Late one night, Hawke receives a telephone call from his friend Prince Charles to advise that someone is planning to murder the Royal Family. The Windsors and the Hawkes have been friends for generations. Alex and Charles shared much time together growing up.

The call shakes Alex from the doldrums and when HRH (His Royal Highness) asks Hawke to return to England, he reverts to his former self. On the way to visit the Prince, Hawke and Congreve are attacked and suspect this may be the IRA. When they arrive at Highgrove House,Prince Charles shares a letter which dates back to 1979 signed by "The Pawn" who was the suspected killer of Lord Mountbatten.

Charles had found another note in his library the previous day with the same signature and the words "Pawn takes King." HRH brings together his own special group of confidantes to help, including Dr. Sahira Karim the head of counter-terrorism for MI5. Sahira's fiance (also a friend of Hawke) was killed the year before at Heathrow when the Sword of Allah bombed one of the terminals.

As the team investigates further, they learn of a man named Smith who was involved with the Mountbatten murder and may be part of the current plan to kill the Royals as well.

Meanwhile in South Florida, Stokely Jones another close friend, confidante and business associate of Hawke and CIA agent Harry Brock are on the stakeout of a lawyer who represented two Pakistanis released from Gitmo. Jones and Brock are hoping to garner information about the Sword of Allah terrorists. Jones goes undercover as a prisoner at Glades Penitentiary and after infiltrating the Sword of Allah discovers that a man named Smith is plotting a major international terrorist attack. When Jones and Hawke compare notes, they decide to join forces.

Ted Bell's sixth Hawke adventure is filled not only with the action you expect but with anecdotes of British History such as the story of Mountbatten in India in 1947 and then his death in 1979. Bell also inputs quite a bit about "The Royals" with another possible suggestion for the death of Lady Diana and a surprise visit by the Queen herself.

Warlord is more classical escapist international thriller without the technology that characterized Tsar. While Bell can be a bit wordy in spots, the plot a bit slow, and the characters can lack complexity, the familiarity of the characters and a surprise ending which will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next Hawke adventure more than make up for these deficiencies.

--Jerry Solot