MI5's Liz Carlyle, after a brief time in Northern Ireland, is now back in London and in the counter-terrorism department with special responsibility for dealing with the French. This is fortuitous as her relationship with Martin Seurat is developing well. They met in her previous assignment. Martin works for France's DGSE which is their counterpart to MI6.

Liz's old boss Charles Wetherby is now head of MI5's Protective Security. Liz's hope of a romantic involvement with him is over. However MI6's Geoffrey Fane is still hopeful that he and Liz will get together, although Liz is not interested. Liz commutes regularly between London and Paris, leaving the ever reliable Peggy Kinsolving in her office.

Liz is called to Paris to visit the infamous Sante prison. The French intercepted Somali pirates trying to hijack a container ship commissioned by a charity based in London and Athens and sending supplies to Africa. The pirates included an Asian youth who lives in Birmingham UK. The Asian boy will not reveal how he came to be with the Somalians, so Liz has to go to Birmingham to seek answers. In Athens the American-born director realises that someone either in the office or in the London office is passing on information to the pirates, as only the container ships with valuable cargo are being targeted. MI6 are approached by the charity's London director (who is ex-MI6) and they put a spy into the Athens charity office. When she is killed they realise they have major problems. Liz is finding trying to get the truth in Birmingham difficult. The Asian youth's parents aren't any help, but his sister tells Liz that a new mosque with a radical imam is training Asian youths before they go to Pakistan. Could they then be bound for Somalia?

This is the seventh book by the author who is a one time Director General of MI5. The action and the jargon seems authentic and what you would expect from someone with this background. There is plenty of action as the story unfolds in UK, Athens and Somalia. This is the third Liz Carlyle book I have read and it is a good read. They are never too demanding, over-exciting or difficult but I enjoy them and do not hesitate to recommend them. I look forward to reading the next one.