The Saboteur

A stunning, apocalyptic standalone sequel to The Stranger.

The terrorist Guy Fowle has escaped from prison.

Jude Lyon of MI-6 has been saved from a Syrian ambush by his lover - and enemy? - Julia Ermolaeva.

A mysterious Russian has been murdered in London and his thumb cut off.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has made an unfortunate social connection at a party, which he hopes he can keep secret.

And suddenly, the world is literally going up in flames.

Jude needs to start putting together the pieces of this jigsaw and quickly, because someone is putting into play a terrifying Russian plan to disable and destroy the UK. Once it has begun, it is designed to be impossible to stop.

Bad enough if that someone is the Russian government. Worse if it is the psychopathic genius Fowle, otherwise known as The Stranger.

Packed with stunning action, political intrigue, authentic tradecraft, emotion, shocks and nail-biting suspense, The Saboteur takes the spy thriller to new heights.

I enjoyed this story, it was a well written spy thriller and had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it

The Saboteur is a sequel to ‘The Stranger’, Simon Conway’s first book about MI-6 agent Jude Lyon. Once again, he’s battling with Guy Fowle, the terrorist who is sprung from prison at the start of the book and begins to activate Russian sleepers in key positions in the UK. What is the goal? Is he working alone or having his strings pulled?

The Russians are confused, the UK government is uncertain. Jude Lyon needs to find Guy and stop him before he destroys the UK infrastructure. But it's not just Fowle’s actions that necessitates speed; the lack of trust between the governments and within the governments mean both governments are considering whether to declare hostilities. In the midst of this, a high ranking member of the UK government finds himself with a dangerous dilemma.

The book moves through events with panache and pace. Every character is very well drawn in such a way that made me hold my breath at each event before I knew who was still alive. I mourned the ones who didn’t make it. The detail about the sleeper agents, their background and motivations was done with deftness. Some of the government personnel are thinly disguised and that adds to the narrative.

The series of terrorist attacks on London and the fear created was easy to envisage after the pandemic. And that made ‘apocalyptic’ events less remote and James Bond- ish The book echoes the impact of the pandemic - the government did not know what they were dealing with or how to control it and at one point discuss a slogan beginning ‘Stay Home, Stay Alert …..’

The final phrase is fast moving, detailed and satisfying. I found it hard to put down and the ending paved the way for possibly another Jude Lyon adventure. I hope so.

I hadn’t read ‘The Stranger’ and ‘The Saboteur’ is described as a ‘standalone sequel’. I didn’t find the book any less enjoyable because I hadn’t read the earlier book.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant second book in this series, even better than the first. The author masterfully blends the action and suspense with a more realistical view of the modern espionagem world, with a ensemble of compelling carachters, including one of the most terrifiyng villains i read in novels of the genre. Waiting for the third!

I was really excited to have the chance to read an advance copy of The Saboteur having enjoyed The Stranger so much. Jude Lyon returns in this high action, fast paced thriller. This could be enjoyed as a stand alone, but also benefits from some familiar characters returning to assist Jude in fighting a deadly battle against Guy Fowle. The actions of incompetent politicians mean that Jude and his team have their work cut out to fight against Guy and a network of sleeper cells. This book is an outstanding. addition to the Jude Lyon series and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a high octane plot enriched with believable detail that brings the story to life. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

The follow up to The Stranger featuring Jude Lyon and his ongoing battle with the terrorist Guy Fowle does not disappoint. A blood soaked terrifying scenario with London brought to a crashing halt after the terrorists escape from custody in court, is it a Russian plot or something even darker. A race against time featuring lots of characters from the previous story all combine in an exciting tale all build to a satisfying conclusion. Or is it as the final sentence asks! Good stuff.

*4.5 stars *

‘If we continue to expect the next terrorist attack to look like the last one, we will always be one step behind’ John Robb, Brave New War

Author, Simon Conway, is a former British Army officer and international aid worker. With The HALO Trust and later as director of Landmine Action he cleared landmines and unexploded bombs in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This guy is well qualified to write about terrorists, and the methods and weapons that they use, and that makes The Saboteur particularly frightening!

MI6 agent Jude Lyon, has survived an ambush in Syria, and is now up and running again, whilst his adversary, terrorist Guy Fowle, has escaped from prison. This is not a man that you want on the loose!

Meanwhile, the Russians have invented something that could bring the UK to its knees, bringing death to many thousands, and an infrastructure that will be destroyed. They may or may not use it, but when it falls into Guy Fowle’s hands, there’s no question of whether it will be used!

An action packed storyline filled with political intrigue, and nerve shredding tension, not to mention an array of interesting characters, makes Jude Lyon a hero, and The Saboteur a winner!

The Saboteur is a sequel to Simon Conway’s book The Stranger which introduced Jude Lyon an MI6 agent and Guy Fowle a psychopathic terrorist trained by UK agencies. 

