The Anarchist’s Wager

The Anarchist’s Wager by Jayne Swinton. Northside House.

Step into the year 2000, where the haunting story of “The Anarchist’s Wager” unfolds. In the heart of the old London Stock Exchange Tower on Threadneedle Street, a lone bomber gains entry, leaving no warning, no explanation.

Surrendering without resistance, he utters a single word: “Guilty.” The enigma surrounding this man, dubbed “The Man Without A Past,” captivates the public’s imagination.

But there is one woman who holds the key to the bomber’s past. As the narrator, she takes us on a journey that traces their intertwined lives back to their school days in Devon and the gritty student squats of 1970s London. Their dangerous connection fuels her career as a documentary filmmaker, leading her from the treacherous streets of sectarian Belfast to the volatile hotspots of the Middle East. Yet, this bond also leaves a trail of wreckage in her wake, shattering her two marriages and threatening her family’s security.

As the plot thickens, an even more alarming secret looms, one that jeopardises both her professional success and her loved ones. From the confines of a maximum-security prison, the dysfunctional ties that bind this couple reach out, stretching towards a new generation.