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Publication Order of Jonah Said Books

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About Simon Conway

An American author, Simon Conway was raised in Britain, growing up and working there, before moving back to America as an adult. Becoming a full-time writer of thriller novels, he largely focuses on spy and espionage stories, drawing heavily from his time spent serving in the military. Writing with a high-degree of accuracy, his stories are authentic and real, pulling the reader in and keeping them glued to the page for the whole novel.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1967 in Sacramento in the United States, Simon Conway would grow up in the United Kingdom, holding a strong passion for both reading and writing from an early age. Attending the University of Edinburgh later on, he would study English Literature there, gaining an even deeper understanding of both his craft and his style. Along with this he would go on to serve in the British Army under the Black Watch, before going on to clearing unexploded ordinance and land mines in countries such as Cambodia for The HALO Trust.

All of this would then provide him with a unique insight into what he was writing about, lending his voice a high level of authenticity in the process. To this day he still holds a position working at The HALO Trust as their Director Capability, whilst continuing to write as well. Living with his wife, the journalist and television broadcaster Sarah Smith, they both live in Edinburgh, and they also have two daughters.

Writing Career

Bringing out his debut novel ‘Damaged’ in 1998, Simon Conway would arrive on the literary scene with his first stand-alone thriller novel. Telling the story of one Calum Bean, it sees him trying to avoid criminal bank-rollers looking to take his knee-caps after a kilo of hashish is lost in one of the legs of a North Sea drilling rig that goes down. This would then see one Seb MacCoinneach, a renegade army officer, setting out to help his cousin and ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Winning awards for his work, such as the ‘CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award’, Conway was soon well on his way to becoming a recognized household name. He would also come to create the ‘Jonah Said’ series of spy novels to, using his time in the military as a source of inspiration for them. Continuing to write to this very day, he still puts out work at a regular and consistent pace, maintaining a strong profile both online and off.

A Loyal Spy

Originally coming out on the 1st of August in 2010, this would be the second sequel novel in the Jonah Said series of thriller titles. Providing another adventure for the eponymous spy working for British intelligence, it manages to provide more edge-of-the-seat action and excitement. Keeping the reader guessing constantly throughout, it was preceded by ‘Rage’ in 2006, this one being published through the ‘Hodder and Stoughton’ publishing label to much acclaim.

An action thriller filled with tension and suspense, this is a great example of Simon Conway drawing upon his own experience from his time spent serving in the army. As a leading protagonist Jonah Said is a strong one, with his goals and motivations having already been well established in the first novel. This follow-up really tests him though, in ways that he never thought previously possible, as he well and truly pushed right to the limit. Painting a vivid picture of the harsh Afghanistan landscape too, it definitely transports readers there, allowing them to feel as if they’re really a part of the action.

The British spy Jonah Said is wary of one of his oldest friends and fellow spy, as he believes that he there’s a chance that he may be involved in some more than nefarious activities. Last time seeing Nor ed-Din face down in pool of blackened water, he thought he was dead, but, after all these years, it appears that may not be the case. Now testing his own loyalty to the limit, it seems that millions of lives are to be put on the line, as everyone depends on him for an answer. Heading off on a journey replete with revenge and betrayal, he’s taken from the mountains of Afghanistan, right to the streets of one bustling London city. Will he be able to make the right choice when the pressure is on? What secrets does his former friend and ally hold? Can he hope to remain a loyal spy?

The Agent Runner

Published through the ‘Arcade Publishing’ label, this stand-alone thriller title first came out on the 23rd of September in 2014. Telling a completely self-contained story, it manages to provide a intricate thriller filled with tension and equally high drama. Written somewhat later in the writing career of Simon Conway, it’s a novel that’s handled with real confidence and understanding of its subject matter and format, knowing exactly where it’s leading the audience at all times.

A lean and taut thriller novel, this is a spy and espionage story that really manages to truly fire on all cylinders all the way through. Taking his own knowledge of the field, Conway once again uses his experience to lend the narrative with a particularly high-degree of authenticity and realism. Keeping it entertaining as well though, he also manages to keep his audience continually hooked throughout at all times too. From the leading characters who are at once strong yet flawed, who really resonate with the reader on a personal level, to the locations used as well, this suspense filled story definitely pulls out all the stops.

Working as an MI6 handler, or ‘agent runner’, British operative Edward Henry Malik has been running the agent ‘Nightingale’ for the past four years. Working from the inside of Pakistan’s infamous ISI, they have been closely monitoring their links to groups such as Al Qaeda, along with the Taliban as well. Recently, though, Nightingale has been exposed in the wake of Osama Bin Laden’s death, leading to Malik’s entire world crumbling around him. Following his dismissal from the MI6 and his reputation being destroyed, he has to get a job in the East End of London working at a freight forwarding office, located in the immigrant sector of Whitechapel. This then leads to him falling for the proprietor’s daughter there, but not before Pakistan’s most notorious spymaster, known as the ‘Hidden Hand’, is intent on taking him down for knowing too much. Not only that, but he also comes across a plot to detonate a dirty bomb, which he must prevent before it’s all too late. Will he manage to stop it and save the day? Can he ever hope to truly escape from the demons of his past and live a normal happy life? What will become of the agent runner?

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One Response to “Simon Conway”

  1. Geoffrey Elliot: 2 years ago

    Just finished reading “The Agent Runner”. Accustomed to reading espionage books by LeCarre and Daniel Silva I was very impressed by what seemed to be an insider’s view of the politics of Pakistan, the ISI and the relationships between the ISI and the Taliban in both Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the disparate tribal groups in the latter country. The sorry history of all outside countries’ attempts to pacify and civilize Afghanistan is also rendered convincingly. Of course, the book is fiction, but it has a laudable and satisfying sense of authenticity and is, above all, a good and entertaining read.

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