Warlord: A New Alex Hawke Novel

by Ted Bell

Book Overview

"Hawke is...strong, shrewd and savvy, with an aplomb not seen since James Bond tore up the pages of Ian Fleming's novels.... Warlord stands tall....A first rate thriller." --National Public Radio Thriller fiction of the highest order, Warlord by Ted Bell returns British-American MI6 counterterrorism operative Alex Hawke to the field, as he races to stop a plot to murder Great Britian's royal family. This latest spellbinding installment in the New...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061859311
• ISBN13: 9780061859311
• Release Date: June 2011
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 704 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 4.2" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

You'll want to read them all!

As usual in the Hawke series, Ted Bell takes two diverse plots, seemingly totally unrelated, and then weaves the threads together until he has created what you could almost call a 'tapestry' of suspense and adventure and thrills. No other modern thriller author even comes close. And I've spent a decade reading them all. If Bell has a rival (and he does of course) it would have to be a Fleming or a Ludlum, even an Alastair MacLean if you remember Ice Station Zebra or Where Eagles Dare. This author defies comparisons, though, because his style is uniquely his own. And this is where he stands out in the crowd. Read this one. You'll want to read them all!!

James Bond has NOTHING on Alex Hawke...

For those quickly making a decision on whether or not Warlord is worth purchasing, just ask yourself this: Have I read Ted Bells earlier Alex Hawke novels & did I like/love them? If you enjoyed ANY of the previous adventures, I encourage you to grab Warlord--and the sooner the better. Now, for those who need more info, at the end of TSAR (a novel I highly encourage you to read before starting Warlord--it isn't necessary, mind you, but will put into more focus why Alex is the way he is, especially at the beginning) Alex Hawke is left broken and very nearly suicidal. Gratefully he doesn't stay this way for long, as a quite unexpected personal phone call from Prince Charles himself brings Alex out of a drunken stupor rather quickly and right into the Here & Now. Charles is absolutely convinced he and his family are in mortal danger--RIGHT NOW. Again, this further helps to sober Alex as he struggles to absorb not just the unexpectedness of the phone call, but also his efforts to put his personal demons on the back burner for the time being and focus on what he does best. This is essentially where the rubber hits the pavement...although in the VERY capable hands of Ted Bell, its more of a gravel-like surface as we never really manage to catch any SOLID paydirt as we surf and skid all over the place as the action mounts and with it, a tension-filled action/adventure that is the equal to ANY High Speed James Bond chase-scene...times TEN. Before long Mr. Bell shifts gears somewhat and in the midst of it all, we find ourselves knee-deep inside an Islamic Terrorist organization Hell-bent on, well, doing what Terrorists do best. Never fear, Ted Bell has absolute control over where we are going and what will happen once we eventually get there. Unlike the usual Terrorist-fare that massively populates the bestseller lists on a regular basis, Ted Bell writes with a great deal MORE serious, almost frightening realism which puts this (and ALL his previous Alex Hawke novels) head & shoulders above the average stories featuring anything resembling a Jack Ryan, Dirk Pitt, James Bond or Jack Bauer type adventure. It just reads as SMARTER all the way around. Ted Bell is simply put a great novelist who routinely produces VERY intelligent thrillers that continue to impress again & again. Not easy to do, mind you, but something he seems to manage with what seems to be relative ease. Congrats to Ted and yet another incredibly well told tale, that not only HIGHLY entertained me, but made me thirst for (yet again) even MORE Alex Hawke--and trust me, Ted simply cannot pump these novels out fast ENOUGH.

Another Terrific Ted Bell Page Turner

I've read several Alex Hawke books from Ted Bell and I've enjoyed each one. WARLORD was particularly engaging and held my attention from the opening page until the final one. It's a rare day that I find the time to read fiction. I took WARLORD on a long flight across the U.S. and it provided the perfect way to spend several hours. Because of the length (554 pages), I have to make sure I have a solid block of time to finish a Ted Bell novel because I know once I get started, everything else around me fades and I have to complete it. I recommend WARLORD as a well-crafted read.

Sensational Thriller

For someone who grew up enthralled with James Bond then graduated to Jason Borne, Jack Ryan and more recently Jack Bauer; 'Warlord' is a terrific read and Ted Bell's best. All the characters are interesting and well developed. The dialogue is natural, regardless of the character's nationality. The scenes are described in riveting detail. I found 'Warlord' as intense and modern as '24' without requiring the constant suspension of disbelief. On the contrary, Alex Hawke does a chillingly plausible job of lacing together the IRA killing of Lord Mountbatten, the great fire at Windsor Castle, the death of Lady Di and Dodi Fayed in the Paris tunnel and assorted Taliban bombings into a sensational thriller. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to see Hawke on the silver screen.

If you like James Bond, you'll love this.

Ted Bell doesn't write books that are less than entertaining. His latest, Warlord may be his best yet. Literate, suspenseful with a good dollop of humor thrown in. Alex Hawke, the heir apparent to James Bond, is drowning in a sea of rum and self destruction when he gets a call from Prince Charles. The good Prince has reason to believe his life, if not the British monarchy, are being threatened. This is the catalyst to set Hawke off on another adventure told with superior skill and panache by Mr. Bell. This is storytelling at its best with an interesting take on terrorism. Fun, exciting and full of fascinating tidbits about the British royal family, spycraft and global politics. Highly recommended.