"OVERKILL is what used to be called a “ripping yarn,” one that you won’t be able to read fast enough." - Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter
"OVERKILL is what used to be called a “ripping yarn,” one that you won’t be able to read fast enough." - Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR
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SEA HAWKE
Published 2021
Alex Hawke is sailing into trouble when an around-the-world journey becomes a fight against terror in the latest exciting adventure from New York Times bestselling novelist Ted Bell.
After saving the kidnapped heir to the British throne, gentleman spy and MI6 legend Alex Hawke is due for some downtime. He’s got a new custom built sailing yacht and a goal: to get closer to his son Alexi during an epic cruise across the seven seas.
But fate and the chief of MI6, Lord David Trulove, have other plans.
There’s an unholy alliance of nations who are plotting to attack Western democracies. The wily intelligence leader plans to use Hawke to drive a knife into the heart of this conspiracy. From an island base off Cuba to a secret jungle lair deep in the Amazon, on the land and the seas, the master spy and his crew of incorrigibles are in for the fight of their lives—the fight for freedom.
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DRAGONFIRE
Published 2020
Alex Hawke, British lord and gentleman spy, is looking for the Queen's missing grandson, whose disappearance may be the culmination of a plot almost a century old in this breathtaking new adventure from New York Times bestselling novelist Ted Bell.
December 8, 1941, Washington, D.C.
The new Chinese ambassador to the United States, Tiger Tang, meets with President Roosevelt one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. For the next four years, China and the U.S. will be wartime allies, but the charming, sophisticated ambassador may be playing his own treacherous game.
Today, The Bahamas
Alex Hawke is recovering from serious injuries incurred during a battle with a malevolent enemy. His recuperation is interrupted by a desperate call from the Queen. Her favorite grandson has disappeared in the Bahamas. Lord Hawke is the only man she trusts with a mission this sensitive. All she knows is that the young prince was last seen at the exclusive Dragonfire nightclub owned by the nefarious Tang brothers, grandsons of Ambassador Tiger Tang.
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OVERKILL
Published 2018
It is a frosty Christmas Day. A Swiss skiing vacation for gentleman spy Hawke and his son Alexei turns deadly when a malfunctioning support cable upends their aerial tram, leaving it hanging by a thread at twelve thousand feet. During a chaotic helicopter rescue, the boy mysteriously goes missing.
To save his son, Hawke summons his trusted colleagues, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, Ambrose Congreve and former U.S. Navy SEAL, Stokley Jones Jr., and recruits a crack Hostage Rescue Team—a group of elite soldiers of fortune known as “Thunder and Lightning.”
But an unexpected threat complicates their mission….
In Moscow, Vladimir Putin’s world is sinking in a hellish quagmire of political infighting and assassination attempts on his life. Desperate to escape a bloody coup, Putin secures the presidential jet for a midnight run out of Russia. But things quickly go awry. A “malfunction” in the aircraft’s oxygen system forces Putin to bail out into the night skies over France…Making his way to “Falcon’s Lair,” the former Nazi complex created for Hitler in the Alps, the ever wily and calculating Putin is amassing an impressive armory that he intends to deploy for his triumphant return to Moscow.
Hawke has had his share of high stakes assignments—but nothing comes close to the nail-biting suspense created by two loudly ticking time bombs. One: the race to find the fiend who has taken his son. The other: to find the madman who is planning an armed invasion of Switzerland, the result of which could rip civilization to shreds. Could it be, Hawke begins to wonder, that the two villains are really one and the same?
Only one man can smash the Russian president’s plan for domination—a master counterspy who will cross every line to save his son . . . and maybe save the world itself in the bargain.
REVIEWS
“Action-packed…Overkill is a spy thriller that operates on a tightrope high above the Swiss Alps. Alex Hawke’s work and personal life crash together in an excruciating fashion…and the stakes could not be higher.” - CriminalElement.com
“For those who miss the excitement of Ian Fleming’s suave special agent James Bond, they will find plenty of action in the dashing aristocrat and fighting man Alex Hawke.” -Iron Mountain Daily News
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"A rip-roaring
thriller..."
-Kirkus Reviews
PATRIOT
Published 2015
Intelligence officer Alex Hawke takes on power-hungry Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is wielding a terrifying new weapon, in the latest adrenaline-fueled thriller in Ted Bell’s New York Times bestselling series.
In corrupt Russia, an erratic Vladimir Putin is determined to forge his country into a formidable superpower once again. He intends to redraw the map of Europe, and will go to impossible extremes to realize his fantasies—including shooting down a civilian airliner packed with tourists bound for China. Kremlin scientists have developed a radical new weapon that could forever alter modern warfare. NATO, locked in a tense standoff over Ukraine, Poland, and Estonia, knows Putin will not hesitate to use it. But there is one man who can bring the world back from the brink: Britain’s foremost intelligence asset, Lord Alexander Hawke.
The intrepid MI6 officer’s latest challenge begins in the Gulf of Aden and soon has him searching for the link to a series of bizarre assassinations. Spies are dying all over the world—from London, Washington, D.C., and Maine, to Moscow, and even the glittering Cote d’Azur. In the murky world of counterterrorism and high-stakes intrigue, the odds have never been higher. Once again, Alex Hawke must save the world . . . one bullet at a time.
REVIEWS
“(A) high-octane ride. . . . An Ian Fleming-esque romp of a spy thriller. . . . A polar vortex of storytelling.”
-New York Times Book Review
“A rip-roaring thriller. . . . This adventure is a great escape.”
