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The Tick Tock Man
Tom Harrison defuses terrorist bombs. It is a job that demands nerves of steel and courage to match. His skill is being tested to the limit by a new IRA bombing campaign, with an old adversary reaching out to him from beyond the grave.
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published December 16, 1997
6 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Terence Strong
38 books27 followersWith a background in journalism and military research, Terence Strong wrote the manuscripts of two action adventure thrillers before WHISPER WHO DARES was snapped up by Hodder & Stoughton and became an instant bestseller in 1982.
That first authentic SAS thriller was followed by three more about different activities of the Special Air Service Regiment.
Those well-researched storylines expanded to cover the exciting and unknown realms of counter-terrorism, espionage, hostage negotiation, ship-hijacking, narcotics, assassination and international affairs.
One particularly well-regarded title was THE TICK TOCK MAN which explored the dark arts of the terrorist and bomb disposal.
His seventeenth and latest thriller WORD OF WAR (published by Silver Fox Press) follows the super-secret bad boys of E Squadron SAS - with MI6 agents - entering into the chaos of Libya in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. The worlds of journalism, the military and espionage clash to make a dangerous cocktail far more exciting and intriguing than a Gaddafi Sunset.
That first authentic SAS thriller was followed by three more about different activities of the Special Air Service Regiment.
Those well-researched storylines expanded to cover the exciting and unknown realms of counter-terrorism, espionage, hostage negotiation, ship-hijacking, narcotics, assassination and international affairs.
One particularly well-regarded title was THE TICK TOCK MAN which explored the dark arts of the terrorist and bomb disposal.
His seventeenth and latest thriller WORD OF WAR (published by Silver Fox Press) follows the super-secret bad boys of E Squadron SAS - with MI6 agents - entering into the chaos of Libya in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. The worlds of journalism, the military and espionage clash to make a dangerous cocktail far more exciting and intriguing than a Gaddafi Sunset.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 16, 2025
It was quite an experience to read it .
January 5, 2013
The Tick Tock Man - the title comes across as a yet another serial killer book. The book is anything but that. The book takes a peek into the lives and attitude of those who are rarely mentioned except when they fail, the BOMB DISPOSAL MAN.
Our Tick Tock Man is Major Tom Harrison a veteran in disposing bomb in the conflict spread Ireland. One of the best things I liked about this book is that it is set not in Af-Pak, not in Iraq but in UK. It's set in a conflict that was as deadly as it was real in Ireland.
The book highlights the fact that be it Ireland or be it Middle East, the people killed in a bomb blast are all innocents who did not deserve to die. It highlights the fact that terrorism has no religion, and it speaks the universal language of violence and extremism to prove a point.
The plot line in this novel focuses on the secret talks between the British government and all the political parties in Ireland. Well as except one the Provisional IRA which soon learns about the secret talks and is not happy at being excluded from the same. Now they want a place at the talks and are ready to bomb their way in.
The only difference is this time they decide to strike in London the capital instead or good old Ireland. The infamous AIDAN bomb team enters London and starts a series of bomb campaign in an attempt to undermine the talks. In desperation the government brings in Major Harrison who is an expert in defusing bombs and is somewhat familiar with AIDAN as they have done their test campaign in Belfast before making their way to London.
What follows is a series of cat and mouse game between Major Harrison and the AIDAN cell.. One trying to prevent the bombings and the other trying to cause as much chaos as possible. Read the book to understand what happens next...
It was a fitting end to my 2012 in finishing off my target of reading 50 books in an year with this one. One of the best books that I enjoyed in 2012.
Our Tick Tock Man is Major Tom Harrison a veteran in disposing bomb in the conflict spread Ireland. One of the best things I liked about this book is that it is set not in Af-Pak, not in Iraq but in UK. It's set in a conflict that was as deadly as it was real in Ireland.
The book highlights the fact that be it Ireland or be it Middle East, the people killed in a bomb blast are all innocents who did not deserve to die. It highlights the fact that terrorism has no religion, and it speaks the universal language of violence and extremism to prove a point.
