An Cosantóir

40 | book The bestselling 'Spider' Shepherd series Book 1 & 2 By Stephen Leather Hard Landing Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (hodder.co.uk) Published: 2004, (New edition September 2008) ISBN: 9781844568574 ASIN: B002V09292 Price: €6.64 (pb) / €0.58 (eBook) Pages: 484 pages International bestselling author Stephen Leather's first 'Spider' Shepherd thriller 'Hard Landing' is set inside Belmarsh Prison, a category 'A' prison used for high-profile cases, including convicted terrorists. In this hardhitting tale, Shepherd, a former SAS trooper, is part of a deep undercover police squad tasked by the Home Office. Using the cover of being on remand as a hardened armed robber, Shepherd must get close to his mark, a notorious drug baron who continues to run his illegal operation from behind bars, harassing and killing witnesses to stop any trial. Shepherd must establish who is on the crime-lord's payroll, including inmates and prison officers, in this notorious top-security prison. Be warned, this hard-man tale has a tear-jerking parting shot; so keep the hankies handy! WF Soft Target Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (hodder.co.uk) Published: 2005 (new edition September 2008) ISBN: 978-0340834091 ASIN: B002V091F2 Price: €7.69 (pb) / €5.93 (eBook) Pages: 520 pages Ex-SAS trooper turned undercover cop 'Spider' Shepherd returns in Stephen Leather's the second book of his bestselling series. In 'Soft Target' Spider is playing the role of killer-for-hire to two unsuspecting friends; one who wants to do away with his business partner and a gangster's wife who wants rid of her violent spouse. The many subplots will keep you entertained as Spider swaps his identities and interweaves between them; infiltrating an elite armed police unit turned rogue who started a private war against the 'Yardies', taking them out, stealing their profits and selling off their drugs in Dublin. In another sub-plot we learn of a group of Muslim fundamentalists who are planning to attack London. In the final pages Spider and our rogue cops come face-to-face with terrible danger as they race against time to track down the terrorists in London's tube stations. Spider Shepherd is a truly likeable character, who juggles parenthood and the role of a special undercover policeman with tremendous skill and devotion. WF About the author: Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers, with more than two million books sold. His bestsellers include 10 books and seven short stories in the Spider Shephard series, have been translated into more than ten languages. Before becoming a novelist he was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times and the Daily Mail. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. Two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were filmed for TV. www.stephenleather.com An Cosantóir Dec 2013/Jan 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie

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