Author:Damien Lewis
Iraq: the present day. A country torn apart by war and anarchy. Thieves roam the streets. People are being killed in broad daylight. Security is non-existent. And now, terrorists have seized a Van Gogh painting worth £25 million from one of Saddam's palaces. They are offering it to the highest bidder. The painting's original owner, a Kuwaiti prince, from whom it was seized during Iraq's occupation of Kuwait in the First Gulf War, has asked for HMG's help in retrieving it. The British Government owes him a favour for backing them during the Iraq War, so they agree to help.
But rather than agreeing to pay the terrorists' ransom -- which they fear will be pumped into funding terrorist operations across the world -- HMG decides to send in a team of hardened ex-Special Forces, led by ex-SAS hero Mick Kilbride and his sidekick 'East End' Eddie. Sent undercover in a deniable operation called Desert Claw, their brief is simple: retrieve the painting, and eliminate the terrorists at the earliest possible opportunity. The mission sounds simple enough. But as Mick and his team are drawn into a dark and violent world, things are not always as they seem. And in the final climactic scene, a horrible and shocking truth awaits for the men.
Gripping, fascinating . . . Kay is prepared to sacrifice marriage, home, children and her life for the cause
—— Daily MailImpressive . . . nerve-janglingly engrossing . . . Buchan brings the period vividly to life
—— Sunday TimesThis is such a good novel, full of incident and history and the minutiae of life as a spy
—— Daily ExpressShe who dares wins in Buchan's gripping doorstopper about the Nazi occupation in Denmark
—— Daily MailA gripping story of courage and conscience. Highly recommended
—— Sunday MirrorGripping, beautifully written and peopled with characters you believe in
—— Choice MagazineA gripping story about a family divided by war time loyalties
—— The Irish NewsRichly imaginative, memorable story
—— Nick Rennison , Sunday TimesWith its vivid Cornwall setting and a house full of shadows, The Stranger has echoes of Daphne Du Maurier but its riveting in its own right
—— Red MagazineA beautifully written tale of family secrets, loves and losses, set against the magical Cornish coastline. I loved it
—— Amanda JenningsA fabulous twisting tale, so beautifully written that the pages practically turned themselves. I couldn't put it down
—— Liz FenwickA beautiful and intriguing page-turner, where the secrets of the past cast long shadows. Cornwall springs to life in vivid colour
—— Dinah JefferiesBeautifully written and unputdownable. I loved it
—— Katie FfordeAn enthralling tale of secrets, the twists and turns will have you hooked to the very last breathtaking page
—— Jane Bailey, author of What Was RescuedAn atmospheric whodunit set in the Second World War
—— The Sunday PostA beautifully woven, immersive story that completely transported me
—— Judith KinghornWith such vivid, mysterious characters and an atmospheric setting, the echoes of Du Maurier's Cornwall are on every page. Brilliant!
—— Emylia HallA wonderful, gripping, beautifully written book. From the first page, I didn't want to put it down - and by the second half I literally couldn't put it down
—— Katherine WebbBeautiful and haunting, you'll struggle to put down this mysterious tale
—— Take a BreakWonderfully atmospheric and utterly engrossing. I hardly moved until I had read to the very last word
—— AJ Pearce author of , Dear Mrs BirdTake an isolated house, family secrets, a divine Cornish setting, the tensions of war and you have all the ingredients for a tale where the pages take on a life of their own. The Stranger is wound tight as a clock, ticking down the days leading up to the disappearance of a young woman. It will stay with you long after the last breathtaking pages turn
—— Kate Lord BrownSo beguiling that I truly didn't want it to end. A captivating novel that pulls you into another time and place
—— Penny ParkesThe novel is cinematic, and the vividness of the Cornish landscape and its history of smugglers and pirates add to its charm. An engaging page-turner with a surprising twist at the end
—— The LadyPraise for The Girl in the Photograph
—— -Rich and atmospheric, like Rebecca this novel casts an enduring spell
—— Rachel Hore, Sunday Times bestselling authorFull of slow-burning tension
—— EssentialsA sweeping saga of secrets and ghosts
—— Good HousekeepingA well executed, brooding, creepy atmosphere
—— Sunday MirrorA prickly story full of tension
—— Sunday Express