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Luke Carlton #1
Crisis
Crisis [Paperback] Gardner, Frank
576 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2016
384 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Frank Gardner
7 books115 followersBBC’s fulltime Security Correspondent reporting on events from Afghanistan to piracy off the Somali coast to Arctic challenges. Shot 6 times at close range while on assignment in Saudi Arabia in 2004, left severely wounded and dependant on a wheelchair. Awarded an OBE by HM The Queen in 2005. Author of 2 bestselling books ‘Blood and Sand’ describing his Middle East experiences and ‘Far Horizons’ describing unusual journeys to unusual places. Married with 2 children, lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
September 17, 2016
I would definitely not recommend this book. I found the story dragged & I wanted to finish it so I could read something better! The majority of the characters were annoying especially Luke and Elise - the ones I did like tended to die pretty quickly, I think there was only one that I liked who survived...
Very James Bond-ish but a more up-to-date, perhaps more accurate version. It did at least teach a little more about how SIS work & the info about Columbian cartels was kind of interesting.
Very James Bond-ish but a more up-to-date, perhaps more accurate version. It did at least teach a little more about how SIS work & the info about Columbian cartels was kind of interesting.
August 2, 2016
Normally when writing reviews I try to avoid spoilers like the plague. However, in order to give Crisis a fair review I really can't find a way to avoid at least hinting at some minor plot developments within the book. Therefore please accept the warning that what follows does contain SPOILERS.
Crisis is the first non-fiction work by Frank Gardner, and as befits his day job of BBC Security Correspondent he has chosen a spy thriller as the genre for his debut novel.
As you would expect from a journalist who has spent a considerable proportion of his career covering matters relating to National Security, International Affairs and Terrorism, Crisis is a novel packed full of accurate details, or at least details that feel entirely plausible. From descriptions of the processes and procedures followed by the UK security services during a national crisis to how special forces operate and deploy, you get the sense that Gardner writes either from first hand knowledge or from knowing people with direct experience of similar events, people and places. It gives parts of he book a clear feeling of plausibility and verisimilitude.
Its a shame therefore, that such details are wasted on a plot that never feels entirely credible, lead characters who are either bland, misconceived or one dimensional and some very questionable decisions regarding both pacing of the story and individual dramatic developments.
The central plot of the book is a critical problem from the get go because it fits so poorly with the tone of the book. The idea of a Colombian drug lord, incensed by successful, British lead attempts to curtail his business, scheming with the North Koreans to set off a nuclear dirty-bomb in the UK sounds like the stuff of a lesser Bond movie, and if the rest of Crisis was similarly fantastical it might have worked as a plot hook.
Frank Gardner however, whilst not resorting to Le Carre-style kitchen-sink realism, definitely wants the reader to feel they’re being shown an accurate portrayal of contemporary intelligence gathering and espionage, not a world of tricked-out Aston Martins and bikini-clad babes (the former even gets a jokey reference in the book’s dialogue, as if the author was trying to make a none-too-subtle point). In that context the idea that a Colombian drug lord, even one as moustache twirlingly irredeemable as Nelson Garcia, would go to all the expense, trouble and risk of mounting such an attack just doesn’t ring true. As a result the central story is holed below the waterline before it even gets going and no amount of factual detail regarding the intelligence services or anti-terrorist operations is enough to refloat it.
What might have helped though, would have been a central character with enough charisma or complexity to let the reader overlook the inherent implausibility of the villainous conspiracy. Instead we get Luke Carlton, and instead of complexity we are given what can best be described as bland competence. Again, I understand that Gardner is trying hard to keep things within the bounds of the plausible, and ex-SBS officer Carlton fits that mold to a tee. However, just because the hero needs to be realistic and human doesn’t mean he needs to be dull, and giving him a tragic childhood or a slightly compliictedd love life is not enough to make him instantaneously more interesting or automatically grant him depth. Gardner needed to work far harder to create a more rounded, and complex lead character, rather than relying on lazy shortcuts. By resorting to the latter Crisis is left with a bland-cypher where its hero should be.
Its also lumbered with an entirely one-dimensional bad guy in Garcia, who never becomes more than a stereotypical drug baron of the sort beloved by Hollywood action movies in the mid-90’s before he war on terror. Gardner should be congratulated for not falling back on using the standard Islamist-terrorist as the book’s primary antagonist. Its just a pity that he does nothing interesting or fresh with the Garcia character to make him stand out from the crowd.
Although the reader should count themselves lucky that Gardner doesn’t lumber Garcia someone as pointless and irritating as Elise, Carlton’s entirely superfluous girlfriend, in order to flesh out the drug lord’s character. I appreciate what Gardner is trying to do with Elise; which is illustrate the complications and personal compromises those working in Intelligence have to make in order to protect their countries. Unfortunately by introducing her and then finding ways to shoehorn her into the plot, all Gardner does is slow down the narrative unnecessarily, add yet another unrealistic and ultimately superfluous, yet entirely predictable, subplot (from the moment in the opening chapters that you find out Elise knows martial arts you’re just waiting for her to be placed in a situation where she needs to use them) and irritate the reader. Honestly, if she had said ‘Babes’ one more time in a way that no real woman outside of The Only Way Is Essex actually would I would have screamed.
