Published 25th September 2026.
From the cover of the book:
The war may have ended, but the cover-ups never did.
Israel 1950. SIB Captain Ash Carter is called into the British 'embassy' to report on the death-in-service of a consular officer. Despite assurances that there is nothing suspicious, Carter begins a challenging investigation - one that the authorities disprove of. And the deeper he digs, the more complex it appears.
Meeting an Israeli private detective, investigating a linked crime, Carter forms an uneasy alliance. Together, they uncover something too shocking to be believed without hard proof. With the highest of political stakes, distrust at every turn, deceit, kidnapping and murder, Carter must find a balance between the law, justice and revenge.
Dead Man's Run is the fifth historical crime novel in the Ash Carter Near East series but can be read as a stand-alone.
***********
Tel Aviv, 1950. With the British Government just about to recognise the state of Israel, and establish its first official embassy, the last thing they need is an inconvenient dead body. So when Consular Officer, James Morton is found slumped over his desk one morning at the adminstration offce, it falls to SIB Captain Ash Carter to discover if his death was the simple suicide it appears, or something much darker.
Before long, Carter is convinced that the suicide story is just a cover-up. His attempt to get to the truth brings him into contact with an Israeli private detective - a former Hungarian Jew whose motives for being in Tel Aviv are murky. Carter is not sure whether he can trust this man, but their partnership reveals a conspiracy that is truly shocking. The war may be over, but its legacy is very much alive and well in Israel...
Captain Ash Carter is back in his fifth Near East prequel adventure. When an embarrassing situation threatens to derail sensitive political arrangements, Carter is just the man to get to the truth - even if the powers that be are keen for the affair to be swept under the carpet. Carter being Carter, he is soon blurring the lines between his official remit and his own brand of righteousness, in the characteristically loose-cannon way I know and love.
Tugging on loose ends that do not fit the suicide narrative, Carter's investigation drives the seductively slow-burn plot, unravelling a many layered conspiracy around a clandestine network helping some very bad people escape from the consequences of their crimes. The Ian Fleming meets Frederick Forsyth vibes are strong in this instalment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the clash of politically motivated shenanigans, cold-hearted greed, and single-minded retribution that dogs Carter's crusade for justice. The tension rises, and twists and turns abound as he travels all over Israel, going places he should not (including the bed of a smarmy American opponent's wife); upsets stuffy officials and dangerous enemies alike; discovers uncomfortable secrets; and reconnects with familiar faces for a good old rescue mission. There are lovely echoing themes of guilt, shame, and revenge, and a well-judged level of emotional content too.
I always know I am in for an entertaining ride in one of Murray's books. and this was no exception. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend taking in the other Ash Carter Near East thrillers to enhance the experience - and then moving on the the Singapore-based Ash Carter thrillers, and the brand new Philippines books as well... oh, and do not miss out on the BlackJack trilogy... if intelligent plots, charismatic protagonists, and plenty of mid-twentueth century action are your bag!
Dead Man's Run is available to buy now paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you to Murray Bailey for sending me a review copy of this book.
About the author:
Murray Bailey Is the author of the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father's experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s. From the prequel series, based in Cyprus and Israel, The Prisoner of Acre won the 2025 Page Turner Award. A post-Singapore series is based in the Philippines. The Heretic Cypher is the first book of a trilogy featuring a young Robert Langdon-type character decrypting secret messages written by an ancient Egyptian.
Murray is well travelled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.
Murray was born in Manchester and now lives on the south coast of England with his family and two dogs, Teddy and Muffin.
No comments:
Post a Comment