SHADOW is out now!

Today the 4th novel in my bestselling thriller series hits bookstores; hacker-turned-hero Marc Dane returns in SHADOW, his most dangerous adventure to date. . .

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SHADOW cover reveal (redux)!

The release of my next Marc Dane novel Shadow is fast approaching, and we've had a new pass over the cover art since I last talked about it - the new colours are really striking and I hope it’ll make the book stand out on store shelves...

 

Things are about to go viral in Dane's most dangerous adventure yet . . .

Ex-MI6 field technician Marc Dane and his partner - former US Delta Force sniper Lucy Keyes - are pitted against their most terrifying challenge yet, when a genius bio-researcher with the ability to create a deadly biological weapon is kidnapped by a ruthless terrorist.

Their desperate search for the missing scientist takes them across the world, from the desolate wilderness of Iceland to the dark underbelly of a fracturing Europe, where they will discover a shocking atrocity in the making.

Backed by shadowy interests, a cadre of hard-line ultra-right-wing extremists plan to unleash a lethal virus among the population of a major European city.

Only Marc Dane can prevent this devastating attack from taking place - before a whole continent is plunged into terror... 

Shadow is out in hardcover, export trade paperback and eBook editions at the end of May,  and you can pre-order it at Amazon (click Here) or wherever you buy your fiction.

But a new cover design isn’t all I have to announce; I'm currently putting the finishing touches on a brand new serial short story, which will be available in free downloadable chapters in the run-up to the release of Shadow.

More details soon...!

Techno Thriller Heaven with Writing.ie

Earlier this month, I talked to the online writing magazine Writing.ie about my idea of Techno Thriller Heaven...
 

Follow the link to the article Here, where I discuss my fascination with a certain kind of cover design, jet planes flying out of explosions, the golden age of the techno thriller novel
and some of the inspiration for the latest book in my Marc Dane action thriller series Ghost...

GHOST Out Now In Paperback!

Ghost - book three of my Marc Dane thriller series - is out now in a new paperback edition from all good bookstores, so if you didn't catch it in hardcover, now is the time to snap it up!

This new edition also features a first look preview chapter from book four in the series - Shadow, which will be on sale later in 2019. 

Ghost is available for order right Here - (FYI, I've heard that Amazon UK have been slow this month with their shipping, so there may be some delays over the Xmas period...)

You can also check out a preview via Readers First or read a blog about the unofficial Ghost soundtrack right Here...

SHADOW cover reveal!

I can now officially reveal the fourth novel in my Marc Dane action thriller series...

Things are about to go viral in Dane's most dangerous adventure yet . . .

Ex-MI6 field technician Marc Dane and his partner - former US Delta Force sniper Lucy Keyes - are pitted against their most terrifying challenge yet, when a genius bio-researcher with the ability to create a deadly biological weapon is kidnapped by a ruthless terrorist.

Their desperate search for the missing scientist takes them across the world, from the desolate wilderness of Iceland to the dark underbelly of a fracturing Europe, where they will discover a shocking atrocity in the making.

Backed by shadowy interests, a cadre of hard-line ultra-right-wing extremists plan to unleash a lethal virus among the population of a major European city.

Only Marc Dane can prevent this devastating attack from taking place - before a whole continent is plunged into terror... 

Shadow will be on sale in hardcover, export trade paperback and eBook editions in May next year, but you can pre-order copies right now at Amazon (click Here) or wherever you buy your fiction.

You can also check out a teaser of the first chapter of Shadow in the back of the new paperback edition of Ghost!

Keep watching this blog and my twitter feed for more information on the Marc Dane series, as well as competitions and giveaways.

You can also sign up to my Reader's Club for email newsletters by clicking the button up in the top right of this page for advance intel on Shadow and more...

GHOST paperback release

One month from today, the third novel in my bestselling Marc Dane action thriller series is released in paperback...
 
When a shattering betrayal strikes at the heart of the Rubicon team, Marc Dane and his partner – ex-Special Forces sniper Lucy Keyes – must uncover the plot of a deadly cadre of digital terrorists.

