Eastern Promise is the latest in the Felix Hart books from Peter Stafford-Bow. It is published on July 3 but available to pre-book from June 26.
Felix Hart is back for his next adventure – what have you got in store for him this time?
Eastern Promise is a satirical comic thriller set in the present day. The plot revolves around an international wine fraud conspiracy and explores themes of technological dystopia, corruption and corporate greed.
The story begins in London, where Felix Hart, our hero, is offered a life-changing sum of money by Paris-Blois International, the world’s most powerful luxury goods company. In return, Felix is required to attend a wine tasting hosted by a mysterious Chinese billionaire who is suspected of manufacturing counterfeit fine wine. There are worse ways to earn a fortune, so Felix puts aside any misgivings and heads to Hong Kong.
But this apparently simple mission soon takes a more sinister turn and Felix finds himself the centre of some very unpleasant attention. Before long, Felix is friendless, caught between his malevolent employer, his mercenary paymasters and a tech billionaire so powerful he can bend reality itself. If Felix is to escape with his life, not to mention save the world of wine, he must crack the conspiracy with little more than his wits, his fine palate and a touch of muscle.
For those that don’t know and are new to the series can you explain who Felix Hart is and what the books are about?
Eastern Promise is the fourth in the Felix Hart series from Peter Stafford-Bow
Felix Hart is an executive for a major British supermarket chain. He is a wine-loving chancer who never fails to take the path of least resistance, whether in his working life, his personal relationships or his approach to general morality. Though amiably amoral, Felix generally ends up doing the right thing and gaining a little wisdom along the way, even if he has to be nudged in the right direction by his friends and allies.
The Felix Hart novels, of which ‘Eastern Promise’ is the fourth, are satirical thrillers which explore themes of greed, corruption and the perils of blind tasting. The first novel, ‘Corkscrew’, covered Felix’s early days working for a national off-licence chain before joining Gatesave, the country’s largest supermarket group. Recurring institutions include the malevolent luxury goods multinational Paris-Blois International, and the Minstrels of Wine, an educational body with a two thousand-year-old history and a near-impossible entrance exam.
What was – or who was – the original inspiration for Felix Hart and why you wanted to write books about the wine trade and industry?
They say write what you know, so many of the characters are inspired by real industry personalities. But the inspiration for Felix Hart himself is literary: George Macdonald-Fraser’s Flashman character. I saw many parallels between Macdonald-Fraser’s proud but cowardly imperial anti-hero and the modern, all-powerful supermarket buyer. And the wine trade provides the perfect canvas for globe-trotting shenanigans in glamourous locations.
There has been a gap between Firing Blancs, the third in the series, and the new book – why have you decided to bring Felix Hart back for his fourth adventure?
The Felix Hart trilogy to date
I confess a combination of the pandemic, a diversion into Hollywood screenwriting and general sloth slowed down the writing of Felix’s fourth adventure. I actually began writing straight after the release of Firing Blancs, three years ago, and I do believe the story is all the better for its more considered approach.
Why did you want to venture into the world of wine fraud?
Greed and corruption are central themes in all four Felix Hart novels. And there is something irresistible about the idea of credulous millionaires inflating the price of fine wines far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, only to be duped by tricksters praying on their avarice. I was fascinated by the Hardy Rodenstock and Rudy Kurniawan scandals over a decade ago, and I began thinking about what might happen if an incredibly well resourced fraudster, as opposed to a chancer blending wines in his kitchen, decided to manufacture counterfeit wines. A cross between Rudy Kurniawan and Elon Musk, perhaps. And the result is Eastern Promise.
What sort of research did you do for this particular book? Did you venture East yourself to research the finer details?
I lived in Hong Kong earlier in my career and have travelled extensively in China on business and for pleasure, so the scenes in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shanghai are based on my own experience.
What response have you had to the series from people in the wine industry – how accurate do they think it is?
It was wine trade and supermarket industry readers in the UK and the US who really brought Corkscrew, my first novel, to the attention of a wider audience. So I’m very grateful to the trade for making the series such a success. And what better way to show my appreciation than writing another three novels describing the venal, spiteful and criminal antics of the world’s most wonderful industry?
Do you also have fans from those working outside the wine industry and what do you think the appeal is for them?
Eastern Promise is set in the Far East including the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong
Yes, most readers these days are not wine industry insiders, so I always try to strike a balance between vinous geekiness and ensuring the novels are approachable for non-winos. I always include a few wine enthusiast in-jokes, however, so hopefully there’s something for everyone. I think the Worshipful Institute of the Minstrels of Wine is the part the wine trade really enjoys.
How would you say Felix Hart has grown up and changed over the four book series?
In Corkscrew, Felix Hart was a mere teenager, and his interests lay principally, shall we say, in the sensual realm. Felix’s appetites are a metaphor for the themes of excess explored in the novels, so he won’t be changing completely. Having said that, Felix is perhaps a little more considered in his decision making these days, particularly when it comes to avoiding tasks that require altruism, gallantry or self-sacrifice.
Do you have further plans for him? Another book? Play? Film? etc
As I was writing Eastern Promise, I felt it might be the final Felix Hart outing. But I should have known better. No sooner had I finished and opened a celebratory bottle of Champagne, than a crop of new ideas began to sprout, like buds on a spring vine. So, assuming I can carve out the time, there may well be more adventures to come. As for the screen, back in 2020 I was asked by a Hollywood agent to write a pilot episode for a potential TV adaptation of Corkscrew. To date, alas, the greenlight remains unplugged.
If he was turned into a film character who do you think would be the best actor to play him?
Would James Norton be a suitable actor to play Felix Hart in a TV series or film?
It needs to be someone who turns heads, enjoys the high life, but isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Bradley James, perhaps, from Merlin? Or James Norton?
Now Peter Stafford-Bow is your pen name – what was the inspiration for the name?
I’ve always liked the idea of having a double-barrelled name. I don’t think one can position oneself as a fine wine and literary authority without brandishing at least one hyphen.
Have people started to discover who the real person is behind the Peter Stafford-Bow mask?
My true identity is concealed behind a multi-layered, Moriarty-style conspiracy of fiendish complexity, so I have no fear of discovery.
Are you willing to give any clues?
Only that my true identity is more mysterious than the night and more dazzling than the day.
Do you have other characters and books you would like to write outside the world of wine?
I once considered writing a futuristic thriller set in the toilet paper and moist wipes sector (working title: ‘Biodegradable’), but my agent wasn’t keen.
- If you would like get your copy of Eastern Promise it is published on July 3 and be available online and in independent book stores.
- You can find out more about the other books in the series and buy them on Peter Stafford-Bow’s website here.