The plot line in this novel focuses on the secret talks between the British government and all the political parties in Ireland. Well as except one the Provisional IRA which soon learns about the secret talks and is not happy at being excluded from the same. Now they want a place at the talks and are ready to bomb their way in.
The only difference is this time they decide to strike in London the capital instead or good old Ireland. The infamous AIDAN bomb team enters London and starts a series of bomb campaign in an attempt to undermine the talks. In desperation the government brings in Major Harrison who is an expert in defusing bombs and is somewhat familiar with AIDAN as they have done their test campaign in Belfast before making their way to London.
What follows is a series of cat and mouse game between Major Harrison and the AIDAN cell.. One trying to prevent the bombings and the other trying to cause as much chaos as possible. Read the book to understand what happens next...
It was a fitting end to my 2012 in finishing off my target of reading 50 books in an year with this one. One of the best books that I enjoyed in 2012.
March 9, 2022
A menacing bomber released from prison with a vengeful grudge to settle, a catastrophic terrorist bombing strikes London, and a maniacal splinter terror group hell bent on destroying precarious peace talks over the political powder keg of Northern Ireland, conspires to create a volatile and deadly mix. It’s up to the skill and courage of one brave man who can defuse this explosive situation. That’s the premise behind the fast-paced action/thriller “The Tick Tock Man.” Written by acclaimed British Novelist Terence Strong, this gripping page-turner combines the suspense of Michael Crichton, the political intrigue of Tom Clancy, and the nail-biting adrenaline rush of defusing the most insidious devices ever devised by evil hands in Chris Hunter’s award-winning memoir “Eight Lives Down.”
The story originates in one of the most tumultuous places on earth in the 20th Century, Northern Ireland. Besieged by more than thirty years of guerilla warfare at the hands of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and held hostage by the scourge of malevolent bombing attacks by masterfully-skilled bomb makers, it takes a special breed of heroes to diffuse this volatile powder keg and keep a tentative peace amidst a swarm of brutal violence. Enter the valiant men and women of the British Army’s elite 321 EOD Squadron, England’s elite bomb squad. Members of a gallant and select fraternity of unsung heroes who shoulder the burden of public safety while risking their own lives in the pursuit of protecting life and property from “The Coward’s Weapon of Choice.” One of its most cherished officers is Senior Ammunition Technical Officer (SATO) Major Tom Harrison. The cream of the crop and the Olympic Gold Medalist of bomb disposal; Major Harrison is a master at defusing the Provisional IRA’s most ingenious devices. While very much at home on the battlefield of Ulster, his personal life however, is in complete disarray. Divorced from his impatient wife and struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy for his estranged teenage son, Major Harrison is at a crossroads in both his life and career all tempered by a delicate albeit precarious chess game with cunning and devious adversaries who are for the most part anonymous.
Nearing the end of his military service, Harrison contemplates retirement and possibly starting anew in London at Scotland Yard’s renowned Explosives Section, London’s elite bomb squad. Unfortunately, fate has other plans in store for the intrepid hero and a nasty surprise that will change his life forever and have a profound impact on those he loves as well. It will test his nerve, skill and courage and ultimately define him as a bomb technician. When a lone splinter terror group known as “AIDAN” sets its sights on London triggering a deadly bombing attack in a downtown shopping district, the heroes of 321 EOD and Scotland Yard’s Bomb Squad mobilize into action.
