Absolute Measures

by Humphrey Hawksley

Humphrey Hawksley's first novel Ceremony of Innocence was widely Hawksley is one of only a handful of authors taking the thriller in important new directions' Craig Thomas It begins with an SAS raid on a house in Khartoum which leaves the twins of an innocent neighbour orphaned. Saved from the orphanage by a Malaysian businessman, Samira and Yasin grow up in a world of wealth and privilege, but the seeds of hatred, sown when they were children, are about to reap a terrible harvest. When their home is plunged into violent chaos, Yasin knows the time has come for revenge. Suddenly the West is confronted by a terrorist with a plan so audacious that they are defenceless against it. Their only hope of stopping him lies with a man whose own life was also changed forever on that night in Khartoum, and with Yasin's twin sister Samira, who must make the most difficult choice of all.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

Humphrey is an award-winning author, podcaster and journalist whose assignments with the BBC have taken him to crises all over the world. The three books in his future history series -- Dragonstrike, Dragonfire and The Third World War -- have been praised as authentic, catastrophic scenarios which begin with a Chinese strike in the South China Sea. His Rake Ozenna espionage thriller series is set in the Arctic and High North, beginning with Man on Ice and a Russian invasion of the Alaskan island of Little Diomede. Rake is an island native and a special forces veteran with the Alaska National Guard. The late, great Nelson de Mille applauded Rake as being smart and tough, 'and we’re glad to have him on our side.' Humphrey's non-fiction work includes Democracy Kills: What’s So Good About Having The Vote, published during the Iraq civil war and Asian Waters: The Struggle over the Indo-Pacific and the Challenge to American Power which examines the impact of Chinese expansion in Asia. Humphrey hosts the bi-monthly Democracy Forum Debates. His work has appeared in most mainstream media outlets and he has been guest lecturer at universities and think tanks such as the RAND Corporation, The Center for Strategic and International Studies and MENSA Cambridge. He moderates the Democracy Forum Debates on international issues and is a host of the Goldster Magazine Show and podcast.

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read.

[Debi Lodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhilirating read, even if you do know the "baddie pretending to be the goodie", but that was the only piece slightly formulaic. A Must Read.