Paul Anthony: USHANKA

USHANKA

Released in September 2023

A Boyd detective thriller

Spy Novel, Murder, Mystery

There’s a killer on the loose in Dagestan, near the Caspian Sea. His purpose in life is ‘to Kill and to die In the name of Allah’. He’s an Arab Muslim wanted for bombing and murder.

To some, the fugitive is a Godsend. A secret weapon that one side wants to harness in the war against the enemy. Who will turn a blind eye to the terrorist’s past? Or will they chase the fanatic and end the slaughter? One day he’s an assassin, then he is a peacemaker. His next destination is to an unknown killing spree. But then along comes an Arab Jew from the past who knows who the next target is. It’s his bargaining chip to a life beyond the world of spies. Who will believe the Arab Jew? Or will they favour the Muslim extremist? The question of who has the most influence is under review. Whoever wins will be all supreme. Is power decided on the roll of a dice? Or is there a joker in the pack?

In a battle between Mossad, British Intelligence and the Foreign Intelligence Agency of the Russian Federation, some people live, others are tortured. Some are poisoned, others escape. On the journey from the Caspian Sea to the shores of a tarn bordering Geltsdale in Cumbria, there is only one winner.

But who will win, who will lose, or will it be a draw? And who is carrying the dolls?

Is it the money man with the 200 Dirham note?

When Boyd, the UK’s top detective, is called in to sort out the mess that has been created, who will the powers-that-be believe in the final analysis? A worn-out ageing detective who has seen better days and whose credibility is in question, or an Arab Jew with a history of making mistakes? The clock is ticking. Is there a bomb ticking too? The tip-off is there for all to see. People died to pass it on.

Is the next target the British Prime Minister or the Russian Ambassador? Or someone else? It’s down to the spymasters to work it all out...

over Russian tea?