BOOK REVIEW: The Year of the Locust

If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning.

Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary.

You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot.

But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience.

The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction.

A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart.

Terry Hayes is a former journalist and screen-writer.

Born in Sussex, England, he migrated to Australia as a child and trained as a journalist.

With George Miller, wrote the screenplay for Road Warrior/Mad Max 2.

He also co-produced and wrote Dead Calm, the film which launched Nicole Kidman's international movie career, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and a large number of TV movies and mini-series - including Bodyline and Bangkok Hilton - two of which received international Emmy nominations. In all, he has won more than 20 film or television awards.

After moving to Los Angeles he worked as a screenwriter on major studio productions.

His credits include Payback with Mel Gibson, From Hell, starring Johnny Depp, and Vertical Limit with Chris O'Donnell. He has also done un-credited writing on a host of other movies including Reign of Fire, Cliffhanger and Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster.

The Year of the Locust is Terry Hayes' second novel. His first, I Am Pilgrim was an international bestseller.

He and his American wife - Kristen - have four children and live in Switzerland.