Set during the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore in WWII and focussed on the daring exploits of stay-behind parties as they disrupt the Imperial forces with rudimentary tactical devices, JP Cross has delivered an historical fiction which is devilishly intriguing and a masterclass in his depictions of operating in the jungle. The story begins with an isolated act of kindness at the end of the Great War: an act which unwittingly sets two characters on a collision course two decades later. Unlike his previous books in the series, the erstwhile hero Jason Rance is not the main protagonist. Instead, JP Cross turns the spotlight on Ah Fat, Jason's childhood, Chinese friend. Ah Fat is selected by British Colonial actors and his father to become a key member in a small band of fifth columnists consisting of British, Gurkha and Malay Communist activists. Ah Fat's tactical deceptions and devastating skill with a humble catapult pit him against a young Kempeitai officer charged with rooting out the saboteurs. As the stakes get higher, so the two characters are thrown together and in the final pages, the event from the Great War finally comes full circle. As John Le Carre observed, no one is better qualified than JP Cross to write about the jungles of Malaya. His first-hand knowledge of the jungle environment leaps from each page with authenticity and precision. His literary techniques are as beguiling and ingenious as some of the tactics and techniques used by the heroes of the piece. The brutality of war is not ignored, but JP Cross manages also to depict the camaraderie between comrades and surprisingly, the occasional glimpse of humanity between adversaries. After eleven books in the series, the pace and energy of JP Cross' imagination shows no sign of letting up. What next will drip from his pen - and when? Lieutenant Colonel John Philip Cross OBE, popularly known as J P Cross, served together with the Gurkhas in the Indian and British Army for nearly 40 years, when he earned legendary respect because of his experience, leadership and devotion to his units. Following retirement from a very rich service accounting numerous deployments, he has been living in Nepal for the last 50 [since 29 Feb 1976] years, the latter years as an official Nepali citizen. He has authored 29 books on his lifelong military service and knowledge and in his remarks and recollections, has always held the Gurkhas in high esteem. His passion for Nepal, its people and the Gurkhas has cemented his name in Nepal and the Gurkha community, while his knowledge expressed in his writing has gained good recognition in the wider military world.