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Better than any writer in the thriller genre, Bell mashes up old-fashioned boys’ adventures with modern military action.” - Publishers Weekly
"Bell, a former advertising executive, burst onto the literary scene more than a decade ago with Hawke, the first novel in the series, and each book since has been a near-perfect example of how to write a thriller: come up with some exciting action scenes, create some slightly larger-than-life characters, and — above all — don’t take yourself too seriously.
Half the fun of reading a Hawke novel is Hawke himself, a wealthy, dashing, elegant, super-smart fellow who makes James Bond look like a regular guy. Loads of fun." -WinnepegFreePress.com
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"...Bond, eat your
heart out . . .
there’s a new
spy in town.”
— NPR
WARRIORS
Published 2014
WARRIORS, set against a backdrop of increasing tensions with China in the Pacific, the insane actions of China’s surrogate, North Korea, and the abduction of America’s premier weapons designer, Hawke must destroy a new undersea weapons system deployed by China in order to avert global catastrophe.
Hawke, Stokely Jones, and Chief Inspector Ambrose Congreve, must also solve a puzzling and sadistic murder at Cambridge University in England that is somehow tied to the Chinese threats
of world war.
REVIEWS
“China seeks to rule the world in bestseller Bell’s entertaining eighth novel featuring MI6 super-agent Alex Hawke . . . this is a thrilling ride.” — Publishers Weekly
“Near the end, a villain exclaims, ‘Then bring me the head of Alexander Hawke!’ Really, there’s no need. When we finish enjoying Warriors, just bring us Hawke’s next lively adventure.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Warriors, [is] impossible to put down. . . . It’s really expansive, great reading. If you like spy, espionage, mystery-thriller stuff, you cannot get a better book.” — Rush Limbaugh
“Hawke is . . . strong, shrewd and savvy, with an aplomb not seen since James Bond. In other words, Bond, eat your heart out . . . there’s a new spy in town.” — NPR
“Ted Bell puts a capital A in adventure.” — Madison County Herald
“Bell knows how to build a plot that moves at breakneck speed.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch
“The sheer scope of this high-concept thriller, and the well-placed shocks throughout, make it Bell’s best effort to date. A perfect tale for fans of plot-driven action-adventure and, especially, for the Cussler crowd.” — Booklist
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"Ted Bell puts
a capital A
in adventure..."
from page one."
-Madison County
Herald
PHANTOM
Published 2012
Counterspy Alex Hawke must catch a villainous megalomaniac—a man obsessed with horrifying experiments in cyber warfare—in this mesmerizing new espionage thriller by Ted Bell.
The first and most bizarre event nearly becomes a monumental catastrophe when something goes awry at an American theme park, wreaking havoc on visitors looking for nothing more than a sun-splashed holiday. In a different part of the country, a USAF F-15 pilot, escorting another jet in the skies over the Midwest, inexplicably loses control of his plane, endangering the lives of several people and deeply puzzling those following his mission on the ground. Then, in the misty calm of a coastal California evening, the world’s premier scientist on the subject of artificial intelligence gets a strange phone call. When he hangs up, he quietly grabs his coat and leaves for an after-dinner stroll from which he never returns.
It’s up to Hawke and the brilliant former Chief Inspector Ambrose Congreve to find out what could possibly be happening. But how does one identify—and fight—an enemy one can’t see, a real phantom? Even these seasoned operatives are mystified. Is there really such a thing as an ultra-intelligent machine, a cyber weapon that can shift the geopolitical balance of power?
In a hunt that takes him from Palo Alto, California, to the Russian frontier, to Cambridge University and the Mediterranean aboard his newly christened and armed super-yacht Blackhawke, Alex Hawke is joined by the unstoppable Stokely Jones and his ex-CIA buddy Harry Brock as he moves closer to unmasking the scientist behind these extraordinary events, going nose-to-nose with an enemy unlike any he’s fought before—and may never again.
REVIEWS
“Ted Bell puts a capital A in adventure….Commander Bond might choke on his martini next to Bell’s superlative Alex Hawke.”
—Madison County Herald
“Phantom is a book you may not want to put down. . . . Hawke is the protagonist of this novel, and he is as cool a customer as this reviewer has run across for some time." -Newbern Sun Journal
“As enlightening as it is scary. . . . Ted Bell packs so many action-amped scenarios into Alex Hawke’s seventh adventure, it’s so often hard to catch one’s breath. If you crave spy thrills with a Bond on steroids, visit the bloody British world of Ted Bell’s Alex Hawke.” - Rankin Ledger
“A thoroughly enjoyable spy novel . . . warm weather makes one want to dive into the summer beachside books and Ted Bell’s Phantom is a great start.” -Iron Mountain Daily News
“This is a scary book . . . Bell never lets up on the action in this very well written tale. . . . I had to pause to take a breath before seeing what came next.” -Suspense Magazine
“A terrific nonstop action tale . . . Gripping from the vivid Disney World disaster until the final confrontation with a brilliant Phantom.” -The Mystery Gazette
"Strange disasters are occurring around the world. These disasters include the unexplained explosion of ABM missiles in their silos in Alaska and the unlikely sinking of a U.S. cruise ship by a Russian submarine in the Caribbean. The supervillain behind the mishaps is a monolithic supercomputer called Perseus, which sits 2001-like beneath the Persian Gulf. In his latest fanciful globetrotting adventure featuring British counterintelligence star Alex Hawke, Bell (Warlord, 2010, etc.) projects a future in which Artificial Intelligence has advanced to the point where its human creators can only hope to contain it. In fact, Perseus' increasingly nervous quadriplegic inventor, Dr. Darius Saffari, who answers to the government of Iran, can only pretend to control his creation anymore. The world is at risk. Before Hawke can short-circuit the evil black tower, he must survive a dangerous personal mission in Siberia to rescue his true love Anastasia, long thought dead. In a previous adventure, he killed an old-style imperialist ruler embraced as the new Tsar. Here, vengeful soldiers who remain loyal to the Tsar target both Hawke and Alexei, the 3-year-old son he never knew he had.