Unfortunately Elise is not the only superfluous element in Crisis, although she is the most significant and irritating. The book is peppered with excessive detail, unnecessary exposition and minor characters who could be excised entirely. We don’t need to spend time with the man organising the Rememberance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, or need to know so much about the welder working for the bad guys to help them build their bomb (another entirely unrealistic character). All of these and more could have and should have been edited out to streamline the plot and cut the page count significantly. Crisis is a book that needs a propulsive and dynamic narrative. Instead it meanders, lacks focus and is at least 100 pages to long. The final section does ramp up the tension, although the stakes are set too high for you to ever really believe that the bad guys will succeed in their goals, but it far too much of a slog to get to that point.
Frank Gardner could, over time, become a half-decent thriller writer. His inside knowledge certainly gives him an edge, and Crisis does have some areas of promise. He just needs to tighten up his plotting, take some more time in crafting his characters and find a ruthless editor who will cut out the narrative deadwood and keep his stories focused and moving forward.
I received my copy of Crisis for free via the Amazon Vine Programme in exchange for an unbiased review. A copy of this review is also available on Amazon.co.uk
Crisis is the first non-fiction work by Frank Gardner, and as befits his day job of BBC Security Correspondent he has chosen a spy thriller as the genre for his debut novel.
As you would expect from a journalist who has spent a considerable proportion of his career covering matters relating to National Security, International Affairs and Terrorism, Crisis is a novel packed full of accurate details, or at least details that feel entirely plausible. From descriptions of the processes and procedures followed by the UK security services during a national crisis to how special forces operate and deploy, you get the sense that Gardner writes either from first hand knowledge or from knowing people with direct experience of similar events, people and places. It gives parts of he book a clear feeling of plausibility and verisimilitude.
Its a shame therefore, that such details are wasted on a plot that never feels entirely credible, lead characters who are either bland, misconceived or one dimensional and some very questionable decisions regarding both pacing of the story and individual dramatic developments.
The central plot of the book is a critical problem from the get go because it fits so poorly with the tone of the book. The idea of a Colombian drug lord, incensed by successful, British lead attempts to curtail his business, scheming with the North Koreans to set off a nuclear dirty-bomb in the UK sounds like the stuff of a lesser Bond movie, and if the rest of Crisis was similarly fantastical it might have worked as a plot hook.
Frank Gardner however, whilst not resorting to Le Carre-style kitchen-sink realism, definitely wants the reader to feel they’re being shown an accurate portrayal of contemporary intelligence gathering and espionage, not a world of tricked-out Aston Martins and bikini-clad babes (the former even gets a jokey reference in the book’s dialogue, as if the author was trying to make a none-too-subtle point). In that context the idea that a Colombian drug lord, even one as moustache twirlingly irredeemable as Nelson Garcia, would go to all the expense, trouble and risk of mounting such an attack just doesn’t ring true. As a result the central story is holed below the waterline before it even gets going and no amount of factual detail regarding the intelligence services or anti-terrorist operations is enough to refloat it.
What might have helped though, would have been a central character with enough charisma or complexity to let the reader overlook the inherent implausibility of the villainous conspiracy. Instead we get Luke Carlton, and instead of complexity we are given what can best be described as bland competence. Again, I understand that Gardner is trying hard to keep things within the bounds of the plausible, and ex-SBS officer Carlton fits that mold to a tee. However, just because the hero needs to be realistic and human doesn’t mean he needs to be dull, and giving him a tragic childhood or a slightly compliictedd love life is not enough to make him instantaneously more interesting or automatically grant him depth. Gardner needed to work far harder to create a more rounded, and complex lead character, rather than relying on lazy shortcuts. By resorting to the latter Crisis is left with a bland-cypher where its hero should be.
Its also lumbered with an entirely one-dimensional bad guy in Garcia, who never becomes more than a stereotypical drug baron of the sort beloved by Hollywood action movies in the mid-90’s before he war on terror. Gardner should be congratulated for not falling back on using the standard Islamist-terrorist as the book’s primary antagonist. Its just a pity that he does nothing interesting or fresh with the Garcia character to make him stand out from the crowd.
Although the reader should count themselves lucky that Gardner doesn’t lumber Garcia someone as pointless and irritating as Elise, Carlton’s entirely superfluous girlfriend, in order to flesh out the drug lord’s character. I appreciate what Gardner is trying to do with Elise; which is illustrate the complications and personal compromises those working in Intelligence have to make in order to protect their countries. Unfortunately by introducing her and then finding ways to shoehorn her into the plot, all Gardner does is slow down the narrative unnecessarily, add yet another unrealistic and ultimately superfluous, yet entirely predictable, subplot (from the moment in the opening chapters that you find out Elise knows martial arts you’re just waiting for her to be placed in a situation where she needs to use them) and irritate the reader. Honestly, if she had said ‘Babes’ one more time in a way that no real woman outside of The Only Way Is Essex actually would I would have screamed.
