‘Utterly gripping, elegantly written... most definitely worth the wait’ Observer 'Epic and immersive, new and unexpected... deep and compelling' Mail on Sunday 'Terrific action sequences and lashings of suspense... ticks all the boxes necessary for a superior geopolitical thriller' Guardian 'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' Telegraph __________________ A Financial Times Best Thriller of the Year 2023 If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot. But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive. Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...