A long novel that is short on suspense but still keeps the reader involved with its charmingly unflappable hero and narrative quirks, as well as the ease with which it unfolds on multiple continents, on land and sea and in air." -Kirkus Reviews
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"A meaty, entertaining thriller...just the thing for fans of ...Fleming."
-Kirkus Reviews
WARLORD
Published 2010
The elegant gentleman spy Alex Hawke has all but given up on life. The British-American MI6 counterterrorism operative lost the woman he loved on his last mission, almost a year ago, and has sought refuge in the bottom of a rum bottle ever since. But late one night at his home on Bermuda, he receives a wake-up call...literally.
His Royal Highness Prince Charles, an old friend, desperately needs his help. Someone is threatening the lives of the British Royal Family. And the death threat Prince Charles received carries a signature identical to one Charles found in a book belong to his uncle, Lord Mountbatten—the beloved family patriarch who was assassinated 30 years before. Someone from the past, again, has the British crown in his sights, and has proven once before that these threats are not to be taken lightly. This is just the call to duty Hawke needs to get back in action—if the killer doesn’t end his life first. Warlord is adventure-thriller fiction of the highest order—told with verve and swashbuckling panache by one of the absolute best in the game.
REVIEWS
“Bell’s fine sixth thriller featuring swashbuckling British spy Alex Hawke mixes action and suspense with just the right amount of humor and old-fashioned boys-book adventure. Hawke, who’s been feeling suicidal since a personal tragedy in his last outing (Tsar), snaps out of his depression and back into secret agent mode after receiving a phone call from his old pal, His Royal Highness, the prince of Wales. Someone is targeting the British royal family for assassination, starting years earlier with Charles’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten. All clues point to the IRA and the mysterious killer known as Mr. Smith. Meanwhile, a terrorist organization, Sword of Allah, has joined forces with the Taliban and al-Qaeda and is carrying out a string of devastating bombings across the globe designed to establish a worldwide caliphate. Thriller readers looking for an unabashed romp with a patriotic heart and a smart take on modern-day terrorism will be amply rewarded.”
—Publishers Weekly. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
“Prior to his last mission, British spy Alex Hawke met Russian artist Anastasia Korsakova on a Bermuda beach while on R&R. He falls in love with her, but his case inside the New Russia puts him against her father Count Ivan Korsakov. While he completed the mission, his beloved Anastasia dies (see Tsar).
Almost a year later, Hawke remains depressed with his only companion a bottle of rum that rarely numbs the pain inside his heart. He wants nothing to do with the espionage game until his royal friend Prince Charles begs him to help as someone threatens to assassinate the Royal family... Hawke leaves Bermuda for London to begin his search for the mysterious killer. At the same time the Sword of Allah unites with the Taliban and al-Qaeda to form an evil alliance terrorizing the world. The latest Hawke espionage thriller is an exhilarating tale that combines news headlines with the historical killing of Lord Mountbatten inside a super spy tale....Warlord is a fabulous action-packed entry, but it is the fight within the hero’s soul that makes it special.”
—Harriet Klausner (#1 Amazon Reviewer) www.thebestreviews.com
“A James Bondish adventure brought up to date with Middle Eastern terrorists, Russian baddies and assorted other denizens of evil empires around the world.
Alex Hawke is a modern type, but not so modern that he’s given up smoking—or, even if he does read Susan Sontag, that he’s become new-age sensitive. He’s a reader and a thinker, a veteran of British intelligence and a counter-terrorism expert of renown. He also bears the burdens of grief. As Bell tells us in a slightly hamfisted bit of exposition, Alex’s parents had been killed “at the hands of drug pirates when the boy was but seven” (which, doing the numbers, would put those drug pirates well ahead of the curve). To top that off, Alex’s true love has fallen victim to the endless struggle between good and evil—or, as he puts it: “My heart’s in the grave.” By rights he should be a basket case, but then comes a call from old pal Prince Charles (yes, that Prince Charles), who informs him that the bloke or blokes who did in his uncle Dickie Mountbatten are back, threatening to repeat their dastardly acts on Charles and his progeny. The plot thickens, involving a small army of walk-on characters, some from real life (think Princess Di and Dodi Fayed) and some from an ample supply of stock characters (for one, an all-wise, ever-patient manservant). Though many genre conventions are well in place, Bell has fun with his tale, allowing Hawke enough opportunities for mayhem..." A meaty, entertaining thriller, sometimes predictable, more often not—just the thing for fans of Ludlum, Trevanian and Fleming.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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"The tale of espionage
and thrilling action unfolds with zeal..."
-Roanoke Times
TSAR
Published 2008
Swashbuckling counter Spy Alex Hawke returns in New York Times Bestselling Author Ted Bell’s most explosive tale of international suspense to date.