Unfortunately Elise is not the only superfluous element in Crisis, although she is the most significant and irritating. The book is peppered with excessive detail, unnecessary exposition and minor characters who could be excised entirely. We don’t need to spend time with the man organising the Rememberance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, or need to know so much about the welder working for the bad guys to help them build their bomb (another entirely unrealistic character). All of these and more could have and should have been edited out to streamline the plot and cut the page count significantly. Crisis is a book that needs a propulsive and dynamic narrative. Instead it meanders, lacks focus and is at least 100 pages to long. The final section does ramp up the tension, although the stakes are set too high for you to ever really believe that the bad guys will succeed in their goals, but it far too much of a slog to get to that point.
Frank Gardner could, over time, become a half-decent thriller writer. His inside knowledge certainly gives him an edge, and Crisis does have some areas of promise. He just needs to tighten up his plotting, take some more time in crafting his characters and find a ruthless editor who will cut out the narrative deadwood and keep his stories focused and moving forward.
I received my copy of Crisis for free via the Amazon Vine Programme in exchange for an unbiased review. A copy of this review is also available on Amazon.co.uk
August 15, 2016
Crisis is a fast-paced, action packed thriller backed up with detailed and compelling descriptions of terrorist situations and settings, which have enough touches of contemporary news to make them feel real even if they are implausible.
There is no room for any emotional journey or introspection from the main characters and it can be difficult to keep track of the parallel stories with so many secondary characters in walk-on parts.
I couldn't emphasise with the lead hero and found myself skipping sections as a respite from the relentless pace.
Not for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advanced reading copy.
There is no room for any emotional journey or introspection from the main characters and it can be difficult to keep track of the parallel stories with so many secondary characters in walk-on parts.
I couldn't emphasise with the lead hero and found myself skipping sections as a respite from the relentless pace.
Not for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advanced reading copy.
August 9, 2025
This enjoyably entertaining high octane spy thriller is a great debut from BBC's security correspondent.
A Colombian patrol discovering a dead body of an English diplomat in the jungle at night which kicks off the mystery.
There's quite real sense of groundedness and real world surrounding the whole novel as the books protagonist a former-SBS-commando-turned-MI6 agent Luke Carlton is sent to South America to uncover who killed the argent.
This fast paced thriller has plenty of suspense and tension, whilst as the book cover suggests will soon lead to him to uncovering an international terrorist plot targeting London.
A strong debut with nice short chapters that helps keep you reading.
A Colombian patrol discovering a dead body of an English diplomat in the jungle at night which kicks off the mystery.
There's quite real sense of groundedness and real world surrounding the whole novel as the books protagonist a former-SBS-commando-turned-MI6 agent Luke Carlton is sent to South America to uncover who killed the argent.
This fast paced thriller has plenty of suspense and tension, whilst as the book cover suggests will soon lead to him to uncovering an international terrorist plot targeting London.
A strong debut with nice short chapters that helps keep you reading.
June 18, 2025
This was a decent espionage thriller which clearly draws on Gardner’s experience of the security world, making the novel feel gritty and real in a way which this genre often doesn’t.
However, I felt this book was overly long for the complexity of the plot involved. The middle act felt very drawn out and I’d have liked to see more twists and turns along the way, especially given how easily everything is wrapped up. I was left almost feeling as though the build up was dragged out and then the ending was rushed with no real resolution.
Overall not a bad thriller by any stretch but I was left feeling a little let down.
However, I felt this book was overly long for the complexity of the plot involved. The middle act felt very drawn out and I’d have liked to see more twists and turns along the way, especially given how easily everything is wrapped up. I was left almost feeling as though the build up was dragged out and then the ending was rushed with no real resolution.
Overall not a bad thriller by any stretch but I was left feeling a little let down.
March 21, 2018
Spy thriller set in COLOMBIA and LONDON
Crisis was published in June 2016, and has been on my TBR (To Be Read) pile pretty much ever since. I wanted to read the book because I have much admired Frank as the BBC’s security correspondent and wanted to see how he would write a fast paced thriller. I was not disappointed. For those of you who do not know, Frank was severely wounded in an Al Qaeda attack in Yemen in 2004 – his cameraman was killed, and he was left for dead with eleven bullets in him. He was an officer in the Green Jackets and worked in banking in Saudi Arabia, he speaks fluent Arabic. Frank is the real thing – and his knowledge comes through loud and clear in Crisis. You just presume that his telling of how MI5, MI6, and the other security services work is as accurate as it can be.
Not, of course, that Crisis is a believable story. It is from the Frederick Forsyth school of thriller writing – a brilliantly fashioned, but unlikely tale – executed by an adrenaline-fuelled cast of characters. The pace never lets up from the narcotics dens of Colombia, the murder of a serving MI6 officer in the same country, the torture, deceit, and corruption of the drugs gangs, though to a kidnapping in London and the machinations of the security services as they prepare for the worst.
Luke Carlton is an ex-SBS officer. He is seconded to MI6 on a trial basis and, because he speaks fluent Spanish, is sent to Colombia to investigate when an MI6 officer is murdered while investigating one of the most notorious drugs gangs. What was he on the brink of discovering and reporting back to London? What is Nelson Garcia (‘El Pobrecito’ – ‘poor thing’), leader of the gang, planning to do? And how can Luke and the security services stop him? The action swings back and forth between London and Colombia as the story moves to a thrilling climax. To use an overworked phrase, it is indeed a ‘page turner’.
Crisis was published in 2016 to much critical acclaim. Since then Frank has written the second book in the Luke Carlton series. Ultimatum will be published in May this year. It is set in Iran and sounds every bit as exciting as Crisis. A treat to look forward to.
Crisis was published in June 2016, and has been on my TBR (To Be Read) pile pretty much ever since. I wanted to read the book because I have much admired Frank as the BBC’s security correspondent and wanted to see how he would write a fast paced thriller. I was not disappointed. For those of you who do not know, Frank was severely wounded in an Al Qaeda attack in Yemen in 2004 – his cameraman was killed, and he was left for dead with eleven bullets in him. He was an officer in the Green Jackets and worked in banking in Saudi Arabia, he speaks fluent Arabic. Frank is the real thing – and his knowledge comes through loud and clear in Crisis. You just presume that his telling of how MI5, MI6, and the other security services work is as accurate as it can be.
Not, of course, that Crisis is a believable story. It is from the Frederick Forsyth school of thriller writing – a brilliantly fashioned, but unlikely tale – executed by an adrenaline-fuelled cast of characters. The pace never lets up from the narcotics dens of Colombia, the murder of a serving MI6 officer in the same country, the torture, deceit, and corruption of the drugs gangs, though to a kidnapping in London and the machinations of the security services as they prepare for the worst.
Luke Carlton is an ex-SBS officer. He is seconded to MI6 on a trial basis and, because he speaks fluent Spanish, is sent to Colombia to investigate when an MI6 officer is murdered while investigating one of the most notorious drugs gangs. What was he on the brink of discovering and reporting back to London? What is Nelson Garcia (‘El Pobrecito’ – ‘poor thing’), leader of the gang, planning to do? And how can Luke and the security services stop him? The action swings back and forth between London and Colombia as the story moves to a thrilling climax. To use an overworked phrase, it is indeed a ‘page turner’.
Crisis was published in 2016 to much critical acclaim. Since then Frank has written the second book in the Luke Carlton series. Ultimatum will be published in May this year. It is set in Iran and sounds every bit as exciting as Crisis. A treat to look forward to.
February 22, 2017
I suspect I'm not really the target audience for this book but I like a good thriller so thought I'd give it a go. I found it really bland and totally lacking in suspense - there was no point that I didn't think Luke would be completely safe and obviously they were going to find the bomb; slightly enjoyed that the villains were Colombian narcos and not the usual Middle Eastern, but really, that's about the best I can say for it. Oh, and I HATED how the girlfriend had been written - whiney Sloane Ranger one minute; kick-arse, kidnap escaping martial expert the next. Oh, and no ex-SBS current MI6 agent would ever agree to (let alone quite enjoy) the prospect of an Ellie Goulding concert at the O2...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
A really enjoyable adventure thriller. As a somewhat newbie to this sort of book, it felt like James Bond meets Alex Rider with a healthy dash of grown-up thrown in. That probably undersells it really as it was genuinely a top quality book. It probably helps that I massively respect Frank Gardner already, but it was incredibly believable, gripping and very well written.
Overall a telling fact is that I'll be off to find a copy of the next one soon!
Overall a telling fact is that I'll be off to find a copy of the next one soon!
July 27, 2023
A brilliant series, edge of the seat excitement together with seamless storytelling makes a top class read. Highly recommended.
January 27, 2018
Run of the mill thriller. Only if you have read all the good ones.
August 9, 2019
Bit of a disappointment frankly. I was hoping someone of Frank Gardner's impressive journalistic background would be able to come up with something a bit less derivative than this by-the-numbers spook yarn with its cliche square-jawed ex-Commando hero and assorted snarling, one-dimensional Latino baddies.
Gardner gets much of the bureaucratic background and technical detail right but needs more than just efficient research to produce an above-average thriller. This is a literary territory rather overpopulated at the moment, with swaggering 21st century pseudo-Bonds crawling out of the woodwork everywhere. Who needs another one? This effort adds nothing to the genre and just blends into the pack.
Gardner would have been better served targeting a less populated and less aggressively macho literary world of modern espionage where only Charles Cumming and Le Carre really operate at the moment. Books majoring on the subtleties of spycraft rather than militaristic posturing are rather thin on the ground and Gardner might have made better use of his knowledge and connections to produce something more original and thoughtful, instead of just going for the easy buck with yet another movie-friendly actioneer.
Gardner gets much of the bureaucratic background and technical detail right but needs more than just efficient research to produce an above-average thriller. This is a literary territory rather overpopulated at the moment, with swaggering 21st century pseudo-Bonds crawling out of the woodwork everywhere. Who needs another one? This effort adds nothing to the genre and just blends into the pack.
Gardner would have been better served targeting a less populated and less aggressively macho literary world of modern espionage where only Charles Cumming and Le Carre really operate at the moment. Books majoring on the subtleties of spycraft rather than militaristic posturing are rather thin on the ground and Gardner might have made better use of his knowledge and connections to produce something more original and thoughtful, instead of just going for the easy buck with yet another movie-friendly actioneer.