At the center of the carnage is Investigative Reporter Casey Mullins. Who after witnessing the demise of a brave bomb technician, who willingly put himself between Mullins and her daughter, the feisty reporter becomes an unwitting participant in a deadly cat and mouse game that only the bravest can play at their own peril. Hot on the trail of the biggest story of her life, Casey’s career is about to explode as she digs deeper into the mysterious realm of the Provisional IRA and the secretive brotherhood of one of the world’s most celebrated and battle-tested military bomb disposal squads: the elite Felix Unit of 321 EOD. In the wake of the tragic death of one of their civilian counterparts and a dear friend of Major Harrison’s, Casey Mullins and Tom forge a mutual bond that ignites unexpectedly into a steamy romance which gives both a reason to keep going but complicates matters as the clock ticks down to detonation when the AIDAN cell increases its lethality and puts London’s top bomb techs in the line of fire. With civilians and first responders in the cross-hairs, Major Harrison and his elite squad from 11 EOD Regiment are on the frontline. Running a joint counter-terror operation with London’s elite bomb squad, Major Harrison and his squad will have to improvise and adapt their skills and equipment to stay one step ahead of the cunning AIDAN cell and fight to thwart the next attack. In a desperate race against time to save lives, as casualties amongst EOD and the Explosive Section’s ranks mount; massive explosions wreak havoc, turning London into a war zone. Pitting one man’s nerves of steel against the diabolical nature of the AIDAN cell’s ring leader, the vengeful daughter of an old foe from Ulster obsessed with turning one of Britain’s top bomb technicians into pink mist.
This is one of the best novels I’ve read chronicling the valor and the sacrifice of the bomb technician! Author Terence Strong does an exemplary job painting a visceral and poignantly human portrait of life as an EOD Technician attached to the gallant fraternity of the world’s most decorated and experienced bomb squad. Having read Stephen Phillips’ “Proximity” and Steve Cole’s young adult drama “Tripwire,” I have to say that “The Tick Tock Man” blows the competition literally out of the water! I know the British are very rigid about what books get turned into movies but in this case, Terence Strong should have said “Yes” to a movie deal. It would have definitely helped boost sales at the bookstore and online. If this novel gets turned into a movie, I’ll be first in line to see it. Forget “The Hurt Locker” this is what Hollywood needs to make for the next summer blockbuster!
The story originates in one of the most tumultuous places on earth in the 20th Century, Northern Ireland. Besieged by more than thirty years of guerilla warfare at the hands of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and held hostage by the scourge of malevolent bombing attacks by masterfully-skilled bomb makers, it takes a special breed of heroes to diffuse this volatile powder keg and keep a tentative peace amidst a swarm of brutal violence. Enter the valiant men and women of the British Army’s elite 321 EOD Squadron, England’s elite bomb squad. Members of a gallant and select fraternity of unsung heroes who shoulder the burden of public safety while risking their own lives in the pursuit of protecting life and property from “The Coward’s Weapon of Choice.” One of its most cherished officers is Senior Ammunition Technical Officer (SATO) Major Tom Harrison. The cream of the crop and the Olympic Gold Medalist of bomb disposal; Major Harrison is a master at defusing the Provisional IRA’s most ingenious devices. While very much at home on the battlefield of Ulster, his personal life however, is in complete disarray. Divorced from his impatient wife and struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy for his estranged teenage son, Major Harrison is at a crossroads in both his life and career all tempered by a delicate albeit precarious chess game with cunning and devious adversaries who are for the most part anonymous.
Nearing the end of his military service, Harrison contemplates retirement and possibly starting anew in London at Scotland Yard’s renowned Explosives Section, London’s elite bomb squad. Unfortunately, fate has other plans in store for the intrepid hero and a nasty surprise that will change his life forever and have a profound impact on those he loves as well. It will test his nerve, skill and courage and ultimately define him as a bomb technician. When a lone splinter terror group known as “AIDAN” sets its sights on London triggering a deadly bombing attack in a downtown shopping district, the heroes of 321 EOD and Scotland Yard’s Bomb Squad mobilize into action.
