This is genuine edge of your seat, white knuckle ride reading. Frank Gardner is an extraordinary author and one for whom I have the greatest admiration, His in depth knowledge from years of experience as a journalist and reporter and contacts with leaders and officials from around the world really comes into play in his novels, Invasion is just so plausible. China is currently perceived as a potential global threat but as lay Westerners, I suspect we pay little attention to what’s going on in the Far East. The possibility of the scenario outlined here gives much food for thought and Gardener paints a very realistic picture of rising tension and global threat.

The workings of Intelligence agencies are complex and the machinations of agents placed overseas and the dangers they face are well depicted as Carlton and Li from MI6 are sent to find out what has happened to their source. Gardener’s stories are true thrillers; much like Forsyth and very different to Le Carré. Fast paced, tense and likely to leave the reader breathless, this is a book I’ve really enjoyed and my only disappointment was that it was over too soon. Another winner from Gardener.

*4.5 stars*

Hugely respected BBC Security Correspondent and journalist, Frank Gardner, draws on his years of experience reporting on global security stories and using in-depth knowledge of the security services, to produce this tense and frightening thriller - more so because the subject of China and neighbouring Taiwan is very current. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island's strong objections.

In ‘Invasion’, China is massing its troops on the coast across the Strait from Taiwan. Are they about to invade? If so, this could prove devastating for the US and her allies, not least regarding economic well-being and democratic values.
However, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service has an agent close to the top of the Chinese Communist Party, someone who's ready to pass on vital secrets that could defuse the looming conflict. An arrangement is made for a handover of the information in Hong Kong, but the agent’s handler is abducted before she was able to get this extremely important information back to London.

Enter MI6 operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li, who are dispatched to discover the whereabouts of the missing handler.

What follows is a roller coaster ride as Luke and Jenny are given tip offs from various people (not all of them entirely trustworthy), leading them from one trail to another. This trail takes them from backstreet cafes in Hong Kong, to neon lit casinos and seedy nightclubs in Macao, and finally to Taiwan after they discover that their agent has been kidnapped and is now on a rusting cargo ship churning through the South China Sea towards Taiwan.

Invasion is brilliantly written, although with Frank Gardner at the helm I wouldn’t expect anything less. The storyline is very current - it’s clever, atmospheric and in its best moments nail bitingly tense. Highly recommended!

Invasion is a taut, relentless, fast-paced, intelligently-plotted and up-to-the-minute topical thriller. The central premise is the People’s Republic of China’s plans to invade near-neighbour Taiwan - an event that could spark a global conflict. British intelligence operatives are despatched to the region to recover vital intelligence which could halt China’s plans in their tracks but they encounter unexpected, powerful adversaries. The narrative is packed with authentic detail about geo-political tensions, high-tech intelligence gathering, military hardware and operations and political crisis management. My only quibble is that the ending, neat as it is, is a little rushed.

Luke Carlton and Jenny Li return in Frank Gardner’s topical thriller Invasion.

The storyline is excellent and very up to date and the book is very enjoyable. My only issue is that it was too short and would have benefitted from being longer so that the ending didn’t feel rushed.

Invasion is the 4th book in the popular Luke Carlton series by Frank Gardner, not only a popular thriller writer but the BBC's Security Correspondent, a role that ensures that his books are realistic and replete with insider knowledge of current events.
When a "collector" best described as an enthusiastic amateur is sent to Hong Kong meet British Intelligence's "mole" within the Chinese Communist Party for the handover of secret information she's kidnapped. With China seemingly gearing up to invade Taiwan MI6 don't know whether China's MSS security service are responsible or other bad actors.
With the clock ticking and China ramping up their preparations MI6 operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are sent to recover the missing agent ,and not least the information she has gathered , with the stakes as high as a potential world war should they fail.
This is a fast-moving topical thriller with Carlton and Li further under pressure when it becomes apparent that their opponents are always one step ahead of them suggesting that it's not only the Chinese Communist Party that has a mole.
Another great book in an excellent series, Carlton is a more realistic James Bond-type character and author Gardner's insights from his vast knowledge of world affairs add to the sense that his books feature events that might just actually happen. .

Time was when spy thrillers had our brave heroes uo against the KGB or FSB, then it was ISIS and now as the world moves on the real threat has become China. Gerald Seymour's latest novel focused upon the danger they present as does this stinker of a book by the immensely talented and well informed Frank Gardiner.

As China cast covetous eyes upon neighbouring Taiwan and make preparations for an imminent and impending invasion perhaps they can be stopped if British intelligence can get hold of vital inside information relating to their invasion plans.

Of course nothing and nobody is exactly who or what they seem to be and British intelligence operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are sent to save the day against seemingly insurmountable odds.

It is a rollercoaster ride and one that engages and excites from the opening page.

It is the author's best and most authentic book and one that deserves a wide audience given its topicality.