February 12, 2017
2.5 stars
Started well at a decent pace and I enjoyed the exploration of the Colombian Cartels and the North Korean aspect but the plot moves slowly.
The concept is good and it's reasonably well written but it feels like the author is trying too hard with the overuse of acronyms, jargon and painstakingly drawn out descriptions and explanations of practically everything. This effects the pace of the plot as well as character development and due to the underdeveloped characters and character relationships I didn't really feel connected to any of them throughout.
Elise was a frustratingly annoying presence and their was little rapore between any of the main characters. In his quest for authenticity the author neglected to make the characters believable as actual human beings which makes it difficult to care about the outcome.
Started well at a decent pace and I enjoyed the exploration of the Colombian Cartels and the North Korean aspect but the plot moves slowly.
The concept is good and it's reasonably well written but it feels like the author is trying too hard with the overuse of acronyms, jargon and painstakingly drawn out descriptions and explanations of practically everything. This effects the pace of the plot as well as character development and due to the underdeveloped characters and character relationships I didn't really feel connected to any of them throughout.
Elise was a frustratingly annoying presence and their was little rapore between any of the main characters. In his quest for authenticity the author neglected to make the characters believable as actual human beings which makes it difficult to care about the outcome.
June 5, 2017
Stupendous! Absolutely brilliant novel.
I was hooked from start to finish: fast-paced, action-packed, thrilling, full of suspense and drama this book has it all. Incredibly well written, easy to read & follow. the plot entices, teases & thrills you all the way through.
Great for those who read in short bursts too, with brief chapters which helps the feeling of racing against time.
I cannot recommend this book enough and I can't wait to read the follow-up!
I was hooked from start to finish: fast-paced, action-packed, thrilling, full of suspense and drama this book has it all. Incredibly well written, easy to read & follow. the plot entices, teases & thrills you all the way through.
Great for those who read in short bursts too, with brief chapters which helps the feeling of racing against time.
I cannot recommend this book enough and I can't wait to read the follow-up!
December 29, 2018
It was good, i like the story ( i love anything related with mobs, narcos, serial killers stories) but not this author writting style, which made me read in a slower paced and picking other novels tonread while i read this
It was ok but not exceptional book. 3 ⭐️
It was ok but not exceptional book. 3 ⭐️
July 28, 2018
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I bought this book, but with the name of Frank Gardner attached I was probably expecting more.
For those of you who can’t recall the name, Frank Gardner is Security Editor for the BBC TV News and therefore a man with considerable knowledge of the workings of our nation’s security services and probably those of several other countries. He is almost certain to have contacts in a number of other fields which would help him with insider knowledge of the sort that comes in handy when writing a novel that involves Columbian drug cartels.
With that pedigree, therefore, I was expecting something a little more interesting than what Gardner gives us in “Crisis”.
Luke Carlton is the protagonist, an ex-Special Forces officer who has gone to work for MI6, Britain’s foreign intelligence gathering service. When a British agent is murdered in Colombia he is assigned to investigate. He then launches an unauthorised operation to capture the head of the drugs cartel responsible for the murder, which goes wrong in a spectacular manner, nearly getting Carlton killed.
During the course of this mission Carlton finds out that some sort of dangerous weapon is on its way to Britain to be used against us, because our drug enforcement agencies have been hurting the drug cartels and they want payback. The idea that a drug cartel would take such a risk, let alone spend so much money, is a little farfetched, but you do have to suspend disbelief with spy thrillers, so I went with the premise.
I wasn’t too keen on the characterisation of Carlton, however. As an ex-Special Forces officer he would know about not taking unnecessary risks, but that is precisely what Gardner has him doing. Rather than the calculating professional, Gardner portrays Carlton as an amateurish maverick. Ok, it injects drama, but it detracts from believability. When asking readers to suspend their disbelief, the author shouldn’t then ask them to suspend even more disbelief, especially so early in the plot.
Another example of this comes later in the book, when we are supposed to believe that a pair of Colombian gangsters from the barrio would be able to navigate a make-shift mini-submarine with pin point accuracy, at night, through Force 5 seas to a tiny Cornish beach and arrive spot on time to make their rendezvous. This is a feat that would challenge the skipper of a Trident submarine, yet these two bozos manage it with ease - without any navigation equipment more sophisticated than a compass.
Later we are supposed to accept that Garcia, the head of the drugs cartel, a man so paranoid about his security that he moves his entire operational HQ every few days, would accept into his inner sanctum a woman who he hardly knows just because she is good at acupuncture. He doesn’t even ask his head of security to have her checked out.
The only bit of the plot I didn’t find far fetched was the idea of smuggling a weapon of mass destruction into the UK. This is a serious threat and one that our security services have reason to worry about. I used a similar idea in my own book, ‘Mirror Man’, a few years ago. But, that aside, most of what Gardner gives us defies belief, provides too much detail and not enough characterisation. Most of the bad guys are two dimensional and the good guys are stereotypes, not identifiable as real people.
I think some of the problems with the book come from the depth of knowledge that Gardner has. He uses jargon freely, but then realises that his readers may not understand the jargon and has to explain it. Often this is done by making Carlton ask questions, or suffer an apparent loss of memory so that someone has to explain things to him. This makes the writing style cumbersome, tedious even. It might have been easier to not use the jargon in the first place and just stick to plain English.