There dwells, somewhere in Russia, a man so powerful no one even knows his name. His existence is only speculated upon, only whispered about in American corridors of power and CIA strategy meetings. Though he is all but invisible, he is pulling strings — and pulling them hard. For suddenly, Russia is a far, far more ominous threat than even the most hardened cold warriors ever thought possible.
The Russians have their finger on the switch to the European economy and an eye on the American jugular and, most importantly, they want to be made whole again. Should America interfere with Russia’s plans to “reintegrate” her rogue states, well then, America will pay in blood.
In Ted Bell’s latest pulse-pounding and action-packed tour de force, Alex Hawke must face a global nightmare of epic proportions. As this political crisis plays out, Russia gains a new leader. Not just a president, but a new tsar, a signal to the world that the old, imperial Russia is back and plans to have her day. And in America, a mysterious killer, known only as Happy the Baker, brutally murders an innocent family and literally flattens the small Midwestern town they once called home. Just a taste, according to the new tsar, of what will happen if America does not back down. Onto this stage must step Alex Hawke, espionage agent extraordinaire and the only man, both Americans and the Brits agree, who can stop the absolute madness borne and bred inside the modern police state of Vladimir Putin’s ‘New Russia’.
REVIEWS
“As always, Bell pulls out all the stops with terrific action scenes, fiendish murders, diabolical villains, dramatic rescues and all the cool weaponry the reader could possibly hope for.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“I couldn’t put it down.” — Rush Limbaugh
“The tale of espionage and thrilling action unfolds with zeal…. [This] novel is so much fun.”— Roanoke Times
“The hero of Ted Bell’s spy series, Alex Hawke, battles treachery and love in his fifth adventure. Recuperating in Bermuda from the major injuries he received in Spy (2006), Alex is lounging on a beach when a ravishing beauty appears. His heart flutters, and he is smitten. She is the daughter of the ruthless power broker in the new Russia—a man who wants to destroy the U.S. and become the next tsar. In the meantime, a sadistic killer in the heartland of America unleashes his wrath, and a small town pays the price. Now Hawke must put aside his feelings for his new love and (once again) save the world. One subplot too many and the overplayed cliché of every woman in the novel being drop-dead gorgeous get in the way here, but even so, the main narrative flies by, displaying again Bell’s ability to turn out action-heavy espionage.” —Jeff Ayers, From Booklist
“Talk about timing with the Georgia invasion, Ted bell looks like a genius with this action-packed electrifying thriller. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that Alex and Anastasia meet and never slows down as confrontation seemingly everywhere is the norm. Readers will salute Mr. Bell for his astuteness while appreciating a terrific tale starring espionage agent Hawkins vs. the real New Russia.”
—Harriet Klausner (#1 Amazon Reviewer) www.thebestreviews.com
“How exciting and engaging! My prediction, as a result of this fictional book predicting today’s reality, is that the incredible publicity will encourage a lot of readers to pick up Tsar and once they get hooked on Ted Bell’s writing, which is easy to do, they’ll start reading his other titles too. For you… that’s a positive reality of sales.”—thenewsgroup.com
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"Spy is riveting
from page one."
-Glenn Beck
SPY
Published 2006
Alex Hawke is on the hunt…
In this exhilarating tale of international suspense, New York Times Bestselling Author Ted Bell’s “larger-than-life hero” (Publishers Weekly), counterterrorist operative Alexander Hawke, must save the United States from a devastating terrorist operation.
When a mysterious explosion destroys his research vessel in search of a lost river, Alex Hawke is captured by indigenous cannibals and enslaved deep within the Amazonian jungle. Before he escapes, he learns that a fearsome foe is preparing for war – but against whom?
When he regains contact with his American and British intelligence counterparts, Alex’s worst fears are confirmed. The men in the jungle are highly trained Hezbollah warriors who are planning an unspeakably violent jihad against America. While the United States focuses its efforts on the escalating border disputes with Mexico, Alex vows to put a stop to the deadly plot. Aware that his mission may be the country’s only hope, he travels back into the jungle to destroy the lawless mastermind who dares to threaten America’s very existence.
REVIEWS
“SPY reminds me of the best writing from Ludlum, Clancy and Steven King—all rolled up into one amazing story. In fact, Ted Bell is now the writer I compare all others to—he is now the standard bearer for this kind of writing. And what is truly amazing is how Ted makes you believe that the events in SPY could happen…TODAY. SPY is riveting from page one.”
—Glenn Beck, The Glenn Beck Show, CNN
“. . . everything we want in an action hero.” —Booklist
“Outstanding.” – Lou Dobbs, CNN
“. . . a secret agent who takes you into the danger zone with a ballsy wit that had me hooked.” —Vince Flynn
“A plot that moves at breakneck speed . . . Spy is a great beach read [that] will not disappoint.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“I’ve become hooked on the Alex Hawke series written by Ted Bell. I mentioned that I would soon be reading the 4th book in that series entitled Spy. And I told you I expected it to be great. I was wrong. It was fabulous! Bell continues to draw me in with stories that hit so close to home. There is such a great note of truth to them, that I cannot help but wonder if truth is stranger than fiction, or in this case, worse. Spy tells the story of America at war with terrorists. Not just any terrorists. Yes, he includes the extremists that have attacked our country repeatedly from across the oceans. But he brings the war closer to home, with a story of terrorists from South American countries including Mexico and Brazil. This new breed of terrorist bring with them a technology so new, I admit I was not quite sure I knew where he was going with the story. In the end, my initial assumption was correct, but the thought that this technology really exists is frightening. I will close here with an adamant “READ THIS SERIES.” It still remains the next great read."
