On this page

This page lists novels that feature the British secret service agents Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy.

Spy's Honour

Gavin Lyall

1993

An Honour series novel featuring Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy.

"The year is 1912, and as political animosity rises and wars in South Africa and Greece rage, the dominoes of Europe feel ready to topple. The British Secret Service is beginning to form, and Captain Ranklin, a former Major, is lured into the world of reconnaissance after a demotion. Averse to the concept of espionage, Ranklin reluctantly joins the new Secret Service Bureau; exclusive, elite, but bound to secrecy and subterfuge. Paired with the rugged and morally dubious Conall O’Gilroy, Ranklin soon finds himself in over his head. A routine mission to apprehend a gold smuggler turns sour and the two are set on the trail of a notorious Irish anarchist. In pursuit, they uncover a plot that threatens to shatter the precarious state of peace in Europe, taking them to Germany, via France, and finally to Hungary in the summer of 1914."

Flight from Honour

Gavin Lyall

1996

An Honour series novel featuring Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy.

"On the ground-floor of a damp, Venetian warehouse, two men plot an assassination. The year is 1913, and Italy is walking the fine line of peace with the Austrian Empire. To prevent a war and catastrophic consequences across Europe, Italian Senator Giancarlo Falcone must be killed. Back in England, Captain Matthew Ranklin is looking forward to settling into his role as a Senior Agent in the Bureau when his right-hand man, Conall O’Gilroy, calls. O'Gilroy, while guarding one Senator Giancarlo Falcone, has just closely escaped an aerodrome explosion and has fled back to London before any further attempts are made. Before long, Ranklin is caught up in the conspiracy. But who is Falcone, really? Could O'Gilroy and Ranklin be protecting the wrong man? As one false step could echo throughout Europe, the pair are left facing their most high stakes mission yet."

All Honourable Men

Gavin Lyall

1997

An Honour series novel featuring Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy.

"A Turkish bandit holds engineers building the Baghdad Railway to ransom, Britain is secretly relieved as the Railway threatens the Persian Gulf oil-fields. Feigning help, the Foreign Office sends the notorious Lady Kelso, once lover of the bandit chief, with Captain Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy of the fledgling Secret Service Bureau as 'diplomatic protection'. A journey by the Kaiser's private train to the bandit stronghold leads through ambush, betrayal, murder and bombardment. For there are others - German, Turkish and French - honourably putting their countries' interests above everything. In the misty Turkish mountains, all of Ranklin's military experience and O'Gilroy's back-streets savvy are tested to the full."

Honourable Intentions

Gavin Lyall

1999

An Honour series novel featuring Matthew Ranklin and Conall O'Gilroy.

"When Grover Langhorn is arrested by London police he claims that if he is extradited to France, where he allegedly set fire to the Prefecture, he and his mother will announce publicly that he's the illegitimate son of King George. An honourable King must be saved from himself. It's a delicate affair which requires the skills of Britain's recently formed Secret Service Bureau. Captain Matthew Ranklin and O'Gilroy are brought in to check out the claims and as Ranklin begins to expose the truth behind the concealed facts, he realises there's no fire without an awful lot of smoke."