BBC correspondent turns his hand to novels

After sharing his extraordinary experiences in his bestselling memoir Blood And Sand, BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner has now penned his debut novel. In the first of a new series of modern spy novels, we are introduced to protagonist, and all-round action hero, Luke Carlton, a former commando currently contracted to MI6. His first outing from headquarters at Vauxhall sends him into the middle of the druglands of the Colombian jungle to uncover who was behind the torture and murder of British Secret Intelligence officer Jeremy Benton.

Crisis by Frank Gardner, published by Bantam Press.

In the jungle what he originally thought of as an information gathering mission soon gets more complicated as he finds himself caught up in the coils of a plot that has terrifying international dimensions.

Hunted down, captured, tortured and on the run from one of South America’s most powerful and ruthless drugs cartels and its psychotic leader thirsting for revenge, Luke is in a life-or-death race against time to prevent a disaster on a truly terrifying scale: London is the target, the weapon is diabolical and the means of delivery is ingenious.

Drawing on his years of experience reporting on security matters, Crisis combines insider knowledge, up-to-the-minute hardware, fly on the wall insights with heart-in-mouth excitement.

Gardner has created a pace similar to that of James Patterson, each chapter builds to a breathless crescendo of action as it is discovered that a large, dangerous and unique weapon is heading straight for London.