Product details
- ISBN 9781399721271
- Weight: 238g
- Dimensions: 128 x 196mm
- Publication Date: 23 May 2024
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
'WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart... Completely gripping... A narrative that is as taut as piano wire!... Not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A country prepared to fight. A secret mission. An enemy within...
England, May 1940: With Nazi forces sweeping across Europe, war veteran John Cook knows it is only a matter of time before they land on British soil.
Every day, more and more children arrive at neighbouring farms in the Sussex countryside, evacuated from the threat of bombs in towns and cities across the nation.
Unable to stand by and wait for the worst to happen, Cook volunteers to be among the first sent to the front lines. Only to be told the army has very a different job for him.
Cook will join a secret group of operatives who will lead the resistance effort when Hitler's forces reach their shores. He is to wait until his fellow operatives make contact.
When they finally do, Cook is taken aback to find that the aristocratic Lady Margaret will be among them.
But as Cook and Margaret prepare to face down the Germans, they are troubled by rumours of a missing evacuee. They are shocked to find that a number of children haven't made it to their host families.
Who is behind these disappearances? Could there already be deadly enemies on the home front?
A completely gripping and unputdownable WWII thriller, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Rory Clements and Robert Harris.
Everyone is gripped by The Last Line:
'My God, this was great. It left me with a book hangover. I felt like I was there in 1940s England... I learned so much from this book... The writing is really 3D. You really feel like you're there. It's very immersive, and I love the witty humour. John Cook is a wonderful character' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I felt like I was right in the action, helping to solve the murder and kidnapping... So full of action, suspense and thrills that it became a quick read and also an enjoyable one. The gunfight had me on the edge of my seat at times, it was suspenseful, you couldn't tell who was going to make it out alive' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'What a fantastic read! Set during WWII, packed with action, history and wonderful characters, this is a must read for historical thriller enthusiasts but for those that like a good thriller as well!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'One of the most unputdownable books I have read this year!... Fast paced mystery/thriller which caught me up in the narrative... I just didn't want to put this down!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940's Britain' Damien Lewis
'Breathtakingly tense action scenes and taut, intricately plotted storyline... A gripping, vividly atmospheric historical thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Packed with action, superb characters and a real feel for the time and place for the setting... everything you would want from an intelligent war-time thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A brilliant noir thriller set in the darkest days of the Second World War' Stephen Leather
'This is an absolute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read, great characters, great plot, gripping from start to finish... Once you start this you won't be able to stop' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 - pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day. He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units - groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done. Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.
Nowadays, Stephen divides his time between Vermont, USA, and Uckfield, East Sussex. When he's not writing, he can be found renovating his house, or walking the woods and the fields.
