Stunning book that proves BBC’s Frank Gardner is new Freddie Forsyth | Books | Entertainment

Ballistic by Frank Gardner, Hardback, £20

In the frozen Arctic north a Russian submarine slips from port to launch a ballistic missile in an apparent training exercise. Shortly afterwards, a senior Russian officer recruited by the British goes on the run but not before alerting the Secret Intelligence Service in London about a terrifying new weapons programme codenamed ‘Holy Trinity’. Now it’s up to former Royal Marine and SBS operative turned intelligence officer Luke Carlton to extract the informant from the icy wastes of the Russian-Finnish border – if he can dodge the drone attack that leaves the snow blood-soaked.

Carlton is a brilliant creation and Ballistic, his fifth outing, is another corker of a thriller. Gardner is a worthy successor to the late, great Frederick Forsyth in writing topical, thought-provoking and prescient thrillers that engage the brain while never letting up on the tension nor easing off on the drama. Absolutely stirring stuff. 9/10

A Killing in Lagos by Amen Alonge, Hardback, £22

Alonge’s two most recent novels, A Good Day To Die and A Good Night To Kill – set over an almost identical time-frame featuring different perspectives in a fiendishly clever twist – took readers on a deep dive into London’s murky gangland underworld. Now he’s switched his attention to Lagos for an equally engaging, suspenseful new thriller set against the backdrop of the luxury lifestyles of Nigeria’s wealthiest citizens and the desperation of its poor.

Remi Bankole’s sister Kike, an investigative journalist, has been found dead on a waste site and the London-based lawyer must return home to a family in mourning a decade after he left under a cloud. It soon emerges his sister’s murder has several beneficiaries, not least some of the city’s most powerful people. But can Remi navigate Lagos without getting burned. Eye-opening, brilliant and hugely satisfying, it’s good to have Alonge back. 8/10.

The Aristocracy by Patrick Worrall, Hardback, £16.99

Having made his name with two acclaimed Cold War spy thrillers, Worrall returns to the near present for his third, standalone novel. The Aristocracy refers in part to the informal hierarchy of criminal hardmen and there’s no doubt Darren Sinfield, the most notorious inmate at max-security Lower Marston Prison, is among them. Now he’s escaped, shot a cop and intelligence officer Declan Rennard has been tasked with tracking him down. That means returning (reluctantly) to Avonford, the down-at-heel town where he grew up, and confronting some demons from his past he’d really rather not. Still, when duty calls!

So begins a dramatic cat and mouse chase with far-reaching consequences and growing tension that never lets go. Worrall writes pacey, intelligent thrillers with plenty of heart and The Aristocracy is no exception. Perfect summer getaway reading and another corker from one of our most promising new writers. 8/10.

Truly Gifted Kids: A Book About a Band Called Prefab Sprout, by Nige Tassell, Hardback, £25

Despite their massive 1988 hit, The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll, and a slew of acclaimed albums, including much-loved Steve McQueen, Prefab Sprout were always a bit too clever for real mainstream success. It’s long been a debate among fans whether the County Durham band might have approached U2 levels of fame had bandleader Paddy McAloon, undoubtedly one of the great songwriters of the late 20th century, been more willing to compromise his vision. Formed in 1978, it might even surprise some to know they’re still going, though recent albums have largely been McAloon solo efforts.

Pop culture king Nige Tassell takes a deep dive into the idiosyncratic stars and comes up with a charming, compassionate and utterly entertaining book that’s about as far from rock cliches as possible. Like all great music biogs, will inspire you to reacquaint yourself with their best work. 9/10