On the lookout for your perfect summer read? Call off the search and pick up a copy of Terry Hayes’ latest novel, The Year of the Locust.

Following the protagonist, Kane, a Denied Access Area spy on a CIA job that operates by any means necessary, you’ll go through every twist and turn of his all-too-dangerous experiences. And you’ll learn about the ‘badlands’ borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan as you go, while insights of his complex role are delved into.

Quickly learning that violence is often the only means to survive, Kane embarks on a mission to extract a man with vital information that the safety of western society depends on. This foe turns into a real adversary for Kane, as he’s someone who’ll stop at nothing and could easily push the planet to the brink of extinction. Sounds nail-biting? Oh yep, we promise it is – we’re hooked.

About the author

The former journalist and multi-award-winning screen-writer, Terry Hayes, is back with his second novel. The Year of the Locust is a feat of gripping literature, after his first endeavour, I Am Pilgrim. This was an international bestseller for good reason, and published in many languages.

Currently, Hayes lives in Lisbon with his family, though his career started out writing screenplays for none other than Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Dead Calm, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Payback, From Hell, and Vertical Limit. He also supplied uncredited writing for films such as Reign of Fire, Cliffhanger and Flightplan!

Q&A with the author

The Jet2 Content team caught up with Terry about his travel plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say...

Which Jet2holidays destination would you most like to visit?

The Jet2holidays destination at the top of my list is without a doubt Malta. We stopped there on our honeymoon and it was phenomenal. While I wasn't one for the beaches or the shopping, the fortress was incredible. It was one of the most remarkable things I'd ever seen!

History-steeped Valletta is somewhere that Caravaggio, the painter, had been, and there's at least one story that he was haunted by the Knights who ran Malta at that stage. So it's a wonderful place if you're interested in history, great weather – it’s quite spectacular.

That would be my number one and I'm hoping in the sequel to I Am Pilgrim, which I'm writing at the moment, I'm planning to include some scenes and chapters in Malta. Of course, I'll have to go back and refresh my memory!

Reviews

'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' – Telegraph

‘Worth the wait... an often captivating, mass-market adventure story that's mostly more treat than trick’ – James Owen, The Times

‘[Hayes] is brilliant at action and military technology’ – John Dugdale, Sunday Times

‘Epic and immersive, new and unexpected, and his research into spycraft is deep and compelling’ – Mail on Sunday

Our thoughts...

“Call it a cliché, but when you’ve got cliffhangers weaved in, you can’t help but become completely gripped. But for me, it was the way Hayes built tension through his use of contextual explanations and character progression, which really made this book a very enthralling gem. There was plenty to devour, from the little details that led to big events, to the genuine facts that made the fictional parts accurate to what had inspired it from real life. And not forgetting the adjectival choices – while this book is certainly more blow-by-blow storytelling, it hasn’t scrimped on its descriptiveness.” – Imogen Goulding, Senior Content Executive

Have we left you yearning for your next summer read? Check out another of our page-turning Penguin posts here...

WIN with Penguin Books!

Ready to kick back on a lounger and get lost in a good book like this?

As part of our amazing partnership with Penguin Books, we'll also be offering one lucky bookworm the chance to win a family Jet2holiday to a choice of six destinations, plus a Penguin Book bundle worth £200! So you could be jetting off to Crete, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Fuerteventura or Malta, with all your new holiday reads in the bag too. Find out how to enter here.

Check out the free extract here, then bag yourself a copy on Penguin Books’ website!