This is a new thriller written by the screenwriter of “Keeping Faith”. Originally it was a proposal for a TV series, but after a series of rejections, Hall decided to attempt a novel with the main character. I think this novel proves his inclination was a good one!
Dr Leo Black is a rising star in Oxford university. He’s considerably older than his peers, because his earlier years were spent in the Army and SAS. But after twenty years he has decided to find a new life.
While he was serving, his leading companion was Sergeant Ryan Finn. A tough ex-SAS trooper himself, he has been given a short term contract protecting a young scientist, Dr Sarah Blackman, during a conference in Paris. While there, she is abducted, and Finn, trying to protect her, is killed.
The world Black was trying to leave is reeling him back in. His Commanding Officer from the Service, Freddy Towers, gets in touch, as does Finn’s widow. She wants him to go to Paris and find out what he can about Finn’s death; she needs answers, something to explain what has happened to her man. Towers wants to learn what happened to the scientist - because she is not the only one to be abducted. And the knowledge held by the scientists is potentially very dangerous.
While reading this, I was grabbed not only by a plot that was as inventive and believable as, say, THE DOGS OF WAR by Frederick Forsyth, but which was as good as a Michael Connelly at putting the reader at the centre of all of the action. This book was utterly gripping - although I do wish UK authors would learn that Glock pistols do not have safety catches to be released! With that very minor gripe out of the way, it was a book than thundered along steamrolling all disbelief into oblivion. The science “felt” right; the depiction of scientists in search of new discoveries was enthralling; the soldiers seemed to behave as soldiers I know; the main plot and subplots intertwined satisfyingly, and all in all, I loved the book.
We are in scary times just now. This is an ideal piece of escapism. I heartily recommend it.
Editor’s note: Matthew Hall is a pen name / variation for novelist and screen-writer M.R. Hall