—Nicky Reynolds, The Next Good Read
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"PIRATE and its predecessors are unbeatable. Highly recommended.”
-Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter.com
PIRATE
Published 2005
Aboard a ship in the south of France, an American spy faces certain torture and death for the vital, explosive intelligence he possesses. In Paris, a ruthless and powerful descendant of Napoleon has forged an unholy alliance with China for its growing nuclear arsenal, poised to send America and the world to the brink of a gut-wrenching showdown. Now, in a maelstrom of razor’s-edge danger, Alex Hawke must enter the nightmare visions of madmen to defuse an axis of evil no historian could have predicted — and no living soul would survive.
REVIEWS
“Pirate is a heck of a good ride.”—Houston Chronicle
“Bell concocts a rollicking tale ripped from the disturbing headlines of our dangerous times. . . Anyone who has been savvy enough to follow the saga thus far will find in the pages of Pirate not only a finer tuned Hawke but an author who has clearly mastered his trade. The ingenious subplots gel seamlessly.”—NewsMax.com
“The third and best of the Hawke novels . . . contain[s] more action and interesting characters than most books do in three. . . Bell easily could be considered the rightful heir to the throne of Robert Ludlum. . . Pirate and its predecessors are unbeatable.”—Bookreporter.com
“Michael Bay, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do to top Armageddon, The Rock, Pearl Harbor and the Bad Boy films?” We’ve got an answer for you: a film version of Ted Bell’s Pirate. It’s got action, drama, suspense, conspiracies and–you’ll love this–the potential for lots of explosions. But best of all, you don’t even need to write the narrator’s dialogue for the trailer. Just reword the publisher’s press release: “a secret, deadly alliance between China and France before they annihilate everything and everyone in their headlong rush toward domination,” “his fiery ambitions are cynically stoked by a coterie of cold-blooded Mandarins,” “cloaked in secrecy, this unholy alliance devises a twisted global planthat will send America and the world to the brink of a gutwrenching showdown,” “the world is once more balanced on the knife-edge of a full-blown nuclear confrontation.” Mike, it’s ripe for the pickin’.
No need to thank us; just make sure Ben Affleck stars in it (like we had to ask).” —Dallas Observer.com
“It is probably too late, but I’ve decided that when I grow up I want to be Ted Bell. You can tell from the opening page of any of his Alex Hawke thrillers — be it HAWKE, ASSASSIN, or the newly published PIRATE — that the guy is a marvelous, unique talent: he has a canny understanding of how apparently disparate events and facts are connected, and a unique way of providing explanations for them — so much so that his novels, taken collectively, could be subtitled “How The World Works.” He is also married to a woman who, while not a household name, is possessed of one of the most brilliant minds on the planet. Lest you need any further endorsement, keep in mind that “10s” don’t marry “2s.” Bell’s most significant literary asset, however, is that he understands people, so that while his excellent novels are plot-driven, there is always a set of living, responsive hands firmly at the wheel.
Bell easily could be considered the rightful heir to the throne of Robert Ludlum, but he is too talented to assume the chair of another; he brings his own to the table with unique and considerable talent. PIRATE and its predecessors are unbeatable. Highly recommended.” —Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com
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"...Intrigue you can sink your teeth into..." -Vince Flynn
ASSASSIN
In an elegant palazzo on the Grand Canal, an American ambassador’s tryst turns deadly. In the seamy underbelly of London, a pub-crawling killer is on the loose. And in a storybook chapel nestled in the Cotswolds, a marriage made in heaven turns to hell on earth. Isolated incidents? Or links in a chain of events hurtling towards catastrophe? So begins Assassin, the tour de force thriller that heralds the return of every terrorist’s worst nightmare, Alex Hawke.
A shadowy figure known as the Dog is believed to be the ruthless terrorist who is systematically and savagely assassinating American diplomats and their families around the globe. As the deadly toll mounts inexorably, Hawke, along with former NYPD cop and Navy SEAL Stokely Jones, is called upon by the U.S. government to launch a search for the assassin behind the murders.
Hawke, who “”makes James Bond look like a “”slovenly, dull-witted clockpuncher”” (Kirkus Reviews), is soon following a trail that leads back to London in the go-go nineties, when Arab oil money fueled lavish, and sometimes fiendish, lifestyles. Other murky clues point to the Florida Keys, where a vicious killer hides behind the gates of a fabled museum. And to a remote Indonesian island where a madman tinkers with strains of a deadly virus and slyly bides his time.
REVIEWS
“A perfect summertime thriller.” —Dallas Morning News
“Assassin is the most highly imaginative thriller to come along in a long while.”