At the center of the carnage is Investigative Reporter Casey Mullins. Who after witnessing the demise of a brave bomb technician, who willingly put himself between Mullins and her daughter, the feisty reporter becomes an unwitting participant in a deadly cat and mouse game that only the bravest can play at their own peril. Hot on the trail of the biggest story of her life, Casey’s career is about to explode as she digs deeper into the mysterious realm of the Provisional IRA and the secretive brotherhood of one of the world’s most celebrated and battle-tested military bomb disposal squads: the elite Felix Unit of 321 EOD. In the wake of the tragic death of one of their civilian counterparts and a dear friend of Major Harrison’s, Casey Mullins and Tom forge a mutual bond that ignites unexpectedly into a steamy romance which gives both a reason to keep going but complicates matters as the clock ticks down to detonation when the AIDAN cell increases its lethality and puts London’s top bomb techs in the line of fire. With civilians and first responders in the cross-hairs, Major Harrison and his elite squad from 11 EOD Regiment are on the frontline. Running a joint counter-terror operation with London’s elite bomb squad, Major Harrison and his squad will have to improvise and adapt their skills and equipment to stay one step ahead of the cunning AIDAN cell and fight to thwart the next attack. In a desperate race against time to save lives, as casualties amongst EOD and the Explosive Section’s ranks mount; massive explosions wreak havoc, turning London into a war zone. Pitting one man’s nerves of steel against the diabolical nature of the AIDAN cell’s ring leader, the vengeful daughter of an old foe from Ulster obsessed with turning one of Britain’s top bomb technicians into pink mist.
This is one of the best novels I’ve read chronicling the valor and the sacrifice of the bomb technician! Author Terence Strong does an exemplary job painting a visceral and poignantly human portrait of life as an EOD Technician attached to the gallant fraternity of the world’s most decorated and experienced bomb squad. Having read Stephen Phillips’ “Proximity” and Steve Cole’s young adult drama “Tripwire,” I have to say that “The Tick Tock Man” blows the competition literally out of the water! I know the British are very rigid about what books get turned into movies but in this case, Terence Strong should have said “Yes” to a movie deal. It would have definitely helped boost sales at the bookstore and online. If this novel gets turned into a movie, I’ll be first in line to see it. Forget “The Hurt Locker” this is what Hollywood needs to make for the next summer blockbuster!
August 17, 2018
Not great fan of Northern Ireland troubles and the IRA, but this army bomb disposal expert story caught my eye, the pace is good and characters believable, weaving in background Irish stories of the troubles.
November 10, 2018
The author clearly did his his research and does a pretty darn good job describing the challenges emotional, physical, and in regards to family life of bomb techs. Plot is at times a little hokey but it's a great story and so well researched it's hard not to love
August 28, 2024
I couldn't put this down! A different world.
April 1, 2018
A romance novel with bombs.
For some reason I decided I needed to read about bomb technicians. So I searched for tips on this and about the only fiction I found was The Tick Tock Man by Terence Strong.
Yes it is about bomb technicians and journalists. In the years of Northern Ireland troubles, a gang of terrorists decide to start bombing London, to put the hurt where it counts. Main characters are Tom Harrison, the bomb technician, and Casey Mullins, a journalist. Tom is called to London to help with the new series of bombings, and Casey is reporting on them. Most reviews of the this book forget to mention Casey at all.
I can't agree with most reviews. This is NOT well written. It reminds me most of the writing in cheap romance novels (yes, romance can also be awesome), where people inevitably must have sex and everything happens to them, with the extra addition of some technical jerking off with jargon and specifications.
The whole review can be found at @booksofdoom on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/booksofdoom/
For some reason I decided I needed to read about bomb technicians. So I searched for tips on this and about the only fiction I found was The Tick Tock Man by Terence Strong.
Yes it is about bomb technicians and journalists. In the years of Northern Ireland troubles, a gang of terrorists decide to start bombing London, to put the hurt where it counts. Main characters are Tom Harrison, the bomb technician, and Casey Mullins, a journalist. Tom is called to London to help with the new series of bombings, and Casey is reporting on them. Most reviews of the this book forget to mention Casey at all.
I can't agree with most reviews. This is NOT well written. It reminds me most of the writing in cheap romance novels (yes, romance can also be awesome), where people inevitably must have sex and everything happens to them, with the extra addition of some technical jerking off with jargon and specifications.
The whole review can be found at @booksofdoom on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/booksofdoom/
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews