Publisher Description
Trust no one but yourself…
The second blockbuster thriller in the Stephanie Patrick series. The previous novel, The Rhythm Section, is soon to be a major motion picture from the producers of the James Bond film series, starring Jude Law and Blake Lively.
She can’t escape her past…
Stephanie Patrick thought her double life was over. But a call from her past throws her back into the world where international crime and terrorism meet.
The target is Koba: a Russian criminal with influential connections, whose true identity remains a dangerous secret.
From New York through Europe to Moscow, Stephanie tracks Koba. But in a game of betrayal where trust is weakness and violence is routine, one false move could prove fatal…
Reviews
‘Chameleon is a Casablanca for the 21st century’ Boris Starling
‘Bigger and slicker in every way than his first novel. If you buy no other thriller this holiday season, buy this one’ The Economist
‘Utterly gripping – eat your heart out Jason Bourne’ Observer
‘Mark Burnell brings the espionage novel right up to date. Petra makes James Bond look like a wimp’ Sunday Telegraph
About the author
Mark Burnell was born in Northumberland and grew up in Brazil. He is a novelist and screenwriter. His debut novel, The Rhythm Section, is the first in a series of thrillers featuring Stephanie Patrick and is soon to be a major motion picture. The film is begin produced by Eon, the company responsible for the James Bond franchise, and stars Blake Lively and Jude Law. Mark lives in England with his family.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stylishly written yet desperately in need of a good kick in the pants, this plodding sequel to 1999's The Rhythm Section marks the return of Euro-assassin Stephanie Patrick. As the story opens, Patrick has retired to southern France, trying hard to forget her past and live a normal life. Her old employer, a shadowy organization called Magenta House, persuades her to take one more assignment: find and eliminate the mastermind behind a plot to stockpile vast amounts of Marburg virus, one of the world's most feared bio-weapons. To carry out the task, Patrick reverts to her old identity, the ruthlessly efficient Petra Reuter, to whom each new contract is "just a shift at the factory." Patrick proceeds to go deep underground, moving freely between American, European and Russian capitals in her search for the terrorist. Along the way, she meets and falls hard for shady Russian business tycoon Konstantin Komarov. They join forces in the pursuit, yet along the way both discover that in the treacherous world of espionage and terrorism, loyalties often get lost in the shifting sands. Throughout, Burnell shows exceptional skill portraying mood and moments of swift action. His narrative moves smoothly between third- and first-person viewpoints, a technique adding depth and dimension to Patrick's character. His plot, however, sags badly in the middle and loses sight of its target. After enduring many scenes of anguished romance between Patrick and Komarov, many readers may find themselves forgetting what the story is about.