This isn’t really a bad book, but it isn’t a good one either. If you like your spy thrillers more James Bond than George Smiley, you may enjoy it but I won’t be going back for a second helping of Luke Carlton.
For those of you who can’t recall the name, Frank Gardner is Security Editor for the BBC TV News and therefore a man with considerable knowledge of the workings of our nation’s security services and probably those of several other countries. He is almost certain to have contacts in a number of other fields which would help him with insider knowledge of the sort that comes in handy when writing a novel that involves Columbian drug cartels.
With that pedigree, therefore, I was expecting something a little more interesting than what Gardner gives us in “Crisis”.
Luke Carlton is the protagonist, an ex-Special Forces officer who has gone to work for MI6, Britain’s foreign intelligence gathering service. When a British agent is murdered in Colombia he is assigned to investigate. He then launches an unauthorised operation to capture the head of the drugs cartel responsible for the murder, which goes wrong in a spectacular manner, nearly getting Carlton killed.
During the course of this mission Carlton finds out that some sort of dangerous weapon is on its way to Britain to be used against us, because our drug enforcement agencies have been hurting the drug cartels and they want payback. The idea that a drug cartel would take such a risk, let alone spend so much money, is a little farfetched, but you do have to suspend disbelief with spy thrillers, so I went with the premise.
I wasn’t too keen on the characterisation of Carlton, however. As an ex-Special Forces officer he would know about not taking unnecessary risks, but that is precisely what Gardner has him doing. Rather than the calculating professional, Gardner portrays Carlton as an amateurish maverick. Ok, it injects drama, but it detracts from believability. When asking readers to suspend their disbelief, the author shouldn’t then ask them to suspend even more disbelief, especially so early in the plot.
Another example of this comes later in the book, when we are supposed to believe that a pair of Colombian gangsters from the barrio would be able to navigate a make-shift mini-submarine with pin point accuracy, at night, through Force 5 seas to a tiny Cornish beach and arrive spot on time to make their rendezvous. This is a feat that would challenge the skipper of a Trident submarine, yet these two bozos manage it with ease - without any navigation equipment more sophisticated than a compass.
Later we are supposed to accept that Garcia, the head of the drugs cartel, a man so paranoid about his security that he moves his entire operational HQ every few days, would accept into his inner sanctum a woman who he hardly knows just because she is good at acupuncture. He doesn’t even ask his head of security to have her checked out.
The only bit of the plot I didn’t find far fetched was the idea of smuggling a weapon of mass destruction into the UK. This is a serious threat and one that our security services have reason to worry about. I used a similar idea in my own book, ‘Mirror Man’, a few years ago. But, that aside, most of what Gardner gives us defies belief, provides too much detail and not enough characterisation. Most of the bad guys are two dimensional and the good guys are stereotypes, not identifiable as real people.
I think some of the problems with the book come from the depth of knowledge that Gardner has. He uses jargon freely, but then realises that his readers may not understand the jargon and has to explain it. Often this is done by making Carlton ask questions, or suffer an apparent loss of memory so that someone has to explain things to him. This makes the writing style cumbersome, tedious even. It might have been easier to not use the jargon in the first place and just stick to plain English.
This isn’t really a bad book, but it isn’t a good one either. If you like your spy thrillers more James Bond than George Smiley, you may enjoy it but I won’t be going back for a second helping of Luke Carlton.
September 3, 2019
#2019 #YearInBooks Book 77, 3.5 stars on 5.
I love to read thrillers. This was a book I chanced upon at my favourite bookstore and both my BookishTwin and I purchased a copy each.
Crisis, as the cover itself might give you an idea, is about a weapon targeting London. Intel from the investigation into the killing of a case handler reveals that much. And over the course of the novel, various agencies work to stop that weapon. Given the perpetrators are led by a ruthless Colombian drug baron, MI6 send Luke Carlton to Bogota.
Fast, taut, tense, accurate, says Forsyth about the novel. I agree with the last three but I think accuracy brought detailing and detailing stopped it from being fast. Also, there's not much unpredictability. A future course of action is spoken of in the current conversation so when it actually happens, the reader isn't necessarily shocked or surprised by it. Villains make mistakes under no pressure, maybe because of ego, but again, given the plot, it leads to the reader somewhat guessing the consequence of the mistake.
There are a lot of characters but other than Luke, Elise Angela and Jorge, the rest aren't really memorable. I liked the narration but at one time, thought to shelve as DNF. Thankfully, didn't. Because it was worth a read. I might pick up the next in the series.
I love to read thrillers. This was a book I chanced upon at my favourite bookstore and both my BookishTwin and I purchased a copy each.
Crisis, as the cover itself might give you an idea, is about a weapon targeting London. Intel from the investigation into the killing of a case handler reveals that much. And over the course of the novel, various agencies work to stop that weapon. Given the perpetrators are led by a ruthless Colombian drug baron, MI6 send Luke Carlton to Bogota.
