A Burden of Secrets

'A Burden of Secrets' is a romantic adventure story about Eleanor, a British female spy. Yet it comes with a message: if governments have secret services they may use them to do secret things. Like manipulating the mainstream media, carrying out clandestine operations and assassinating people. Sometimes governments have to do these things in the national interest. Sometimes other interests are served. But we, the general public, rarely find out about these operations - let alone the reason for them - because they are covered up. So who oversees these secret organisations? Who is in control? It is a question which bothers Eleanor. She was persuaded to join a secret department of the British government on graduating from Cambridge in 1982. Sadly, she quickly finds out bad things can happen, and her plans for a happy family life with her new husband soon lie in ruins. She blames a fellow spook, 'Action Man', a misogynist brutalised by the horrors of war and ruthlessly ambitious. However, most of her colleagues for most of the time simply want to protect their country from conflict and terrorism. One of them takes her under his wing, but their romantic relationship has to remain platonic. Thanks to him, she meets someone else and romance blossoms but all too briefly. She soldiers on and survives in the organisation - just - until 2001 when her disappearance is arranged to protect her from a threat. This is her tale, told in her own words to her 'dearest darling' years later, explaining why she walked out on him. Her adventure is set against a backdrop of real political events from 1957 to 2001. Some readers might find this disturbing, because the history of that period is still being written, and what they thought had happened might not have happened in quite the way they were led to believe at the time. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT IT "I have never read a genre of book like this I LOVED IT It's very clever and really does have you thinking about the past..." "Eleanor Braithwaite is a fascinating character and I am looking forward to reading more about her adventures in the future." " Douglas Renwick] is a great story teller and leaves us wondering if he really knows the truth..." "Brilliant read Renwick is quite right. Nothing is what you expect.." "A real page-turner, quite 'unputdownable'. Great plot and memorable characters..." "Another gripping tale by an author who combines authenticity on intelligence services with an engaging story of personal relationships. The plot raises the question of whether the end justifies the means and weaves into the issue a multitude of well researched military and political developments in the recent past. . ." .