Minefield Read online

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover illustration copyright © Andy Maslen

  Acknowledgments

  There are a few people I want to thank for helping make this book possible and for supporting me in my writing.

  My dear friend and yoga teacher, Clare Allen, for inspiring me to write this story.

  Ponheary Ly and Lori Carlson for allowing me the great privilege of visiting their school in Koh Ker, Cambodia, to chat to the kids there and see a little of their lives. (Helping make and serve the school lunch was fun, too.)

  My fellow yogis for showing such love and friendship on our trip to Cambodia: Sarah Bennie, Lisa Blood, Sharon Bright, Dawn Brown, “Big” Mike Cole, Daisy Allen Crook, William Crook, Sarah Hunt, Millie James, Kate Jermolova, Clive Nash, Gaenor Nokes, Liga Piraga, Tanja Schleipen, Gina Suddaby, Vicci Sutton, Ginny Tobias, Nikki Urquhart and Paul Urquhart.

  You for buying this book. Every penny of the royalties goes to the Ponheary Ly Foundation.

  Jo Maslen and Sandy Wallace, my skilful and diplomatic first readers.

  My editor, Michelle Lowery, from whom I have learned so much about how to make a book better .

  My proofreader, John Lowery, who coined the phrase “proximity alert”, which I love.

  Simon Alphonso, OJ “Yard Boy” Audet, Ann Finn, Yvonne Henderson, Vanessa Knowles, Nina Rip and Bill Wilson for being my “sniper spotters”.

  My advanced readers for picking up any last-minute editorial glitches.

  And my family, as always, for being the centre of my world.

  Andy Maslen

  Salisbury, 2018

  Also By Andy Maslen

  The Gabriel Wolfe series

  Trigger Point

  Reversal of Fortune (short story)

  Blind Impact

  Condor

  First Casualty

  Fury

  Rattlesnake

  No Further (coming soon)

  The DI Stella Cole series

  Hit and Run

  Hit Back Harder

  Hit and Done

  Blood Loss: A Vampire Story

  Non-fiction

  Write to Sell

  100 Great Copywriting Ideas

  The Copywriting Sourcebook

  Write Copy, Make Money

  Persuasive Copywriting

  About the Author

  Andy Maslen was born in Nottingham, in the UK, home of legendary bowman Robin Hood. Andy once won a medal for archery, although he has never been locked up by the sheriff.

  He has worked in a record shop, as a barman, as a door-to-door DIY products salesman and a cook in an Italian restaurant. He eventually landed a job in marketing, writing mailshots to sell business management reports. He spent ten years in the corporate world before launching a business-writing agency, Sunfish, where he writes for clients including The Economist , Christie’s and World Vision.

  As well as the Stella Cole and Gabriel Wolfe thrillers, Andy has published five works of non-fiction on copywriting and freelancing with Marshall Cavendish and Kogan Page. They are all available online and in bookshops.

  He lives in Wiltshire with his wife, two sons and a whippet named Merlin.

  You’re helping give kids in Cambodia a future.

  I am donating all my royalties for this book to the Ponheary Ly Foundation .

  Some readers have also donated directly. You can add your donation through my JustGiving page .

  Afterword

  To get a free copy of Andy’s first novel, Trigger Point , and exclusive news and offers, join his Readers’ Group at www.andymaslen.com .

  Email Andy at [email protected] .

  Follow and tweet him at @Andy_Maslen.

  Join Andy’s Facebook group, The Wolfe Pack .