A rattlingly good read with plenty of action and a story-line which keeps the reader guessing. Alex Abbott is an ex-special forces soldier who attempts to keep his demons at bay through his relationship with the bottle, though this only creates his vulnerabilities. We are gradually fed snippets of his history and come to realise, as he returns to Baghdad, that he is at his best when in 'soldier mode' - though he sometimes wonders whether their way of life in the special forces had 'made monsters of them all'. This is a well formulated story, with the human interest being developed and the feel that everything is not as it seems when he comes into contact with some old acquaintances. There is plenty of tension generated in the plot, with the story-line twisting and turning - and him finding himself in some very difficult situations. The authors past gives the story a real credibility and I believe that this book is well worth a read, having given it a 5 star rating - I look forward to reading more of his books. Many thanks to Bonnier Books UK who provided an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.