About the Book
Somewhere in the Sahara, on the desolate border between Sudan and Chad, a P51 Mustang with long-range drop tanks slowly emerges from the dunes. Inside, the skeletalized remains of a man missing for three decades. His flying jacket bears no insignia, a worn leather attache case lies by his side, held securely by a manacle around his left wrist.
Inside a document men will kill for. Die for. The sands of time have shifted, and whoever finds that aircraft finds information that could expose the most valuable spy the UK intelligence service has ever known. The British, the French, and the Russians are on the trail. And so is Raglan.
Format: eARC (402 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 5th January 2023 Genre: Thriller
Find Resurrection on Goodreads
Purchase links
Bookshop.org
Disclosure: If you buy a book via the above link, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Hive | Amazon UK
Links provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme
My Review
If you’re seeking a book that puts the ‘thrill’ into ‘thrilling’ then look no further than Resurrection, the third in the series featuring ex-French Foreign Legionnaire Dan Raglan. (Click on the titles to read my reviews of the previous books in the series – The Englishman and Betrayal.)
The striking prologue and the first section of the story which follows is set in a part of Africa, the border between Sudan and Chad, whose turbulent history I knew very little about. And I knew even less about Russian involvement in the area including the activities of the Wagner Group, a private military contractor with close links to the Kremlin, who, as the BBC recently reported, are now active in Ukraine. It’s one of the many things about the book that makes it feel so bang up-to-date.
At the same time as Raglan is engaged on his dangerous recovery mission in the desert – one which has a link to his own past – the hunt is on for a double agent at the heart of a nation’s intelligence service. We could be in John lé Carre territory except that the nation in question is Russia. A fanatical patriotism means the character leading the clandestine search will stop at nothing to unmask the traitor.
The book’s short chapters, that often end with a killer last sentence, keep you turning the pages and the level of technical detail is superb. Having read the book I’m now confident (well, almost) that I could fly a monoplane, ascertain the right dose of antivenom serum to administer, survive alone in the desert for several days, escape drowning in an icy river and assess the relative merits of using 7.62mm or 5.56mm rounds in a Special Operations Combat Assault rifle.
A number of characters return from previous books, including Raglan’s friend and former comrade, Serge ‘Bird’ Sokol, and my potential rival for Raglan’s affections, Colonel Elena Sorokina of Moscow CID. At one point she observes, ‘You cause me much trouble, Englishman. I ask myself why I let you. The answer is not clear to me.’ Well, it’s as clear as day to me.
Ruthless villains, fascinating locations, fist fights and fire fights, car chases, intrigue and a mystery from the past. Oh, and a seemingly indestructible hero. What’s not to like?
Resurrection is another absolutely gripping, action-packed page turner that takes you from the unforgiving Sahara desert to the dangerous ‘Shanghai slums’ area of Moscow, all at whirlwind pace.
I received an advance review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.
In three words: Pacy, compelling, intriguing
Try something similar: No Way To Die by Tony Kent
About the Author
David Gilman has enjoyed many careers, including paratrooper, firefighter, and photographer. An award-winning author and screenwriter, he is the author of the critically acclaimed Master of War series of historical novels, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize for The Last Horseman. He was longlisted for the same prize for The Englishman, the first book featuring ex-French Foreign Legionnaire Dan Raglan. David lives in Devon. (Photo: Twitter profile)
Connect with David
Website | Twitter | Facebook
What Cathy Read Next... 
It’s a while since I’ve read anything where Excitement and Action rule. Maybe this should be the one …
LikeLike