Murder in Cairo: Solving a Cold War Spy Mystery

The untold story of David Holden – journalist and spy – and the conspiracy around his murder. In December 1977 David Holden, chief foreign correspondent of the Sunday Times, arrived at Cairo Airport to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. A few hours later he was dead: killed by a single bullet through his heart. His body was stripped of all identification and dumped in a ditch by a busy road.

Who had killed Holden, and why? Those were the questions pursued by the newspaper’s renowned Insight team, overseen by its legendary editor Harold Evans, for the best part of a year. The team had previously cracked stories such as the thalidomide scandal and the case of the Soviet mole Kim Philby. This time it failed – and shortly before he died in 2020 Evans said this was the biggest regret of his long and distinguished career.

Now a member of the original Insight team has resumed the quest. Peter Gillman, who wrote the newspaper’s private internal report into the murder – never published before – has teamed up with a young investigative journalist from today’s Sunday Times, Emanuele Midolo, to see the story through. Combining classic investigative methods with the digital resources available to journalists today, they tell a story of intrigue, double-dealing, betrayal and revenge.

© 2025 W. F. Howes Ltd (Audiobook): 9781004188017

Release date

Audiobook: 12 June 2025