The Defector

Tom Clancy-style fighter jets and a sprinkling of reality from Hadfield’s time as a test pilot … It is a thriller in every sense * New Scientist *
He controls the story with a fighter pilot’s verve and confidence, bringing real insider expertise to a fast-paced cold war tale * Financial Times *
As a writer, his strength is his ability to draw on his specialist knowledge to add verisimilitude … while his high-octane depiction of aerial dogfights stirs memories of Top Gun and Craig Thomas’s Firefox. Afterburners on! * The Times *
Chris Hadfield uses his experiences to great effect in this thrilling story about a defecting Russian pilot … [The Defector] moves at great speed and contains mesmerising descriptions of flying under supreme pressure * Literary Review *
Nail-bitingly exciting … Hadfield is clearly destined to inherit the late Tom Clancy’s mantle as master of the techno-thriller genre * Irish Independent *
Action-packed, cleverly plotted and rich with the kind of satisfyingly authentic detail and keen insights that only a writer with Hadfield’s extraordinary resume can provide, The Defector delivers on every level. Wondering what to do until Top Gun 3 arrives? Don’t worry, Chris Hadfield’s got it covered * Rowland White *
Packed with the kind of insider knowledge you simply don’t get in thrillers these days, The Defector is not just an intelligent book, it’s an exciting book. Expertly paced with breathtaking set pieces, I raced through it in a couple of sittings. It reminded me of Frederick Forsyth in his pomp - highly recommended * M.W. Craven, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dead Ground and The Botanist *
An extraordinary novel, brimming with detail and realism and full of pulse-pounding action * Mark Greaney, bestselling author of Burner, a Gray Man novel *
Real-life figures collide with fictional espionage in former astronaut Hadfield’s gripping sequel to The Apollo Murders … Hadfield keeps the suspense steady before delivering a knockout air battle that brings everything to a white-knuckle close. Kaz’s adventures continue to electrify * Publishers Weekly *
Ideal exciting escapist reading * Aerospace *

CHRIS HADFIELD is one of the most experienced and accomplished astronauts in the world. He was the top test pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and a Cold War fighter pilot intercepting armed Soviet bombers in Canadian airspace. A veteran of three space flights, he served as capsule communicator - CAPCOM - for 25 Shuttle missions, as NASA’s Director of Operations in Russia and as commander of the International Space Station. Hadfield’s books An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here and The Darkest Dark have all been international bestsellers, and topped the charts for months in Canada. His two previous novels, The Apollo Murders and The Defector, were both instant number one bestsellers.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.