The third book in James Swallow’s high-tech thriller series featuring ex-MI6 agent Marc Dane and the Rubicon Group, Ghost provides another relevant, contemporary story as Dane tackles a mysterious hacker collective tapping into the world’s digital weaknesses. Marc is mid-mission gathering information on a link to the sinister Combine when sudden new orders arrive, sending him to Malta to investigate an unusually public assassination. Who the victim is, why he was killed and what it means for Rubicon all come to light as Marc, Lucy and co. chase digital ghosts and fight back from a devastating betrayal.
If this is your entry point to the series, you can expect a fast-paced, high-octane, jet-setting spy adventure that’s bang up to date with cool (but very credible) technology and a topical, believable threat. If you’ve read Nomad and Exile you’ll know what to expect, as it maintains a familiar style and tone to what’s gone before…but it’s not just a carbon copy. Three books in, the characters are now sufficiently familiar and well established that Swallow can dig a little deeper than before, spending more time with other members of the Rubicon group and exploring the increasingly important relationships between them. There’s still the pace and compelling plot that you’d expect, but there’s plenty of room for the characters too.
Dane himself is still adapting to his new life, figuring out what he’s supposed to be doing and why – he’s growing in confidence, but still scraping his way through tight spots by virtue of equal parts skill and luck. Swallow is continuing to play it slowly with Dane, using each adventure to move him forwards bit by bit rather than rushing towards personal resolutions or unbelievable increases in skills or aptitude. Likewise with the overarching narrative, which in general sees the Rubicon group pitted against the Combine but this time veers away from that arc a little. It’s an effective way of keeping the series’ momentum going, focusing on a little bit of world building rather than always pushing forward with a single story arc.
The main threat behind the plot – a driven, determined antagonist using the digital world to manipulate the physical world – continues the theme Swallow set with the previous two instalments of feeling incredibly topical and relevant. Where this differs is that it’s more about brains than brawn for both sides, with Dane and Rubicon facing off against an enemy as tech-savvy and well equipped as themselves. In Swallow’s hands it’s still a plot of impressive scale, feeling suitably world-threatening to keep the stakes high, rattling along at a suitably fast pace and hopping from location to location to maintain momentum and excitement. There’s a lot to enjoy here – like the others it’s not trying to be groundbreaking, but just does everything you want a modern thriller to do…and does it really well.
Thanks to James Swallow, Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for the advance copy of Ghost in exchange for this review.
Check out my reviews of the other books in the Marc Dane series.
