This series is solid, pacy, authentic and extremely well researched. The author's other role as a respected security correspondent transfers well to his fiction, and Luke is a sympathetic, well drawn series character. A good summer read.

Really enjoyed Invasion. There are a lot of parallels to what is happening in the world currently and makes you wonder what is fact and what is fiction.
Great international spy story.

A bit of an odd one this, the fourth thriller from Frank Gardner featuring Luke Carlton. I’ve read them all, but this one felt a bit different.
The themes here are China having cunning plans to take back Taiwan and a British “courier” going missing with potentially critical information. Like a Clancy novel, we see the big picture politics while also seeing the operatives on the ground. Here the operatives are Luke Carlton and fellow intelligence agent, Jenny Li. Carlton seems different from previous books, here he is a full tier one operator, in previous books I recall him differently, a background guy with an average military background. Anyway, off they go on the trail of the missing courier, being given very odd clues by very odd people. This is where it falls down really, the motive and opportunity for the bad guys to kidnap the courier and the thread bringing Carlton and Li towards them. Why?
And then this slightly confusing narrative is brought to a rushed end that is somewhat underwhelming.
A lot of knowledge and detail in this but ultimately doesn’t really bring it home in the end.

Whoa!! This fast paced, spy thriller novel set in a frighteningly believable world where the tension between China and Taiwan is escalating to new levels.

The MI6 in Britain is expecting crucial intelligence from their high-level turncoat within the Chinese Communist Party - with it, Britain is hoping to stop the war between China and Taiwan before it begins - but somewhere along the way something goes very wrong and two new operatives - Luke Charlton and Jenny Li, who's been in previous books by Gardner - are sent to try to save the day.

I loved how the book builds on Gardner's knowledge as a reporter, making it feel more real than the news reports in the media, making even the ending feel completely plausible.

Frank Gardner has done it again, the fourth outing for ex soldier (now government troubleshooter) Luke Carlton, as he is sent to Taiwan to divert a crisis that would see the world dragged into a war of annihilation. Hannah Slade known as a collector (a civilian who volunteers to undertake dangerous work for the government) is on a special assignment to Hong Kong to retrieve from an agent, known as Blue Sky, vital evidence that will help stop a third world war. When it all goes wrong MI6 field operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are dispatched to obtain the information and if possible save Hannah.
Frank Gardner as a long time reporter has a brilliant insight into the balance of world power, and how this fragile situation can so easily be abused with fatal consequences. I have the greatest admiration for the author, shot 6 times by al-Qaeda gunmen whilst reporting on growing terrorist activity in Saudi Arabia, he was left partially paralysed and has used a wheelchair ever since. He is still a reporter but equally a brilliant author, his books are high octane, edge of the seat thrillers that do not blind with technical jargon, presenting only what the reader needs to know to enjoy the read. Invasion paints a frightening picture of technical warfare, and how we need to fear those with the capability to destroy the world, and would not hesitate to do so. Invasion is a brilliant book, which I read over 2 days and highly recommend.

A really good book. I was impressed by the technical detail which I assumed was broadly true as Gardner has been reporting on it for many years. The first half of the book was more technically base and we really only got to know more of the characters in the second half. By the latter half, I couldn't put it down. The ending happened very quickly without much explanation. I will certainly look forward to reading his next book.

This is genuine edge of your seat, white knuckle ride reading. Frank Gardner is an extraordinary author and one for whom I have the greatest admiration, His in depth knowledge from years of experience as a journalist and reporter and contacts with leaders and officials from around the world really comes into play in his novels, Invasion is just so plausible. China is currently perceived as a potential global threat but as lay Westerners, I suspect we pay little attention to what’s going on in the Far East. The possibility of the scenario outlined here gives much food for thought and Gardener paints a very realistic picture of rising tension and global threat.

The workings of Intelligence agencies are complex and the machinations of agents placed overseas and the dangers they face are well depicted as Carlton and Li from MI6 are sent to find out what has happened to their source. Gardener’s stories are true thrillers; much like Forsyth and very different to Le Carré. Fast paced, tense and likely to leave the reader breathless, this is a book I’ve really enjoyed and my only disappointment was that it was over too soon. Another winner from Gardener.

