Hostage

A terrorist with a conscience turns against his radical cadre in a desperate attempt to prevent a nuclear nightmare
Julian Despard has devoted his life to the New Revolution. As cell leader for the notorious international terrorist organization Magma, he works tirelessly in the shadows for the downfall of established governments. But in the aftermath of the successful theft of a large arms shipment in the Mediterranean—a criminal operation that he masterminded—Despard suddenly finds himself questioning his radical ideals.

Magma's recent victory has brought Despard and his cohorts nuclear materials to be deployed against one of the world's most populous cities: London. Despard's conscience will not allow him to take part in the horrific slaughter of many thousands—perhaps millions—of innocents, but attempting to prevent the organization from going through with its plan will turn his former compatriots into lethal, unforgiving enemies. Still, Despard can see no alternative—even with the police closing in on one side and terrorist killers approaching from the other—for the clock is ticking down the seconds to doomsday.

Written decades before 9/11 and the realities of twenty-first-century global terrorism, Geoffrey Household's chilling, eerily prescient thriller is even more powerful and relevant today than when it first appeared in print.