Crisis: the action-packed Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller

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At one point while I was in bed, I got so anxious I couldn't quite sleep because of the intense plot that was unraveling in this book, to me that is when I know i've got my hands on a goodie. This is the first of currently three books about Luke Carlton and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. Readers who want a high level of realism and a modern story should find this really suits their tastes. Against all expectations, he survived and, in 2006, published his acclaimed and bestselling memoir, Blood and Sand. I felt for Elise a bit in this novel, you could feel her pain as she hardly knew where her boyfriend kept dissappearing to and just when she thought he was back for good, he was off on another mission.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. 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.

It is quite exciting being able to read a novel and know exactly where the main character's workplace is because you have been in that area before in real life. 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. In 2009 he published Far Horizons, a much praised account of his life as an inveterate traveller and explorer. A bit of a fun read, you can guess what's coming but it's nice to feel like you could be an author by guessing.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. Drawing on his years of experience reporting on security matters CRISIS is Frank Gardner’s debut novel. 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 has, in addition, used his considerable knowledge of security – being the BBC’s Security Correspondent – to produce a great, page-turning debut novel.

A novel so pedestrian, trite and unintentionally funny that it reads better as a satire on the genre than as genuine thriller. It is from the Frederick Forsyth school of thriller writing – a brilliantly fashioned, but unlikely tale – executed by an adrenaline-fuelled cast of characters. I really did enjoy the main character Luke, we didn't really get to uncover a hell of a lot about him.

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. With excellent characters, a modern and realistic outlook to our current world and solid plotting and pacing, I thought this was an exceptional spy/thriller style of story and I am eager to read the author’s next offering.

I was hooked from start to finish: fast-paced, action-packed, thrilling, full of suspense and drama this book has it all. 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.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). Great for those who read in short bursts too, with brief chapters which helps the feeling of racing against time. Combining insider knowledge, up-to-the-minute hardware, fly on the wall insights with heart-in-mouth excitement, CRISIS boasts an irresistible, visceral frisson of authenticity: smart, fast-paced and furiously entertaining, here is a thriller for the 21st century. The writing style has a very solid British spy/espionage feel to it and more than a few times throughout the full-length novel I was reminded of a Bond sort of storyline or feel to the atmosphere.