—James Patterson
” If you’re going to read just one suspenseful-thrilling-emotional roller coaster-spy novel this summer, you’ve got to read ASSASSIN by Ted Bell…. Make sure you clear some reading time on your schedule… you will not be able to put ASSASSIN down.” —Glenn Beck
“An international political thriller of the highest order. Intrigue you can sink your teeth into and a secret agent who takes you into the danger zone with a ballsy wit that had me hooked.” —Vince Flynn
“Fascinating characters, a hairpin plot, and wonderfully talented writing. Assassin is what you get when you pair a great story with a great writer.” —Brian Haig
“ASSASSIN is an exciting action-packed and nonstop tale starring a terrific series of heroes and an even better band of killers. The story line is chilling in many ways as the assassins are pretty women who one would never suspect as killers yet their loyalty is to bin Wazir or his superior, his father-in-law the Emir, a believer in a Moslem only world. The satirical spoofing of the first novel (see HAWKE) never occurs, as this is more of a straight shooter. The dual plots come together although the Sweet murder seems overkill and pale vs. the more clever kills. Action-adventure readers will enjoy this testosterone vs. estrogen thriller.” —Harriet Klausner (#1 Amazon Reviewer) www.thebestreviews.com
“Fast and furious. . . . Readers will be caught in the whirlwind of action and find themselves having a grand old time.” —Publishers Weekly
“Hawke is the kind of character somebody really should put in a movie: he is smart, resourceful, attractive—everything we want in an action hero. Bell is a nimble writer, and fans of the first Hawke adventure won’t want to miss this sequel. New readers will be enthralled and will immediately track down the first novel in the series.” —Booklist
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"Rich, spellbinding,
and absorbing..."
-Clive Cussler
HAWKE
Published 2003
While Sailing the the Caribbean, young Alex Hawke witnesses an act of unspeakable horror as modern-day pirates brutally murder his parents. It is a tragedy that will haunt him forever, and shape his destiny.
As a direct descendant of a legendary English privateer, Lord Alexander Hawke is skilled in the ways of sea combat — and one of England’s most decorated naval heroes. Now, Hawke returns to the Caribbean on a secret mission for the American government. A highly experimental stealth submarine is missing. She carries forty nuclear warheads, and is believed to be in the hands of an unstable government just ninety miles from the American mainland. In a race against time, Hawke must locate the sub before a strike can be launched against the U.S. — and, after a lifetime of nightmares, finally avenge himself upon the men who slaughtered his family.
Featuring electrifying action, international intrigue, and a hero worthy of the finest adventure fiction, Hawke heralds the exciting debut of a bold new talent.
REVIEWS
“Move over James Bond, Lord Alex Hawke is on the scene and he is more realistic, believable and personable than Ian Fleming’s character ever was. This is an action adventure thriller with the emphasis on action. There is no chance readers will ever feel ennui reading Hawke, a twenty first century pirate novel that takes place on the high seas and in a Cuba where Castro’s control is waning.”
—Harriet Klausner (#1 Amazon Reviewer) www.thebestreviews.com
“A pirate book for adults…a fast, fun read.” —Publishers Weekly
“Ted Bell is the new Clive Cussler; Alex Hawke is the new James Bond. Climb on board HAWKE for the best adventure in years. HAWKE is a swashbuckling, spine tingling, bloody good masterpiece of an adventure novel.”—James Patterson
“Rich, spellbinding, and absorbing . . . Packed with surprises . . . great fun.”
—Clive Cussler
“A fiery tale of power and privilege, lusty and sinister intrigue, HAWKE is a fast-paced adventure…truly an exciting read!”—Nelson DeMille
“Not-so-secret agent Alexander Hawke makes James Bond look like a slovenly, dull-witted clockpuncher. . . .” —Kirkus Reviews
“A perfect summertime thriller.”—Dallas Morning News
“[A] thundering debut.”—Sun Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
“This rip-roaring tale is made entirely believable through convincing detail, with a grand hero in Hawke. Various flawlessly developed story lines contribute to the high-octane pace, and the fully developed characters are delineated through the nuances of voice. In short, this is a commercial blockbuster packed with pleasure.”
—Library Journal (Best of Spring/Summer 2003)
“Ted Bell… doesn’t hold back on the throttles of his first novel…. [His] own secret agent man, Lord Alexander Hawke, makes the classic James Bond look like a bargain item from Filene’s Basement…. Bond and Hawke will always come out winners. The reader of HAWKE will also come out a winner.” —NewsMax
Available in: Paperback and Kindle
Published 2015
Alex Hawke is tracking one of the world’s most powerful villains in the Swiss Alps.
A powerful Swiss banker is found dead, frozen at the base or a soaring Alp. When a second man, head of a rival banking empire is found dead deep inside a mountain vase, British Intelligence (MI6) suspects a bizarre conspiracy. Vast sums may have been plundered fro the Queen of England’s accounts. The British royal family’s centuries-old Swiss bank holdings are at risk, shaking the foundations of Her Majesty’s government and the monarchy itself.
Sir David Trulove, Chief of MI6, tasks his most formidable weapon, Alex Hawke, with investigating the horrific murders. In Switzerland, Hawke and Ambrose Congreve of Scotland Yard are pulled into tangled web of international intrigue, deceit, and murder. China and Russia are the prime suspects and these powerful forces will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
A mysterious figure known as “the Sorcerer” has long been rumored to reside within an impenetrable fortress inside a mountain complex in the Swiss Alps known as “White Death.” Hawke must scale perilous heights and breach the fortifications at the top of the world…and find the Sorcerer—or die trying.
A thrilling sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Nick of Time, in which the young time traveler Nick McIver must prove his courage once more, on two fronts: in World War Two–era England, where Nazis have invaded his homeland, and in America during the Revolution, where Nick stands shoulder to shoulder with General George Washington
It’s 1940 and the Nazis are invading Nick’s beloved home, the British Channel Islands. So Nick takes to the skies: He has discovered an old World War One fighter plane in an abandoned barn. Determined to learn to fly, he is soon risking life and limb to photograph armed German minelayers and patrol boats, and executing incredibly perilous bombing raids over Nazi airfields by night.
WHITE DEATH
An Alex Hawke Novella
WHAT COMES AROUND
An Alex Hawke Novella
Published 2014
An esteemed former CIA Director dies off the coast of Maine.
