How do you take down an enemy when no one believes they exist? When the lawyers of alleged war criminal Hannibal Strauss are caught up in a terror attack in The Hague, barrister Michael Devlin immediately suspects all is not what it seems. Teaming up once more with Agent Joe Dempsey, they must find who's behind it all before any more innocent lives are lost.
With their key witness on the run and assassins on their tail, their only lead is a codename: the Monk, a legendary and mysterious foreign agent with a fearsome reputation. But what is his stake in this dangerous game? And just who is part of his shadowy network of spies? Caught in a complicated web of lies, secrets and double agents, there's no one Dempsey and Devlin can trust but themselves.
Many thanks to Elliott & Thompson for my digital copy of the novel, received through Netgalley.
Tony Kent knows exactly how to grab the attention of his readers and to tighten that grip right up until the final page. The Shadow Network's opening scenes are breathtakingly tense as a shocking massacre takes place at the Grote Markt in The Hague. Meanwhile, Agent Joe Dempsey and barrister Michael Devlin are finally reunited, and it's under cheerful circumstances as Dempsey takes on the mantle of godfather to Michael and his journalist wife, Sarah's twin sons. They manage to share a brief moment of harmony with friends and family but readers already know that this will shortly be shattered as Devlin's close friend, fellow lawyer, Will Duffy was caught up in the carnage.
The motivations driving the actions of the characters is paramount throughout The Shadow Network and so it makes sense for Devlin – a man who has lost too many people who were important to him – to travel to The Hague to look for Duffy, and to bring him home, alive or dead. Likewise, their friendship and Dempsey's position in the UN's International Security Bureau means he is able to pull strings to help him. However, he soon has a further, more personal cause to be involved in what becomes a global operation to uncover who was responsible for what they realise was actually a targeted attack on the life of Kon Frankowski, a man Dempsey is only too aware of.
When they are told the Monk was behind the attack, Dempsey is initially sceptical, believing the name to be a Cold War urban legend. However, throughout the book, readers have an inside look at what this enigmatic figure is capable of and Dempsey is soon convinced that this formidable enemy is real, and very dangerous. The Monk is a fabulous creation; his backstory as the latest in a long line of people to hold the title is fascinating, his methods are ruthless and his fanaticism to his cause is utterly chilling. Tony Kent cleverly draws on history and more recent global events to establish that the scarily plausible organisation he heads is able to infiltrate and manipulate every aspect of society.
The blistering pace of the narrative is almost relentless as the action alternates between Europe, where Dempsey and Devlin's convoluted investigation means they don't know who they can trust and the USA where Eden Grace is tasked with keeping Kon Frankowski's wife safe. Having been introduced in Power Play, Eden's position as a mentee to Dempsey has established her as an engaging character and it's great to see how her skillset has developed here. Forced to face a daunting foe, she is thrust into a rapidly changing, dangerous situation which allows both her intuitive and physical abilities to be given prominence while still underlining her uncertainties as a rookie agent.
As the title suggests, this is not a straightforward hunt for one man and the web he mercilessly controls is extensive and highly effective, although not without its own limitations. Amidst the violent, bruising encounters, Dempsey is at his most vulnerable, emotionally and physically, desperate to protect those he loves and hit by dreadful revelations. Devlin, meanwhile, is also called upon to become physically involved at times and has to address his own principles in one particularly intense scene.
While the world waits for the next Bond announcement, I would suggest Joe Dempsey is the action hero we need; Tony Kent's high octane, cinematic set pieces are complemented by the excellent characterisation and a tense, unnervingly convincing plot. Perhaps what most raises this contemporary action thriller though, beyond its impressive credentials as an electrifying, compulsive rollercoaster ride, is the emotional punch it packs; there's a warmth to The Shadow Network and it's Tony Kent's best to date. Very highly recommended.
The Shadow Network is published by Elliott and Thompson, purchasing links can be found here.
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