Never Go Back

by Gordon Bickerstaff

Former SAS officer Ben Greene is a brutal arms dealer.
By ruthlessly killing rivals, he created a massive business supplying illegal weapons.
Twenty-five years ago, Zoe Tampsin led a special forces unit to Northern Cyprus to find Greene and end his evil business.
Greene continues to sell weapons to extremists seeking regime change in Europe. The UK is under pressure to stop him. They send Zoe back to Northern Cyprus to finish the job.
Both of them are older, wiser, and more cunning.
Is Greene still too great a match for Zoe?

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2024

About the author

I was born and raised in Glasgow but spent my student years in Edinburgh. I spent over 30 years as a university lecturer and 25 years as an Open University tutor before I retired to write fiction. I live with my wife in Scotland where corrupt academics, psychopaths, serial killers, mystery, murder, and intrigue exists mostly in my mind.

I write the Lambeth Group series of standalone crime/conspiracy/suspense thrillers. Inspired by the 1970s 'Doomwatch' TV series, they feature undercover investigators Zoe and Gavin who protect the country and the world from the worst nightmares that mankind can imagine.

I enjoy walking in the hills, 60s & 70s music, reading and travel.

https://gordonbickerstaff.blogspot.com/

Reviews

[William Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read and reviewed most of Gordon Bickerstaff’s Lambeth Group thrillers and thoroughly enjoyed them. I recently reached the latest in the series, Never Go Back, in my TBR list. Read on for my thoughts about the novel!

Synopsis (from the author):
Former SAS officer Ben Greene is a brutal arms dealer.
By ruthlessly killing rivals, he created a massive business supplying illegal weapons.
Twenty-five years ago, Zoe Tampsin led a special forces unit to Northern Cyprus to find Greene and end his evil business.
Greene continues to sell weapons to extremists seeking regime change in Europe. The UK is under pressure to stop him. They send Zoe back to Northern Cyprus to finish the job.
Both of them are older, wiser, and more cunning.
Is Greene still too great a match for Zoe?

What I liked about Never Go Back:
I appreciated the return to the earlier Lambeth Group thriller format. While I’ve enjoyed Gordon Bickerstaff’s books, I prefer the hard-hitting, gritty thrillers. A couple of the more recent books dealt more with the characters’ relationships than the crisis central to the book. Never Go Back starts wide open and doesn’t stop. Zoe and her team are back in form, the plot is interesting, and the action kept me turning the pages. Overall, an excellent read!

What I didn’t like about Never Go Back:
My one complaint about Never Go Back was the corrupt officials. While it moved the story forward, it was a predictable part of the plot.

Overall impression of Never Go Back:
As with the other Lambeth Group books, I enjoyed Never Go Back. I liked how Gordon Bickerstaff opened with action and kept it going. The novel returned to the hard-hitting and gritty nature found in the earlier books, and the multiple subplots aligned nicely at the end. If you like thrillers, read this one!
My rating:
5 Stars

[Eric J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gordon Bickerstaff’s latest Lambeth Group thriller, ‘Never Go Back’ features both new and old enemies for its protagonists, Zoe Tampsin and Gavin Shawlens. Zoe has to undertake a mission which pits her and her team against someone whose skills, tactics and strategic planning are superior to her own and who caused the death of her entire team some years before, leaving her badly wounded in the process. Author Bickerstaff expertly weaves in the legacy of the psychological pressure and physical consequences these events have left in her, and how she reacts to facing this dreaded enemy again.

Although not directly involved in Zoe’s new mission, Shawlens also faces a new kind of enemy, one which the author does such an exemplary job of fleshing out, there were moments when I could not see a way out for him.

This two-pronged tale creates an intriguing contrast between the protagonists’ dilemmas that had me turning the pages late into the night. Highly recommended.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book about the Lambeth Group by Gordon Bickerstaff. Great twists and turns throughout the book, I was unsure where it was leading until the very end which has been the same for all the Lambeth Group books. I definitely didn't see the ending coming. I really hope there is another already in the pipeline and we don't have to wait to long. Thanks Gordon for a very happy few days reading.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read from Gordon Bickerstaff. The story is set in Cyprus, Glasgow and London. The female protagonist Zoe, is in charge of a team of operatives which is refreshing to read.

It's fast paced and action packed with plenty of twists and turns. I'll definitely read the authors other books to get an insight into the characters and because I enjoyed reading this story.

[Katie Ludlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a couple of times to get into the book, though I was very glad I stuck with it.

I liked the strong characters and level of detail. I also liked that it wasn’t predictable, though this is the first of this author that I have read.
It was an engrossing read and I would recommend this book.

[Sarah Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gordon Bickerstaff has an incredible talent for inventing new plots set firmly in the present day. Never Go Back features Zoe Tampsin doing just that – tracking Ben Greene, a powerful, traitorous, arms dealer who had her at his mercy 30 years before – and let her live.

Set in Glasgow, the divided island of Cyprus, and London, at its heart is the tragedy of Ukraine and its people, and Bickerstaff’s handling of the situation is sensitive. On the other hand, many of the author’s fictional politicians are incompetent, self-seeking, and corrupt – no surprise there!

Never Go Back is a great read from the explosive start to the astounding end. Highly recommended.

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and this book is an excellent addition! I've said it before, but I love Zoe as the tough leader of a mostly female team of operatives. This book is as action packed as the others and once started it is very difficult to put down. The published synopsis gives you the idea of the story, but to be honest I don't really care what is the plot or setting for the story, because it's the characters I love. I look forward to the next in the series!

[Rebecca Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first time I had read one of the Lambeth Group Thrillers and I have been gripped . A steady start and then suddenly an early twist catapults you into a rollercoaster ride of shady , mysterious characters and some genuine characters who you really want to succeed ! Lots of pieces come together to form a really exciting read !

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of action and intrigue here. If you are familiar with the Lambeth Group, you might know what to expect. There might have been a few too many storylines here for me. I would have preferred a little more depth on fewer stories.

[julie young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another action packed, thriller from Gordon Bickerstaff. A new operation for Zoe, Holly ,Stacey and the Lambeth Group of specialists, one that is particularly close to Zoe after an earlier failed attempt to bring down an incredibly dangerous man. Told at a breath taking pace, with different threads and events, this book has everything a great thriller needs to keep you hooked. Brilliant, clever and totally gripping.