Crisis: the action-packed Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller

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He speaks briskly: 'There was never a time when I gave up hope, whether lying mortally wounded on the streets of Riyadh or coming to terms with being partially paralysed. But that is not to say there have not been some very depressing times. And there are immense challenges ahead. Paraplegia, unfortunately, is a tunnel which you don't come out of,' he says - but only because I ask. 'I am not out of the woods yet. I am faced with a whole catalogue of medical conditions that do not usually afflict people until their seventies and eighties. I have got osteoporosis, for example, for not weight-bearing on my legs enough.' After the bomb is contained and the explosives expert says of our stale hero, "Wow, whoever got the intel for this op must be one hell of a guy." Jesus christ. The explosive new thriller featuring MI6 operative Luke Carlton on his most terrifying mission yet. I'm being harsher than I mean to be, because the story was definitely interesting and it's clear the author conducted loads of research, because the book was highly informative.

This is the first of currently three books about Luke Carlton and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. The writing style has a very solid British spy/espionage feel to it and more than a few times throughout the full-length novel I was reminded of a Bond sort of storyline or feel to the atmosphere. At the same time, though, there was a strong touch of the current world circumstances and a very modern feel to it all. This is not a cheesy style of story, but just a very British type of espionage thriller. Readers who want a high level of realism and a modern story should find this really suits their tastes. One of the gunmen who shot Gardner and Cumbers, Adel al-Dhubaiti, was captured and executed by Saudi authorities in January 2016. [21] Another example of this comes later in the book, when we are supposed to believe that a pair of Colombian gangsters from the barrio would be able to navigate a make-shift mini-submarine with pin point accuracy, at night, through Force 5 seas to a tiny Cornish beach and arrive spot on time to make their rendezvous. This is a feat that would challenge the skipper of a Trident submarine, yet these two bozos manage it with ease - without any navigation equipment more sophisticated than a compass. Introducing Luke Carlton - ex-Special Boat Service commando, and now under contract to MI6 for some of its most dangerous missions. Gardner was born on 31 July 1961. His father and mother, Robert Neil Gardner (1922–2010) and Evelyn Grace Rolleston (1923–2014), were both diplomats, [1] and when he was six he moved from the UK to the Hague in the Netherlands. In 1951, while second secretary at the British Embassy in Czechoslovakia, his father was expelled from the country for espionage activities after an incident in a prohibited military area where he was shot at. [2] [3] His grandfather was physician John Davy Rolleston. Educated at Saint Ronan's School, and Marlborough College, Gardner was pushed by his teachers into taking up biathlon, which enabled him to travel to Austria to train with the British Army biathlon team. [4]After many years as an SBS commando, Luke Carlton needed a change of pace and a short-term contract with SIS seemed like the perfect fit. With impeccable Spanish from a large part of his childhood spent in South America and a razor-sharp mind, Luke is happy to see where this leads him. Only his first big mission is to uncover why a station-leader in Columbia has been murdered. Luke figures with his personal knowledge, some good connections and his military training there shouldn’t be a problem, only Luke didn’t realize just how powerful and ruthless his enemies are – or how far they’re willing to go to achieve their objective.

Written by someone who has been there, done that and knows what it’s about, Crisis is a thriller you just can’t put down. Sir ROGER MOORE Few thriller debuts possess the confidence and verve of Frank Gardner's CRISIS . . . a book of exhilarating panache. SUNDAY TIMES Al-Suwaidi is a quiet, unexceptional area with creamy villas, flowering bougainvillea. The killer seemed similarly innocent, at first glance. He had 'a nice smiling face and looked as if he knew me', Gardner says. 'He said, "Assalaamu aleikum," (Peace be upon you/I mean you no harm),' before pulling out his gun. 'I always tell Westerners they must offer this greeting,' he continues. 'For me, it has always been a passport to a conversation. This time it was a betrayal of everything I held dear in the Middle East.' Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration

There was a lot of realism to the international aspect of the plot too. I didn’t find many of the characters to be overdrawn or caricature-like, which in itself was refreshing. I also enjoyed the fact that Luke’s personal history was where a lot of his talents lay – having spent much of his childhood in South America it made sense he knew the local scenes, customs and languages very well. With his extended stint in the military, it made sense he could handle himself in a rough situation and had plenty of organizational skills and a sharp mind. I really enjoyed the fact the author had covered a lot of these bases and didn’t just write a movie-like action thriller that had huge holes in it. BBC Two's Being Frank, his documentary broadcast in November 2020, explored what it is like to become disabled. Gardner spoke candidly of his recent separation from his wife of 22 years; the two remain great friends. Gardner's bestselling first novel, Crisis, featuring the fictional SBS officer-turned MI6 operative Luke Carlton and a ruthless Colombian drug lord, was published in June 2016. [29] [30] His second novel, Ultimatum, was published in June 2018 followed by the third Luke Carlton novel, Outbreak in 2021. [31] Honours and awards [ edit ] When SIS operative Jeremy Benton is murdered in Tumaco, Colombia, ex-SBS and ‘probationary’ agent Luke Carlton, who spent his childhood growing up in Colombia, is despatched to investigate. What he uncovers not only puts his own life, and those close to him, at risk, but means that an entire nation is relying on his actions to discover the means and end of a highly-organised international plot against the UK.

Crisis, as the cover itself might give you an idea, is about a weapon targeting London. Intel from the investigation into the killing of a case handler reveals that much. And over the course of the novel, various agencies work to stop that weapon. Given the perpetrators are led by a ruthless Colombian drug baron, MI6 send Luke Carlton to Bogota. Saudi Arabia execute inmate who shot BBC journalist Frank Gardner and killed cameraman Simon Cumbers". The Independent. 4 January 2016 . Retrieved 30 June 2017. Introducing Luke Carlton - ex-Special Boat Service commando and now under contract to MI6 for some of its most dangerous missions. Sent into the steaming Colombian jungle to investigate the murder of a British intelligence officer, Luke finds himself caught up in the coils of a plot that has terrifying international dimensions. With that pedigree, therefore, I was expecting something a little more interesting than what Gardner gives us in “Crisis”.

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Big cheese El Pobrecito – ‘poor little thing’ – has decided that enough is enough. The US, and particularly the UK, have been interfering with his narcotics business for far too long, and it has cost him too much money to carry on doing nothing about it. In co-operation with a rogue state, and using the attributes of his mini-submarines usually used for smuggling the drugs, he has concocted a plan that will wipe the smile off the faces of those gringos – literally!