The Mandrake Assignment

The Mandrake Assignment is a spy thriller with an intriguing plot - full of twists and turns worthy of the best of the genre. Within the broad themes of tragedy, treachery and revenge, the story weaves together intelligence activities against the IRA in Ireland and against jihadist terrorists, the common thread being the illegal arms trade and its ruthless practitioners. Much of the story's action takes place in Pakistan, in the city of Karachi and in exotic locations in Baluchistan. The story also takes the reader to Ireland, Hungary, Holland and Austria. The author brings all these locations alive through his personal experience of them during a busy academic and commercial life. His inspirations as an author are Graham Greene and John Le Carre for their creation of atmosphere, Len Deighton for his clever plots and dialogue, and Frederick Forsyth for his sheer page-turning readability. He feels indebted to all of them for instilling in him his love for this genre of fiction.