*4.5 stars*

Hugely respected BBC Security Correspondent and journalist, Frank Gardner, draws on his years of experience reporting on global security stories and using in-depth knowledge of the security services, to produce this tense and frightening thriller - more so because the subject of China and neighbouring Taiwan is very current. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island's strong objections.

In ‘Invasion’, China is massing its troops on the coast across the Strait from Taiwan. Are they about to invade? If so, this could prove devastating for the US and her allies, not least regarding economic well-being and democratic values.
However, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service has an agent close to the top of the Chinese Communist Party, someone who's ready to pass on vital secrets that could defuse the looming conflict. An arrangement is made for a handover of the information in Hong Kong, but the agent’s handler is abducted before she was able to get this extremely important information back to London.

Enter MI6 operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li, who are dispatched to discover the whereabouts of the missing handler.

What follows is a roller coaster ride as Luke and Jenny are given tip offs from various people (not all of them entirely trustworthy), leading them from one trail to another. This trail takes them from backstreet cafes in Hong Kong, to neon lit casinos and seedy nightclubs in Macao, and finally to Taiwan after they discover that their agent has been kidnapped and is now on a rusting cargo ship churning through the South China Sea towards Taiwan.

Invasion is brilliantly written, although with Frank Gardner at the helm I wouldn’t expect anything less. The storyline is very current - it’s clever, atmospheric and in its best moments nail bitingly tense. Highly recommended!

Invasion is a taut, relentless, fast-paced, intelligently-plotted and up-to-the-minute topical thriller. The central premise is the People’s Republic of China’s plans to invade near-neighbour Taiwan - an event that could spark a global conflict. British intelligence operatives are despatched to the region to recover vital intelligence which could halt China’s plans in their tracks but they encounter unexpected, powerful adversaries. The narrative is packed with authentic detail about geo-political tensions, high-tech intelligence gathering, military hardware and operations and political crisis management. My only quibble is that the ending, neat as it is, is a little rushed.

Luke Carlton and Jenny Li return in Frank Gardner’s topical thriller Invasion.

The storyline is excellent and very up to date and the book is very enjoyable. My only issue is that it was too short and would have benefitted from being longer so that the ending didn’t feel rushed.

Invasion is the 4th book in the popular Luke Carlton series by Frank Gardner, not only a popular thriller writer but the BBC's Security Correspondent, a role that ensures that his books are realistic and replete with insider knowledge of current events.
When a "collector" best described as an enthusiastic amateur is sent to Hong Kong meet British Intelligence's "mole" within the Chinese Communist Party for the handover of secret information she's kidnapped. With China seemingly gearing up to invade Taiwan MI6 don't know whether China's MSS security service are responsible or other bad actors.
With the clock ticking and China ramping up their preparations MI6 operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are sent to recover the missing agent ,and not least the information she has gathered , with the stakes as high as a potential world war should they fail.
This is a fast-moving topical thriller with Carlton and Li further under pressure when it becomes apparent that their opponents are always one step ahead of them suggesting that it's not only the Chinese Communist Party that has a mole.
Another great book in an excellent series, Carlton is a more realistic James Bond-type character and author Gardner's insights from his vast knowledge of world affairs add to the sense that his books feature events that might just actually happen. .

Time was when spy thrillers had our brave heroes uo against the KGB or FSB, then it was ISIS and now as the world moves on the real threat has become China. Gerald Seymour's latest novel focused upon the danger they present as does this stinker of a book by the immensely talented and well informed Frank Gardiner.

As China cast covetous eyes upon neighbouring Taiwan and make preparations for an imminent and impending invasion perhaps they can be stopped if British intelligence can get hold of vital inside information relating to their invasion plans.

Of course nothing and nobody is exactly who or what they seem to be and British intelligence operatives Luke Carlton and Jenny Li are sent to save the day against seemingly insurmountable odds.

It is a rollercoaster ride and one that engages and excites from the opening page.

It is the author's best and most authentic book and one that deserves a wide audience given its topicality.