Books by Alison and Nick

Death in Helmand

Canelo, March 2022
The MacKenzie and Khan series Book 2

One man murdered, another missing. A race against time…

Helmand, 2004: Afghanistan’s most lawless province, where nearly 90 per cent of the world’s opium is grown. Pink and lilac poppies flutter innocently in the breeze in fields that stretch for miles and miles along the Helmand River south of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Gangsters and warlords battle for supremacy in the lucrative trade, territories well-known, and fiercely contested.

Well Diggers, an Anglo-Dutch NGO helping the farming community, comes under attack. One man is dead and another man is missing – suspected kidnapped, so head of security Ginger Jameson calls in his old friend Alasdair ‘Mac’ MacKenzie to help.

But when the expected ransom demand fails to materialise, rumours blossom, creating a web of deceit and a multitude of false leads. Embarking on a rescue mission into the no-go reaches of southern Helmand might look like a major scoop to Mac’s girlfriend, investigative reporter Baz Khan, but it puts the whole team in danger. And if they don’t find him soon, they won’t find him at all…

From Helmand’s shimmering poppy fields to the blistering Desert of Death and the opium bazaars of Bahram Char, where nothing is as cheap as a man’s life, this is the gripping sequel to Death in Kabul.

Praise for Death in Helmand:

‘A book so atmospheric you can feel the grit between your teeth and the sand in your shoes, Death in Helmand is a thrill-ride race-to-the-finish that had me gripped until the end. A superb read!’ Louisa Scarr, author of Blink of an Eye

‘Mac and Baz are back in this awesome, edge-of-the-seat thriller. A brilliant white-knuckle ride’ Suzy Aspley, author of Crow Moon

‘Noisy, dusty, chaotic and tense – Helmand is brilliantly drawn in this powerful novel. I could not put it down’ Marion Todd, author of What They Knew

‘Belsham and Higgins give us another all-guns-blazing, white-knuckle ride through lawless Afghanistan, with a cast of characters you can’t help but root for’ Heleen Kist, author of What I Hid From You

‘As gritty and realistic as a thriller gets. You’re going to feel the zip of every bullet and every bump in the road. What an amazingly immersive read!’ Rob Parker, author of Far from the Tree

Death in Kabul

Canelo, March 2022
The MacKenzie and Khan series Book 1

A murdered man. A stolen artefact. A search for justice in a city where violence and corruption rule…2003. Kabul has become a frontier city, Afghanistan’s fledgling democracy struggling with crime and corruption as NATO coalition troops, gangs and warlords jostle for control. A city where justice is an ideal and security means carrying a gun.

When the body of a British serviceman is discovered in the city’s infamous tank graveyard, the Kabul Police reach out for support in their investigation. Alasdair ‘Mac’ MacKenzie, formerly of the Metropolitan Police, is seconded to the team.

Baz Khan, an Afghan-American investigative journalist, is in Kabul researching a story. Precious antiquities, priceless artefacts of the country’s rich history, are disappearing amid the chaos, never to be seen again. Baz is determined to uncover whoever is spiriting them away, to prevent her war-torn country being further denuded for profit. And she has a lead…

The soldier’s death was no accident. Why was he so far from the British base in the middle of the night? And alone? As Baz and Mac investigate, they quickly realise they have each stumbled on something far bigger than they reckoned with, and are tossed into the Kabul underworld, where violence and corruption rule.

A fast-paced, compelling adventure through the streets of Kabul, perfect for Jack Reacher fans.

Praise for Death in Kabul:

‘A tense, taut and totally authentic thriller that grips from the first page and doesn’t let go. Death in Kabul immerses you in 2003 Kabul, riven by corruption where danger lurks in every alley’ D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance

‘A vividly portrayed murder mystery in a fresh and fascinating setting. With wonderful characters and a great plot, I hope this is the first of many from this duo’ Susi Holliday, author of The Last Resort