These ‘ghosts’ plan to use their terrible virtual weapons against vulnerable civilian targets; but is this elite team of hackers merely out to spread chaos and destruction, selling their skills to the highest bidder? Or is there a deeper, more personal agenda at work?

As devastating attacks unfold across the globe – power grids crippled, cities blacked out, trains crashed and riots triggered – Marc must call on all his skills and ingenuity to track down the mysterious figure behind it all – a faceless criminal known only as “Madrigal”...

Before they plunge the world into war...

Marc Dane returns in the explosive new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of NOMAD and EXILE...

The GHOST paperback also includes an exclusive first look at the first chapter of the next book in the Marc Dane series...

Visit ReadersFirst to download a pdf of the first two chapters of GHOST or check out the official website of the series at WhoIsMarcDane.com.

To keep up to date on the Marc Dane series, click on the tab on the top right of this page ("Sign Up For Free!") to join the Reader's Club mailing list.

NOMAD is out now in North America!

Today the first of my ongoing series of action thrillers is officially released in North America, in it's US hardcover edition from Tor/Forge! I'm excited to introduce ex-MI6 officer turned freelancer Marc Dane to a whole new audience with the launch of Nomad... 

HIS ONLY NATION IS JUSTICE

New York Times bestselling author James Swallow begins his espionage thriller series with Nomad, featuring a British desk jockey intelligence operative turned active agent.

Marc Dane is a MI6 field agent at home behind a computer screen, one step away from the action. But when a brutal attack on his team leaves Dane the only survivor—and with the shocking knowledge that there are traitors inside MI6—he's forced into the front line.

Matters spiral out of control when the evidence points toward Dane as the perpetrator of the attack. Accused of betraying his country, he must race against time to clear his name. With nowhere to turn to for help and no one left to trust, Marc is forced to rely on the elusive Rubicon group and their operative Lucy Keyes. Ex US Army, Lucy also knows what it's like to be an outsider, and she's got the skills that Dane needs.

A terrorist attack is coming, one bigger and more deadly than has ever been seen before. With the eyes of the security establishment elsewhere, only Keyes and Dane can stop the attack before it's too late.

North America is a fierce, dedicated market for thriller fiction and the home of some of my favorite authors in the genre! It's my great hope that Marc Dane can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Jason Bourne, Mitch Rapp, Thea Paris, Evan Smoak and all the other great US thriller heroes! 

To read the first chapter, click Here to visit Tor/Forge's Criminal Element site.

Praise for Nomad:
“In Marc Dane, James Swallow has created a wonderfully unlikely hero who can outfox the best of the best. A pulse-pounding thriller of the highest order.”— Ward Larsen, USA Today bestselling author of Cutting Edge

“Ian Fleming meets John LeCarre in James Swallow's Nomad: vivid and gritty with nonstop action, in which nothing is as it seems.” —David Hagberg

“Unputdownable. A must-read.” —Wilbur Smith

“Very enjoyable.” —The Guardian

“Exciting.” —The Sun

“Right on the money, bang up to date, Nomad is a scorching romp. A killer of a thriller.”— Jon Wise, Weekend Sport

“A debut spy thriller from a veteran author who delivers his (...) enjoyable narrative at a frenzied pace, with plenty of narrow escapes for reluctant hero Dane.” —Jon Coates, Daily Express

“Ferociously paced thriller, a high-concept tale of the solitary hero on the run, bristling with technology and frequently erupting into lethal violence.” —Declan Burke, The Irish Times

“Followers of Jason Bourne or those who are familiar with I Am Pilgrim and / or Homeland will agree that this book is a rattling good yarn. Well written with plenty of cliffhangers and thoroughly enjoyable.” —Woman's Way

“This is edge of the seat stuff that is terrifyingly real in places and pushes the boundaries of reality in others, not unlike most high-action thrillers. If you're a fan of the novels of Lee Child, Frederik Forsyth and Chris Ryan or you can't wait for the new Bond film and love the TV series 24, then this is for you.” —Closer Magazine

Nomad is out now in hardcover, eBook, digital audio and CD audio editions on-line and in all good bookstores; full details are Here, or you can order a copy direct from Amazon.com via this link.

To keep up to date on the Marc Dane series, click on the tab on the top right of this page ("Sign Up For Free!") to join the Reader's Club mailing list.

The GHOST soundtrack

A month on from the launch of Ghost, the third novel in my Marc Dane series of thrillers, and things are moving apace; I made it on to the bestseller list once more, so I'm sending out a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who picked up a copy of the book.

As is now becoming an annual thing, when I was working on the book I assembled a playlist of songs that provided inspiration for characters, themes and scenes. 

I've done this before for the previous novels in the series - Nomad (hosted over at the Civilian Readers blog) and Exile (here on Red Flag).

Here's what I said when talking about the use of music while working on the first Marc Dane novel; "writing a book isn’t just the writing of the book; there’s also the time spent wrangling ideas or thinking stuff up. I find pacing out the kilometres on the runner at the gym is a great place for this, usually with a loud and driving playlist in my earbuds to propel me along."

Here's the beats that helped drive Ghost...

Track 1 - "GHOST Anthem" - Night Stalker - Carpenter Brut



Track 2 - "Snowboarding" - Song 2 - Blur



Track 3 - "Ambulance Chaser" - Atom Bomb - Fluke



Track 4 - "Drone Race" - Cold Rock the Mic - Apollo 440



Track 5 - "Kara's Theme" - Paint it Black - Ciara



Track 6 - "Lucy's Killer Look/Horizon Integral Caper" - The Payoff - Royale Deluxe



Track 7 - "Madrigal's Story" - Break on Through (To the Other Side) - Josh Mobley



Track 8 - "Infiltration" - The Key - Johnny Jewel



Track 9 - "I Know You Got Seoul/Helicopter Chase" - Friction - Imagine Dragons



Track 10 - "Outro" - Live to Rise - Soundgarden



Track 11 - "GHOST End Credits" - A Hero's Journey - Lazerhawk



Ghost is out now in major chain supermarkets, bookstores and online retailers. For more details click Here.

And if you'd like to read a sample chapter, visit Readers First right Here.

GHOST is out now!

It gives me a great pleasure to say today is release day for GHOST, the third novel in my bestselling thriller series!

The action in GHOST continues the adventures of ex-MI6 officer and hacker-turned-hero Marc Dane, and the previous books in the series – NOMAD and EXILE – were hits on the Sunday Times, Irish Times and Amazon bestseller lists, so I’m hoping GHOST can catch fire with audiences in the same way! GHOST is out now in a hardcover edition, export trade paperback version and digital eBook from Bonnier Zaffre.

In this story, I tackle ideas about how hacker attacks and digital warfare impact the real world, as Marc Dane and the Rubicon team deal with deception and new dangers. I have to say, writing GHOST was a challenging experience; who knew it would be so tough to create a modern-day thriller in a time when actual real-world events seem to be outstripping fiction?

But that said, I had a blast writing this novel and I’m hoping that energy comes through in the prose. I’m very proud of this novel and I want to thank the team at Bonnier Zaffre and United Agents, and my friends and family for their support during the project – especially my dad. This one’s for you, Pop.

A BRUTAL ASSASSINATION IN A SILENT CITY.

A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL AT THE HEART OF A COVERT STRIKE FORCE.

A DEADLY PURSUIT ACROSS A DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD.

A RUTHLESS TERRORIST FUELLED BY REVENGE.

When a shattering betrayal strikes at the heart of the Rubicon team, Marc Dane and his partner – ex-Special Forces sniper Lucy Keyes – must uncover the plot of a deadly cadre of digital terrorists.

These ‘ghosts’ plan to use their terrible virtual weapons against vulnerable civilian targets; but is this elite team of hackers merely out to spread chaos and destruction, selling their skills to the highest bidder? Or is there a deeper, more personal agenda at work?

As devastating attacks unfold across the globe – power grids crippled, cities blacked out, trains crashed and riots triggered – Marc must call on all his skills and ingenuity to track down the mysterious figure behind it all – a faceless criminal known only as “Madrigal”...

Before they plunge the world into war...

Marc Dane returns in the explosive new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of NOMAD and EXILE...

Visit ReadersFirst to download a pdf of the first two chapters of GHOST.

To order a copy of GHOST, click Here or check out the official website of the series at WhoIsMarcDane.com.

And a reminder that I'll be signing books and talking about the novel in conversation with my fellow author Ben Aaronovitch (creator of the Rivers of London series) at Waterstones Bromley bookstore on Thursday 7th June at 6.30pm. Details about the event can be found Here.

To keep up to date on the Marc Dane, click on the tab on the top right of this page ("Sign Up For Free!") to join the Reader's Club mailing list.

GHOST launch event next month!

My new thriller novel Ghost will be on sale at the end of this month, and to celebrate I'll be taking part in a launch event on Thursday 7th June at 6.30pm, at Waterstones Bromley.

My fellow author Ben Aaronovitch (creator of the Rivers of London series) will be interviewing me about the writing of my books, followed by an open Q&A and book signing. There will be wine, door prizes and giveaways – including copies of Ghost and the previous books in the series, the Sunday Times bestsellers Nomad and Exile.

I've had great support for these novels from readers and my publishers at Bonnier Zaffre, and we're hoping Ghost will be a success too! You can check out more about the book at Readers First, including a downloadable sample of the first two chapters.

The launch event is free to attend, and you can call the bookshop for more information on 02084606037 or just come along!

Here's a link to the event page at Waterstones Bromley, and here's another with directions to the store location.

Win a copy of GHOST!

The third book in my bestselling Marc Dane thriller series will be hitting bookshelves at the end of next month, but if you'd like to be in with a chance to win a copy of the hardcover before then, I'm running an exclusive competition with my publisher Bonnier Zaffre.

A terrible threat from the depths of the dark net.
 
A devastating betrayal at the heart of a covert strike force.
 
A deadly pursuit across a digital battlefield.
 
A ruthless terrorist fuelled by revenge.

As devastating attacks unfold across the globe, Marc Dane must call on all his skills and ingenuity to track down the mysterious figure behind it all - a faceless criminal known only as "Madrigal".

I've set a Reader's Club mailing list with BZ (there's a sign-up button on the top right of this page) and it's free to join; subscribers get an update on new releases in the Marc Dane series and I have a strict no-spam policy, so your inbox won't get flooded. When you join you also get a "deleted scene" from the original draft of Nomad - think of it as a "DVD extra" for the novel! 

Reader's Club members will get the chance to win a copy of the new novel Ghost from May 2nd - so click on the sign-up button or the tab above...

GHOST cover reveal!

This has been drifting around out there for a little while now, by I wanted to make it official; check out the cover art for the third book in my Marc Dane thriller series, Ghost...

 

A terrible threat from the depths of the dark net.
A devastating betrayal at the heart of a covert strike force.
A deadly pursuit across a digital battlefield.
A ruthless terrorist fueled by revenge. 

As devastating attacks unfold across the globe, Marc Dane must call on all his skills and ingenuity to track down the mysterious figure behind it all - a faceless criminal known only as "Madrigal".

Ghost will be on sale in hardcover, export trade paperback and eBook editions in May, and you can pre-order copies now at Amazon or wherever you buy your fiction. 

As ever, keep an eye on this blog and my twitter feed for more information, giveaways and the like - or sign up to the reader's club for email newsletters!

What I Did In 2017

Another busy year....!

EXILE paperback is out!

Earlier this year, my second Marc Dane action thiller Exile was released in hardcover by Bonnier Zaffre, and today the book returns in a new paperback edition! You'll be able to find it from this week in all good bookstores, and places like WH Smith, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsburys...

Abandoned by MI6, Marc Dane finds himself in a dead-end job monitoring international sales of counterfeit nuclear weapons.

But suddenly Marc happens upon the real thing – a Russian general flees Moscow with a suitcase nuke, off-loading it to a Serbian gang known for dealing fakes. However, Marc’s own reputation is a rock-bottom: can he convince his cynical bosses to take the threat seriously?

And there’s little time for delay – the Serbs have already found a customer. Abur Ramaas is a ruthless Somali pirate nursing a desire to avenge the suffering of his homeland, and with this weapon he realises he’ll never have a better chance.

Forced to go rogue, Marc Dane’s only hope is to reach out to his old ally Lucy Keyes and the Rubicon group. Pursuing Ramaas across the globe, Marc and Lucy face a desperate race to prevent Armageddon.

But with Abur Ramaas, nothing is ever as it seems...

Racing from secret CIA black site prisons to the skyscrapers of Dubai, from storm-beaten oil rigs off the African coast to the ancient caverns beneath the city of Naples, Marc Dane returns in the explosive new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of NOMAD... 

This new edition of Exile also includes my author's letter and an excerpt from Ghost, the next book in the series (due for release next Summer). 

If you didn't read Exile in hardback, now's your chance! The book is also available in digital and audio versions (click the highlighted links for more details), and you can visit the official website of the Marc Dane series at WhoIsMarcDane.com.

One Month From Now...

Marc Dane is back (in paperback)...

Exile, the second book in my series of original action thrillers, will be on sale in a new paperback edition from the end of December, from Bonnier Zaffre books. To pre-order a copy, click here!



 

5 Questions with D.J. Williams...

The author of the Guardian novel series D.J. Williams invited me over to his blog this month to answer a few questions about my holiday reading preferences, and you can check out my answers right Here!
 

He's also running a Summer Prize Giveaway including a whole bunch of cool stuff, and you can win signed copies of my Marc Dane thrillers Nomad and Exile - for full details, go Here.
 

The EXILE soundtrack

Back when I was working on my novel Nomad, one of the things I did was put together a playlist of choons that were in one way or another, inspirational for story and characters.

The folks over at The Civilian Reader blog hosted a post I wrote about that mythic soundtrack album for Nomad, and a year later, with Exile - the second novel in the Rubicon series - out in bookstores, I thought I'd drop the beats that helped me write it. 

As I said when talking about Nomad; "writing a book isn’t just the writing of the book; there’s also the time spent wrangling ideas or thinking stuff up. I find pacing out the kilometers on the runner at the gym is a great place for this, usually with a loud and driving playlist in my earbuds to propel me along."

So crank the volume and listen up...

Track 1 -  "EXILE anthem" - Jungle - X Ambassadors

Track 2 - "Lucy's Theme (Book II Version)" - Voodoo Child -  Brick+Mortar

Track 3 - "Kurjak Stakeout" - Rise - Craig Armstrong  
 

Track 4 - "Black Site Escape" - Easy Action - Boom Boom Satellites
 

Track 5 - "Dubai Chase Part I" - Speed - Paul Oakenfold
 

Track 6 - "Dubai Chase Part II" - Ready Steady Go [Remix] - Paul Oakenfold
 

Track 7 - "Mogadishu Jump" - Missile - Dorothy
 

Track 8 - "Shell Game" - Run - AWOLNATION

Track 9 - "Into The Caverns"- Loaded Gun - Hednoize
 

Track 10 - "Outro (Book II Version)" - Absurd (Whitewash Edit) - Fluke
 

Track 11- "EXILE End Credits"- Collapse - Saosin

 

Exile is out now in supermarkets, all good bookstores and online retailers!

Books That Changed My Life at Reader's Digest

Earlier this month, I spoke with Reader's Digest to talk about three Books That Changed My Life...

In the article I link to Here, I discuss three novels whose themes, writing and authors all exerted a keen effect on me as a writer and a reader - and I also talk briefly about my new action thriller novel Exile...



 

EXILE Twitter Q&A Transcript

Last week I took over my publisher’s Twitter feed for a live Q&A session about my new thriller novel EXILE; you can follow them at @BonnierZaffre – and here’s a transcript of the conversation...

 

Hello there, this is James Swallow! With the help of Marc Dane, I've hacked into @BonnierZaffre's feed for the next hour...

