Invasion: (4 A Luke Carlton Thriller)

One of the bestselling names in the British spy thriller firmament, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner's new novel sees MI6 operative Luke Carlton racing against time and the odds to prevent the next geo-political cataclysm- China's invasion of Taiwan. THE PULSE-POUNDING NEW LUKE CARLTON THRILLER . . . Across the Strait from Taiwan, China's armed forces appear to be readying for war. Could the People's Republic be preparing to invade its island neighbour? The world is on high alert. Britain's Secret Intelligence Service has a mole deep within the Chinese Communist Party leadership - an individual in possession of intel that could defuse this fast-escalating situation. A 'collector' is sent to meet the spy and, in an anonymous Hong Kong cafe, the information is handed over. But before the collector can get the data to MI6, she is overpowered, drugged and abducted by persons unknown. Is it the MSS, China's feared state security agency? Or has another, less predictable player entered the game? As geo-political tensions rise, MI6 field operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are dispatched to find the missing agent and the precious intel she carries. With the clock ticking and tip-offs taking them to shady Macau casinos, tawdry night clubs and multiple dead ends, Luke is convinced they are being deliberately strung along. Then they get the vital lead they need. It points to Taiwan - a country frantically preparing for imminent invasion. And it's there that Luke and Jenny uncover what is really going on. . . Drawing on his years of experience reporting on global security stories and in-depth knowledge of the security services, Frank Gardner has written his most frighteningly real, unnerving and explosive thriller yet. BBC Security Correspondent FRANK GARDNER'S thrillers are . . . 'Fast, taut, tense, accurate.' FREDERICK FORSYTH 'Utterly authentic.' DAILY MAIL 'Enthralling, intelligent.' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Nerve-shredding.' TONY PARSONS 'Heart-in-mouth.' i-NEWSPAPER 'Compulsively readable.' RADIO TIMES

About the Author :
Born in 1961, Frank Gardner has been the BBC's Security Correspondent since 2002. He holds a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 2004, while filming in Saudi Arabia, he was ambushed by terrorists, shot multiple times and left for dead. He survived and returned to active news reporting within a year. He still travels extensively. Awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to journalism, Frank published his bestselling memoir, Blood and Sand, in 2006. His first novel, the thriller Crisis, which introduced readers to SIS operative Luke Carlton, was a No.1 bestseller. The second Luke Carlton thriller, Ultimatum, was also a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller, as was the third, Outbreak. Frank Gardner lives in London.

Review :
Tensions rise to boiling point . . . Gardner cuts to the molten core of a modern flashpoint in an electric thriller. Everything is impressive in this masterly account . . . exhilarating (if alarming) topicality. A genuinely unnerving and fast-paced race-against-time thriller . . . its potent combination of Tom Clancy-style hi-tech military and naval manoeuvring and a John Le Carre-like espionage thriller rings all too true . . . highly recommended. Praise for Frank Gardner Fast, taut, tense, accurate. Gardner skilfully mixes knowledge garnered as the BBC’s security correspondent with breathless action. Thriller writing of a high order . . . Gardner steadily ratchets up the tension, peppering the narrative with nuggets of expertise . . . an enthralling, intelligent read. Confirms Frank Gardner’s place among the pantheon of distinguished reporters who have become excellent thriller writers, including Gerald Seymour and Frederick Forsyth . . . utterly authentic. A fast and exciting story rooted in the present horrifying dangers that surround us . . . brimful of an insider’s insights . . . reeks of authority. Combines insider knowledge with heart-in-mouth excitement.