Firefly
Heartstopping chase thriller & winner of the Wilbur Smith Award
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4.3 • 18 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The boy could help them bring down a deadly ISIS terror cell. They just have to find him before the other side does.
WINNER OF THE 2019 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE
'A welcome return ... Firefly is both timely and terrific' Mick Herron
'An espionage master' Charles Cumming
'British espionage fiction is the best in the world, and Porter is part of the reason why' Lee Child
From the refugee camps of Greece to the mountains of Macedonia, a thirteen year old boy is making his way to Germany and safety. Codenamed 'Firefly', he holds vital intelligence: unparalleled insight into a vicious ISIS terror cell, and details of their plans. But the terrorists are hot on his trail, determined he won't live to pass on the information.
When MI6 become aware of Firefly and what he knows, the race is on to find him. Paul Samson, ex-MI6 agent and now private eye, finds himself recruited to the cause. Fluent in Arabic thanks to his Lebanese heritage, Samson's job is to find Firefly, win his trust and get him to safety.
A devastatingly timely thriller following the refugee trail from Syria to Europe, Firefly is a sophisticated, breathtaking race against time from the acclaimed and award-winning author of Brandenburg and The Dying Light.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this impressive if flawed thriller from British author Porter (The Bell Ringers), Luc Samson, an ex-MI6 agent hired by his former employer, tries to locate 13-year-old Naji Touma, who has fled his native Syria for Germany to reunite with his family. Authorities suspect that the boy, recruited against his will into ISIS for his technological skills, managed to encrypt a wealth of secret ISIS data on his cellphone, including hundreds of videos showing ISIS leader Al-munajil (aka the Machete) decapitating innocent Syrians. That last fact hasn't escaped the notice of Al-munajil, who has set out with a handful of henchmen to get to Naji and his phone before Samson does. Porter excels at describing the life of trekking migrants and the atmosphere in the camps of Greece. The plot, however, sags from inaction as Naji makes his way across Southern Europe and his pursuers try to stay close. A lively ending helps, but many readers may have grown frustrated by then. Still, fans of Porter's previous books will find much to admire.
Customer Reviews
George Smiley redux
Author
British journalist who also writes spy novels.
Plot
Former MI6 agent of Lebanese extraction now working freelance is commissioned by the old firm to track down a Syrian refugee kid who has made it out of a Turkish refugee camp and into Greece with plans to go further north. Turns out he’s a bit of whizz kid in various ways, including computer skills. He has some secrets about ISIS to share, and bad dudes are after him. A Greek female psychologist and an American billionaire lend a hand.
Characters
Protagonists well drawn.
Prose
Mr Porter is fond of overlong descriptive passages, which slow the pace.
Bottom line
Updated Le Carre clone, faithfully executed. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a fan of Le Carre. If you are, you’ll probably like this.