This Is Not A Pipe by David Jarvis
Published 28 October 2023
Troubadour Publishing

How would you go about finding a relative if they had gone missing abroad?

For Michaela ‘Mike’ Kingdom, this should have been all in a day’s work. After all, she had previously been a search analyst for the CIA in London. Unfortunately, she didn’t know which name her brother-in-law was using, what he was doing, or even in which country he was working. His phone had been used in Málaga three weeks previously but had gone dead. Her initial investigations were off to a slow start until the killing of a British government minister in France on his way to Spain gave her that vital first clue. That’s all Mike Kingdom needed – until she befriended a fish gutter’s dog ...

I was really looking forward to this second outing for Mike Kingdom after reading The Tip Of The Iceberg recently, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Mike is such a cool character to read, and whether she's at home in her cabin, or out in the field where she doesn't think she belongs, her personality gets her into, and out of sticky situations galore again here.

Across Spain, Morocco, and France, Mike chases down leads in this fast-paced thriller. Some supporting characters make a return, and new faces emerge that Mike may well meet again, who knows?

A tense crime caper brilliantly interspersed with touches of light humour.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the world of spy thriller writers David Jarvis is in a league of his own. This new novel has all the clever plotting and fast-paced action one would expect from Charles Cumming, combined with the sophisticated realism and deft characterisation of vintage John le Carré.
The locations are beautifully drawn and provide a rich literary backdrop to a plot which takes on board the ever present threat of Russian interference in the supply of gas to western Europe. It's up-to-date; it's valid; it's deeply compelling, and a sense of urgency permeates every single page. The intensity of the plotting is counterbalanced with splendid witty dialogue and the central character, Mike Kingdom, is appealing and strong enough to lead a whole series of spy thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the second book based on Mike (Michaela) Kingdom. Mike is recovering from injuries from over 2 years ago where her husband was killed overseas. Mike is brought in my her old boss from the CIA to try to find her brother-in-law who has gone missing. The story is based on an oil pipeline project and the ramifications it brings to certain characters. The background, the story begins with a death of a senior British Politian in France. Mike becomes involved when Charles Yelland is mentioned and we find that the PEGASUS project is discovered to be one of the reasons for the Politian's death. This book is well written and the descriptions of the locations are well described. Mike is in put in to a shocking situation, where she survives with a little help from ASIS! No more from me as you will need to read this unputdownable thriller for yourselves.