In the military family there is no worse crime than cowardice. Malachy Kitchen, Intelligence officer, posted to Iraq, appears guilty of it while on patrol with an infantry platoon ambushed by insurgents. When word spreads that he was ‘yellow’ under hostile fire, his life starts to disintegrate.

Kicked out of the army, he becomes an isolated recluse in a drugs infested London estate. But the mugging of his neighbour of an elderly widow by addicts lights the flame that draws him to regain his lost pride and to take the fight to the narcotics network he sees around him. But it is not so simple –because the drugs routes have been colonized by other factions who want to deliver equally dangerous packages around the world. And if Malachy is to complete his quest, he must first enter one of the darker alleyways of life . . .

From the Hardcover edition.

“On every possible count, Seymour is the master.”

Sunday Times

“A superb feat of storytelling by a master of his craft.”

The Times

All traces of self-esteem have been brutally stripped from Malachy Kitchen, an intelligence officer posted to Iraq. He is accused of cowardice while on patrol with an infantry platoon ambushed by insurgents. Word spreads that he ran under hostile fire. In the military family there is no worse crime. Humiliated and broken, kicked out of the army, Malachy sinks into despair. He becomes an isolated recluse in a drug-infested London estate. But the mugging of an elderly widow by addicts lights a flame that draws him to fight to regain his lost pride. His target is the network of narcotics traders.

Gerald Seymour has lived in the West Country for several years and was once a reporter for Independent Televisions News. His bestselling novels include, among others, Harry’s Game, The Glory Boys, Red Fox, Field of Blood, The Heart of Danger, Killing Ground, The Waiting Time, A Line in the Sand, Holding the Zero, The Untouchable, Traitor’s Kiss and, most recently, The Unknown Soldier.

From the Hardcover edition.