Recaptured and brought back to the UK for previous atrocities Guy Fowle now faces trial but bloody carnage in the court room allows Fowle to escape.

Using his knowledge, cunning and his newly acquired secret weapon Fowle begins to coordinate mass destruction and death in the UK. 

The possibility of retaliatory strikes against what appears to be a Russian attack on UK resources and infrastructure is discussed by the Government but Jude Lyon an MI6 agent convinces the Prime Minister that Guy Fowle is the instigator. 

When UK targets are destroyed and Russian agents also become directly involved confusion builds and Jude is tasked by the Prime Minister to stop Guy Fowle and the further attacks being coordinated to destabilize the UK.

Grom is linked to Fowle, but what is Grom? Jude’s team desperately search for connections with Fowle to understand where his next target will be.

This book moves at pace with Jude Lyon confronted by Guy Fowle’s devious plans for UK catastrophic mass destruction and loss of lives. 

The mixed groups of gangland thugs, white supremacists and Russian sleeper cells, all with different individual motivation are being used and coordinated by a vicious evil terrorist with his own very personal agenda. Fowle also intends to eliminate Jude.

But, after his trap to kill Jude fails, Fowle commences destruction of the UK Banking industry. 

Jude with the assistance of Yulia his Russian Lover and his younger sister Tamara are still playing catch up whilst Mosques and synagogues are burning and looters clash with Police. 
Hospitals are under severe pressure. There is turmoil across the Globe.

The Prime Minister is hospitalized. Government mood shifts as the catastrophe unfolds with the UK FTSE suspended. 

Jude’s SCO19 protection team diminishes dramatically. Russia is targeted by a GCHQ DNS attack on their financial transactions.

The plot is frighteningly ‘up to date’ and you can feel the edge to the terror and the epic disasters and havoc being created. 

The reader can visualize terrifying images of collateral damage and casualties, whilst feeling the impotence of those attempting to second guess Fowle and prevent him from unleashing even more catastrophe. 

A masterful well planned, fast paced, inventive and thought provoking plot with good rounded characters building and binding a solid picture for the reader to enjoy. 

It’s a very enjoyable engrossing read right up to the book's climax and it makes the reader think and well worth buying.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of The Saboteur by Simon Conway for my honest review.

Eddy Weatherill

4.5 Stars
The terrorist Guy Fowle aka The Stranger has escaped from prison & starts activating sleeper cells. Jude Lyon of MI-6 has been saved from a Syrian ambush by his lover - and enemy? - Julia Ermolaeva. A mysterious Russian has been murdered in London and his thumb cut off. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has made an unfortunate social connection at a party, which he hopes he can keep secret. Jude needs to start putting together the pieces of this jigsaw and quickly, because someone is putting into play a terrifying Russian plan to disable and destroy the UK. Once it has begun, it is designed to be impossible to stop.
A fast paced engrossing read, which I found very hard to put down & finished it well into the night. Strong characters with depth, I do like Jude & hope there are lots of books to follow. Action packed with lots of political intrigue & the tension kept me on the edge of my seat - I loved it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Hot on the heals of the Stranger, we atart with the terrorist Guy Fowle in prison......but not for long....

Escaping from prison this is a race against time as Jude Lyon of MI-6 looks to stop him from creating more carnage.

A brilliant book from start to finish..

The Saboteur is the second instalment in the Jude Lyon series featuring the eponymous MI6 Agent who traverses the globe neutralising threats and completing assignments set him by his handlers. Jude's nemesis, terrorist Guy Fowle, has been captured, extricated and brought back to British soil to serve justice for his crimes, but he has other ideas and during a court appearance while on trial for previously committed atrocities, he manages to cause enough drama followed by the sudden infiltration of his rescuers to precipitate his escape. Apparently, a Russian group had raided the courtroom in a brash and precise move and their strategy had worked perfectly. But once free the carnage doesn't stop there and Jude is tasked with locating and hunting Guy down once more. He has plans to hit us where it hurts by bringing the country's infrastructure to a standstill or at least wreak havoc making everyday life much harder for everyone.

The psychopath begins plotting and coordinating mass destruction and instigating attacks in which tens of thousands of people will lose their lives. Meanwhile, the UK government are in limbo about what to do regarding the Russian agents. As the pressure mounts on Jude, and Fowle escalates the situation, the tension ratchets up to a palpable level. Can Lyon stop Fowle from succeeding at his evil game plan? This is a compulsive, enthralling and action-packed espionage thriller from the moment you pick it up through till the end, and the twists, turns and red herrings have your heart in your mouth at times as Jude races against the clock. It's an explosive, rapid-fire paced read with never a dull moment, and Conway infuses the plot with his expertise on warfare, bombs and detonations giving it a ring of truth and authenticity. A timely and absorbing thriller ripe with geopolitical intrigue. Highly recommended.