Published by Mereo (5 Nov 2013)

“I was up until gone 2am to find out what happened! A gripping tale which is all the more incredible as it is based on fact! Enjoy!”

Strike of the Cobra, based on a true-life story, is a thrilling tale of crime, subterfuge and drug smuggling in Britain, Turkey and Singapore.

Having had sometime to speak with Stephen about the true events I was incredibly intrigued to read the book. It was hard to believe a family man running a legitimate business had endured such an intimidating predicament.

Due to the events culminating in a trial at the Old Bailey a few names and locations have been altered.

The book begins by introducing us to Daniel Cassidy, his family and enviable life in Singapore. If you have spent time in Singapore on business you may be familiar with much of the landscape. For me it was an interesting glimpse into life in Singapore.

Stephen has done an incredible job of getting us to emotionally invest in the characters. The attention to detail when describing the family demonstrates their vulnerability when the more sinister events begin to unfold. What makes this tale all the more shocking is many of the gruesome events happen in innocent surroundings.

Once Daniel takes his business trip to Turkey in order to visit the factory I couldn’t put the book down. Many a late night was had deciding I would read just one more chapter to find out what would happen next.

Stephen has done an incredible job of getting the reader to ponder what action they would take if confronted with such a situation. Daniel Cassidy is not a macho hero but simply a businessman caught up in something he thought he would only ever see in a movie.

This book will have you entertained right from the start all the way up to the climatic conclusion. Strike of the Cobra is a gripping and page-turning read.

Verdict 8.5/10