Frank Gardner – författare

MI6 operative Luke Carlton returns in his most exciting and unnervingly up-to-the-minute mission yet . . . Get ready for the new edge-of-your-seat spy thriller from the bestselling author.In the dying light of an Arctic afternoon a monstrous black shape slips beneath the waters of Murmansk bay. Murmansk in the Arctic Circle is where Russia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines is based - and the Novorossiya is one of their navy's most advanced - and dangerous - vessels . . .Acting on information received from a high-ranking mole deep inside Russia's FSB, Britain's security services are convinced that the submarine is about to deploy a terrifying, game-changing device. As Europe goes into a state of high alert, MI6 operative Luke Carlton is sent into the hot zone that is the Finnish-Russian border. His mission to secure the safe extraction of this valuable MI6 asset and the intel he has in his possession - because it seems the West could be staring Armageddon in the face.It's then that things start to go devastatingly wrong . . .Breathlessly exciting, brilliantly authentic and unnervingly prescient, Ballistic is the new Luke Carlton thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author and journalist who has his finger on the pulse of 21st century geo-politics and knows where the dangerous flashpoints are likely to be . . .Praise for Frank Gardner's other Luke Carlton thrillers:'Tensions rise to boiling point . . . Gardner cuts to the molten core of a modern flashpoint in an electric thriller.' SUN 'Fast, taught, tense, accurate. A terrific read.' FREDERICK FORSYTH'Thriller-writing of the highest order . . . Gardner steadily ratchets up the tension, peppering the narrative with nuggets of expertise.' FINANCIAL TIMES'Full of tomorrow's headlines . . . this is intelligent, high-voltage storytelling of the very highest order.' TONY PARSONS'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.' DAILY MAIL'Combines insider knowledge with heart-in-mouth excitement.' i-NEWSPAPER'Everything is impressive in this masterly account . . . exhilarating (if alarming) topicality.' SUNDAY TIMES

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. Hunted down, captured, tortured and on the run from one of South America''s most powerful and ruthless drugs cartels and its psychotic leader thirsting for revenge, Luke is in a life-or-death race against time to prevent a disaster on a truly terrifying scale: London is the target, the weapon is diabolical and the means of delivery is ingenious. Drawing on his years of experience reporting on security matters, CRISIS is Frank Gardner’s debut novel. Combining insider knowledge, up-to-the-minute hardware, fly on the wall insights with heart-in-mouth excitement, CRISIS boasts an irresistible, visceral frisson of authenticity: smart, fast-paced and furiously entertaining, here is a thriller for the 21st century.

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Ultimatum by Frank Gardner, read by Rupert Farley.SIS agent Luke Carlton returns in the explosive, action-packed and unerringly authentic new thriller from BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, author of the acclaimed No.1 bestseller Crisis . . .Deep within a cave system at the Iranian military complex of Parchin, south-east of Tehran, and hidden from the prying eyes of Western satellites, scientists are working round-the-clock on a banned device. Acting on the orders of a renegade cell within the ultra-conservative Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, their intention is to propel Iran into the elite club of nuclear-armed nations – and seal its domination of the Middle East. Britain’s intelligence agencies know something is up – they have a mole inside the programme. Ready to hand over the information, he must first get out of Iran. Crossing the mountainous border into Armenia, he was due to rendezvous with MI6 agent Luke Carlton at a remote, snowbound monastery. But the mission goes bloodily wrong and Carlton has to be extracted. And fast. On the back foot after that fiasco, MI6 is suddenly presented with an opportunity – to recruit an individual with unique access to the leader of the IRGC hardliners. And Luke is chosen to reel them in. Going into Iran undercover is dangerous enough, but the real nightmare begins when a senior British government minister on an official visit is kidnapped, his close protection officer killed and Britain is presented with a terrifying ultimatum. And as the only agent inside Iran, it falls to Luke Carlton to head off what could lead to a catastrophic confrontation in the Gulf . . . and the clock is ticking.

The explosive new thriller featuring MI6 operative Luke Carlton on his most terrifying mission yet. Deep within the Arctic Circle, three scientists from the UK''s Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard in search of shelter. They see a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights. No snowmobile outside. But as they push open the door, the smell hits them. Rank and foetid: there''s something bad inside. Then movement. A man lies slumped, his face disfigured by livid pustules. Blood runs from his nostrils; his chest glistens blackly. The team''s medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, pushes forward to examine him when the convulsions start. Blood, bile and mucus spray into the air. The doctor knows it''s too late - she''s been contaminated . . . Within hours, a full-scale operation to contain this contagion is underway. Samples are rushed to the laboratories at Porton Down on high alert. What they discover changes everything. Supported by phone and data intercepts, British Intelligence reaches a terrifying conclusion: that Russia has been developing a new generation of bio-weapons. Dispatched to investigate, MI6''s Luke Carlton finds himself on a serpentine trail of lies and deception. From a mysterious factory in Lithuania, via arrest and imprisonment, and ultimately back to Britain, he discovers that they''ve been looking in the wrong place all along . . .Praise for Frank Gardner and the Luke Carlton series:''Fast, taut, tense, accurate'' Frederick Forsyth''A terrific page-turner'' Sunday Times''Intelligent, high-voltage storytelling'' Tony Parsons ''Utterly authentic'' Daily Mail

