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

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Very much in the vein of McNab and Ryan and while Mr Gardner may not be as expert on weapons and tactics he does the bigger picture stuff very well. The technical information is so injudiciously rationed that reading it feels like getting waterboarded by Q. Other characters, particularly within the annals of MI6, are also recognisable and substantial within the overall plot. In that context the idea that a Colombian drug lord, even one as moustache twirlingly irredeemable as Nelson Garcia, would go to all the expense, trouble and risk of mounting such an attack just doesn’t ring true.

But, that aside, most of what Gardner gives us defies belief, provides too much detail and not enough characterisation. Its a shame therefore, that such details are wasted on a plot that never feels entirely credible, lead characters who are either bland, misconceived or one dimensional and some very questionable decisions regarding both pacing of the story and individual dramatic developments.In June 2004, while reporting in Riyadh, Frank and his cameraman, Simon Cumbers, were ambushed by Islamist gunmen. All of these and more could have and should have been edited out to streamline the plot and cut the page count significantly. This is the first of currently three books about Luke Carlton and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. There is no room for any emotional journey or introspection from the main characters and it can be difficult to keep track of the parallel stories with so many secondary characters in walk-on parts.

Frank Gardner however, whilst not resorting to Le Carre-style kitchen-sink realism, definitely wants the reader to feel they’re being shown an accurate portrayal of contemporary intelligence gathering and espionage, not a world of tricked-out Aston Martins and bikini-clad babes (the former even gets a jokey reference in the book’s dialogue, as if the author was trying to make a none-too-subtle point). 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. Readers who want a high level of realism and a modern story should find this really suits their tastes. Past half way is where the suspense begins, a slow and steady start but it does get there and the true gripping chapters come out to play. 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.I didn’t find many of the characters to be overdrawn or caricature-like, which in itself was refreshing.