Trigger Men

by James McGee

Supported by his death squads, President Solomon Mabato rules his East African fiefdom with ruthless efficiency. Thousands have died since he seized power in a brutal military coup. When David Holt, a British university lecturer, is arrested and held to ransom under sentence of death, Her Majesty's Government refuses to give in to Mabato's outrageous demands. Unable to secure Holt's release by conventional means, The British Prime Minister and his Director of SIS resort to drastic measures: the clandestine recruitment of a small team of freelancers. The contract: to spring Holt from the notorious Maboru Prison and fly him to safety. Keel is the man chosen to lead the snatch squad. Regular soldier turned mercenary and a veteran of wars in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia, he knows this is tantamount to a suicide mission, but it's a challenge too inviting to turn down. And the money's good. But there are other factions at work. Hamilton Kemba, the man toppled by Mabato and now living in exile in Kenya, wants his country back. A previous invasion attempt failed. This time, Kemba chooses a different tactic. Intercepting Keel in Nairobi, he offers the mercenary and his team a secondary contract; to kill Mabato. When Keel declines, Kemba turns to another: the Zulu assassin, Qetuka. As the two independent missions converge, they trigger a chain of events in which violence, betrayal and sudden death are irretrievably linked. From the resulting carnage, very few participants will emerge unscathed.

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


James McGee was born into an army family. He was educated in Gibraltar, Germany and Belfast, giving him a love of travel, which is evident in his meticulous, vivid portraits of diverse people and places. His career has encompassed banking, bookselling and thirteen years in the airline business. He has also presented book reviews for BBC local radio and several independent stations.

Reviews

[The Villan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read