I'm here to answer your questions about my new thriller novel #EXILE...

...As long as it isn't anything Top Secret...

Let's start off with an email Q from Summercyde_cat, who asks "Where do you get your ideas from?"

That's always a tough one to answer! I read a lot of news about current events and technology, especially stuff on the fringes of design...

The world at large tends to be the best source for thriller story ideas...!

Next question from Hazelhead, who asks “Do you have more Rubicon stories planned after #NOMAD and #EXILE?"

Yes indeed I do! Marc, Lucy and the Rubicon team will return next year for another adventure, so stay tuned!

Please post your questions to @BonnierZaffre using the #EXILE hashtag.... 

Next one! Ron Sinterklaas (Hello again!) emails: "Is there going to be a #NOMAD or #EXILE film or TV series in the future?"

Taking the Rubicon series to the big or small screen would be very cool!

I've had some discussions with film/tv folks but so far, nothing concrete. Right now I am concentrating on developing the novels...

WasherDryerWasher asks "Can I get your books in the USA?!?" #EXILE 

Yes! The plan is for the Rubicon novels to be published by @forgereads in the USA in 2018. #EXILE 

 Another question from Ron... "Who will play your heroes on screen if #EXILE is a film/tv?"

I like @Liam_J_McIntyre to play Marc Dane...

As for who would play Lucy Keyes, I think the amazing @DanaiGurira would be perfect!

And of course, the mighty @colinsalmon24 has always been my model for the character of Ekko Solomon!

(Please post your questions to James Swallow about his new novel to @BonnierZaffre using the #EXILE hashtag!)

Next question from Harley_Hare: "What was it like getting nominated for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Prize?"

I'm honoured! @thewilbursmith is a titan of the thriller genre & I'm in such great company with the other nominees.

I am actually reading fellow nominee @FrankRGardner's novel Crisis right now, it's great stuff!

Our next question comes from a fan of a certain other British secret agent...

Marko emailed to ask "I've been reading the new James Bond comics, they're great. Would you like to do something like that with #EXILE ?"

I'm enjoying the Dynamite Comics stuff too! To answer the question, Would I write a Rubicon comic? That would be a dream job.

And for the record, I would love to write a James Bond story one day.

Great question here from Tom Royle! "How would Marc Dane would get on with other characters you've written, Judge Dredd, Jack Bauer etc?"

Marc would respect Jack Bauer's skills, but probably think he was too intense. "Lighten up, mate."

As for Judge Dredd, Marc would want to try out his Lawmaster motorbike for sure.

Other characters? Marc would get on okay with #DeusEx Adam Jensen. But he would steer clear of the Warhammer guys.

15 mins left to go! Post your questions to @BonnierZaffre using the #EXILE hashtag & I'll try my best to answer them all!

Next question from XB70BX: "Will there be an #EXILE audio book?"

Yes! It should hopefully it'll be out later this year...

Last question... Colin asks "What inspired the plotline for #EXILE?'

#EXILE's story came from a lot of places - reading about Somalia and the piracy there; the traffic in toxic waste and stolen nukes...

...All of those real life events have drama and weight to them that lends well to a thriller story.

Okay, I think I hear a drone circling overhead, so I'll have to log out in a few moments before the BZ strike team home in on me...

Thank you one & all for your great questions & for taking part in the #EXILE Q&A! It was great to chat to you!

If you have any more questions about #EXILE, #NOMAD or any of my books you can follow me at @jmswallow or my blog at jamesswallow.blogspot.co.uk

If you want to check out the first chapter of #EXILE , you can a free download right here at Readers First: readersfirst.co.uk/books/exile

And #EXILE is on sale right now from all good bookstores and several supermarkets!

Thanks again and best wishes! - James 

EXILE is available Here in hardcover and eBook editions; trade paperback versions are also on sale at WH Smith Travel bookstores.



 

Action. Packed.

My new thriller Exile has been out for a week now, and I'm pleased to say it has already hit the bestseller charts! Thanks to everyone out there who has bought a copy!

Check out this neat poster for the release!