Dark Heart

''Jed Walker is right there in Reacher''s rear-view mirror.'' Lee Child

In war-torn Syria, a massacre survivor is pulled from beneath a pile of bodies. She is given one instruction: ''Find Jed Walker.''

Walker is ex-CIA - a man who thought he was long out of the game. Discovering a terror outfit is running people-smuggling from the Middle East and into the United States, he is drawn back in to fight their evil trade. At first Walker thinks these human traffickers are driven purely by profit and greed. But it is much worse than that - and it has ties to the highest levels of power.

As the body count rises, and deadly enemies stalk from the shadows, Walker uncovers the shocking truth behind an operation intended to bring America to its knees. He must work against time and powerful adversaries to uncover the truth behind the operation and prevent a global catastrophe being unleashed. If he lives, Jed Walker will learn the true cost of life . . . and the knowledge will change him forever.

Praise for James Phelan:

''James Phelan has produced a big, juicy, rollicking tale in the spirit of Robert Ludlum. We haven''t seen an international thriller like this for a long time'' Jeffery Deaver

''A fast and furious ride through a complicated maze of timely political intrigue. James Phelan has earned a new avid fan'' Steve Berry

''A corker ... Phelan writes in swift, gritty prose, never wasting a word. An espionage novel with grunt.'' Sydney Morning Herald