Dan Raglan, former Foreign Legion fighter, alias The Englishman, returns. The new high-octane international thriller from David Gilman.
Someone's trying to start a war. And Raglan's just walked into the kill zone.
It has been many years since Dan Raglan served in the French Foreign Legion, but the bonds forged in adversity are unbreakable and when one of his comrades calls for help, Raglan is duty-bound to answer.
An ex-legionnaire, now an intelligence officer at the Pentagon, disappears. He leaves only this message: should he ever go missing, contact Raglan. But Raglan's not the only one looking for the missing man. From the backstreets of Marseilles, Raglan finds himself following a trail of death that will lead him to Florida, to the camaraderie of a Vietnam vet in Washington D.C., and into the heart of a bitter battle in the upper echelons of the US intelligence community.
Pursued by both the CIA and a rogue female FBI agent, Raglan's search will place him in the cross hairs of an altogether more lethal organisation. Tracking his old comrade, he finds himself in the midst of deadly conspiracy, and on a journey to a fatal confrontation deep in the Honduran rainforest.
It's such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Betrayal today. Many thanks to David Gilman, Head of Zeus and Sophie at Ransom PR for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the novel.
I was delighted to see former French Foreign Legion soldier, Dan Raglan return having thoroughly enjoyed The Englishman. There are a few brief mentions of events in that book in Betrayal but nothing that prevents this sequel being read as a standalone thriller.
Raglan may no longer be in the Legion but it's evident throughout Betrayal how much he was shaped by his service, both in terms of his not inconsiderable field skills and the morals which inform his actions. Raglan is a merciless killer and during the course of the novel he coldly despatches scores of victims. The brutal, efficient violence underscores what sort of man he is but it would be a mistake to think of him as a mindless killing machine. His principles are never in doubt - he steps in to help even though he knows it threatens his chances of remaining incognito - and it's made clear on more than one occasion that taking the lives of others weighs heavily on him. One particular death continues to haunt him but even when he becomes both hunter and hunter, he expresses regret for the death of somebody he considers a worthy adversary.
However, Raglan has a job to do and knowing the FBI are tracking him isn't enough to prevent him from his mission. He comes to the USA under the guise of a holiday but his very presence in the country triggers interest and he is soon under surveillance. One of the agents assigned to watch him, Jenna Voss, has her own demons, and the gripping cat and mouse situation between them develops into an especially intriguing part of the plot. Voss is a such a well-written character and her development during the course of the book really surprised me - although I can't say any more here as I don't want to give anything away!
Betrayal is a high-octane thriller but the complex nature of the storyline necessitates a more measured build-up as multiple characters are brought into play. The various elements of the plot gradually slot into place but there is always an underlying sense of danger and even during these more steadily paced chapters, Raglan still faces some deadly threats and it's impossible to figure out who has the upper hand. Most of the action takes place in the USA and after spending a few brief days ostensibly as a tourist in Florida, he heads to Washington, DC to seek answers as to the whereabouts of a former comrade who has gone missing. A fascinating visit to the Pentagon underlines the research which has obviously gone into the writing of Betrayal and while the sense of place is exemplary throughout, it's the chapters set in Central America which I perhaps enjoyed the most.
The tension escalates propulsively and is complemented by excellent character development from start to finish. As Raglan begins to piece this fiendish jigsaw together and he realises the shocking scale of corruption and what it means, he has to figure out who he can trust. The trail eventually leads him to Honduras and this was my favourite section of the book. David Gilman's vividly immersive descriptions of this perilous jungle bring to life the sights, sounds and smells of a place that few have been to; and after reading about the snakes, crocodiles and leeches, I'm really quite pleased I only went there in my imagination! Raglan faces different dangers however, as his determined quest for justice and revenge reaches its bloody, dramatic conclusion.
Riveting, believable and with blisteringly exciting action scenes, Betrayal is a cracking thriller and Dan Raglan is a protagonist made for the big screen. Very highly recommended.
Betrayal is published by Head of Zeus, purchasing links can be found here, please support independent bookshops if possible.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
David Gilman has had an impressive variety of jobs – from firefighter to professional photographer, from soldier in the Parachute Regiment’s Reconnaissance Platoon to a Marketing Manager for an international publisher. He has countless radio, television and film credits before turning to novels. From 2000 until 2009 he was a principal writer on A Touch Of Frost and nominated for a BAFTA.
He has lived and travelled the world gathering inspiration for his exotic adventure series along the way. Now, David is based in Devonshire, where he lives with his wife, Suzy Chiazzari.
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