Debut thriller from 2010 Steel Dagger award-winning author Simon Conway.
In a North Sea storm a drilling rig sinks, taking with it the ten kilos of hashish that Calum Bean has hidden in its superstructure. When the bankrollers decide that Cal's kneecaps are a reasonable forfeit, his cousin, renegade army officer Seb MacCoinneach, comes to the rescue.
But Seb has an agenda of his own. Turned down by the SAS, in fierce competition with his dead brother and in a bitter feud with his father, he masterminds a plan that will make fools of all those who have rejected him. Spurred on by his half-sister Madelene, a ruthless manipulator, he stars upon a lethal game in the name of freedom. And he needs Cal with him.
Imagine John le Carre on bad acid - edgy, twisted and very, very dark. - Howard Marks
Debut of a roaring and prodigal talent ... Not so much a novel as a life experience. Don't miss it. - Literary Review
Good background, with an on-the-nail summary of Northern Ireland wheeling and dealing . . . and a wild Celtic streak that marks Conway as one to watch. - Guardian
A debut novel to rival The Beach. - Publishing News
Cruel, violent and lyrical, it's Iain Banks meeting Alan Warner in Tom Clancy's missile silo. Excellent. - Select
succeeds in painting a portrait of the world at once attractive and repellent - List
Dipping the ever-successful elements of guns and narcotics into an atmosphere of constant psychosis, DAMAGED is surprisingly believable. - Face
A very fine thriller...A hardboiled page-turner for the slacker generation. - MixMag
Simon Conway is a former British Army officer and international aid worker. He has cleared landmines and the other debris of war across the world. As Co-Chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition he successfully campaigned to achieve an international ban on cluster bombs. He currently works for the charity The HALO Trust opening up access to hazardous areas.
He lives in Glasgow with his wife, the journalist and broadcaster Sarah Smith. He has two daughters.
A LOYAL SPY, his third novel, won the 2010 CWA Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the year.
Visit Simon Conway's website at www.simonconwaybooks.com and follow Simon on Twitter @simongconway and Instagram @simongconway