Absolute Measures - Softcover

Far Eastern Economic Review compares HH to Eric Ambler
'Hawksley's world is too close to the real world for comfort. It is also sufficiently ambiguous to make it real. And that's why ABSOLUTE MEASURES is such a page-turning read' Far Eastern Economic Review

'The second thriller from the author of CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE, draws on his experience as a BBC correspondant to produce a novel of considerable power' The Times

'The experienced journalist shows that he has made the transition to thriller writer with great skill. The political dimensions of the book are (unsurprisingly) as solid as its thriller credentials' Crime Time

'The BBC correspondent draws on his experiences for another authentic thriller' Bookseller

It begins with a daredevil raid on a house in the outskirts of Khartoum, as a crack SAS team flies in to rescue a kidnapped American scientist. The operation is a success - but there is one casualty, an innocent neighbour caught in the crossfire - leaving thirteen-year-old twins Samira and Yasin orphaned. Saved from the orphanage by Malaysian millionaire businessman Ismael Musa, Samira and Yasin grow up in the Philippines in a world of privilege far from their humble roots, but the seeds of hatred, sown when they were children, are to reap a terrible harvest. When Musa's business is destroyed amid the region's economic crisis, and their home is plunged into violent chaos, Yasin knows the time has come for revenge. Suddenly the West is confronted by a terrorist with a plan so audacious that they are literally defenceless against it. Their only hope of stopping him lies with a man whose own life was also changed forever on that long-ago night in Khartoum, and with Yasin's twin sister Samira, who must make the most difficult choice of all. Once again, Humphrey Hawksley has woven a story of high-octane suspense out of the terrifying reality behind today's headlines.