Shadow Vector: A Blake Harris Thriller

by Robin Crumby

The battle for control of Iraq was over. But the real war had just begun.
In the fractured aftermath of the Iraq invasion, former UK special forces operative Blake Harris stalks the streets of Baghdad hunting former regime members. After years undercover, he knows the city's darkest corners—and the terrifying truth that something deadly has slipped through the cracks.

When brilliant epidemiologist Dr. Alice Bishop is called in to investigate a suspicious disease outbreak in New York, the evidence points to something engineered—a designer pathogen that shouldn't exist.

As Harris and Bishop race against time to identify its source, they become targets in a shadowy game of international espionage. From Baghdad's bombed-out streets to the sterile laboratories of Iraq's former weapons program, they unearth a conspiracy that spans continents—and a scientific breakthrough that was never meant to be found.

With insurgent attacks escalating and intelligence leaks threatening their mission, Harris and Bishop must navigate a web of shifting loyalties to prevent a global catastrophe. But in a landscape where today's ally is tomorrow's enemy, the truth may be the most dangerous weapon of all.

A masterful thriller that blends military espionage, biological warfare, and desperate heroism against the volatile backdrop of post-invasion Iraq. Shadow Vector will keep you turning pages late into the night. Perfect for fans of Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, and Robert Ludlum.

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2025

About the author

Robin Crumby is the British author of The Hurst Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic series set on the south coast of England in the aftermath of a deadly flu pandemic. Since reading John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids as a child, Robin became fascinated by end of the world dystopian literature and was inspired to start writing by Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven. Why? Because post-apocalyptic fiction fires the imagination like nothing else. Pondering what comes next, who would survive, what would life look like? Much of the best fiction in this popular genre focuses on brain-eating zombies or events unfolding in the USA, so Robin determined to write a story set in the UK. His Eureka moment came wandering the shingle beach at Milford-on-sea, inspired by the beauty and rich history of the Solent. Where better to survive the end of the world than a medieval castle surrounded by water? Robin spent much of his childhood messing about in boats, exploring the many waterways, harbours and military forts of the Isle of Wight, where The Hurst Chronicles series is set.

Reviews

[Leanne Pert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant addition to the vector series. Great characters you can really get to grips with. I’m chomping to see what happens next.

Excellent prequal series for The Hurst Chronicles

[Matt Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent bioterrorism thriller!

Shadow Vector, like its predecessor The Congo Variant, is an excellent, well researched bioterrorism thriller that reads something like Richard Preston meets Bobby Akart. The authentic content makes it read almost like a non-fiction book. The characters are likeable, flawed and believable with complicated motives and beliefs. The action sequences are intense and beautifully written. Everything about the writing is first rate. The series takes a little while to really pick up, but the payoff is well worth it, we really get to know and understand the characters in ways very few authors can accomplish. Overall, superb reading. 5/5 stars, I can't wait to read more of Crumbly's novels!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin Crumby has written another exciting, compelling book with Shadow Vector. As usual, the book is incredibly researched, and the story telling first-rate, bringing the reader deep into Iraq during wartime and the search for bioweapons/WMDs. The experience of life inside, and out of, the Green Zone is gripping and hard to put down. The work of the international inspectors, the peacekeepers, and the scientists all intermingle to weave a thrilling, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining tale. I highly recommend this book. Also, check out Crumby’s Hurst Chronicles for a post-apocalyptic world that makes equally great reading.

[Kathryn Laing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake Harris, a former UK special forces agent.is still in Iraq when epidemiologist Dr. Alice Bishop is brought in on the search for a genetically modified virus. Together they are on the hunt to find where the virus originated and who developed it.

[Ilona A Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Either the author was there in person or did an amazing job of research. It was almost like he actually “rode” along with Harris. A really great story by a great author.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. Well written, page turner, great characters. Love it. Great job.