The Day of the Jackal meets Homeland with a dash of Bourne - a debut thriller to take your breath away

The astonishing story of one man's breakneck race against time to save America from oblivion.

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A YOUNG WOMAN MURDERED. All of her identifying characteristics dissolved by acid.

A FATHER PUBLICLY BEHEADED. Killed in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square.

A SYRIAN BIOTECH EXPERT FOUND EYELESS. Dumped in a Damascus junkyard.

SMOULDERING HUMAN REMAINS. Abandoned on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan.

PILGRIM. The codename for a man who doesn't exist. A man who must return from obscurity. The only man who can uncover a flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.

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'The plot twists and turns like a python in a sack... Visceral, gritty and cinematic.' The Times

'A big, breathless tale of nonstop suspense.' The New York Times

'Simply one of the best suspense novels I've read in a long time.' David Baldacci

'An all too plausible disaster for the world we live in. Great nail-biting stuff.' Robert Goddard

Posted On : Thursday, August 21, 2014 By carol@readingwritingandriesling

My View: Terry Hayes has redefined and claimed the genre of spy/ mystery/thriller as his own. He has written an exceptionally engaging, technically masterful and fast paced mystery debut novel – but given his credentials I am not surprised at the talent that is shining ever so brightly from under the cover of this compelling book. Simply stunning! Seven hundred pages were not enough to satisfy my intense involvement in this book! Even when I went to bed at night I could not get this story out of my mind, my brain forever thinking of what may happen next, how the terrorist plot would be enacted (there are no spoilers here), how the Pilgrim might be able to intercept and prevent this act of mass destruction. I could not figure it out, but it didn’t stop me thinking about the possible scenarios as I tossed and turned in bed. By the time I finished reading this I was exhausted and emotional spent. Never has a book had so much emotional influence on me. This was a roller coaster ride of intrigue, mystery and conspiracy theories. It was an eye opening account of how the machinery of anti terrorist activities operates and a grim but realistic account of how the rights of the individual are sacrificed for the welfare of the many. I think this book well open the eyes of many as to the state of the world we are currently living in – to the wealth of information about individuals that we unknowingly and mostly without permission, offer up to the technical masterminds’ of the world. Let’s just hope they are on our side. ? Not only do we have a splendid plot that engages and compels us to keep turning the pages, we have well developed and mostly likeable main characters who act with a great deal of humanity and naturalness; I particularly liked the character Ben Bradley and of course the hero, code named Pilgrim. Even the anti hero is treated with some empathy; we are able to understand his radicalisation but not able to forgive his actions. Then we have the stunning visuals – the setting of time and place so realistic I was I could place myself in the scene; on the roads, in the cafes... in the desert of Afghanistan, in streets of New York, in Red Square, in Bahrain... and watch the world go by. This story has phenomenal visuals, a strong sense of place; realism that appears natural and not contrived; a testament to the monumental amount of research that must have been done to write this narrative. The atrocities and the violence are just as real. I am struggling to do justice to this outstanding read and this is a book I do not want to let down. When you read the hype about this book – believe it, it is all true! Get yourself a copy of this book, set aside a few days and just allow yourself to be completely immersed in this outstanding, break out story. I can’t wait to see what Terry Hayes delivers us next.