Death in Helmand: A southern Afghan adventure

''Belsham and Higgins have painted a fascinating world in such vivid detail that you can feel the heat of the desert off the page! I thoroughly enjoyed it'' James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series

Helmand, 2004: Afghanistan''s most lawless province, where nearly 90 per cent of the world''s opium is grown. Pink and lilac poppies flutter innocently in the breeze in fields that stretch for miles and miles along the Helmand River south of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Gangsters and warlords battle for supremacy in the lucrative trade, territories well-known, and fiercely contested.

Well Diggers, an Anglo-Dutch NGO helping the farming community, comes under attack. One man is dead and another man is missing - suspected kidnapped, so head of security Ginger Jameson calls in his old friend Alasdair ''Mac'' MacKenzie to help.

But when the expected ransom demand fails to materialise, rumours blossom, creating a web of deceit and a multitude of false leads. Embarking on a rescue mission into the no-go reaches of southern Helmand might look like a major scoop to Mac''s girlfriend, investigative reporter Baz Khan, but it puts the whole team in danger. And if they don''t find him soon, they won''t find him at all...

From Helmand''s shimmering poppy fields to the blistering Desert of Death and the opium bazaars of Bahram Char, where nothing is as cheap as a man''s life, this is the gripping sequel to Death in Kabul.

''Belsham and Higgins have painted a fascinating world in such vivid detail that you can feel the heat of the desert off the page! The central characters are a wonderful mix who bring extra depth to the reality of just trying to exist in a country as broken as Afghanistan. The chapters rattle along at a great pace, pages pretty much turning themselves as you rush, heart in mouth, to find out what happens next'' James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series

''A book so atmospheric you can feel the grit between your teeth and the sand in your shoes, Death in Helmand is a thrill-ride race-to-the-finish that had me gripped until the end. A superb read!'' Louisa Scarr, author of Blink of an Eye

''Mac and Baz are back in this awesome, edge-of-the-seat thriller. Death in Helmand is an escape to an opium-fuelled world which makes Mad Max look sedate. Afghan warlords, kidnap, murder, daring escapes with an edge of humanity that give us a real glimpse into the world behind the headlines. A brilliant white-knuckle ride'' Suzy Aspley, author of Crow Moon

''Noisy, dusty, chaotic and tense - Helmand is brilliantly drawn in this powerful novel. I could not put it down'' Marion Todd, author of What They Knew

''Belsham and Higgins give us another all-guns-blazing, white-knuckle ride through lawless Afghanistan, with a cast of characters you can''t help but root for'' Heleen Kist, author of What I Hid From You

''As gritty and realistic as a thriller gets. You''re going to feel the zip of every bullet and every bump in the road. What an amazingly immersive read!'' Rob Parker, author of Far from the Tree

''A tense, taut and totally authentic thriller that grips from the first page and doesn''t let go. Death in Kabul immerses you in 2003 Kabul, riven by corruption where danger lurks in every alley'' D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance

''A vividly portrayed murder mystery in a fresh and fascinating setting. With wonderful characters and a great plot, I hope this is the first of many from this duo'' Susi Holliday, author of The Last Resort