A DISTURBINGLY AUTHENTIC THRILLER LAYING BARE THE PLOT BETWEEN IRA AND LIBYAN TERRORISTS TO FLOOD BRITAIN WITH HEROIN. Ex-Royal Marine commando Billy Robson is determined to go straight after serving a five-year sentence for robbery. Anxious to make things up to his wife and child, he takes the one legitimate job on offer - only to find that he's inadvertently stepping into a fresh nightmare. He finds himself in a desperate fight for his freedom, his family - and his life. Against an evil force of corruption, addiction and perversion that consumes all before it. The tension of DRAGONPLAGUE winds to breaking point as the action stretches from the Middle East, through Britain, to the United States. Its revelations chill to the marrow.
With a background in journalism and military research, Terence Strong wrote the manuscripts of two action adventure thrillers before WHISPER WHO DARES was snapped up by Hodder & Stoughton and became an instant bestseller in 1982.
That first authentic SAS thriller was followed by three more about different activities of the Special Air Service Regiment.
Those well-researched storylines expanded to cover the exciting and unknown realms of counter-terrorism, espionage, hostage negotiation, ship-hijacking, narcotics, assassination and international affairs.
One particularly well-regarded title was THE TICK TOCK MAN which explored the dark arts of the terrorist and bomb disposal.
His seventeenth and latest thriller WORD OF WAR (published by Silver Fox Press) follows the super-secret bad boys of E Squadron SAS - with MI6 agents - entering into the chaos of Libya in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. The worlds of journalism, the military and espionage clash to make a dangerous cocktail far more exciting and intriguing than a Gaddafi Sunset.
This is a pacey thriller that explores a major drugs ring involving the IRA and a few (relatively) innocent people who get dragged along. Although it does not seem particularly plausible, elements are undoubtedly true and there is a bit of action as a drug deal goes wrong in Malta and again in Boston. The hero, Robson is quite likeable but well-rounded with some interesting character flaws - in particular his naivety and the main 'cast' is quite an interesting bunch, even if it's reasonably easy to see their outcomes.
It's the first book I've read from Mr Strong. His writing style is very clear, I would prefer a bit more detail of the surroundings but he is clearly an accomplished writer and I'll try some other of his books. This would make a good holiday read for sure.