Books › North from Calcutta
North from Calcutta
348 pages
A high-stakes, authentic espionage thriller where global nuclear dread collides with a desperate fight to save a loved one.
What it feels like
Written with the gritty authenticity that only a former intelligence officer can provide, this propulsive thriller plunges readers into a shadowy world of geopolitical brinkmanship. The mood is tense and dread-soaked, driven by the ticking clock of a looming terrorist attack and the terrifying specter of nuclear war. Yet beneath the cold, practiced tradecraft and urgent pacing lies a deeply personal emotional core, exploring the clash between duty, nationalism, and a cross-cultural romance that raises the stakes to an agonizing level. The prose is elegant but grounded, delivering a suspenseful experience that feels ripped from the headlines. It is a perfect read for those who devour high-stakes espionage fiction where global crises and intimate human vulnerabilities violently intersect.
- Mood
- tense
- high-stakes
- shadowy
- dread-soaked
- Tone
- urgent
- authentic
- gritty
- suspenseful
- romantic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- geopolitical brinkmanship · duty versus love · clashing ideologies · the burden of intelligence work · cross-cultural romance
- The writing
- Authentic and elegant, grounded in the gritty realism of a former intelligence officer's firsthand knowledge.
- The arc
- Moves from cold, calculated professionalism to desperate, high-stakes urgency as global and deeply personal threats violently collide.
- Who it's for
- Fans of grounded, high-stakes espionage thrillers who appreciate authentic tradecraft mixed with cross-cultural romance and geopolitical tension.
Content notes
- terrorism
- threat of nuclear war
- violence
About the book
In his first novel which could be ripped from today's headlines, former CIA officer, Duane Evans plunges readers into the dangerous and uncertain world of Tarek Durrani, a westernized Pakistani intelligence operative who races to stop an attack against India by a deadly terrorist group. If the attack succeeds it will lead to an all out war between India and Pakistan with nuclear ramifications for the entire world. Of more immediate concern to Durrani, the attack also will take the life of the beautiful Indian architect who has cracked the combination to his soul. As the terrorist plot unfolds, Durrani plays out one last deadly game, putting his cold, practiced intelligence skills to the ultimate test. North From Calcutta is "a great tale of today's espionage and terror" says Cofer Black, former chief of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center. Hayden Peake, book reviewer, author, and curator of CIA's Historical Intelligence Collection describes the book as "an elegant example of espionage fiction." Says Richard Blake of Reader Views, "Evans is pioneering a new approach to the genre of espionage, intrigue and adventure novels. His handling of a Muslim hero, a Hindu heroine, in a setting of Islamic extremist activity is superb and destined to be the pacesetter for other writers in this time of explosive terrorist threat." National Best Selling author of "First In", Gary Schroen declares "the author takes us deep into the underside of Pakistan's intelligence services, where nationalism clashes with Islamic fundamentalism, as radical elements plot against India-with nuclear war hanging in the balance. Plot twists, well developed characters, settings that bring you the feel and smell of South Asia, this is a page-turning, exciting ride."
Description from Open Library.
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