John Trenhaile

2 series 6 books in order

After graduating from Oxford, John worked as a barrister before becoming a full-time writer. His twelve novels have been translated into over twenty languages. After six years working in Taiwan he spent time in Thailand and Malaysia, and now lives with his wife in Lewes, East Sussex. He has two children, one granddaughter, and a great-granddaughter.

Known for
General Povin trilogy, Simon Young trilogy

Series by John Trenhaile

General Povin trilogy

3 books in order · 1983–1994

  1. Cover of The Man Called Kyril

    The Man Called Kyril

    1994 · John Trenhaile

    There's a mole at the top of the KGB A double agent is leaking crucial Soviet secrets to London from the heart of Moscow. He must be stopped before…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon
  2. Cover of A View from the Square

    A View from the Square

    1983 · John Trenhaile

    Serve the state, or stop a war? Stepan Povin, the KGB's chief of foreign intelligence, is the West's most prized intelligence agent. For years he has…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon
  3. Cover of Nocturne for the General

    Nocturne for the General

    1985 · John Trenhaile

    Beyond help. Beyond redemption? In a Soviet prison camp near Murmansk is an old man, bowed but not broken, identified only by a number. Were his name…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon

Simon Young trilogy

3 books in order · 1986–1988

  1. Cover of The Mahjong Spies

    The Mahjong Spies

    1986 · John Trenhaile

    The game has begun, Hong Kong is the prize. Britain's surrender of Hong Kong to China has been set for 1997. But not everyone is happy. Russia, in…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon
  2. Cover of The Gates of Exquisite View

    The Gates of Exquisite View

    1988 · John Trenhaile

    A new supercomputer spells doom for Taiwan Amid the explosion of computer technology in the 1990s, nothing comes close to Apogee a software program…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon
  3. Cover of The Scroll of Benevolence

    The Scroll of Benevolence

    1988 · John Trenhaile

    The endgame begins China's supreme leader is at the point of death, and a complacent world yawns, convinced that the 'sleeping dragon' will never…

    Read more →
    Buy on Amazon

Frequently asked questions

How many books has John Trenhaile written?

We list 6 books by John Trenhaile across 2 series, published between 1983–1994 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read John Trenhaile's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Man Called Kyril.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy John Trenhaile's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.