" Monarch  is that rarity in thrillers: first-class writing, wit, and suspense. This is one of the best Alex Hawke thrillers, and I've read all of them — James Patterson, #1 New York Times  bestselling Author   "Hawke has never flown higher!" — Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Blood lines   Ted Bell's New York Times bestselling series returns with Lord Alexander Hawke facing his greatest challenge yet—to find the missing king of Britain. Following a successful but costly mission to destroy an enemy outpost in Antarctica, Alex Hawke is looking forward to some quiet time at Teakettle Cottage, his home in Bermuda, along with his family. But he's not a man who can avoid trouble. Former Chief Inspector of Scottland Yard Ambrose Congreve calls him with stunning news. Just days away from a controversial vote threatening to tear the United Kingdom apart at the seams, King Charles has disappeared while vacationing at Balmoral Castle. The prime minister believes she can keep the news quiet for no more than 72 hours. After that, Britain will be plunged into chaos.   With the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance, it's up to Lord Hawke to find and rescue the missing monarch before it's too late. "Monarch is that rarity in thrillers: first-class writing, wit, and suspense. This is one of the best Alex Hawke thrillers, and I've read all of them." — James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling Author "Packed with twisting surprises and a double dose of action, Ted Bell's Monarch marks the return of Lord Alexander Hawke, one of the thriller genre's most captivating and electric heroes, as he races to not only stop a fiendish plot to attack London but also find the missing king before the UK is torn apart. Hawke has never flown higher!" — Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Blood Lines "The smashing return of Alex Hawke in a pulse-pounding thriller of the first order. Relentless action, endless intrigue, and a masterful plot keep the pages flying." — Dirk Cussler, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Corsican Shadow "Ryan Steck channels Alex Hawke perfectly. This is my dad's Alex Hawke. The Hawke we all know and love." — Byrdie Bell, daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell "Alex Hawke returns in TED BELL'S MONARCH, a twisty and action-packed thriller that reads like today's 007. Timely and relevant, Ryan Steck carries on the Hawke legacy with a voice that is both fresh and familiar. Ted Bell would be proud." — Andrews & Wilson, the New York Times bestselling authors of Tom Clancy Act of Defiance and Tier One "Steck's passion for this project leaps from every page. He masterfully captures Bell's exuberance, characters, and storytelling in a way that will keep fans clamoring for more. Lord Hawke lives!" — Kyle Mills, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Code Red "Alex Hawke is back in a twisted tale of adventure, action, and intrigue. Ryan Steck's vivid prose, firmly conceived plot, and edge-of-your-seat action scenes all contribute to make MONARCH an obsessive page-turner the great Ted Bell would be proud of." — Simon Gervais, former RCMP counterterrorism officer and bestselling author of The Elias Network. Ted Bell was the former chairman of the board and creative director of Young & Rubicam, one of the world's largest advertising agencies. He was the New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Hawke series as well as the YA adventure novels Nick of Time and The Time Pirate . He passed away in January 2023. Ryan Steck is the author of Fields of Fire , Lethal Range , Redd Christmas , and Out For Blood . He is also a freelance editor, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real Book Spy, and was named an Online Influencer by Amazon. Praised as "one of the hardest working and fairest reviewers out there" by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Steck has "quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers" (author A.J. Tata). He lives in Michigan. ONE Balmoral Estate, Scotland It was the considered opinion of Chief Superintendent Tommy Fairbairn-Sykes that His Majesty the King was just a touch barmy. How else to describe someone making an intentional, voluntary decision to venture out into the cold gray drizzle to tramp around in a bog for hours, literally beating the bushes in hopes of maybe having the satisfaction of shooting what was little more than a glorified wild chicken? What sane person would do that? wondered the chief superintendent. Coming up in the commandos, Fairbairn-Sykes had spent more than his share of days and nights tramping around in cold, damp, miserable places, but doing that had at least served a purpose. That had been military training, the anvil upon which he and his mates had been forged into the hardest, deadliest elite warriors on earth-the Royal Navy Special Boat Service. What it was not, by any stretch