About the Author
Alex Shaw spent the second half of the 1990s in Kyiv, Ukraine running his own business consultancy before being head-hunted for a division of Siemens. The next few years saw him doing business for the company across the former USSR, the Middle East, and Africa. Most recently he has spent several years in Doha, Qatar.
Alex is an active member of the ITW (The International Thriller Writers organisation) and the CWA (the Crime Writers Association). He is the author of three international bestselling thriller series featuring Aidan Snow, Jack Tate and Sophie Racine, and the standalone ‘Delta Force Vampire’. His writing has also been published in several thriller anthologies.
Total Blackout was Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize – Best Published Novel.
Alex, his wife and their two sons divide their time between homes in Kyiv - Ukraine, Sussex - England and Doha - Qatar. Follow Alex on twitter: @alexshawhetman
About the book
The target doesn’t exist. - When cyber terrorist Fang Bao abruptly reappears after years in hiding, MI6 agent and former SAS trooper Jack Tate is sent to bring him in – but when Fang is assassinated by an unknown assailant, Tate realises he was only a pawn in a plot that threatens to put the whole world in danger.
The mission is impossible. - Now Tate has to uncover a lethal conspiracy that stretches all the way from Germany through the United States and into the dark heart of the jungle in Myanmar. As the enemy hunt down the owners of military secrets that would make them indestructible, Tate must race to identify not only their next target, but the enemy themselves.
The war is about to begin… Soon he learns the dark truth at the heart of the global conspiracy. The enemy doesn’t want to just assassinate a world leader; they want to make war – and Tate is the only one who can stop them.
Review
This is the third book in the Jack Tate series, which can all be read as standalone novels. This plot is a timely one I think. The necessity of the US and Uk having to work together to combat a common enemy. An insidious game of blame can and will decide the fate of many. A treacherous game of propaganda in the cyber arena. What better way to cause havoc than to present one scenario to fool the world, and in doing so create an explosive situation.
Influencing the outcomes, whilst creating the right kind of weaknesses to exploit. It's the kind of plot that isn't beyond the realms of reality, which is probably what makes it a good read.
It was interesting to see a Tate willing to take a risk and he was certainly teetering quite close to the edge when it comes to controlling his anger. I wonder if it is intentional - a way to show the burden of stress, the result of living a life on a lethal tightrope.
When I recommend books I have quite a few readers (often men) who look for a particular genre, which can be a bit niche. I'm glad I can add another author to the list of recommendations when it comes to this action thriller, with a military vibe. The author knows exactly how to pace the story and keep it rolling until the very end.
Buy Total Control at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : HQ Digital pub date 21 July 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.
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