The Kompromat Kill by Michael Jenkins
The Kompromat
Kill – Geo-Politick, Treachery, and Mystery
The novel draws
together an array of themes that range from current day geo-politics,
the corridors of power in Whitehall, right through to the gritty
espionage scenes that take place in varying geographical locations
around the globe immersing the reader in the mystery and treachery of
deniable intelligence operations. It was huge fun to plot and write,
but what exactly are those golden threads throughout the book?
Well, the golden
thread was all about the rising tensions between the USA and Iran and
the plications on the western world. The story fuses the
geo-politick, espionage, and treachery taking place amongst the
mysterious geographic locations and settings that the novel takes
place in – it links the inner sanctums of British secret
intelligence taking place in London, with the overseas ground
operations that Sean (the main character) was undertaking with his
team that he brought together. It was great fun to write. But it did
require some careful thought on both the story arc and the reader
experience. I wanted to be able to take the reader on a journey of
how geo-politics of the day has consequences and impact on the main
character. An interesting thread of the story for me was how far the
Iranians might go to unleash their state sponsored terror arms across
the globe, especially when backed into a corner by the US.
The primary
antagonist, Nadege, was a great character to build and put into
action. She is driven by revenge, and a loyalty to her mother country
– trained from a young age to be an assassin and spy. Her story
arc is a journey I thoroughly enjoyed writing – a conflicted woman,
a capable spy, but continually under the spell of her middle eastern
master who has groomed her to inflict a terrorist incident of mammoth
proportions and a magnitude way beyond her normal life of bedding and
recruiting western politicians, diplomats and scientists.
So, as the story
takes its journey, we have two intelligence officers about to collide
and clash. Sean is tasked to recruit Nadege, a mission that fills him
with dread and fear, never mind him thinking that his handler, Jack,
has lost the plot giving him such a mission that Sean feels will
surely fail. Sean is dispatched with some style by Jack to Asia Minor
to recruit Nadege and the fireworks begin. Sean always feels wary
that he is being used as a pawn for bigger things, and he never quite
knows what Jack’s deeper motives are – all he knows is that he is
expendable as a deniable operator, and he knows that one day, British
Intelligence will throw him to the wolves with out a care. His
relationship with Jack is always great to write, and there is a deep
respect between them, although Jack never quite knows if Sean will
tow the line or go off piste, creating never ending nervous anxiety
for him – can he keep control of the bigger mission with the
maverick nature of Sean?
The story arc
begins as one of current day reflection – reflection for the reader
on the history of Iran seeking to achieve one of its most potent
strategic aims – building a nuclear bomb and becoming a nuclear
state. The here and now is brought into sharp focus when the US pull
out of the nuclear deal they had agreed with Iran, and so begins the
Iranian backlash as they mobilise their sleeper agents and begin a
series of assassinations and establish bomb making factories across
Europe. Sean doesn’t know it, but he holds the key to gathering
intelligence on being able to take these cells down – and Jack puts
his head on the block and his career, to achieve just that.
Sean’s forays
to achieve his mission take us across Asia Minor, Istanbul, Armenia,
France, Suffolk and London. Sean is a man with a love of history and
art – and he revels being amongst the wildernesses, mountainscapes,
vistas, and people of Asia Minor. But he is now carrying his traumas
at their peak. It’s during the mission that he hears news of a dark
episode from his past and one that causes him great consternation –
and a new mission to kill based on betrayal and revenge. Thus, both
he and Nadege are driven by similar motivations and that provides a
trajectory for a huge crescendo with the fall out playing a pivotal
part of the story.
Of course, the story wouldn’t be the thriller it is, without the
conflicts Sean faces. They are bad enough in their own right as he
needs to succeed on the mission to deny the evil intent of a number
of antagonists, plus he needs to earn the right to take his life back
again and rid the price on his head from the Russian intelligence
services. To add fuel to fire, the nod of the story back to the cold
war, provides an anxiety for Sean that he needs to neuter and put to
bed. He needs the odd drink to help him on his way…..
Sean’s route to
success and contentment is blocked by many disturbing and hidden
facets that he didn’t know were in play. It seems an almost
impossible mission. And just as you thought it couldn’t be any
worse, along comes a standoff that needs Sean to make the right
decision.
Just as all seems
lost, Sean senses an opportunity…….
When a British Diplomat is kidnapped in the heart of London, followed by a brutal double-assassination in Chelsea, MI5 braces for the threat of deep sleeper cells coming alive.
Hiding overseas with a price on his head, Sean Richardson is tasked to lead a deniable operation to hunt down and recruit an international model and spy. Moving across Asia Minor and Europe, Sean embarks on a dangerous journey tracking an Iranian spy ring who hold the keys to a set of consequences the British Intelligence Services would rather not entertain.
As Sean investigates deeper, he uncovers dark secrets from his past and a complex web of espionage spun from the hand of a global master spy. As he inches closer to the truth, the rules of the game change – and the nerve-wracking fate of many lives sits in his hands…….……..
Tense, absorbing, and insightful, The Kompromat Kill is a gripping thriller leaving
you breathless at the pace of intrigue, cleverly unravelled in a dramatic finale.
I was privileged to serve for twenty-eight years in the British Army as a soldier and officer, rising through the ranks to complete my service as a major. I served across the globe on numerous military operations as well as extensive travel and adventure on many major mountaineering and exploration expeditions that I led or was involved in.
I was awarded the Geographic Medal by the Royal Geographical Society for mountain exploration in 2003 and served on the screening committee of the Mount Everest Foundation charity for many years. It was humbling after so many years of service when I was awarded the MBE for services to counter-terrorism in 2007.
The Failsafe Query is my debut novel, with The Kompromat Kill, my second.
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