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ASHRAF KHAN

khan_ashraf_bk_bs khan_ashraf_bk_ls
 
Full Name: Ashraf Khan
Nationality: British
Organization: Department 8
Occupation Agent

Creator: Mike Shields
Time Span: 2011 - 2012

ABOUT THE SERIES

Ashraf Khan is an agent with Department 8.

In the heddy days of World War II, various departments of the British military intelligence community existed, each with its designated purpose though jurisdiction often overlapped, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes with avarice. There were nine such departments at its peak, cleverly designated MI-1 through MI-9. Most went away or were absorbed by others until there were just two: MI-5 involved in internal security and MI-6 responsible for external operations.

And MI-8, known once as Special Operations but now largely unknown to the general public. Its existence owed itself to the fact that often a special situation arises which involved operations both inside the country and out. Since the turf war between MI-5 and MI-6 was never ending and neither would be willing to play second chair to the other, it fell to MI-8 to handle things when needed.

MI-8 was small, scrappy, hungry for any piece of the intelligence budget it could snatch from the jaws of the bigger siblings, and run by a man perhaps a genius or perhaps a nutcase. The odds are the former because he has kept the bureau going for some time and has been smart enough to maintain a good relationship with the Americans.

Back to Khan. His parents were from the Indian state of Gujarat, next to the border with Pakistan. "He grew up speaking Gujarati to his mother, Hindi to his father, Urdu in the mosque, and English everywhere else." This made languages especially easy for him so he achieved honors in school for French, German, and Spanish. At University, he added Arabic and Hebrew and tossed in Farsi.

Khan knew getting a job at the time he graduated was going to be difficult. His biggest asset was his language skills though his black belt in aikido showed he did not lack in conditioning. When the head of Department 8 called with an offer, the opportunity was welcomed and suddenly he was an agent.

BOOKS

Number of Books:2
First Appearance:2011
Last Appearance:2012

1 Long Shot Long Shot
Written by Mike Shields
Copyright: 2011

Ashraf Khan has recently been recruited by Department 8 in its new look at the Middle East. A renegade Muslim cleric has issued a fatwa against the British Prime Minister. That was bad. Then the PM was actually killed and things get a whole lot worse.
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2 Bomb Search Bomb Search
Written by Mike Shields
Copyright: 2012

Somewhat surprised he is not dying of radiation poisoning from being near a nuclear explosion, Ashraf Khan is in the middle of a budding nuclear was and it falls on him to find the truth of who is being it.
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MY COMMENTS

This two-book series (sadly that since I would have enjoyed a couple more) sat on my e-shelf far, far too long. I kept "a-gonna get to it" but something always stopped me until I forced myself to give it a go. There was NO forcing me to keep that going, well, going. I really, really, really like Ashraf Khan. I like his attitude. I like his thoughts and comments and approach to things.

His boss is also very interesting and deserves more adventures. The blurb on the books made me think he might be a nutter and as things start transpiring in the pages that thought gets more foundation. Then we see that he really is a sharp individual and for all his snarky jabs at, well, everyone, he is not quite the a******e he seemed at first. Not quite.

Since a fair number of years have passed since these books were written, I doubt there will be any more. I regret that a lot. I liked Khan. I really liked his adventures.

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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