Mark Henshaw Book order (chronological)

A novel of exquisite beauty, which evades categorisation The Times

In this gripping debut thriller, two CIA outcasts must thwart a secret Chinese weapon that could ignite a world war. Rookie case officer Kyra Stryker returns to Langley after a failed mission in Venezuela, landing in the Red Cell, the CIA’s innovative think tank. There, she partners with Jonathan Burke, a maverick analyst known for his unconventional methods and accuracy, despite his strained relationships with colleagues. Following a failed raid on Chinese spies in Taiwan that results in a deadly chemical release, CIA director Kathy Cooke turns to the Red Cell for answers on China's aggressive stance towards the island nation. Their only lead is a top CIA asset in China, code-named Pioneer, who is under heavy surveillance. Stryker sees a chance for redemption through a perilous mission: to extract Pioneer before he is captured and executed. The information he possesses could determine the balance of peace in the Pacific or lead to war. Spanning CIA headquarters, the White House, a Navy carrier in the South China Sea, and Beijing's shadowy streets, the narrative unfolds as Stryker and Burke race against time to uncover the hidden threat posed by China's clandestine weapon. With expert insights into the intelligence community, the author crafts a thrilling and authentic tale.

"Is she your girlfriend? Wolfi asked.I'm not sure, I say.But you sleep with her?No. Yes, once.How many women have you slept with?God, Wolfi, what sort of question is that?"To an Australian writer visiting Heidelberg, the brilliant young philosophy student Wolfi is a compelling character. From the start, the details of Wolfi's life are curious - from his inquisitorial father and passionate mother to the grandmother who pays for his sexual initiation with a prostitute and to his connections with the outlandish rogue Karl.As we are lured by Wolfi's obsession into the mysterious and erotic maze of this novel, we find nothing is as it appears. What in fact is fact and what in fiction is fiction?