Forged in Shadow

What happens when a King's Counsel turns his legal and geopolitical expertise to the world of political thrillers?

Most thrillers explore what happens when an assassin enters the world. Liam Kelly explores how someone becomes one in Book One of this sophisticated political thriller series.

Every assassin has a beginning. This is Harry O'Connor's.

He was raised to protect.

Trained to survive.

When danger closes in, Harry O'Connor must choose: become his father's creation or forge his own path.

Smart. Athletic. Reserved. Harry O'Connor appears to be an ordinary young man finishing high school on Australia's quiet Northern New South Wales coast.

He is anything but.

After his mother's death, Harry is raised by his father Reece, a former SAS soldier turned mercenary, shaped by guilt, love, rigid discipline and a war that never ends. Growing up among men who carry out missions governments will never acknowledge, Harry knows what his father is, even if no one says it aloud.

Then a devastating terrorist attack in Tel Aviv changes everything. Forced to move to the United States with Reece and his band of mercenaries, Harry must decide once and for all who he will become ... as the violence he has been trained for closes in.

From Australian King's Counsel barrister Liam Kelly, this sophisticated political thriller draws on legal and geopolitical insight. In the vein of Mark Greaney and Vince Flynn, the explosive first instalment in the Harry O'Connor series tells the story of how an assassin is made.

**This is a work of fiction. The views expressed by individual characters are their own and should not be taken as a statement of the author's personal political views or beliefs.**

PRAISE FOR LIAM KELLY

'....literate and allusive as to be expected from a former Rhodes Scholar and leading King's Counsel....well plotted, topical and character driven....a commendable piece of work likely to be enjoyed by lawyers and non-lawyers alike.' Ian Callinan AC KC, former High Court judge, author and playwright 

'....a gripping, globe-spanning thriller....blending technical precision with grit and gore, Kelly's intensely geopolitical work reflects his own background as an Australian lawyer.' Finn Coleman, journalist (News Corp Australia), Muay Thai title fighter and coach

'....I found it impossible to put down. Bravo. 10/10.' Andrew Catsoulis, lawyer, founder and CEO of National Storage

'....Well-paced, perceptive and powerful - this is an impressive debut.' Mark McGinnis, writer, regulator, reviewer, lawyer

' With his background in Law, English Literature, Oxford University and as a Rhodes Scholar, Liam Kelly brings considerable depth to Forged in Shadow, a fast-paced thriller.' Leighton Trafford, retired pharmaceutical product specialist