Fast, taut, tense, accurate, says Forsyth about the novel. I agree with the last three but I think accuracy brought detailing and detailing stopped it from being fast. Also, there's not much unpredictability. A future course of action is spoken of in the current conversation so when it actually happens, the reader isn't necessarily shocked or surprised by it. Villains make mistakes under no pressure, maybe because of ego, but again, given the plot, it leads to the reader somewhat guessing the consequence of the mistake.
There are a lot of characters but other than Luke, Elise Angela and Jorge, the rest aren't really memorable. I liked the narration but at one time, thought to shelve as DNF. Thankfully, didn't. Because it was worth a read. I might pick up the next in the series.
June 30, 2024
This is not the sort of genre that I normally read but I have always admired Frank Gardner in his reporting style and had the feeling that this sort of book would be something that he would excel at. Needless to say, I was absolutely correct. This is a well constructed and carefully plotted story with a generous dose of excitement, nail biting moments and, in some places, sheer terror. It’s one of those stories where you reach the point of thinking everything is going according to plan when suddenly the action kicks up a notch and you truly can’t put the book down. This is a definite thriller and is well worth the read. The characters are totally believable to the point that you can see them in your mind as you are reading the dialogue. I found myself having deep sympathy for Elise and hoping that she would be able to accept Luke’s work for what it is – highly important and extremely dangerous. The ending was high tension indeed and, for fear of spoiling it for other readers, I won’t explain what happens, except to say that it was edge of the seat scary. I’m really looking forward to reading the next in the series.
November 1, 2017
A classic thriller from the first page to the last.
April 24, 2019
Nice easy read. Really enjoyed
February 4, 2023
Can’t wait to read next one - excellent plotting throughout!!
November 24, 2021
A new favourite? Luke Carlton. Smash. Bang.
This is no messing from Gardner, full of action, secrecy and plenty of room for development for a full blown series. I can’t wait for the next ones!
This is no messing from Gardner, full of action, secrecy and plenty of room for development for a full blown series. I can’t wait for the next ones!
March 1, 2025
No Crisis here. Great book.
August 5, 2023
Decent thriller.
January 31, 2025
This is just the kind of story I used to read when growing up. A good, old-fashioned espionage thriller, except this one has a modern twist. The plot is high concept, but that doesn’t really matter. I’m looking forward to the other three books in the series.
August 22, 2023
This is a great holiday read. Definitely a page turner. So much so , I rattled through this pretty quickly. A good thriller. Will try book 2 . Highly recommended. I'll give it 5 stars.
November 7, 2017
Unbelievably lame.
Picked this off the library shelf because Frank Gardner is an engaging, dynamic, original and succinct BBC correspondent.
As a novelist (if he really did write this), he is the antithesis of all these things.
This is, by some distance, the worst novel I have read this year. A novel so pedestrian, trite and unintentionally funny that it reads better as a satire on the genre than as genuine thriller.
The laugh out loud moments are legion:
When action hero-by-numbers Luke meets a soldier ex-colleague and they exchange the type of lame homoerotic repartee beloved of the military. Paragraph break - "Banter over, the two men walked in silence....." Holy moley.
After the bomb is contained and the explosives expert says of our stale hero, "Wow, whoever got the intel for this op must be one hell of a guy." Jesus christ.
The resurrection of the central love story with the promise of......tickets to see Ellie Goulding at the O2. Good lord.
For the first hundred pages, Luke is unbelievably incompetent. His operations always fizzle into failure. His interrogations are risibly weak and callow. He is the most unimaginative and unresourceful spy ever put to paper.
His girlfriend is pathetic. While we are obviously supposed to root for the success of the couple, halfway through she snogs a man who is such a cliche of arseholery (name of Hugo, Goldman Sachs banker, slick back hair etc etc) that she is clearly a dick. Her neediness and insecurity are an insult to her sex.
The cliches come so thick and fast in this book as to be asphyxiating.
The plot limps along in a total vacuum of originality or surprise.
The character arcs are universally smooth and predictable.
The technical information is so injudiciously rationed that reading it feels like getting waterboarded by Q.
I kept going after the first 30 pages because I was interested in the Colombian subject matter.
I kept reading after 200 pages to see if I could work out if it was a piss-take.
I kept reading after 350 pages because it was so funny.
Then, best of all, as you turn the final page after the inevitable full-cast acceptance/affirmation/validation of our hero, you are offered the first chapter in the next book. No thanks.
Picked this off the library shelf because Frank Gardner is an engaging, dynamic, original and succinct BBC correspondent.
As a novelist (if he really did write this), he is the antithesis of all these things.
This is, by some distance, the worst novel I have read this year. A novel so pedestrian, trite and unintentionally funny that it reads better as a satire on the genre than as genuine thriller.
The laugh out loud moments are legion:
When action hero-by-numbers Luke meets a soldier ex-colleague and they exchange the type of lame homoerotic repartee beloved of the military. Paragraph break - "Banter over, the two men walked in silence....." Holy moley.
After the bomb is contained and the explosives expert says of our stale hero, "Wow, whoever got the intel for this op must be one hell of a guy." Jesus christ.
The resurrection of the central love story with the promise of......tickets to see Ellie Goulding at the O2. Good lord.
For the first hundred pages, Luke is unbelievably incompetent. His operations always fizzle into failure. His interrogations are risibly weak and callow. He is the most unimaginative and unresourceful spy ever put to paper.
