The Reluctant Hero

'If you haven't picked up a Michael Dobbs novel in a while you should -- and not just because of the quality of the writing...as this new thriller reminds us the real metier of this former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party is most definitely the written word...He has skilfully carved out for himself a second career as a master of the international thriller, juggling a variety of combustible elements on a global stage. Along the way he has earned the praise of such old hands as Frederick Forsyth and Hollywood has already optioned the Harry Jones series film rights. If David Cameron lands the big job it's to be hoped that he doesn't try to inveigle Dobbs back into the world of Tory politics. If he does, Mr Dobbs, fiction fans will be grateful if your answer is a firm 'no'.' Daily Express 19/2 '...handled with the gusto we expect from Dobbs, and once again his mastery of large-scale thriller narrative is demonstrated' The Good Book Guide 'At the heart of the novel is loyalty, enduring love and its reawakening. The struggle of one man facing physical and emotional anguish is handed with great sensitivity' Oxford Times 'Dobbs is in fine form with this fast-paced page-turner' Birmingham Sunday Mercury 'I loved the audacity of the plot and the gung-ho feel of the action... Very well done, Mr Dobbs' Aberdeen Press & Journal 'The Spies are still out there and the deception goes on' Topical comment, The Express 30/6 The Week: Michael Dobbs. A Personal View 'In less time than it takes the Stig to make it to the first corner, the BBC has landed itself in the middle of another undignified mess. Let's be clear about what's going on here. This is about greed and double standards. It seems bizarre that the BBC should try to insist on perpetual anonymity -- who does it think it is, the old KGB?' Column, Daily Express 28/8 'I passed the 11-plus and set off to Hertford Grammar School, a 35-minute bus ride away. My brother Peter had just left the school. When I arrived we were asked our names and, as soon as I had said 'Dobbs', the teacher asked 'Have you a brother?' When I admitted I had, this teacher picked me up by my ear and took me into the next classroom, saying to another teacher, 'We've got another Dobbs here. Watch out.' 'Me and My School Photo', Daily Mail 27/9 '...He is still a wonderfully fluent storyteller. One associates him with novels set in the House of Commons but The Reluctant Hero takes its protagonist, soldier turned politician Harry Jones, to a Central Asian republic where innocent men rot in prison and the threat of violence is ubiquitous. After a leisurely opening the action hots up nicely' Sunday Telegraph, four stars 26/9 'How would you earn your living if you had to give up writing? I've always wondered if I'd stuck with politics whether I could have made it as a minister, so I might try that' Smalltalk interview, Financial Times 9/10 'Harry Jones should never be underestimated. After learning his old friend Zac Kravitz faces death after being imprisoned in the republic of Ta'argistan, he sets off on a rescue mission that compels him to resurrect the ruthless man he hoped he would never need become again' Daily Express 8/10