Dead Men: The 5th Spider Shepherd Thriller

Description

Former SAS trooper turned undercover cop Dan Spider Shepherd knows there are no easy solutions in the war against terrorism. But when a killer starts to target pardoned IRA terrorists, Shepherd has to put his life on the line to protect his former enemies. While he is undercover in Belfast, a grief-stricken Saudi whose two sons died under torture in the name of the War on Terror is planning to avenge their deaths by striking out at two people close to Shepherd. As the Muslim assassin closes in on his prey, Shepherd realises that the only way to save lives is to become a killer himself.

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. He began writing full-time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series.

'He explores complex contemporary issues while keeping the action fast and bloody. In DEAD MEN Stephen Leather poses tough questions about the morality of the fight against terrorism and whether the means justifies the end.' -- The Economist 'DEAD MEN is a hard-boiled thriller, well-paced throughout with a surprisingly well-developed sense of morality regarding the sins of the past.' -- Sunday Tribune 'Leather, as usual, writes a great story, and DEAD MEN is another page turner.' -- Irish Times '[Leather] has walked the tightrope ... Storylines provide enough complexity and personnel for Leather to drive the plot onwards ... chapters are crisply written, action-packed and do not blunder on with meaningless, flowery details' -- South China Morning Post on DEAD MEN 'Best action ... since the best days of Gerald Seymour' -- Courier Mail, Australia 'A brilliant read that stands out of the morass of so-so military thrillers around nowadays.' -- News of the World on HOT BLOOD 'There's a new breed of British crime writer giving the genre a much-needed shake-up - and Stephen Leather is at the forefront ... the sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist.' -- Daily Express on COLD KILL 'This is an aggressively topical novel but a genuinely thrilling one, too.' -- Daily Telegraph on COLD KILL 'Exciting stuff with plenty of heart-palpitating action gingered up by mystery and intrigue ... Leather is an intelligent thriller writer' -- Daily Mail on THE TUNNEL RATS 'Reading Stephen Leather at leisure is always a pleasure. The pacing of SOFT TARGET is superb ...' **** -- Ireland on Sunday 'A grand finale that'll have readers on edge' -- Literary Review on COLD KILL 'As tough as British thrillers get ... gripping' -- Irish Independent on HARD LANDING 'A riveting read' -- Sunday Life, Belfast on SOFT TARGET 'As high-tech and as world-class as the thriller genre gets' -- Express on Sunday on THE BOMBMAKER 'As hard-boiled, punchy and exciting as we've come to expect.' -- Peterborough Evening Telegraph 'A page-turning read which cements Leather as one of Britain's leading thriller writers.' -- Yorkshire Evening Press