Fans of big, larger-than-life political thrillers where the threat is enormous, the conspiracy deep seated, and the need for a hero overwhelming could do worse than get on board with the Dan Taylor series.

Book three, THREE LIVES DOWN, could be read as a standalone, although knowing the background to Taylor’s life and work will help with flesh out some of his connections, supporters and enemies. Of course, this is a book that comes straight out of that big threat thriller world, so you will also have to be a fan of huge scenarios, with high stakes games being played in high places - in this case the upper echelons of British government.

Set against the backdrop of the tensions over the European Union gives the story not just a timeframe, but also a feeling of how frequently, if it’s going to hit the fan, it comes at you from multiple directions. Of course, when you have a bloke like Dan Taylor on your side, you could be excused for an expectation that the good guys are going to win (battered, bruised and by the skin of their teeth), and the bad guys are going to go down.

Whilst much of the focus of the story is on Taylor and his efforts, there are supporting characters who step up when required. Mel, the grumpy and eccentric IT expert ticks all the expected boxes, but she is also determined, and one of those people that gets going when the going gets tough.

There’s action aplenty and lots of nicely twisty plot elements. There’s some close scrapes and a lot of charging about. And there’s heaps of entertainment and quite a few subtly funny moments as a bonus. THREE LIVES DOWN is definitely one for political thriller fans.

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