Brought to you by Penguin.The world is on high alert. 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?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 café, 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 infamous 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.''Grips from the very first page . . . this is thriller writing of a high order . . . Gardner steadily ratchets up the tension, peppering the narrative with nuggets of expertise to make an enthralling, intelligent read.'' Adam LeBor, FINANCIAL TIMES (about Outbreak)©2024 Frank Gardner (P)2024 Penguin Audio

„Gyors, feszült, nyers, precíz. Lehengerlően jó.” FREDERICK FORSYTHLuke Carlton korábban a Special Service különleges osztagánál teljesített szolgálatot, jelenleg a brit titkosszolgálat, az MI6 szerződéses partnere, akit a legveszélyesebb küldetéseken vetnek be. Igazi adrenalinbomba, szélvészgyors tempó: Kolumbia drogbarlangjai, kínzás, ármány, a drogkartellek velejükig romlott világa.Luke Carltonnak a párás kolumbiai dzsungelben kell nyomoznia egy brit titkosszolgálati tiszt meggyilkolásának ügyében, és csakhamar ráébred, az esetnek nemzetközi következményei lesznek. Luke-ra Dél-Amerika legerősebb, vérszomjas és könyörtelen kartellje vadászik, amelynek feje egy pszichopata. A drogkartell bosszúja nyomán egy világváros kerül a célkeresztbe: ha Luke nem jár sikerrel, London is veszélybe kerül.„Minden egyes oldalról lerí, mennyire autentikus... ígéretes debütálás.” DAILY MAIL„Hallatlanul izgalmas könyv.” SIR JOHN SAWERS, az MI6 korábbi igazgatója„Idegfeszítő thriller egy olyan írótól, aki tökéletesen ismeri azt a világot, amelyet elénk hoz. Rendkívül magas színvonalú, fordulatos és intelligens írói teljesítmény.” TONY PARSONS„Ezt a könyvet nem lehet letenni.” SUNDAY TIMES„Olyan ember munkáját tartja most kezében az olvasó, aki maga is ott volt, részt vett az akcióban, és tudja, hogy miről beszél. A Krízist képtelenség letenni.” SIR ROGER MOORE„Gardnernek első kézből származó ismeretei vannak a témáról, és ez meg is látszik. Felkavaróan jó olvasmány.” JOHN HUMPHRYS„Tele van akcióval… a könyv címe alig sejteti, hogy milyen izgalmak várnak az olvasójára.” HUFFINGTON POST„Gardner gyorsan pergő, izgalmas történetének jelenünk szörnyűséges fenyegetései adják az alapját. A Krízisből valósággal árad egy beavatott író alapos helyismerete és vitathatatlan szakértelme.” GERALD SEYMOUR„Igazán figyelemreméltó könyv… Gardner első thrillerje rögtön ötödik sebességben indul, és a nyaktörő iram később sem lassul.” TIMES„Az ember megszállottan halad oldalról-oldalra.” PETER SNOW„Nagyszerűen ötvözi az imponáló szakmai tudást a vérpezsdítő izgalommal.” i-NEWSPAPER„Nem sok elsőkönyves író tud ilyen magabiztossággal és magával ragadó lendülettel rabul ejteni minket, mint Frank Gardner ebben az elképesztő thrillerjében, a Krízisben.” SUNDAY TIMES„Sodró lendületű thriller.” THE SUN„Ragyogó első regény: egyszerre okos és hiteles, ugyanakkor mindvégig rendkívül szórakoztató… intelligens, csiszolt stílusban, mégis közérthetően és hatásosan megírt mű – magasfeszültségű meseszövése méltóvá teszi szerzőjét, hogy a műfaj nagyjaival, Frederick Forsyth-szel és John le Carré-vel emlegessék egy lapon.” CRIME REVIEW„Gardner szemmel láthatóan tökéletes ismerője a modern hadviselésnek, és egyúttal kitűnő író is. Ez a könyv egy izgalmas kalandtörténet, amelyben bátor emberek merész tetteket visznek véghez.” LITERARY REVIEW„Gardner mesteri módon képes fokozni és mindvégig fenntartani a feszültséget… a Krízis kötelező olvasmány.” BUSINESS STANDARDFRANK GARDNER mindent tud a titkosszolgálati nyomozásokról. 2002-től volt a BBC titkosszolgálati témákért felelős újságírója, terrortámadásokról, túszejtésekről és sarkvidéki expedíciókról egyaránt tudósított. Az egyetemen arab-iszlám szakos diplomát szerzett, a BBC dubaji, majd kairói tudósítójaként dolgozott. 2004-ben őrá és az operatőrére terroristák támadtak. Az operatőrt megölték, Frank életben maradt, de tizenegy golyót kapott.