Pirate

A Thriller (Alex Hawke, Book 3)

By: Ted Bell

Narrated by: John Shea

Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

In Ted Bell's scorching follow-up to his New York Times best seller Assassin, intrepid intelligence operative Alex Hawke must thwart a secret, deadly alliance between China and France before they annihilate everything and everyone in their headlong rush toward world domination.

Aboard the Star of Shanghai in the south of France, an American spy is held captive. He possesses vital, explosive intelligence linking two nations and one horrifying plot. If he is not rescued, he faces certain torture and inevitable death.

Nearby, in a seaside hotel, a man still haunted by the loss of his wife two years earlier finds comfort in the arms of a beautiful Chinese actress - but is she to be trusted?

So begins Pirate, an electrifying thriller marking the return of international counterterrorist Alex Hawke.

In Paris, a ruthless descendant of Napoleon has risen to power, hell-bent on restoring France's former glory. His fiery ambitions are cynically stoked by a coterie of cold-blooded Mandarins, plotting behind the gates of Beijing's Forbidden City. Cloaked in secrecy, this unholy alliance devises a twisted global plan, backed by China's growing nuclear arsenal, that will send America and the world to the brink of a gut-wrenching showdown.

With the aid of his old friend,and former Navy SEAL,Stokely Jones, Hawke sets out to investigate the deadly connections that bind the French-Chinese axis. Together, they discover that a powerful German industrialist may hold the key, somewhere inside the walls of his Bavarian mountain lair.

Meanwhile, clues to an old and gruesome murder in Paris lead to New York City, where horrifying evidence could finally bring a madman to his knees. In the end, as American and British forces prepare to defend a sovereign and oil-rich Gulf nation against unwilling occupation, the terror is all too real. The world is once more balanced on the knife-edge of a full-blown nuclear confrontation.

Take another thrill ride with Alex Hawke.

©2005 Theodore A. Bell (P)2005 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ted Bell can really, really write." (James Patterson)
"Very Bondlike." ( The New York Times)

Great ride!

Alex Hawke gives new meaning to “swashbuckling!”. Great story, great characters, Great Ride! Can’t wait to read/listen to the next one!

Series is better in audio

I have read other books in this series in paperback and did not like them very much - found they were hard to get into, and hard to get through. This was the only one I listened to in audio and I think that made it much more enjoyable: the narrator did some great accents and the characters were quite distinct. I think hearing someone read with a (mostly) correct accent is easier than trying to read the accent into the words you're looking at...

I found that Alex Hawke not being the only main character was a good thing - the other "main" characters were quite entertaining (Stokely) and interesting to find out about (Jet). I wasn't a huge fan of Ambrose, but he did have a role to play. And the Chinese assassin was also quite interesting.

The book is long but is action packed, and the "good guys" save the day by dint of their being so excellent (James Bond anyone)... but this makes for great entertainment. I'd give it 3.5 stars because of how the narration brought the story to life.

Good Book

The Hawk books are great listening. The author has created a very interesting character in Lord Hawk and his cast of associates. Have enjoyed listening to all of the books involving this suspense writer and would highly recommend them to everyone.

Great tall tale

I enjoyed the escape from reality and the espionage. It was a great thriller with twists and turns. Highly recommend to my fellow Brad Thor and Vince Flynn fans. Alex Hawke is the perfect combination of Bond/Rapp/Harvath with as little Jack Sparrow/Black Beard.

Go Hawke and Stokes!

Another great adventure with the coolest airplanes, vessels, submarines, and of course the exciting plot.

GREAT, GREAT, GREAT

I wish the whole world could hear the epilogue of this excellent book! It’s message emphasizes the tremendous effect of “people power.”

Too many logic gaps

Disjointed story line
Great narration
Xxxxxxx xxx x x x x c c d DVD c DVD did sv cf

Sea tales

Twisty sea story well presented..characters well developed locations moved swiftly ..continuity well done ..great beach read

worth the read!!!!

great author, great book, im hooked and we'll keep reading the entire series and sharing

great story.

I look forward to the next in the series.
keep up the good work ted.