Another senior CIA officer is found dead of a "heart attack" in a posh Paris hotel. Counterspy Alex Hawke and his friend Ambrose Congreve thinks things could be more than a coincidence. Hawke discovers that the victims are connected through one man: Spider Payne, a rogue intelligence officer whose dangerous exploits got him barred from the CIA. Now Spider believes that he's been wronged and is out for vengence--and Alex Hawke is his number-one target.
Hawke's only hope is to lure his deadly enemy into a trap he can't escape--and it's a place Hawke knows better than anyone: his seaside home in Bermuda.
Available in: Paperback and Kindle
CRASH DIVE
An Alex Hawke Novella
Published 2014
Ted Bell's first ever e-book exclusive short story finds counterspy Alex Hawke in hostile foreign waters, flying an F-16 Viper on a highly covert mission.
His task is simple: enter another nation's airspace undetected, meet a secret contact, and find a way to avert a global war. It will take every skill at his command--but there are few as shrewd and savvy as Alex Hawke. When his plane is discovered by enemy radar, he is forced to improvise --or die trying.
Alex Hawke is saving the world one bullet at a time.
Available in: Paperback and Kindle
Available in: Kindle, Hardcover, Hardcover Large Print,
Paperback, Audio CD,
Audiobook, Multi-media CD
THE TIME PIRATE
Published 2010
A thrilling sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Nick of Time, in which the young time traveler Nick McIver must prove his courage once more, on two fronts: in World War Two–era England, where Nazis have invaded his homeland, and in America during the Revolution, where Nick stands shoulder to shoulder with General George Washington
It’s 1940 and the Nazis are invading Nick’s beloved home, the British Channel Islands. So Nick takes to the skies: He has discovered an old World War One fighter plane in an abandoned barn. Determined to learn to fly, he is soon risking life and limb to photograph armed German minelayers and patrol boats, and executing incredibly perilous bombing raids over Nazi airfields by night.
Meanwhile, the evil pirate, Captain Billy Blood, still desperate to acquire Nick’s time machine, returns to Greybeard Island. He kidnaps Nick’s sister, Kate, and transports her back to Port Royal, Jamaica, in the year 1781, leaving Nick a message that if he wants to see her alive again, he must come to Jamaica and make an even swap: Kate’s life in exchange for Nick’s wondrous time machine—that’s Blood’s bargain.
Having traveled back in time, Nick discovers a plot that might change the outcome of the American Revolution. Disguised as an eighteenth-century cabin boy, he travels to the Caribbean and confronts his old enemy, who has assembled the world’s largest pirate armada.
From the battlefields of the New World to the brutal German occupation of English soil in World War Two, The Time Pirate has Nick McIver fighting once again to defend his country, the outcome of two wars resting on his young shoulders.
REVIEWS
"In the tradition of Tom Swift and The Hardy Boys this book is a rollicking good time for the young reader and those of us young in heart. Nick McIver is a young man with a time machine. In this adventure he faces historic events in American history, pirates and Nazis. Ted Bell does an excellent job of recreating the feel of the grand adventures I read as a boy. Nick McIver is pure of heart and free of malice. He attacks life with gusto and with the characteristic disregard for fear illustrated so well by Tom Swift. The character shows decision making and wisdom far beyond his chronological age. He thrusts himself into situations adults would fear to approach. He incites loyalty in adults who indulge his adventurous nature and who give him full rein to jump into exceedingly dangerous situations. So much of the book is totally outrageous in that any adult that knowingly allowed a young teen to do what Nick does in this book would be committed, arrested or pilloried for their behavior. This is probably what will make the book enormously successful for the young reader. I heartily recommend it."
—Pick Of The Literate, http://bookrevues.blogspot.com
“The breakneck pacing and wild plot will keep readers hanging on to the end.” —Booklist
“The Time Pirate is sure to please almost everyone, especially the guys. Ted Bell writes with a very classic style, right up there with Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain. His adventurous imagination pulls readers into this spirited and deep, multilayered story… Fans will love this outstanding sequel to Nick of Time.” —TeenReads.com
“Swashbuckling action sequences and scenes of derring-do abound.” —School Library Journal
Pirates And Nazis And George Washington – Oh My! 5 Stars
THE TIME PIRATE starts off with a bang and plunges forward with excitement and adventure to the very end. Along the way, Nick meets a number of historical heroes, and he does his very best to do what he thinks is right. I love the values and morals of these books; they are filled with duty, honor, family, country, and politeness – all things I want my children to know. I also love that Nick and Katie’s parents are alive, loving, and supportive, and that the form a strong family unit. His parents may not know everything Nick is doing, but they know enough, and while they worry, they understand his motives.
Although it is marketed to grades 5 through 8, THE TIME PIRATE is really for the adventurer in all of us. I wish I had had something like this when I was learning history; history might have “stuck” with me better. I definitely would have enjoyed it more. And I did some checking: while the story is fictional, the facts are not. THE TIME PIRATE is rich in details and history of the both wars- the American Revolution and WWII.
