Traitors

Traitors
Alex Shaw

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Move over boys, Sophie Racine has got this!

What a thrilling ride!
Alex Shaw built his reputation with Aiden Snow, a former SAS trooper, now a school teacher in Ukraine, called back into action to do the sort of things Her Majesty's Government needs to be done, shall we say, 'discreetly' (although it's fair to say Snow's methods are anything but). Fans of that immensely popular series will be delighted that Snow plays a large and important part in this latest thriller, but make no mistake, this is Sophie Racine's story.
Traitors introduces us to Sophie, an undercover assassin for the DGSE - the French secret service. The daughter of a former French Foreign Legion officer, she is formidable and ruthless.
Sent by the French government to war-torn Ukraine, her mission is to assassinate a Russian spy whose betrayal of the French secret service caused the deaths of countless operatives. At the same time, Aiden Snow has been tasked by British Intelligence to rescue a UK citizen caught up in the conflict.
Snow and Racine's missions collide in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine and they must join forces - something that loner Racine in particular finds challenging.

As readers familiar with Shaw's previous work have come to expect, the action is relentless and thrilling, with enough military detail to keep Tom Clancy nerds happy (I am one), but not so much that those unmoved by descriptions of big boys' toys will find their eyes glazing over.
The author has lived extensively in the Ukraine and overseas, and that's where he stands apart from others in the genre. Intimately familiar with the country and its people, he turns his gaze towards the complex political situation in Donetsk, where a war largely ignored and forgotten by the West still rages. This is no political polemic, but Shaw demonstrates his compassion for a civilian population ravaged by years of endless - and frankly pointless - conflict.

Looking to the future, this is a brilliant first entry in what is sure to be a great series. With Aiden Snow already well-established, Shaw is able to sketch him out in broad brushstrokes for those unfamiliar with him, and then direct much of the character-building at Sophie Racine and her DGSE counterparts. The choice of a female protagonist might be dismissed as gimmicky - and in the hands of many writers could be - but that isn't the case here. Racine is a fully-formed character, no different to the countless male spies and assassins that have entertained readers for years. There are no lingering descriptions of her appearance, beyond that necessary to paint a picture in the reader's mind, and she isn't some big-bosomed femme fatale fighting hand-to-hand in high heels and revealing cocktail dresses that could never conceal her Glock. Occasionally, Sophie uses the fact that she is a woman as another tool in her arsenal - she does after all operate in a patriarchal society - yet it's never heavy handed. Ultimately, she is a professional, amongst the very best in her field, who also happens to be a woman. Her backstory is interesting and complex, revealed in careful snippets at the appropriate time, and hints at much more to come.

All-in-all, a highly recommended read.
The book is released in eBook on the 23rd July, and will be available as paperback and audio September 30th.