coolreads# Fast Track

Fast Track
Author: Stephen Leather
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781473672048

Fast Track begins with the jihadists crossing the English Channel, passing themselves off as asylum seekers. And due to the slack checking at the borders, many managed to get through into Britain. MI5 have been keeping some of them under surveillance. In fact, the agency has even recruited one jihadist agent called Abdul Abbas placed under M16 handler Mo Uthman, also an Asian. Abbas is planted into the jihadists’ cell in London to get information on the terrorists who are planning an attack in the city.

With new details of the attack plan given by Abdul, M16 seeks the help of M15 to take down the attackers near Leicester Square. Unfortunately, what starts as a simple terrorist takedown goes badly wrong when two bombs go off in Trafalgar Square instead and dozens of innocent civilians are killed in the process. 

When another bomb takes out members of the Secret Intelligence Service at one of their safe houses, including the M16 chief, Melissa Schofield, Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd is recalled on his day off to help identify the people behind the bombing. The attack on the safe house makes Abdul a suspect. Shepherd is also tasked to track him when he manages to escape. Checking all the CCTV cameras along the route taken by Abdul, Shepherd later identifies that 'Abdul' is actually Mo, his MI5 handler.

As the security agencies appear to have been compromised Shepherd and his boss need to keep the investigation off the grid for now.

Aided by a team of former SAS soldiers, Shepherd’s search for the rogue agent takes him to Turkey and then to Dubai, where his masters order him to carry out a breathtaking act of revenge.

Both MI5 and MI6 decide to work together on this case, along with the SAS and some off the books special operatives with Spider as the point man. There are moments of sheer suspense as well as surprises towards the end. There are also a lot of trade crafts featured in the story. Along the way, some familiar faces crop up, so it’s great to see them and enjoy their company. 

As always, the author has his characters voice a variety of views, reflecting that of the general population, making them both humans and having a conscience.

Stephen Leather’s Fast Track is well written and topical, where all the Covid SOPs are observed by everyone when greeting each other. This action thriller is recommended to all action thriller fans.