal
A German Requiem
The One from the Other
A Quiet Flame
If the Dead Rise Not
Field Grey
Prague Fatale
A Man Without Breath
Standalone novels
A Philosophical Investigation
Dead Meat
Gridiron
Esau
A Five Year Plan
The Second Angel
The Shot
Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton
Hitler’s Peace
Prayer
Research
For Children
One Small Step
Children of the Lamp
The Akhenaten Adventure
The Blue Djinn of Babylon
The Cobra King of Kathmandu
The Day of the Djinn Warriors
The Eye of the Forest
The Five Fakirs of Faizabad
The Grave Robbers of Genghis Khan
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The story starts here.
First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Head of Zeus Ltd
Copyright © Philip Kerr, 2015
The moral right of Philip Kerr to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
9 7 5 3 1 2 4 6 8
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781784971717
ISBN (HB) 9781784971724
ISBN (XTPB) 9781784971731
ISBN (PB) 9781784971748
Jacket design: www.mavrodesign.com
Cover image: © JohnzyJay
Author photo: © Joanna Miller Betts
Head of Zeus Ltd
Clerkenwell House
45-47 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
Contents
