by Antony Johnston

Lightning Books, out now

Brigitte Sharp’s latest case involves her in the murky world of cryptocurrency and ransomware…

You don’t need to have read The Exphoria Code to enjoy this second thriller by Antony Johnston featuring MI6 agent Brigitte Sharp – the core elements of that are recapped as necessary. We’re thrown pretty much straight into the action as what seems like a simple collection goes badly wrong.

Johnston ensures that the reader is never left befogged by the many bits of computer terminology that are vital to the plot – on occasion, Bridge (as Brigitte is known) has to explain it to those who aren’t as up to speed. Following the various leads takes Bridge to Estonia and Johnston really conveys the feel of old and new in Tallinn with one key sequence taking place in a building that you wouldn’t really expect if you’ve visited.

There’s less emphasis on Bridge’s family in this story – in part because they’re recovering from the events of The Exphoria Code – but we do spend time with her as part of a team. She’s querying her own place in the world as she approaches a key birthday and it’s interesting to note her belief in herself at different times in the book. Johnston is adept at both the action sequences and the character development, and the murky geopolitics ring true.

Verdict: Another strong case for Bridge – roll her on her third outing. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk

Read our interview with Antony Johnston here

And our review of The Exphoria Code here