His girlfriend is pathetic. While we are obviously supposed to root for the success of the couple, halfway through she snogs a man who is such a cliche of arseholery (name of Hugo, Goldman Sachs banker, slick back hair etc etc) that she is clearly a dick. Her neediness and insecurity are an insult to her sex.
The cliches come so thick and fast in this book as to be asphyxiating.
The plot limps along in a total vacuum of originality or surprise.
The character arcs are universally smooth and predictable.
The technical information is so injudiciously rationed that reading it feels like getting waterboarded by Q.
I kept going after the first 30 pages because I was interested in the Colombian subject matter.
I kept reading after 200 pages to see if I could work out if it was a piss-take.
I kept reading after 350 pages because it was so funny.
Then, best of all, as you turn the final page after the inevitable full-cast acceptance/affirmation/validation of our hero, you are offered the first chapter in the next book. No thanks.
June 1, 2016
A great debut novel
When SIS operative Jeremy Benton is murdered in Tumaco, Colombia, ex-SBS and ‘probationary’ agent Luke Carlton, who spent his childhood growing up in Colombia, is despatched to investigate. What he uncovers not only puts his own life, and those close to him, at risk, but means that an entire nation is relying on his actions to discover the means and end of a highly-organised international plot against the UK.
Big cheese El Pobrecito – ‘poor little thing’ – has decided that enough is enough. The US, and particularly the UK, have been interfering with his narcotics business for far too long, and it has cost him too much money to carry on doing nothing about it. In co-operation with a rogue state, and using the attributes of his mini-submarines usually used for smuggling the drugs, he has concocted a plan that will wipe the smile off the faces of those gringos – literally!
Frank Gardner has penned a great first novel that combines all the attributes of a riveting thriller. The main character of Luke Carlton is likeable but not always invincible and that adds to his attraction. Other characters, particularly within the annals of MI6, are also recognisable and substantial within the overall plot.
He has, in addition, used his considerable knowledge of security – being the BBC’s Security Correspondent – to produce a great, page-turning debut novel. And, hopefully, it paves the way for a series in which Luke Carlton will appear again.
Thank you Frank Gardner. This is a super book which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
When SIS operative Jeremy Benton is murdered in Tumaco, Colombia, ex-SBS and ‘probationary’ agent Luke Carlton, who spent his childhood growing up in Colombia, is despatched to investigate. What he uncovers not only puts his own life, and those close to him, at risk, but means that an entire nation is relying on his actions to discover the means and end of a highly-organised international plot against the UK.
Big cheese El Pobrecito – ‘poor little thing’ – has decided that enough is enough. The US, and particularly the UK, have been interfering with his narcotics business for far too long, and it has cost him too much money to carry on doing nothing about it. In co-operation with a rogue state, and using the attributes of his mini-submarines usually used for smuggling the drugs, he has concocted a plan that will wipe the smile off the faces of those gringos – literally!
Frank Gardner has penned a great first novel that combines all the attributes of a riveting thriller. The main character of Luke Carlton is likeable but not always invincible and that adds to his attraction. Other characters, particularly within the annals of MI6, are also recognisable and substantial within the overall plot.
He has, in addition, used his considerable knowledge of security – being the BBC’s Security Correspondent – to produce a great, page-turning debut novel. And, hopefully, it paves the way for a series in which Luke Carlton will appear again.
Thank you Frank Gardner. This is a super book which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
May 7, 2017
I have the utmost respect for Frank Gardner and his dedication to journalistic excellence. However, I can't help but wonder why his friends and (particularly) his editor didn't have a quiet word in Frank's ear before he contemplated publishing "Crisis". The most complimentary phrase that I can use to describe this book is "cringe-worthy". I have just finished reading Crisis and I feel cheated, not just by Transworld, Penguin and Bantam Books but also Frederick Forsythe for his glowing recommendation (I can only assume that Fred took his review fee without actually troubling himself with reading it - a very smart move !). In fact, did ANYONE proof-read the text ? I could provide a copy covered in yellow highlighted to identify the unforgivable howlers. I will be giving the next thrilling installment of Luke "Babes" Carlton's adventures a very wide berth indeed.
June 8, 2016
Enjoyed this, the first fiction offering from Frank Gardner. Very much in the vein of McNab and Ryan and while Mr Gardner may not be as expert on weapons and tactics he does the bigger picture stuff very well.
Like Carlton is new to British Intelligence with a background in special services. Having the language skills he is sent to Colombia to follow up on the death of an agent, only to find that for the drug cartels, there is nothing they will not do to protect their trade or to extract revenge.
Carlton (and his bosses) eventually discover a plan that is ingenious, cunning and poses a real threat to the UK.
Well written and intelligent thriller, I enjoyed this one.
Like Carlton is new to British Intelligence with a background in special services. Having the language skills he is sent to Colombia to follow up on the death of an agent, only to find that for the drug cartels, there is nothing they will not do to protect their trade or to extract revenge.
Carlton (and his bosses) eventually discover a plan that is ingenious, cunning and poses a real threat to the UK.
Well written and intelligent thriller, I enjoyed this one.
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