IMHO, THE TIME PIRATE does what most sequels fail to do; it not only equals the first book in the series, it surpasses it. THE TIME PIRATE is a grand mash up of the best of Horatio Hornblower and Harry Potter. I hope Ted Bell plans many more books. —Karen, Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer
“The time-warp tale is fast-paced, with enough twists and turns to have readers unable to put the book down as they try to figure out what happens next.” —Asbury Park Press
“Ted Bell’s Nick of Time was an exciting romp through time and history that also examined what it takes to be a hero. … The Time Pirate is another great read in an exciting series – don’t miss it.” —BookLoons
Available in: Kindle, Hardcover, Hardcover Large Print,
Paperback, Audio CD,
Audiobook, Multi-media CD
"Everyone in the
whole entire world
should read
this story!"
-Ava, aged 11
NICK OF TIME
Published 20O8
From the New York Times bestselling author of the hugely successful Alex Hawke series comes an irresistible young adult novel for the market for the same audience as Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series and Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series.
In the celebrated tradition of grand adventure tales going back to Robert Louis Stevenson’s TREASURE ISLAND, Ted Bell’s NICK OF TIME is an epic adventure story starring a young lad named Nick McIver, who uses a time machine to rescue two young children taken prisoner by pirates. Along the way, with courageous feats of derring-do, not to mention his resourcefulness, our young hero—”the most reliable boy in England”—changes the course of events in two time periods, the Napoleonic Wars and World War II.
Opening in England, 1939, on the eve of War, Nick and his little sister Kate live in a lighthouse on the smallest of the Channel islands where Nick eagerly helps his father in a desperate war of espionage with the German U-boat fleets that are circling the islands prior to invasion. Winston Churchill depends on the information they send him. But the Nazis become the least of Nick’s problems after he discovers a sea chest hidden in a cove, a chest that turns out to contain a perfectly designed time machine. Unfortunately for him, Nick isn’t the only one who knows about the chest: a traitor from the fleet of Admiral Nelson, the evil pirate Captain Billy Blood, travels through time capturing little children and holding them for ransom.
Blood will stop at nothing to possess the priceless machine. With the help of Lord Hawke, the master of Hawke Castle, whose children have been taken by Blood, Nick fights the ruthless pirate on land and sea in two different centuries with a finale on the high seas that no reader will ever forget. Nick’s courage and heroism win him praise from two of the greatest warriors of all time, Admiral Nelson and Winston Churchill.
Nick McIver has triumphed to fight another day in other books to come.
REVIEWS
"Ordered this book as a graduation gift for an 8th grade boy. Decided to read it first just to make sure. Very enjoyable fantasy. Just as wonderful as Harry Potter but a different time and place – and a little reality actually mixed in. Looking forward to reading the next in the series. — Amazon Reader
"This is the best book in the history of the world. I will read it again and again until I can no longer read anymore. In the very first chapter, young Nick McIver alomst dies. Nick’s character is 100% perfect, and you feel as if you could be his best friend or sibling. Some people call this a “boy’s book”. But this is also a great girl book, too, because I’m sick of reading books about people who are cowards and whining. This book is a true page turner, and I could never put it down. I’m always rereading my favorite part. It’s always when Nick finds a German U-Boat or when he’s in 1804, high in the sling, faithfully comanding orders to the bustling crew below. Everyone in the whole entire world should read this story!"
— Ava, aged 11
“If someone you love loves Harry Potter, Long John Silver, or Indiana Jones, this is the book for them!” —Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Award 2009“If someone you love loves Harry Potter, Long John Silver, or Indiana Jones, this is the book for them!”
—Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Award 2009
“Nick of Time is an American classic.” —Glenn Beck
“Nick of Time takes young readers on a thrilling historical voyage… definitely not for the faint of heart.” —Los Angeles Times
“Wow! Some books sweep you away. Nick of Time amazed me, dazzled me, and swept my imagination off to sea…. I’ve been craving an adventure story with a good mystery, and this arrived in the ‘nick of time’ to rescue me.” —School Library Journal
“A blast—the best of Robert Louis Stevenson, Horatio Hornblower, and Harry Potter. The kid in me loved it, and so did the adult.”
—James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author
“A brilliant adventure, hidden within a rolling saga, tucked inside an intriguing mystery. That’s Nick of Time. Ted Bell proves that he’s the master of swashbuckling for both young and old.”
—Steve Berry, author of The Venetian Betrayal
“Wow! Some books sweep you away. Ted Bell’s Nick of Time amazed me, dazzled me, and swept my imagination off to sea. The interweaving of pirate adventures at sea with the threat of German U-boats pre-WWII was accomplished so skillfully that I yearned to join them traveling through time. Ted Bell’s descriptions were so vivid, I could picture every scene in full-color...
Middle school students are going to be so hooked by this book..." —Diane Chen, School Library Journal Review
" ‘Nick of Time’ takes young readers on a thrilling historical voyage.
What is it about seafaring stories that thrills the most confirmed landlubber? People who devoured Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series can rejoice this summer at the possibility of sharing the passion for the British Royal Navy with their offspring. In his first novel for children, “Nick of Time” (St. Martin’s Griffin: 448 pp., $17.95, ages 9-12), Ted Bell, author of the bestselling Alex Hawke books, tells a time-travel story in which Nicholas McIver, an intrepid 12-year-old sailor and son of a lighthouse keeper in the English Channel Islands, helps Hawke rescue his young children from the clutches of an evil pirate. The chase takes them from Nazi-infested waters on the eve of World War II to the sea battles of Lord Nelson’s time, through the magic of a time machine handed down from Leonardo da Vinci.....
In the middle of the book, my son leaned back thoughtfully and said, “I’m beginning to get the idea that the French and the English don’t like each other very much.” What better way to grasp one of the essentials of European history?"
—Sonja Bolle, June 29, 2008 Los Angeles Times