Ultimatum cover art

Ultimatum

a gripping and relentless fever-pitch thriller by the best-selling author Simon Kernick

Preview
This Season's Biggest Deal

£0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

Auto-renews at £5.99/month after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 28 December, 2026.
More purchase options

Ultimatum

By: Simon Kernick
Narrated by: Paul Thornley
Get this deal

Auto-renews at £5.99/mo. after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 28 December, 2026.

Buy Now for £8.62

Buy Now for £8.62

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
Summary

Fans of David Baldacci, Stuart MacBride and Peter James will love this high-octane and utterly compelling thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick, the UK's answer to Harlan Coben.

'As ever, Kernick's research is impeccable. The plotting is brilliant and makes for a tense, action-packed read' -- Sunday Mirror
'Kernick delivers his book like a runaway locomotive without brakes. This is another cracking read from a great author.' -- www.crimesquad.com
'Pace, pace, pace is what Simon Kernick does best.' -- Daily Mirror
'Simon Kernick has to be, in my mind, the best crime writer ever' -- ***** Reader review
'Excellent read. Action from the start right to the finish' -- ***** Reader review
'Takes you on a thriller of a ride from beginning to end' -- ***** Reader review
'I couldn't put it down!' -- ***** Reader review

***********************************************************************************
NO TIME TO LOSE. NO TIME TO FAIL.

THE THREAT: 8am: an explosion blasts through a cafe in Central London.

THE ULTIMATUM: Minutes later, a call from an unknown terror group warns that a far greater attack will be launched in 12 hours' time.

THE PRISONER: William Garrett, AKA Fox, is awaiting trial for mass murder. He claims he can name the bombers. But only at a price.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING: It's a terrifying race against time for DI Mike Bolt and DC Tina Boyd as they chase their targets across the city in a desperate bid to stop a major atrocity - before it's too late ...

Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Crime Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

Pace, pace, pace is what Simon Kernick does best.
Simon Kernick writes great plots, great characters, great action.
Simon Kernick writes with his foot pressed hard on the pedal. Hang on tight!
From the first line, Simon Kernick knows how to get a thriller shifting, and he doesn't let up until the very last
Simon Kernick uses every trick in the book to keep the action breakneck.
All stars
Most relevant
Good book with clever threads weaving a believable scenario. Nice to see the hero Jones doing what he has to do for the greater good but with a conscience!

Well crafted storyline

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Continues the story well but not as good as the Siege. Enjoy. Paul Thornley as story teller

No a bad resumption of the Siege

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Tina Boyd is a real hothead but a true hero. Fantastic action and suspense. On to the next book.

Classic drama

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, a decent modern story, we'll paced and easy to follow. A good page turning novel.

Pacey, decent storyline

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you liked Simon Kernick's previous books you'll like this one; however I found the plot a little thin and the story not as engaging as previous books due to the lack of chacacter development.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jones because his was the only character really developed, showing true human emotions such that you cared about what happened to him.

What about Paul Thornley’s performance did you like?

Excellent as ever, a well paced narration with great characterisation.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

An exciting story that made one want to keep listening, although the ever increasing body count was a little disturbing.

Any additional comments?

I am sure that with all the loose ends we'll see the underlying story thread continued in a future Simon Kernick publication. Would have preferred to have seen more of SK's usual unexpected twists, and because of the aforementioned loose ends was left feeling a little in limbo!

Enjoyable Page Turner and an Easy Listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews