Direct Action

Across Britain, violent criminals are walking free - cases derailed by sharp-suited defence lawyers and soft-touch judges - and public fury is reaching breaking point. Into that anger step the New Crusaders, a shadowy group that hunts down offenders who have slipped through the net and delivers their own brand of punishment live across social media to millions of cheering followers. To some, they're heroes. To the government, they're terrorists. Dan "Spider" Shepherd of MI5 is tasked with bringing them down. But as Shepherd digs deeper, he uncovers a far more dangerous truth: the New Crusaders aren't driven by justice. They're being steered by hidden forces with an agenda that has nothing to do with punishment - and everything to do with tearing the country apart. If Shepherd fails, it won't just be the rule of law that collapses. It will be the country itself. Praise for Stephen Leather: He has the uncanny knack of producing plots that are all too real. - Daily Mail Let Spider draw you into his web, you won't regret it. - Sun The sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist. - Daily Express A master of the thriller genre. - Irish Times