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Ballistic
A Luke Carlton Thriller (Related to this series)
- Author
- Frank Gardner
- Narrator
- Frank Gardner
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Publish Date
- 30 July 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 59 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
THE NEW LUKE CARLTON THRILLER.
MI6 operative Luke Carlton returns in his most exciting and unnervingly up-to-the-minute mission yet . . . Get ready for the new edge-of-your-seat spy thriller from the bestselling author.
In the dying light of an Arctic afternoon a monstrous black shape slips beneath the waters of Murmansk bay. Murmansk in the Arctic Circle is where Russia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines is based - and the Novorossiya is one of their navy's most advanced - and dangerous - vessels . . .
Acting on information received from a high-ranking mole deep inside Russia's FSB, Britain's security services are convinced that the submarine is about to deploy a terrifying, game-changing device. As Europe goes into a state of high alert, MI6 operative Luke Carlton is sent into the hot zone that is the Finnish-Russian border. His mission to secure the safe extraction of this valuable MI6 asset and the intel he has in his possession - because it seems the West could be staring Armageddon in the face.
It's then that things start to go devastatingly wrong . . .
Breathlessly exciting, brilliantly authentic and unnervingly prescient, Ballistic is the new Luke Carlton thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author and journalist who has his finger on the pulse of 21st century geo-politics and knows where the dangerous flashpoints are likely to be . . .
© Frank Gardner 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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‘Frank Gardner’s up-to-the-minute thrillers combine authentic tradecraft, geopolitical insight and page-turning suspense.’
CHARLES CUMMING, bestselling author of Box 88
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Carlton is a brilliant creation and his fifth outing makes Ballistic another must-read for fans of the intelligent thriller. Gardner is a worthy successor to the late, great Frederick Forsyth in writing topical, thought-provoking and prescient books that engage the brain while never letting up on the tension nor drama. 9/10
DAILY EXPRESS
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Tensions rise to boiling point . . . Gardner cuts to the molten core of a modern flashpoint in an electric thriller.
THE SUN (on Invasion)
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Everything is impressive in this masterly account . . . exhilarating (if alarming) topicality.
SUNDAY TIMES (on Invasion)
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A genuinely unnerving and fast-paced race-against-time thriller . . . its potent combination of Tom Clancy-style hi-tech military and naval manoeuvring and a John Le Carre-like espionage thriller rings all too true . . . highly recommended.
IRISH INDEPENDENT (on Invasion)
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Fast, taut, tense, accurate. A terrific read.
FREDERICK FORSYTH (on Crisis)
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Gardner skilfully mixes knowledge garnered as the BBC’s security correspondent with breathless action.
THE TIMES (on Ultimatum)
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Frank Gardner
- Narrator
- Frank Gardner
- Duration
- 9 hours 59 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781529973266
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Genre
- Espionage and spy thriller, Political / legal thriller, Crime and / or mystery fiction, Espionage and secret services
Synopsis
THE NEW LUKE CARLTON THRILLER.MI6 operative Luke Carlton returns in his most exciting and unnervingly up-to-the-minute mission yet . . . Get ready for the new edge-of-your-seat spy thriller from the bestselling author.In the dying light of an Arctic afternoon a monstrous black shape slips beneath the waters of Murmansk bay. Murmansk in the Arctic Circle is where Russia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines is based - and the Novorossiya is one of their navy's most advanced - and dangerous - vessels . . .Acting on information received from a high-ranking mole deep inside Russia's FSB, Britain's security services are convinced that the submarine is about to deploy a terrifying, game-changing device. As Europe goes into a state of high alert, MI6 operative Luke Carlton is sent into the hot zone that is the Finnish-Russian border. His mission to secure the safe extraction of this valuable MI6 asset and the intel he has in his possession - because it seems the West could be staring Armageddon in the face.It's then that things start to go devastatingly wrong . . .Breathlessly exciting, brilliantly authentic and unnervingly prescient, Ballistic is the new Luke Carlton thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author and journalist who has his finger on the pulse of 21st century geo-politics and knows where the dangerous flashpoints are likely to be . . .© Frank Gardner 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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